Air quality in Luanda

Is Luanda a heavily polluted city now?

Luanda is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is its primary port, and it’s major industrial, cultural and urban centre. It is situated on the northern Atlantic coast and is the main seaport for Angola. According to statistics from a 2020 census, Luanda had an estimated population of approximately 2.5 million people. This swelled to over 8 million when the whole metro area was taken into consideration.

Towards the end of 2021, Luanda was enjoying a period of “Good” quality air with a US AQI reading of 29. This United States Air Quality Index number is calculated using the levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, which are PM2.5 and PM10. It can then be used as the metric when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. If data is unavailable for all 6 pollutants, a figure can still be calculated by using what figures there are. In Luanda, only the pollutant PM2.5 was recorded which was 7 µg/m³.

This level of PM2.5 is below the recommended safe level of 10 µg/m³ as suggested by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as being an acceptable level. Although no amount of air pollution is considered to be safe.

When air quality is “Good” you are encouraged to open doors and windows to allow a stream of fresh air to enter the building. All forms of outdoor exercise can be enjoyed without fear of polluted air. There is a downloadable app from AirVisual.com which is suitable for all operating systems which gives the latest information regarding air quality in real-time. This information should help with any decisions that need to be made.

Does the level of air pollution change throughout the year in Luanda?

Air quality is affected by many variables and can therefore change rapidly. The figures for 2020 released by IQAir.com show that the year could be split into three parts as far as air quality goes. From January until the end of April, Luanda achieved the target figure of less than 10 µg/m³. October, November and December saw figures from the “Good” category with figures between 10.1 and 12 µg/m³. The rest of the year from May until the end of September saw figures from the “Moderate” category with readings between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³.

Historically, records for air pollution were first kept in 2019 when a figure of 15.9 µg/m³ was recorded. In 2020 the figure fell to just 13 µg/m³, but it may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as many vehicles were no longer in daily use because the offices were closed, and staff were told to work from home in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus. Many factories and non-essential production units were also required to close which removed their emissions from the atmosphere, albeit on a temporary basis. Worldwide, cities reported a much better quality of air because of the general lack of traffic pollution in city centres due to the pandemic.

Where does the polluted air come from in Luanda?

Angola is a Portuguese-speaking country and one of the eight African countries with the highest mortality rate associated with air pollution. 50 out of 100,000 people die from poor quality outside air, reveals the WHO. According to the report, polluting particles consist of a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles of organic and inorganic substances suspended in the air. Most of its components are sulphates, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, carbon black and mineral powder, among others.

Air quality in major cities is affected by gases produced by cars, generators, and by burning waste. On the other hand, fires generate huge amounts of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, which in turn can cause lung and heart problems. In Angola there is no legislation that regulates air pollution.

Factories all around the world affect the air we breathe and the climate of the world. Factories pollute the air through fossil fuel emissions and through different toxic ammonia. The common emissions that we see are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Air pollution can be helped solved by using filters and limiting the number of emissions that are produced.

Petroleum refineries are a major source of hazardous and toxic air pollutants such as BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene). They are also a major source of criteria air pollutants: particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide. Refineries also release less toxic hydrocarbons such as natural gas (methane) and other light volatile fuels and oils. Some of the chemicals released are known or suspected cancer-causing agents, responsible for developmental and reproductive problems.

Can anything be done to improve air quality in Luanda?

Since the first Industrial Revolution, air quality has undergone continual changes as a result of the release of polluting substances into the atmosphere. The situation is worse in large urban centres, where there is greater industrial concentration and circulation of vehicles. In addition, urban expansion has led to the felling of countless forests which have given way to civil construction works, not to mention the millions of trees that have already been cut down to make room for agricultural activities.

What are the health impacts of breathing dirty air in Luanda?

Air pollution is often invisible to our eyes, but the possible negative effects on our health are very real and depend on several factors, such as exposure time, concentration of pollutants and even the health status of populations.

Exposure to high levels of air pollution for a short period of time (between hours and days) can lead to a worsening of asthma symptoms and increased hospital visits. Particulate matter in the air can cause lung cancer.

Exposure to polluted air can make it difficult for people with COPD to breathe. When the symptoms of the disease are more severe, it can even result in the need for hospitalization and be a cause of death.

Even people who don't have lung problems can suffer from irritation and those who have chronic lung conditions such as asthma or COPD can be especially affected by these effects.