Ababio Boansi Adu, Ashong Gerheart Winfred, Agyekum Thomas Peprah, Yeboah Blessed Adjei, Nkansah Marian Asantewah, Hogarh Jonathan Nartey, Commeh Michael Kweku, Kwaansa-Ansah Edward Ebow, Dabie Kwabena, Adulley Felix, Boansi Eldad, Sarbeng Lorenda, Ababio Birago Adu, Boapea Maame Serwaa, Darko Nana Kwabena Oduro, Appiah Meshach Kojo
Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; Technology Consultancy Centre International Centre for Innovation, Manufacturing, Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2025 Jan 1;289:117591. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117591. Epub 2025 Jan 7.
Urbanization and industrialization have drastically increased ambient air pollution in urban areas globally from vehicle emissions, solid fuel combustion and industrial activities leading to some of the worst air quality conditions. Air pollution in Ghana causes approximately 28,000 premature deaths and disabilities annually, ranking as a leading cause of mortality and disability-adjusted life years. This study evaluated the annual concentrations of PM NO and O in the ambient air of 57 cities in Ghana for two decades using historical and forecasted data from satellite measurements. The study assessed urban air quality and evaluated both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with human exposure to ambient air pollutants. Alarmingly, our findings revealed the yearly median PM concentrations (50.79-67.97 µg m) to be significantly higher than the WHO recommendation of 5 µg m. Tropospheric ozone concentrations (72.21-92.58 µg m ) also exceeded the WHO annual standard of 60 µg m. Furthermore, NO concentrations (3.65-12.15 µg m ) surpassed the WHO threshold of 10 µg/m³ in multiple cities. Hazard indices indicated that PM and O pose significant non-carcinogenic health risks for younger age groups for a daily exposure duration of three hours and beyond. According to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) in our study, exposure to PM shortens life expectancy by 4.5-6.2 years. The ambient air of the majority (98 %) of the cities was unhealthy for sensitive groups. This study reveals the urgent need for comprehensive air quality policies in Ghanaian cities. It emphasizes the significance of robust real-time monitoring of air pollutants and the investigation of seasonal dust storm effects, to fill data gaps in Ghana and West Africa, facilitating evidence-based interventions that improve urban air quality and public health outcomes.
城市化和工业化极大地加剧了全球城市地区的空气污染，这些污染源自车辆排放、固体燃料燃烧和工业活动，导致一些地区出现了极为恶劣的空气质量状况。加纳的空气污染每年导致约28000人过早死亡和残疾，是死亡率和伤残调整生命年的主要原因之一。本研究利用卫星测量的历史数据和预测数据，对加纳57个城市近二十年的环境空气中PM、NO和O的年浓度进行了评估。该研究评估了城市空气质量，并评估了人类暴露于环境空气污染物中所面临的致癌和非致癌健康风险。令人担忧的是，我们的研究结果显示，每年的PM中位数浓度（50.79 - 67.97µg/m³）显著高于世界卫生组织建议的5µg/m³。对流层臭氧浓度（72.21 - 92.58µg/m³）也超过了世界卫生组织60µg/m³的年度标准。此外，多个城市的NO浓度（3.65 - 12.15µg/m³）超过了世界卫生组织10µg/m³的阈值。危害指数表明，对于每日暴露时长超过三小时的较年轻年龄组，PM和O会带来显著的非致癌健康风险。根据我们研究中的空气质量寿命指数（AQLI），暴露于PM会使预期寿命缩短4.5 - 6.2年。大多数（98%）城市的环境空气对敏感人群不健康。这项研究揭示了加纳城市迫切需要全面的空气质量政策。它强调了对空气污染物进行有力实时监测以及调查季节性沙尘暴影响的重要性，以填补加纳和西非的数据空白，促进基于证据的干预措施，改善城市空气质量和公共卫生状况。
