Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
- (a) What caused the microscopic particulate pollution (PM2.5) of 1 689 microgram/m3 in Cape Town in November 2018 and (b) what is the average monthly microscopic particulate pollution level for Cape Town in the last year;
- whether his Department is aware that the internationally recognised upper limit for good air quality is 12 microgram/m3; if so, what measures are in place to reduce air pollution in the province?
- (a) The Provincial Department is unaware of a value of 1 689 microgram/m3 of particulate pollution less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5) that was measured during the month of November 2018, in Cape Town. Currently, the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (Act no. 39 of 2004) mandates National and Provincial Departments and municipalities to monitor ambient air quality. The ambient air quality data monitored are evaluated against the South African National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The current National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter less than 10 micron (PM10) is 75µg/m3 and for PM2.5 is 40µg/m3, for a 24hour average period. For a 1-year averaging period, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM10 is 40µg/m3 and for PM2.5 is 20µg/m3.
(b) The Provincial Department operated one monitoring station, located in Vissershok, in the City of Cape Town area which measured PM10, during 2018. The station recorded an annual average of 32 µg/m3 for 2018, which is well below the annual standard of 40 µg/m3. The maximum daily mean PM10 concentration recorded in November 2018, at the Vissershok station was 71.52 µg/m3. None of the monitoring stations operated by the Department was equipped to measure concentrations of PM2.5 in 2018.
The City of Cape Town Municipality operated four (4) stations within the Cape Town area which monitored PM10. These stations are located at Foreshore, Table View, Wallacedene, and Plattekloof. According to monitoring data from the City of Cape Town, the highest PM10 values were measured at the Wallacedene station, which reported an annual average of 32 µg/m3, and a maximum daily average of 143 µg/m3 during 2018. No PM2.5 was measured at the monitoring stations operated by the City of Cape Town during 2018.
In terms of the question presented, regarding the PM2.5 data of 1 689 microgram/m3 in Cape Town in November 2018, it should be noted that this monitoring data was not measured at the monitoring stations operated by the Department or the City of Cape Town.
- In terms of the South African National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (Act no. 39 of 2004), the ambient air quality data monitored are evaluated against the South African National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The current National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter less than PM2.5 is 40µg/m3 and for PM10 is 75µg/m3, for a 24-hour average period, while the standard for the 1-year averaging period for PM2.5 is 20µg/m3 and that for PM10 is 40µg/m3.
It is assumed the 12µg/m3 referred to in the question is the United states (US) Environmental protection Agency (EPA) annual average standard for PM2.5. The US-EPA 24-hour average standards for PM2.5 is 35µg/m3 and that for PM10 is 150µg/m3.
Various measures are being put in place by the Department to improve the overall air quality in the province, including climate change projects, education, atmospheric licensing of facilities to improve air quality and further monitoring of air quality and other emissions.
