Scientists at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa have developed an app capable of alerting residents about air pollution levels. The tool uses data from hundreds of air quality monitoring systems, sending notifications and advising residents on protective measures.
According to the Club of Mozambique website, Johannesburg has seen spikes in coal emissions in recent weeks, which have caused respiratory problems and other health issues. The city is located near the country’s coal mines, and the smell of sulfur has frequently been detected in the air.
Willie Aucamp, Minister of the Environment, attributed the foul odor affecting Johannesburg to hydrogen sulfide emissions from mining and industrial operations located up to 400 kilometers to the east. “This sulfur smell came from mines that exceeded their emission limits. We do not yet know which specific ones, as investigations are still ongoing,” he stated.
Furthermore, the coal sector continues to play a central role in the South African economy, employing thousands of people, supplying a large portion of the country’s electricity, and being used in the production of liquid fuels by the company Sasol.
However, the consequences are clear. Philasande Shange, a Johannesburg resident who suffers from asthma, said he developed a cough in February and March that a healthcare professional attributed to the city’s poor air quality. “I couldn’t breathe or sleep, and I lost 15 kilograms,” he said.
Bruce Mellado, a leading researcher with the SACAQM (South African Consortium for Air Quality Monitoring) app, said his system has detected an increasing frequency of pollution spikes.
South Africa’s two largest polluters, Sasol and the state-owned company Eskom, with facilities located east of Johannesburg, have received extensions of their emissions exemptions through 2025. However, Sasol spokesperson Alex Anderson stated in an email response that “no operational incidents or abnormal process conditions have been identified that would indicate an uncontrolled or atypical release of sulfur emissions.”
Authorities point to the need to balance environmental and economic imperatives when justifying the lax enforcement of air quality standards.
