Bisphenol A in Selected South African Water Sources: A Critical Review.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a pollutant that has gained the attention of scientists globally because of its ubiquity in environmental matrices as well as its toxicity in the environment. It is listed as a priority pollutant in South Africa, capable of health risk impacts, which, according to the European Union, should not exceed 2.5 μg/L in water.

Water quality assessment of rooftop harvested rainwater across different roof types in a semi-arid region of South Africa.

Uneven distribution of precipitation and climate change have led to water shortages, adversely impacting numerous countries worldwide. Rooftop rainwater harvesting (RWH) has emerged as a crucial method for providing water for domestic uses. However, there are concerns about the quality of rainwater collected from roofs, as it may be contaminated with pollutants such as metals and microbiological pathogens.

Exploring the dichotomy: Shotgun metagenomics reveals diversity of beneficial and pathogenic protist community in arid wetlands of northeastern South Africa.

Arid regions harbor seasonal and permanent wetlands, as biodiversity hotspots crucial for ecosystem services despite harsh conditions. These wetlands, typically dependent on episodic intense rainfall, are understudied compared to their humid counterparts. While the diversity of plants and animals in these wetlands is well-known, the microbial communities remain largely unexplored.

A spatial approach to assessing PM exposure level of a brickmaking community in South Africa.

Globally, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 µm or less poses a significant threat to human health. The first step in quantifying human health impacts caused by exposure to PM pollution is exposure assessment.

Molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Northern South Africa: wastewater surveillance from January 2021 to May 2022.

Introduction: Wastewater-based genomic surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) provides a comprehensive approach to characterize evolutionary patterns and distribution of viral types in a population. This study documents the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, in Northern South Africa, from January 2021 to May 2022.

Methodology: A total of 487 wastewater samples were collected from the influent of eight wastewater treatment facilities and tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).