Exposure to Biological Allergens and Air Pollutants Under Climate Change Conditions Within Low-Income Communities in South Africa

We focus on respiratory health impacts from allergenic pollen and fungal spores and air quality in a low-income area of South Africa within the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area (VTAPA). This study will focus Vanderbijlpark, township Sharpeville where the NWU Climate Research Group runs long-term air pollution measurements. We aim to answer the question: do respiratory diseases increase with exposure to air pollution and pollen? The gap we are trying to fill is a more holistic view and assessment of health risks from air quality and aerosopora, focusing on a seasonal scale. Continuous daily pollen monitoring in South Africa was only started in August 2019 (SAPNET-South African Pollen Monitoring Network, Ajikah et al. 2020), but no spore trap covered the study area. Outdoor air pollution and pollen monitoring will be combined with indoor air quality sampling for the same sites. All data will be used to design the area's aerobiological and air quality (AAQ) risk map.