Indoor Household Exposures and Associated Morbidity and Mortality Outcomes in Children and Adults in South Africa.

Human exposure to indoor pollution is one of the most well-established ways that housing affects health. We conducted a review to document evidence on the morbidity and mortality outcomes associated with indoor household exposures in children and adults in South Africa. The authors conducted a scientific review of the publicly available literature up to April 2022 using different search engines (PubMed, ProQuest, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar) to identify the literature that assessed the link between indoor household exposures and morbidity and mortality outcomes in children and adults.

Health Risk Analysis of Elemental Components of an Industrially Emitted Respirable Particulate Matter in an Urban Area.

Particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM) is a recognised carcinogen and a priority air pollutant owing to its respirable and toxic chemical components. There is a dearth of information in South Africa on cancer and non-cancer risks of exposure to heavy metal (HM) content of PM.

The Use of Sodium Hypochlorite at Point-of-Use to Remove Microcystins from Water Containers.

Most conventional water treatment plants are not sufficiently equipped to treat both intracellular and extracellular Microcystins in drinking water. However, the effectiveness of sodium hypochlorite in removing Microcystin in containers at the point-of-use is not yet known. This study aimed to assess point-of-use water container treatment using bleach or sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and to assess the health problems associated with microcystins.

Concentration levels and carcinogenic and mutagenic risks of PM-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an urban-industrial area in South Africa.

Concerns over the health effects of exposure to particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM) led the South African Government to establish the national standard for PM in the year 2012. However, there is currently no exposure limit for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and PM-bound PAHs.

Biological Composition of Respirable Particulate Matter in an Industrial Vicinity in South Africa.

There is a growing concern that exposure to particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM) with biological composition (bioaerosols) may play a key role in the prevalence of adverse health outcomes in humans. This study determined the bacterial and fungal concentrations in PM and their inhalation health risks in an industrial vicinity in South Africa.

Health risk of inhalation exposure to sub-10 µm particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in an urban-industrial area in South Africa: an ecological study.

Objective: To assess the health risks associated with exposure to particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO), nitrogen dioxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O).

Design: The study is an ecological study that used the year 2014 hourly ambient pollution data.

Setting: The study was conducted in an industrial area located in Pretoria West, South Africa.

Health Outcomes of Exposure to Biological and Chemical Components of Inhalable and Respirable Particulate Matter.

Particulate matter (PM) is a key indicator of air pollution and a significant risk factor for adverse health outcomes in humans. PM is not a self-contained pollutant but a mixture of different compounds including chemical and biological fractions. While several reviews have focused on the chemical components of PM and associated health effects, there is a dearth of review studies that holistically examine the role of biological and chemical components of inhalable and respirable PM in disease causation.