Quantifying the effect of air quality offsets on household air pollution and thermal comfort on the South Africa Highveld

Abstract

South Africa, like other developing countries, has been facing air quality challenges. As a highly industrialised country, industrial emissions both from power generations and mining activities contribute significantly to ambient air pollution. Other sources of emissions come from the agricultural sector (including dust and biomass burning) and veld fires, especially during winter and spring. In both small and large townships, the major source of air pollution is domestic solid fuel burning both for cooking and space warming. Air quality management, therefore, has to struggle with the complex mix of these sources of emissions.