Search

This study aims to evaluate the influence of environmental and behavioural risk factors on life expectancy in East Africa. Applying the standard life table functions, our estimates revealed that the potential environmental reducers of life expectancy are air pollution-related deaths, followed by poor hygienic facilities and practices, and tobacco use. If it was possible to fully eliminate death coming from household air pollution, ambient particulate matter and ground-level ozone pollution, the increment in life expectancy at birth should respectively be 3.15 years; 2.84 years; 2.20 years; 2.06 years; 1.59 years in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. The simultaneous and complete elimination of all environmental and behavioural risks making the objects of this study shall increase the life expectancy at birth by 7.62 years in Rwanda, 7.12 years in Tanzania, 6.40 years in Uganda, 5.77 years in Kenya and 8.43 years in Burundi. Although the complete elimination of some causes of death appears to be an improbable scenario, these results recommend resource allocation and program evaluation regarding environmental monitoring and assessment and goal-setting in the health domain for the long and healthy living population of East Africa.

Biofilters are used for biological wastewater treatment and refer to facilities in which the process of water treatment is carried out with the help of biofilm attached to the load. The use of these filters is becoming more and more relevant in the modern world due to the growing pollution of the environment. This method is effective in treating wastewater from organic matter. It is more environmentally friendly and sustainable. The purpose of this work is to perform a set of analyses of incoming raw sewage treatment and obtain technological parameters of the process of reagent treatment to reduce pollution before the use of biofiltration. The research was carried out by laboratory tests, the direction of which was to determine: the optimal types of reagents, points and sequence of their dosing, correlation of sedimentation/removal of compounds of pollutants depending on the change in doses of reagents, the effectiveness of using different coagulants and flocculants, the optimal combination of reagents. As a result of the laboratory tests conducted, the study of pretreatment issues before the main stage of treatment on biofilters was carried out, the initial data obtained by sampling from the industrial site were analyzed, and a feasibility study of the choice of biofiltration technology was given.

This study used ten years (2013-2022) of satellite observations to assess the levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and aerosol optical depth (AOD) over Eastern Africa. NO2 vertical column density (VCD) varied between 3.17 × 1014 and 4.70 × 1014 molecules cm-2 with a seasonal variability reaching the peak in December every year. CO mixing ratio oscillated between 95.256 ± 15.480 ppbv and 76.011 ± 5.609 ppbv and demonstrated a bimodal seasonal variability. The level of AOD fluctuated between 0.126 ± 0.070 and 0.250 ± 0.165. Generally, the concentrations of these pollutants are comparable to the global levels, though the AOD increasing trend is an indicator of the deterioration of air quality in the east African region.