The enforcement of laws on pollution and the release of toxins into the environment in South Africa need to be tightened, said United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, Marcos Orellana, on Friday.

Orellana has spent several weeks in the country and on Friday, announced his preliminary findings on human rights related to the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and waste in South Africa.

His research was conducted from 31 July to 11 August this year. He said that air pollution in the country could be attributed mainly to the 90% coal-generated electricity plants and mining.

"A study has estimated that 2 239 deaths and 9 500 cases of bronchitis per year are attributed to air pollution in South Africa," Orellana said.

He said the country was advanced in terms of our constitutional rights to a safe and healthy environment, and has strong laws on pollution and releasing of toxins into the environment, but the enforcement of these rights and regulations is missing.

"Exposure to dust and contaminants can profoundly impact human health and the environment. The issue is the enforcement of laws and regulations.

"I am perplexed that the government is licensing new coal projects and coal mines, coal-powered power plants and offshore oil and gas projects," he said.

AIR QUALITY IN JOHANNESBURG
While Johannesburg does not have the worst air quality and pollution in the world, experts say the city's air is less than ideal.

The most recent IQAir measure shows that Johannesburg is 2.6 times higher than the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual air quality guideline value.

IQAir, an international air quality information platform, is informed by the SA Air Quality Information System.

According to IQAir recordings this week, sensitive groups in Johannesburg should wear masks outdoors, reduce outdoor exercise, close windows and run an air purifier.

According to the WHO, air pollution is the most significant environmental risk and the leading cause of non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks and strokes.

The WHO estimates that seven million premature deaths occur annually because of indoor and outside air pollution.

The organisation says air pollution is a mix of tiny solid particles, liquids and gases in the air.

The WHO says: It can come from many sources, for example household fuel burning, industrial chimneys, traffic exhausts, power generation, open burning of waste, agricultural practices [and] desert dust.

Air pollutants are measured in particles with an aerodynamic diameter equal to or less than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) and 10 micrometres (PM10).

The WHO measures common air pollutants PM2.5 and PM10, ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur dioxide (SO2).

The current recommended WHO pollutant guideline is: PM2.5 –  15  µg/m³ 24-hours (μg = microgram per cubic metre)PM10 –  45  µg/m³ 24-hoursO3 –  100  µg/m³ 8-hoursNO2 –  25  µg/m³ 24-hoursSO2 –  40  µg/m³ 24-hoursCO –  4  mg/m³ 24-hours (mg/m³ = milligram per cubic metre)

According to IQAir, at noon on 11 August 2023, the pollutants in Johannesburg measured: PM2.5 – 13µg/m³, PM10 – 44.6µg/m³ and SO2 – 5.7µg/m³.

The issue with fine particle matter (PM2.5) is that, at this size, the matter can enter the bloodstream through the lungs and penetrate the organs.

The health risks of exposure to these pollutants include acute reactions such as itchy eyes and a runny nose, chronic illnesses such as cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said Dr Raeesa Moolla, a specialist on issues around air quality at the University of Witwatersrand School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies.

Moolla said air pollution also has far-reaching consequences such as the ability to negatively affect a foetus.

"We don't have the highest air pollution in the world, but [Johannesburg] is probably the worst in Africa, mostly because of our coal power and mines."

She said the main implications of this pollution would be its effect on sensitive groups, which include children under the age of five, the elderly and the sick.

Besides outdoor pollution, Moolla said South Africa also has many indoor pollutants, mainly from cooking using paraffin stoves.

"Air pollution in the environment can cause acid rain, which has a corrosive effect. It settles on animals and plants which we ingest, on soil we use to plant, and in our water.

"With load shedding, we have a double whammy where the coal-fired electrical plants pollute the air, but when there is no electricity, residents use generators and fires, which also pollute the air."

She said in a country where the burden of disease is so high, it is especially dangerous to have high air pollution. She said people must be aware of the dangers of poor air quality.

She said: Every year, there are articles about a sulphur smell [in Johannesburg]. This happens when the wind changes. People make a noise about it, but then the news dies down. People need to make a bigger noise about it.

In February 2021, the government launched a probe into a "stink" that hovered between Gauteng and Mpumalanga. They found elevated levels of SO2 and hydrogen sulphide.

The stink returned in June 2022 and appears to have come from the Sasol Secunda plant and power stations.

Meanwhile, according to the IQAir live city pollution ranking, at noon on Friday, Johannesburg was 26th on the worst air quality ranking with a AQI of 72, on an Air Quality Index (AQI) that measures 100 cities.

The AQI key is: 0-50 – Good51-100 – Moderate101-150 – Unhealthy151-200 – Very unhealthy301+ – Hazardous.

The top 10 most polluted major city rankings at noon on Friday were: Beijing, China – AQI 155Doha, Qatar – 154Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 153Hanoi, Vietnam – 145Dhaka, Bangladesh – 139Jakarta, Indonesia – 132Kuwait City, Kuwait – 127Shanghai, China – 127Karachi, Pakistan – 113Kathmandu, Nepal – 108