A spatial approach to assessing PM_2.5 exposure level of a brickmaking community in South Africa

Globally, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 µm or less poses a significant threat to human health. The first step in quantifying human health impacts caused by exposure to PM_2.5 pollution is exposure assessment. Population-weighted exposure level (PWEL) estimation is one of the methods that provides a more precise exposure assessment since it incorporates the spatiotemporal distribution of population with the pollution concentration estimate. In this study, PM_2.5 exposure levels in the local communities around brickmaking industries were investigated, using the population census data of the study area and 1-year data from nine PM_2.5 monitoring stations installed in and around the brickmaking industries. The observed PM_2.5 data was spatially interpolated using inverse distance weight (IDW). Data on PM_2.5 levels across the study area were classified based on the World Health Organization interim target (IT) guidelines and the South African National ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). An annual PM_2.5 population weighted exposure level of 27.6 µg/m³ was estimated for the study area. However, seasonal exposure levels of 28.9, 37.6, 26.5, and 20.7 µg/m³ were estimated for the autumn, winter, spring, and summer seasons, respectively. This implies that local communities around the brick kiln in the Vhembe District are exposed to high levels of PM_2.5, especially in winter. The PM_2.5 levels in the brickmaking industries as well as its other sources in the Vhembe District, therefore, need to be lowered. Findings from population exposure level to pollutants can provide valuable data for formulating policies and recommendations on exposure reduction and public health protection.Implications: PM_2.5 concentration in any given environment has high spatial and temporal variability due to the presence of diffused sources in the environment. Using ambient air concentrations to directly estimate population exposure without taking into consideration the disproportionate spatial and temporal distribution of the pollutant and the population may not yield accurate results on human exposure levels. It is, therefore, important to assess the aggregated PM_2.5 exposure of a populace within a given area. This study therefore examines the PM_2.5 population-weighted-exposure level of the host communities of the brickmaking industry in Vhembe District, South Africa.