Scientists this week began a month-long analysis of the brown smog that hangs over Cape Town on winter days.
The R1,6-million project has been funded by the City of Cape Town, the petroleum industry and a government matching grant fund. The haze comes from a number of sources, including industry, vehicles, power generation and domestic fuels.
According to Dr Tal Freiman of the University of the Witwatersrand’s Climatology Research Group, which will lead the research, current monitoring shows that air quality is deteriorating and that it could get worse unless action is taken.
She said the haze would be analysed not only at ground level, where the scientists would also teach and work with secondary school pupils from the area, but also from a fully equipped research aircraft operated by the SA Weather Service.
The scientists would use this data, coupled with satellite observations, to ”accurately characterise” the nature of the brown haze, and examine potential health effects.
The Wits team will collaborate with the City of Cape Town and the weather service, with some involvement from the University of Cape Town and Potchefstroom University.
The project will run to August 22. – Sapa