Ambient Air Quality Characterisation in a Farming Town on the South African Highveld

Ambient air pollution remains a leading contributor towards the burden of diseases across the world. The purpose of this study was to characterise the quality of ambient air over a farming community of Standerton, located on the South African Highveld, Mpumalanga over the year 2020. The study focused on four pollutants namely NO2, O3, PM2.5 and PM10. Findings were that PM10 and PM2.5 ambient concentrations were elevated during the winter season while NO2 and O3 ambient concentrations got elevated during spring and summer respectively. The study attributes the high particulate matter during winter to domestic solid fuel burning and biomass burning. On the other hand, the elevated ambient O3 during summer was linked to increased photochemical activities during the summer season. As a farming community, there are a number of policy options available to reduce ambient air pollution and these include curbing biomass burning and a reduction in reliance on solid fuels.