South Africa adopts air quality standard to promote public health

"Water and Environmental Affairs Minster Edna Molewa on Friday established a national ambient air quality standard, aimed at improving public health. The 2005 World Health Organisation (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines found that airborne particulate matter and public health is consistent in showing adverse health effects at exposures experienced by urban populations in cities throughout the world. “The guidelines suggest that there are currently no safe levels against ultrafine particulate matter and recommend that countries consider adoption of an increasingly stringent set of standards, tracking progress through emission reductions and declining concentrations of particulate matter,” the department said in a statement. The range of health effects of ultrafine particulate matter on humans is broad, affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Current scientific evidence indicates that guidelines cannot be proposed that would lead to complete protection against adverse health effects of particulate matter, as thresholds have not been identified. “It is important that South Africa develops the ambient air quality standard for 2.5 micron meter (PM2.5) as it will contribute positively in protecting and enhancing the health of South African citizens,” the department said." Source and more here, on Engineering News