According to the World Health Organisation, more than seven million people die as a result of air pollution each year.
In 2017, Dr Mike Hollard, a UK air quality and health expert, compiled a report showing air pollution from Eskom's coal-fired power plants accounted for the lives of 2,200 people annually, half of whom are struck down by ischemic heart disease. Strokes and cancers also feature prominently.
While air pollution is highest in parts of the country where mining and power generation are prevalent, by no means are other regions spared.
This week, the New York Times produced an interactive online article showing the presence of microscopic particulate pollution in many towns and cities around the world, allowing readers to key in the name of their location to establish the pollution risks in that area.
The microscopic pollution is called PM2.5, so-named because each particle is smaller than 2.5 micrometers across.
As a base indicator for good air quality, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends 12 micrograms per cubic metre over a 24-hour period. The measurement is represented by the equation 12 µg/m3.
Unfortunately, interacting with the content shows that SA is wide of the mark when it comes to acceptable air quality levels.
The Eastern Cape, while not falling into the “priority areas” of the Vaal Triangle, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, is not exempt.
On the worst air quality day in 2019, Bhisho's hazardous air quality concentrations were 213 µg/m3.
To put that into perspective, during wildfires in California last year particulate pollution registered almost 200 µg/m3 — easily enough to put pollution levels into the “unhealthy” bracket.
Port Elizabeth, an industrial city, fares even worse on the scale.
On the worst air quality day this year, particulate concentrations reached 324 µg/m3 at its peak, placing it in the “hazardous” category.
Mthatha also comes up well short of the ideal, measuring 130 µg/m3 on the worst air quality day this year. Mthatha is classified as “unhealthy”.
The data, comprising statistics drawn from the US EPA's Air Quality Index, non-profit Berkeley Earth and Berkeley Earth’s real-time air pollution map, shows by far and away the world's biggest pollution culprit is India.
On the most polluted day in November, New Delhi reached more than 900 µg/m3 — so bad that the recording literally went off the chart. Photographs of cricketers wearing face masks while training indicated just how severe the situation was.
An air pollution management plan for the Eastern Cape, released by the department of economic development (Dedeat), environmental affairs and tourism in 2013, reflects the provincial government has a fight on its hands.
In this document, Dedeat acknowledges the impact of industrial emissions on air quality as well as waste burning at formal and informal refuse removal sites.
It also acknowledges emissions from the burning of wood, coal and paraffin used for cooking and heating, and emissions from biomass burning in the forestry and agricultural sectors.
Another factor identified is cross-border transport of pollutants from the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City metros.
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