PINTRODUTION
Is the air we inhale getting better or worse?
In order for us, humans, to live long and productive lives, we need fresh air to breathe and clean water to drink. In eMalahleni, my hometown, we experience both problems associated with air and water pollution (according to Clive Darrington, Witbank news 26 February 2014 ) and (Green Peace activist, Malta Steele, SABC news, 13 May 2013.)
My family and I have lived in eMalahleni for a very long time and a few of my family members have suffered with respiratory problems. The air pollution is so bad that even animals suffer from illnesses associated with respiratory problems. The Veterinarian, Dr D Havelaar, said "Due to the poor air quality in Witbank, people and animals are affected." This was what sparked the thought of my research project. eMalahleni is situated in the Northern-Eastern part of the interior of South Africa, in the Mpumalanga Province. The city is the Heartland of the major coal producing area which is surrounded by six large coal fired power stations and has as much as 22 active colleries. When travelling on the two major national roads, the N4 and the N12, bringing large volumes of traffic from Johannesburg and Pretoria that contributes to the air pollution in eMalahleni is visible.
Clean air is a basic requirement for human health and well-being according to a World Heatlh Orginisation assessment. The burden of diseases due to air pollution results in at least two million premature deaths each year, mostly in developing countries. This is caused by the pollution from burning solid fuels. (WHO, Air quality guidelines, global updates 2005). The WHO air quality guidelines are intended for worldwide use and are based on an extensive body of scientific research which relates air pollution to health consequences. There are the four common air pollutants that we measure, namely; Particulate matter (PM), Ozone O3, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and Sulphur dioxide (SO2). There are many other air pollutants which are harmful to our health, such as Lead and Mercury, but less common and more difficult to measure and control.
The Clean Air Act that finally came into effect on 1 April 2010 has had four years to make an impact, but has anything really changed? Is our air quality improving or deteriorating? Are humans breathing in Higher levels of toxins that are leading to an increase in respiratory diseases in our local area or has AQMP worked?
What is air pollution?
Air pollution is caused by the harmful substances that include particulates and biological molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. Air pollution can be classified into two sections, visible air pollution and invisible air pollution. Air gets polluted when gases, fumes, dust, particles, smoke or odour and introduced into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in diseases, allergies and deaths in humans. Pollution also causes harm to animals and food crops too. (24 January 2017, Imogen Help Me,Metro.co.uk News).
The four main pollutants are:
Particulate Matter, which is the most-wide by measures of air pollution as it is used to determine what we as humans inhale and exhale. These are very small liquid or solid particles that are released in a gaseous from and either come from natural sources like forest fires or human activities like burning fossil fuels in vehicles.
Sulfur dioxide has higher increased levels in the air caused by volcanoes and various industrial processes. Petroleum and coal also contain sulfur compounds, so when burning them there is a production of sulfur oxide.
Nitrogen dioxides are forced out during burnings of high temperatures and electric discharge during thunderstorms creates nitrogen oxides. It is one of the most prominent pollutants. It has a strong odour and appears to be a reddish-Brown colour. Ozone pollutants
would be the carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels, causing a steady increase in the levels of CO2 and also the carbon monoxide released into the air on form of gases from vehicle exhaustion and other sources.
The harmful dusts are what is visible to the eye as our bodies are defensive mechanisms against such dust particles. Respirable dust is dust which is less than pm size in (LMP10) and is invisible to the human eye. This dust will find its way into the human’s lungs and cause harm. It deposits in the lung sacs and bronchioles and also caused damage to the gas exchange region of our lungs. These are one of the pollutants that will be faster to research because so many people who reside in eMalahleni have respiratory problems.
Hypothesis
The air we, humans, inhale is getting far worse. (The Natural Enviromental air quality act 2004) Act number 39 of 2004 which came into effect in 2010 has had little impact on improving the air quality in eMalahleni.
AIM
My aim is to conduct a research on air quality in eMalahleni and compare records of air quality from 2010 through to date. I will also test the knowledge and perception of residents of eMalahleni in different areas of the city and in medical centres, from profession to patients about facts regarding air pollution and the associated illnesses to prove my research and also to prove that the air that we inhale and exhale in eMalahleni is in fact of poor quality. I will collect my data through interviews and also analyze the data in forms of tables and graphs.
LITERARY REVIEW
SOURCE 1: Dirty air is destroying our health
Hopewell Radebe | City Press 06:02 02/10/2016
Summary
Majority of people living in urban areas where air pollution is monitored are exposed to air quality that goes above the limited air quality levels of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Gauteng and Mpumalanga have the towns and cities that are highly polluted in South Africa. The World Health Organisation mentioned that all the regions in the world experience air pollution, but cities like Ermelo, Witbank and Middleburg, which are in Mpumalanga and Soweto, which is in Gauteng.
According to the latest urban air quality database, 98% of cities in low- and middle-income countries with more than 100 000 inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality guidelines. The WHO data showed that the air in Johannesburg and Pretoria was polluted more than any other city in South Africa. Johannesburg was ranked at 63 and Pretoria at 85 out of 3000 checked settlements. There were health issues that were associated with these cities, which were recognised by the WHO. The air pollution has increased over years and there are health problems associated with the air pollution have been recognized as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
A WHO model that showed data collect from satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors for rural and urban locations. This model was developed by the WHO together with the University of Bath, in the UK and this model showed that more cities had been measured for air quality levels and also taking caution in health effects associated with air pollution. Dr Flavia Bustreo, assistant director-general at the WHO, said: “The new WHO model shows countries where the air pollution danger spots are, and provides a baseline for monitoring progress in combating it.†Most causes of air pollution include inefficient forms of transport, the burning of fuels and waste, coal-fired power plants and industrial activity, even though not all air pollution is caused by human activities, sometimes it’s just natural.
LINK TO HYPOTHESIS
The article by Hopewell Radebe, mentions that Witbank, in the Mpumalanga province, is one of South Africa’s most polluted cities. The air quality is not improving and instead it has exceeded the limited air quality of the WHO. In my introduction I mentioned that Witbank is surrounded by 6 large, coal-fired power stations which have high concentrations of fuels emission. I also mentioned that when travelling on the two major roads, N4 and N12, the large volume of traffic from Johannesburg and Pretoria contributes part of the air pollution in Emalahleni and the article stated that Gauteng and Mpumalanga are the most air polluted provinces in South Africa.
The health issues that people suffer from like cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer stated in this article link up to how people in Emalahleni have suffered from respiratory problems. Even though it is not all the human activities that contribute to the pollution, the human activities make up most of it. The pollutants are very harmful substances. Vehicles emit most of these pollutants and mines do too.
LIMITATIONS
The limitations are that I do not have any access to the model that was used by the World Health Organisation (WHO), that was used from the satellite measurements, air transport models and ground station monitors from both rural and urban locations. I am conducting my research based on Emalahleni and I cannot make it any broader, in including other cities like Ermelo in my research because I only have a limited time to conduct this research, and the WHO had a longer period to put their research together.
CREDIBILITY AND RELIABILITY
The article is very reliable, the writer, Hopewell Radebe, gave thorough research that enriched me and was relevant to my hypothesis.
Source 2: COAL AND EMALAHLENI’S POISONED PEOPLE.
(Mail and Guardian Online, 27 August 2014)
A Greenpeace investigation of Witbank, which has the world’s dirtiest air, sheds light on the impact of coal on humans. After studying air quality in the Witbank area for almost two years, a team of scientists from the European Union found that Witbank’s air was the world’s dirtiest ever when compared to the likes of Beijing, where people wear face masks to protect themselves from air pollution. Greenpeace says it is no coincidence that Mpumalanga is also home to 11 of Eskom’s coal-fired power stations. A 12th one is currently being built and when completed, Kusile will be one of the world’s largest burning 17-million tons of coal a year. It will also ramp up South Africa’s carbon emissions being another 10% cementing the country’s position as one of world’s highest contributors to climate change.
LINK TO MY HYPOTHESIS:
This article links up with my Hypothesis in association with how dirty and of low quality Witbank’s air is. It proves that the air that residents in this area inhale and exhale is getting worse also because of Kusile Mine by increasing the carbon emissions by a whole 10% once completed, this contributes to global warming.
LIMITATIONS:
My limitations are that this source does not mention the history of Witbank’s air and air pollution so I cannot do a comparison about how it has gradually changed throughout the years but I can still complete my research study on the effect it has had, has and will have on the people due to the coal-fired stations and the carbon emissions.
RELIABILITY AND CREDIBILITY:
This article is very reliable, it is just a bit too short but it links up very well with my hypothesis.
Source 3: What is DEA&T doing about air pollution?
SUMMARY: The functions of Department of Enviromental Affairs and tourism is to formulate policies and laws to protect the enviroment from pollution. The DEAT will implement new laws that will indicate the importance of education of humams about air quality issues.
Enviromental committees are being grouped in areas like Vaal, Witbank, Durban South Basin and Cape Town. This is done so that the problems experienced with air pollution can be discussed. These committees have been successful because now people are informed about the air quality, even though they cannot achieve enviromental protection. Legislation must be developed by the government to strengthen the community, education and enviromental protection. In 2005 the National Enviroment Management Air Quility Act (Act no. 39 of 2004) was formulated by the Minister of DEAT. Act no. 39 gives the government the required tools to protect the right of South African residents to an enviroment that is not harmful to their health and well-being.
LINK TO HYPOTHESIS:
Witbank (Emalahleni) is one of the hotspots where there are Enviromrntal committes that are set to educate the people in the community about air quality and to find solutions and raise awareness about enviromental issues, specifically air pollution.
LIMITATIONS:
This article is from a book and does not mention facts as a form evidence to support it. The article is not about the air quality getting worse, instead, it is about how the DEAT is trying to raise awareness on enviromental issues. I don't have access the other cities mentioned to do surveys.
RELIABILITY AND CREDIBILITY:
This article is from the booklet, Air (of course!), on page 22 is a source of non-complex information that helps readers comprehend the way in which enviromental issues are discussed and taught.
Source 4: THE HOUSE OF AIR POLLUTION; WHAT IS AIR POLLUTION? ( TSHEPO VILANE 22 MAY 2014.)
Summary:
What is air? Is it the air that humans inhale or the polluted air that residents face in Witbank in Mpumalanga? The problem is that we rely on the mines and power stations too much. We compromise our lives and our futures. The Witbank TB Hospital is situated close to the most polluted industry which is Ferro Metals, which repeatedly emitts deadly emissions that all the mines surrounding the town. These emissions include CO2, SO2, and other PMs. These emissons cause illnesses such as Asthma, Cancer, TB or cataracts. . The working community members getting paid the money or capital that they work for are afraid to take stand because their families are depending on them. They let aside that while their families are underground they inhale dangerous emissions such as PM10 or PM25 limiting their life span. These activities will never stop emissions unless the Department lets unwrap this, we as the youth are blinded or attracted by the glittering of all the swagger and cars we ignore our life is more important than all these things. In South Africa we have Air Quality Act (Act no.38 of 2004), but it seems like it doesn’t exist because Witbank is the House of Air pollution since it was declared High Priority area in 2007 November 23. We have been cursed in, by having coal in Witbank since we have more than 6 abandoned combusting mines with continuous emitting these gases. The Nation needs energy for keeping life so simple but not in the expense of contaminating our Air that we need for living and generations to come.
LINK TO HYPOTHESIS:
This article by Tshepo Vilane discusses how dirty the air we inhale is and how it is not ideal for humans to live in such conditions. It means the air quality and how humans contribute towards the enviromental issues we face in Witbank. In the article, the emissions that cause the air pollution are mentioned. The power stations surrounding Witbank seem to be the ones that are causing the most air pollution since they release the PMs into the atmosphere. As mentioned in my introduction, these emissions cause the illnesses like Cancer and Asthma.
LIMITATIONS:
This article was written as a form to raise awareness, it is a subjective article so there is a lot of emotive language and less facts as evidence on the topic.
RELIABILITY AND CREDIBILITY:
This article is reliable as it proves that this air pollution problem has been going on for over many years.
Source 5: WITBANK AIR DIRTIEST IN THE WORLD- RESEARCH (NEWS24 25 APRIL 2013, SAPA)
Summary:
Most of the highest levels of poisonous gases in the air are found in Witbank, Mpumalanga. Levels of Chromium and Barium were too high, European Union research team could not take accurate measurements. The EU research team spent two years collecting data from the coal-rich catchment area of the Olifants River to determine whether any environmental and social offences had taken place. A South African member of the team, Dr Henk Coetzee of the Council for Geoscience, told the newspaper the EU was very aware of environmental legislation, human rights and sustainable development. It had increasingly been hearing concerned voices from South Africa about coal mines encroaching on neighbourhoods and protected areas. French geologist Stephane Chevrel, who led the project, reportedly said the EU and Israel had allocated about R48-million for the research.
According to Beeld, Gorazd Zibret, a geologist from Slovenia, said the levels of heavy metals in the air above the team's research area were, according to their information, the highest in the world. He also said the raised levels had a negative effect on rivers and associated eco systems.
LINK TO HYPOTHESIS:
This article, derived from news24, which was written on the 25th of April 2013, is linked to my hypothesis by means of how in my introduction, I mentioned that in Witbank the most poisonous gases are found in Witbank,Mpumalanga, which is surrounded by 6 large coal-fired power stations.
LIMITATIONS:
The limitations with this article and regarding my hypothesis/ topic, is that I do not have access to the European Union Research Team and I don't know if the instruments used were relevant or they worked well. I am not doing my study/research on the water pollution so I can't check if the air quality has a negative effect on the water. I only have a few months to conduct this project and the EU Research Team had two years just to collect the data.
RELIABILITY AND CREDIBILITY:
The case study/ article is quite reliable because it indicates that thorough research has been done, even though we cannot fully prove that the facts are accurate.
Methodology
SECTION A
In order for me to conduct my research, I had to decide on what would be appropriate to research, keeping in mind the limitation that I would personally experience. Pollution is slowly turning the world we live in into a dangerous place, the air that we, human beings, inhale is getting far worse in terms of quality levels; it is infused with substances that cause health problems.
The key factors that I based my research on were:
The actual facts and data based on the matter of air pollution as measured and reported to Government.
Reasons for the change in the past would be compared to the factual data to test the perception of residents and also from the literary review articles.
To determine whether or not the change in the air have been responsible for any statistically significant differences to our air quality.
People perception on the matter of air pollution, I did this in forms of questionaires.
In my research project I planned to research on whether the mining collieries existing power stations, construction of Khusile and Steel and Carbide mines have made any changes that would affect the air quality in our City. To identify whether or not the National Air Quality Act has had any real effect at improving the air quality since it was implemented in 2010.
I have selected air quality data regarding the pollutants that affect the town and the instrumentation used, from SAAQIS (South African Air Quality Information System) government website. I have also used my Literary review sources and all this information together has enabled me to draft a factual final data report regarding the effectiveness of the Clean Air Act and to prove whether my hypothesis; the air we inhale is getting worse, is correct or not.
My investigation was carried out in the town of Emalahleni. I investigated if the town had experienced any changes in air quality in the past years. I wanted to determine if the town had felt the effects of the new legislation and whether the citizens had experienced any improvements in health or whether it was getting worse. I investigated whether the rapid, ongoing, industrialisation could be linked to any changes in the air quality in Emalahleni. Whether the laws implemented were effective.
SECTION B
Apparatus:
Self-compiled surveys
Pens
Treats (e.g sweets for people surveyed/ interviewed)
Camera for pictures
Method:
 Draft down one research task project proposal, stating my hypothesis and how I will go about conducting my research.
 Draft an introduction based on topic about air pollution.
 Do 5 sources of literary review from articles, books and the internet. In the literary review, summarise each article and link it to hypothesis. Mention the limitations and credit the articles.
 Plan investigation and how to go about conducting it, through section A of methodology.
 Compile surveys and print out 60 of these surveys.
 Distribute these surveys to two different clinics, namely; Beatty Clinic at downtown Emalahleni CBD and Siphosensimbi Clinic at extention 5 Kwa-Guqa in Emalahleni. Also distribute some to the residents around the community.
 Take photos of places where air pollution is visible.
 Record all the data collected from the surveys in tables and graphs.
 Discuss all the data collected.
 Draw up a conclusion using the analysis of data and discussion, and compare the results obtained from the research task to my hypothesis.
 Hand in a final of the whole project in form of a file.
DATA DISCUSSION.
Through the data collected from the medical centres where I had conducted my research through form or surveys and with the permission of Mr Mvula, who is the head of all clinics in the town of Witbank, also the surveys given to the people living in my community, the data from South African Air Quality Information System(SAAQIS) and World Health Organisation (WHO), I have discovered that most people living in eMalahleni are affected by the air pollution caused -through the air that we inhale- within the town and as well as the whole country.
When referring to figures 1.2A, 1.2B, 1.3A and 1.3B the results show that the elderly people who have been living in eMalahleni since they were born or some might have moved to the town due to reasons associated with seeking for better standards of living or jobs for example, rural-urban migration, some students from rural areas and small towns that come to the Witbank in search of a more advanced education and other people who might’ve come to eMalahleni for personal reasons are the ones mostly affected. The most common types of illness caused by the pollution, as per the surveys done were either Sinuses, asthma, bronchitis, respiratory problems, lung infections and also Tuberculosis (TB). If not treated in the right manner Tuberculosis could be fatal, curing it is possible though, as the South African National Tuberculosis Association (SANTA) contributes towards helping with the treatment, but the responsibility should come from the patients. The treatment for TB should be taken over a period of six months non-stop. If the TB medication is not taken for the full six months it could be easily obtained again. Most of the people surveyed agreed that they would actually consider relocating to a different town where the air quality would be better, but it’s not easy.
Some people said that relocating to a different city or town would never be an option, mainly because this town is the only home they know and some due to employment, family and living standards reasons. There were many people who were surveyed that admitted to having at least one of their household family members having been diagnosed with an illness or disease caused by the affecting air pollution. The question on whether “the thermal power stations surround eMalahleni were all necessary†was quite intriguing as there was a variety of different opinions. Some mentioned that the power stations should not be so many as they contribute so much towards the air pollution and it affects the atmosphere, people’s health and also contributing towards global warming through climate change. Other people though mentioned having all these thermal power stations surrounding eMalahleni is necessary due to generating electricity and also for growing the employment and economic position in South Africa. Therefore there is a problem either way, if the power stations are kept there will be a huge increase in global warming and the world would be at risk. And if the power stations are shut down the unemployment rates will increase and the economy of the country will be taken back a step backwards.
In figure1.4A the major pollutants in Witbank are indicated, industry, power generation and domestic combustion were mentioned as part of the top three major pollutants in eMalahleni. The instrumentation (see figure 1.4B) used to test the level of air quality found that the four main pollutants as mentioned in my introduction; Particle Matter (PM10), Sulfur Dioxide(SO2), Nitrogen Oxide(NO2) and Ozone(O3) like Carbon Dioxide(CO2) were present in the atmosphere.
Some of the patients who were surveyed at the clinics were not there for any illnesses related to the air pollution and I have promised to keep my discussions with them confidential to gain trust in them, and even though they were not directly affected by the pollution, some of their family members were and that affected them too.
CONCLUSION.
Taking into account my Hypothesis-The air that we, humans, inhale is getting far worse. The Natural Environmental Air Quality Act, (Act no. 39 of 2004, which came into effect in 2010) has had little impact on improving the air quality in eMalahleni.- And the data discussed as well as the reports from South African Air Quality Information System (SAAQIS), it seems as though the air quality of this town is not getting any better. The air that humans and animals inhale is contaminated with pollutants that affect people’s health. According to Source 1 of the literary review; Dirty air is destroying our health, eMalahleni is one of the country’s most polluted cities, the air quality is not progressing but rather has exceeded the limited air quality of the World Health Organisation. Because of the air quality economic progress could slow down due to a number of factors that might not be directly affected by air pollution but could be affected due to the gradual increase of pollution. South Africa’s current economic position might be in danger as more and more people get diagnosed with illnesses or diseases associated with the pollution like lung infections and respiratory problems which could lead to a high mortality rate and a decrease in the population because people die from being ill as well. Or another economic crisis could be that the sick people could not be stable enough to work, therefore there’d be a large vacancy of rather skilled workers to perform their work in the working sector. The pollution does not only destroy our planet by means of global warming which is a cycle that the world is going through currently, but also affects lives and a countries development.
As a country, South Africa needs to find ways to subsidize the amount of pollution we contribute to the world as it is not only the power stations that cause the pollution even though they contribute most, other everyday life activities also cause a lot of air pollution due to the solid fuels burnt in figure 1.5. Everyone, to a greater or lesser extent, is responsible for some form of atmospheric emission that has an impact on air quality. Hence, everyone has a role and various responsibilities in respect of air quality.