The vertical distribution of ozone at Pretoria from July 1990 to June 1991 and its changes

Total ozone and the vertical distribution of ozone were measured at Pretoria between 1965 and 1968. Total ozone measurements recommenced in Pretoria in August 1989, and measurements of the vertical distribution of ozone near Pretoria recommenced in July 1990. Relative to the earlier data, mean monthly total ozone values are significantly higher in all months, with a mean annual relative increase of 12 percent. The recent profiles show a significant increase in the mean monthly concentration of ozone in the lowest 12 km. Concurrent to this increase a relative decrease in ozone concentration is shown between 12 and 42 km. The increased ozone concentration in the lower troposphere may be related to urbanization and the increase in ozone-forming nitrogen oxides over the last two decades. It is suggested that the decreased ozone concentration in the stratosphere and upper troposphere is evidence of the global decrease in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere

Reduction in air pollution using the ‘basa njengo magogo’ method and the applicability to low-smoke fuels

The then Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) piloted the top-down Basa njengo Magogo alternative fire ignition method at Orange Farm dur-ing the winter of 2003. In total, 76% of households reported less smoke in their homes, while 67%reported less smoke in the streets after one month of using the method (Palmer Development Consulting, 2003). Work by Nova (Schoonraad & Swanepoel, 2003) in eMbalenhle (actual environ-mental tests) indicated up to a 60% reduction in smoke compared with the conventional method of bottom-up ignition. To support the findings of the environmental studies, the CSIR were appointed by the DME to conduct an experiment under con-trolled laboratory conditions to gather quantitative data on the reduction in particulate emissions asso-ciated with the Basa njengo Magogo method of lighting coal fires. The CSIR was further contracted to assess whether the Basa njengo Magogo technol-ogy was viable with low-smoke fuels. The experiment was conducted using traditional D-Grade coal in both the conventional bottom-up and the Basa njengo Magogo ignition techniques. Three low volatile fuels were also assessed using the Basa njengo Magogo method namely: •    Anthracite (volatile content of 10.6%) •    Anthracite (volatile content of 12%) •    Low volatile coal (volatile content of 20.8%), from Slater Coal in Dundee. All four fuels using the Basa njengo Magogo method recorded similar times of between 11 and 13 minutes from ignition to the fires reaching cook-ing temperature. The bottom-up fire for conven-tional D-Grade coal reached cooking temperature after 55 minutes.Particulate emissions from all the Basa njengo Magogo fires were similar and up to 92% lower in particulate emissions than that of the D-Grade coal in the bottom-up fire. SO2 emissions from the two D-Grade coal fires were the lowest and were identical. The highest SO2 emission resulted from the low volatile coal. The method of lighting the fire does not have a significant effect on the SO2 emissions. The Basa njengo Magogo method of ignition uses approximately 1 kg less coal to reach cooking temperature than the traditional bottom–up method. At a cost of approximately R1.00 per kilo-gram of coal, this translates into a cost savings of approximately R30 per month

Reduction in air pollution using the ‘basa njengo magogo’ method and the applicability to low-smoke fuels

The then Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) piloted the top-down Basa njengo Magogo alternative fire ignition method at Orange Farm dur-ing the winter of 2003. In total, 76% of households reported less smoke in their homes, while 67%reported less smoke in the streets after one month of using the method (Palmer Development Consulting, 2003). Work by Nova (Schoonraad & Swanepoel, 2003) in eMbalenhle (actual environ-mental tests) indicated up to a 60% reduction in smoke compared with the conventional method of bottom-up ignition. To support the findings of the environmental studies, the CSIR were appointed by the DME to conduct an experiment under con-trolled laboratory conditions to gather quantitative data on the reduction in particulate emissions asso-ciated with the Basa njengo Magogo method of lighting coal fires. The CSIR was further contracted to assess whether the Basa njengo Magogo technol-ogy was viable with low-smoke fuels.The experiment was conducted using traditional D-Grade coal in both the conventional bottom-up and the Basa njengo Magogo ignition techniques. Three low volatile fuels were also assessed using the Basa njengo Magogo method namely:•    Anthracite (volatile content of 10.6%)•    Anthracite (volatile content of 12%)•    Low volatile coal (volatile content of 20.8%), from Slater Coal in Dundee.All four fuels using the Basa njengo Magogo method recorded similar times of between 11 and 13 minutes from ignition to the fires reaching cook-ing temperature. The bottom-up fire for conven-tional D-Grade coal reached cooking temperature after 55 minutes.Particulate emissions from all the Basa njengo Magogo fires were similar and up to 92% lower in particulate emissions than that of the D-Grade coal in the bottom-up fire. SO2 emissions from the two D-Grade coal fires were the lowest and were identical. The highest SO2 emission resulted from the low volatile coal. The method of lighting the fire does not have a significant effect on the SO2 emissions. The Basa njengo Magogo method of ignition uses approximately 1 kg less coal to reach cooking temperature than the traditional bottom–up method. At a cost of approximately R1.00 per kilo-gram of coal, this translates into a cost savings of approximately R30 per month

Spatial and Temporal Trends of PM₁₀ and SO₂ in the Richards Bay Area

Air pollution is a public health emergency (WHO, 2016a). It is the biggest environmental risk to health with a global responsibility for about 1 in 9 deaths annually. In 2013, Statistics SA indicated that 10 % of all deaths in South Africa were attributed to respiratory diseases. Areas with increased industrial growth such as Richards Bay are particularly vulnerable. The paper analyses the spatial and temporal concentration trends of PM₁₀ and SO₂ in Richards Bay over the last two decades; specifically, since the promulgation of national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and minimum emissions standards (MES). Mann-Kendell trend tests was applied to monitoring data from the Richards Bay Clean Air Association (RBCAA) to test for an improving or worsening trend and the significance thereof. The pollution concentration data was also compared to NAAQS and the WHO annual guidelines. Overall, results indicate that although there has been a downward trend in the concentration of PM₁₀ and SO₂ emissions in the study area, the trends are not statistically significant. However, there was indication of statistically significant reducing trends in ambient concentrations at some stations. The concentrations at all stations were below NAAQS

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Cosmological parameters from three seasons of data

We present constraints on cosmological and astrophysical parameters from high-resolution microwave background maps at 148 GHz and 218 GHz made by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) in three seasons of observations from 2008 to 2010. A model of primary cosmological and secondary foreground parameters is fit to the map power spectra and lensing deflection power spectrum, including contributions from both the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) effect and the kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (kSZ) effect, Poisson and correlated anisotropy from unresolved infrared sources, radio sources, and the correlation between the tSZ effect and infrared sources. The power ell^2 C_ell/2pi of the thermal SZ power spectrum at 148 GHz is measured to be 3.4 +\- 1.4 muK^2 at ell=3000, while the corresponding amplitude of the kinematic SZ power spectrum has a 95% confidence level upper limit of 8.6 muK^2. Combining ACT power spectra with the WMAP 7-year temperature and polarization power spectra, we find excellent consistency with the LCDM model. We constrain the number of effective relativistic degrees of freedom in the early universe to be Neff=2.79 +\- 0.56, in agreement with the canonical value of Neff=3.046 for three massless neutrinos. We constrain the sum of the neutrino masses to be Sigma m_nu < 0.39 eV at 95% confidence when combining ACT and WMAP 7-year data with BAO and Hubble constant measurements. We constrain the amount of primordial helium to be Yp = 0.225 +\- 0.034, and measure no variation in the fine structure constant alpha since recombination, with alpha/alpha0 = 1.004 +/- 0.005. We also find no evidence for any running of the scalar spectral index, dns/dlnk = -0.004 +\- 0.012.Comment: 26 pages, 22 figures. This paper is a companion to Das et al. (2013) and Dunkley et al. (2013). Matches published JCAP versio

Southern Africa: a Giant Natural Photochemical Reactor

A number of large field experiments (for example, SAFARI-92, SAFARI-2000) have been undertaken in the last decade or so over southern Africa. Routine ozone profiling as part of the SHADOZ ozonesonde network takes place at Irene and Nairobi, and aircraft measurements in the MOZAIC programme have contributed both upper tropospheric data and profile data at selected airports. All have highlighted the build-up of tropospheric ozone over central and southern Africa and hence support the notion of a giant natural photochemical reactor over the region. Attention is drawn in the first instance to the spatial and temporal features of the ozone enhancement. It is shown that there is a strong latitudinal gradient in total tropospheric ozone, with peak values experienced over Zambia, and a longitudinal migration of the season of peak ozone from west to east. Back trajectory analysis from 11 data stations support the dynamic prerequisites for ozone buildup (viz. anticyclonic recirculation), which when coupled with ozone production from a rich and diverse mixture of sources (fires, lightning, urban-industrial, biogenic) provide all the ingredients for ozone enhancment and support the notion of a giant natural photochemical reactor.Pages: 97-10

Changes in health risk associated with air pollution and policy response effectiveness, Richards Bay, South Africa

Lung and bronchus cancer, asthma, acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI), ischemic heart diseases (IHD), cerebrovascular diseases (CEV) are disorders that have been widely associated with air pollution. More so, research shows that more than 5.5 million people die prematurely every year due to household and outdoor air pollution placing it as the fourth highest-ranking risk factor for death globally (Forouzanfar et al., 2015). Setting a minimum emission standard for industrial sources is a way to control air pollution and to minimize adverse impacts on people. With an aim to ascertain pollution policy intervention effectiveness, this study uses the case of Richards Bay to determine changes in health risk associated with air quality pollution exposure and the benefits of policy intervention. The study looks at trends of mortality in the last 20 years, the change in the ranking of 6 air-related mortality causes and Year of Life Lost (YLL) as a result of pollution. Results indicate a 24% decrease in the YLL due to air quality related diseases since 2009 when minimum emission standards were promulgated. The decrease can be observed across all age groups except for the 15-24-year-old, where cases of asthma and acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) are the major mortality drivers. The adults and the older generation are now living slightly longer, although cases of CEV in that generation as well as the younger generation is still an issue that requires continuous monitoring and intervention. The study concludes that there is an improvement that could be attributed to policy implementation. However, the increase in mortality due to certain disease cases such as cancer of the bronchus and lung whose onset could be prior to 2010 signifies that the pollution control efforts need to continue and be stepped up. The increase of ALRI, which adversely affects children, is of concer

Public perceptions of air quality status and suggestions for improvement: The case of Richards Bay and its surroundings, uMhlathuze Local Municipality, South Africa

Whereas industrial growth is instrumental in unlocking poverty and advancing development, often, the effect of pollution on the environment, particularly air quality, is seldom accurately predicted. The effects, which include mortality, morbidity, and loss of productive time, are demonstrated later after the damage is done. The views of the pollution-exposed public in industrialised centres is important to ascertain if policy intervention is enhancing environmental protection for all and justice by extension. Through an online survey, 215 residents of the rapidly industrialising Richards Bay and surrounding areas in South Africa responded to the questions about their perceptions of air quality and recommendations to improve air quality management. Results indicate a concern over air quality with most residents perceiving the air quality as fair or poor. Industrial emission was cited as the leading cause of pollution followed by sugar cane and agrarian burning. Irritation of the ear, nose and throat, as well as sneezing and coughing, were the health effects experienced by residents for which air pollution can be partly attributed. The public recommends an improvement in air quality monitoring, consequence management, technology and public transport system. In addition, they recommended the introduction of air quality offsets, incentives schemes, more public involvement, coordinated planning and better collaboration as a recipe for success in air quality management

Assessment of ozone impacts on vegetation in southern Africa and directions for future research: Commentary

Levels of background ozone in southern Africa are high enough to cause concern, as they frequently exceed the 40 ppb threshold currently adopted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. They also surpass the exposure index of 3000 ppb.h, which is intended to protect crops and natural vegetation in Europe. Natural vegetation and crops in southern Africa may be tolerant of elevated ozone concentrations because of naturally high background levels, but additional anthropogenic inputs of ozone precursors may result in exceedances of ozone damage thresholds that affect vegetation. Current impact assessment policies in Europe are shifting from an exposure approach to one based on flux. If existing European methods are to be applied in southern Africa, the flux model would be the more appropriate of the two to assess likely impacts. Besides data requirements for flux modelling, the method would need to accommodate extended growing periods, locally appropriate crops such as maize, and the frequency and extent of drought periods. In southern Africa, crop production may be more greatly affected by drought, floods, and agronomic inputs but the possible deleterious effects of elevated ozone are sufficient to merit further investigation

Evidence of Galaxy Cluster Motions with the Kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect

6 pages, 1 figure. Updated version matches published paper. Updated analysis, with slightly different figure than the first versionInternational audienceUsing high-resolution microwave sky maps made by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, we for the first time present strong evidence for motions of galaxy clusters and groups via microwave background temperature distortions due to the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. Galaxy clusters are identified by their constituent luminous galaxies observed by the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III. We measure the mean pairwise momentum of clusters, with a probability of the signal being due to random errors of 0.002, and the signal is consistent with the growth of cosmic structure in the standard model of cosmology