Rapid urbanization and population growth drives increased air pollution across Sub-Saharan Africa with serious implications for human health, yet pollutant sources are poorly constrained. Here, we analyse fine particulate aerosol concentrations and radiocarbon composition of black carbon over a full annual cycle in Nairobi, Kenya. We find that particle concentrations exceed the World Health Organisation’s recommended safe limit throughout the year, with little seasonal variability in particle concentration or composition. Organics (49 ± 7%) and water-soluble inorganic ions, dominated by sulfates (13 ± 5%), constitute the largest contributors to the particle loadings. Unlike large cities on other continents, the fraction of black carbon in particles is high (15 ± 4%) suggesting black carbon is a prominent air pollutant in Nairobi. Radiocarbon-based source quantification indicates that fossil fuel combustion emissions are a dominant source of black carbon throughout the year (85 ± 3%). Taken together, this indicates that black carbon emissions from traffic are a key stressor for air quality in Nairobi.

Vast black carbon (BC) emissions from sub-Saharan Africa are perceived to warm the regional climate, impact rainfall patterns, and impair human respiratory health. However, the magnitudes of these perturbations are illconstrained, largely due to limited ground-based observations and uncertainties in emissions from different sources. This paper reports multiyear concentrations of BC and other key PM 2.5 aerosol constituents from the Rwanda Climate Observatory, serving as a regional receptor site. We find a strong seasonal cycle for all investigated chemical species, where the maxima coincide with large-scale upwind savanna fires. BC concentrations show notable interannual variability, with no clear long-term trend. The Δ 14 C and δ 13 C signatures of BC unambiguously show highly elevated biomass burning contributions, up to 93 ± 3%, with a clear and strong savanna burning imprint. We further observe a near-equal contribution from C3 and C4 plants, irrespective of air mass source region or season. In addition, the study provides improved relative emission factors of key aerosol components, organic carbon (OC), K + , and NO 3 − , in savanna-fires-influenced background atmosphere. Altogether, we report quantitative source constraints on Eastern Africa BC emissions, with implications for parameterization of satellite fire and bottom-up emission inventories as well as regional climate and chemical transport modeling.

Abstract Gamma spectroscopic analyses of sand and rock samples from Tyaa River report an average activity concentration of 33 ± 1, 55 ± 2.8 and 812 ± 40.46 Bqkg−1 for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, respectively in the sand. A similar analysis of rock samples reveals a mean of 21 ± 2.47, 49 ± 2.47 and 782 ± 39.13 Bqkg−1 for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, respectively. The absorbed dose rate in rocks averaged 75 ± 3.78 nGyh−1, while in the sand was 86.2 ± 4.31 nGyh−1. The ranges and mean radiological hazard indices (radium equivalent, internal and external) were within the permissible limits and the use of sand and rocks from this mine as construction material pose no health risks. Correlation analysis between the radioactivity in the sand and rocks reveals weak non-linear positive relationships suggesting that they might be from different bedrocks.