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AIR
Good air quality contributes greatly to the quality of life and is essential for humans and the ecosystems. In Rwanda, air pollutants are emitted in a wide range of economic sectors such as transport, energy, industry, and from natural sources such as volcanic eruptions, dust storms, and wildfires.
Main Pollutant
PM 2.5
Monitoring Stations
23
Impact on Health
24.2% for respiratory diseases
Air Quality Monitoring System
Location
East African Rift Valley
Lake Kivu Age
~ 1 to 5 million years old
Maximum depth
485 m
Riparian countries
Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Rwanda
Uniqueness
More methane than any other lake
For most parts of the country, the concentrations of pollutants in indoor and outdoor air are slightly above or within safe limits of national air quality standards, but above for indicative levels of the World Health Organization. Exposures are particularly higher in urban than rural areas of the country.
Air quality assessments by ground-level monitoring stations and satellite sensing indicate that particulate matter and nitrogen oxides are the main ambient air pollutants that regularly exceed standards that protect human health. Nitrogen oxides are high and above standards near congested roads, especially in Kigali city, while background particulate concentrations are high both in rural and urban areas of the country.
There are a set of actions – both collective and individual, that can help improve the quality of air we breathe.
Description and Facts
There are a set of actions – both collective and individual, that can help improve the quality of air we breathe.
Anyone can be affected by air pollution; however, the following are the most vulnerable groups:
1. Particulate Matter (PM): Mixture of very small particles and liquid droplets.
#Much smaller in size/diameter (Micrometer (μm)) are much more harmful to human health. Example: PM 2.5:<2.5x10-6 m or <2.5μm
From: Industry, vehicles exhausts, dust storms and burning things
2. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas:
From: Industry, vehicles exhausts, gas stoves, power plants
3. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas: #Burning Sulfur containing fuels
From: Industry, power plants and refineries
4. Carbon monoxide (CO) gas: # Incomplete burning of Carbon)
From: Industry, Vehicle exhausts, incinerators, burning things.
5. Ozone (O3) gas at the ground level: O3 in the stratosphere (~15Km high) protects us against harmful solar radiations (UV). However, at the ground level is a pollutant gas.
From: O3 is not directly emitted in air; it is produced from chemical reactions between other chemical compounds.
Mostly: NOx + VOCs + Light → O3
A study commissioned by REMA and completed in December 2017 concluded that there is no single sector that is the biggest contributor to air pollution in Rwanda. However, the study concluded, in locations adjacent to busy roads, particularly in urban areas, vehicle emissions are the biggest contributor to poor air quality whereas domestic biomass cookstoves (wood and charcoal) are the primary contributors to poor air quality in residential areas.
Main Sources of Air Pollution:
1. Human activities (Anthropogenic)
2. Natural (Biogenic)
The low respiratory infections such as Asthma, heart diseases, Stroke, pulmonary diseases, tuberculosis all are ranked among the top 10 cause of deaths especially in low income and middle income countries (WHO, 2016).
Direct effects (Minor): Irritation of eyes, nose and throat etc.
Indirect effects (Severe): Chronic diseases (Tuberculosis, Bronchitis and Asthma) which lead to Lung and heart cancer then to death (~4 million deaths/Year worldwide, WHO report, 2012)
In Rwanda (MINISANTE, 2013):
1. Environmental Effects
Direct Effects: Visibility reduction, acid rain which pollutes water, etc.
Indirect effects: Damage of vegetation (Grasses, forests, crops), kills water livings and causes corrosion to metal materials.
2. Economic impact of air pollution:
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