Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16060941
Title: Chemical and biological components of urban aerosols in Africa: Current status and knowledge gaps
Authors: Kalisa, E.
Archer, S.
Nagato, E.
Bizuru, E.
Lee, K.
Tang, N.
Pointing, S. 
Hayakawa, K.
Lacap-Bugler, D.
Keywords: Carcinogenic
Microorganisms
Nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Particulate matter
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Issue Date: 2019
Publisher: MDPI AG
Citation: Kalisa, E., Archer, S., Nagato, E., Bizuru, E., Lee, K., Tang, N., Pointing, S., Hayakawa, K., Lacap-Bugler, D. (2019). Chemical and biological components of urban aerosols in Africa: Current status and knowledge gaps. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16 (6) : 941. ScholarBank@NUS Repository. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16060941
Rights: Attribution 4.0 International
Abstract: Aerosolized particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture that has been recognized as the greatest cause of premature human mortality in low-and middle-income countries. Its toxicity arises largely from its chemical and biological components. These include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their nitro-derivatives (NPAHs) as well as microorganisms. In Africa, fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning in urban settings are the major sources of human exposure to PM, yet data on the role of aerosols in disease association in Africa remains scarce. This review is the first to examine studies conducted in Africa on both PAHs/NPAHs and airborne microorganisms associated with PM. These studies demonstrate that PM exposure in Africa exceeds World Health Organization (WHO) safety limits and carcinogenic PAHs/NPAHs and pathogenic microorganisms are the major components of PM aerosols. The health impacts of PAHs/NPAHs and airborne microbial loadings in PM are reviewed. This will be important for future epidemiological evaluations and may contribute to the development of effective management strategies to improve ambient air quality in the African continent. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Source Title: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
URI: https://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/209590
ISSN: 1661-7827
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16060941
Rights: Attribution 4.0 International
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