A recent study published in the journal Nature Geoscience presents evidence that shows that the burning of biomass fuel for cooking, heating, and lighting, the crude oil exploitation and coal mining industries, as well as old vehicles being shipped in from Europe are causing severe deterioration of air quality in African countries.

According to the article, particulate matter concentration levels in many African cities are now five to 10 levels greater than that recommended by the World Health Organization, with the situation predicted to worsen as populations grow and industrialization accelerates.

The study, authored by researchers from the University of Birmingham, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, South Eastern Kenya University and the African Center for Clean Air, notes that far too little has been done to try and combat the dangerous air quality with just 0.01% of global air pollution funding currently spent in Africa.

“This dangerous air can cause complex and sometimes deadly health issues for those breathing it in. If this wasn’t enough of a reason to tackle this issue, air pollution in Africa is not just a problem for people living on the continent, but for the wider world, limiting the ability to meet global climate targets and combat the climate emergency,” Francis Pope, one of the study’s co-authors, said in a media statement.

Read more: mining.com

Photo: mining.com