The Lack of Real-Time Air Pollution Monitoring in Africa Supports Environmental Injustice

Abstract

Poor air quality has become a daily occurrence throughout much of Sub-Saharan Africa because of urbanization, emission sources from transportation, industrial pollution, energy extractive industries, seasonal dust storms, and biomass burning at local and regional scales. Additionally, elements of environmental injustice exist requiring observations near emission sources. The lack of real-time measurements of air quality limits actions to understand, predict, and protect the public, especially vulnerable populations. Low-cost measurements can provide real-time data, and data from 2021–2022 suggest negative pulmonary health implications. Low-cost observations increase science capacity to enabling analysis and publishing of work for air quality by African scientists.