High-resolution spatiotemporal measurement of air and environmental noise pollution in Sub-Saharan African cities: Pathways to Equitable Health Cities Study protocol for Accra, Ghana
Michael Brauer,
Majid Ezzati,
Sierra N Clark,
Abosede S Alli,
Jill Baumgartner,
Mireille B Toledano,
Allison F Hughes,
James Nimo,
Josephine Bedford Moses,
Solomon Terkpertey,
Jose Vallarino,
Samuel Agyei-Mensah,
Ernest Agyemang,
Ricky Nathvani,
Emily Muller,
James Bennett,
Jiayuan Wang,
Andrew Beddows,
Frank Kelly,
Benjamin Barratt,
Sean Beevers,
Raphael E Arku
Affiliations
Michael Brauer
School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Majid Ezzati
professor of global environmental health
Sierra N Clark
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
Abosede S Alli
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
Jill Baumgartner
Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Mireille B Toledano
senior lecturer in epidemiology
Allison F Hughes
Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
James Nimo
Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Josephine Bedford Moses
Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Solomon Terkpertey
Department of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Jose Vallarino
Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Samuel Agyei-Mensah
Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Greater Accra, Ghana
Ernest Agyemang
Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Ricky Nathvani
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
Emily Muller
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
James Bennett
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
Jiayuan Wang
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
Andrew Beddows
MRC Center for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
Frank Kelly
NIHR HPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
Benjamin Barratt
Environmental Research Group, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
Sean Beevers
MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
Raphael E Arku
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
Introduction Air and noise pollution are emerging environmental health hazards in African cities, with potentially complex spatial and temporal patterns. Limited local data are a barrier to the formulation and evaluation of policies to reduce air and noise pollution.Methods and analysis We designed a year-long measurement campaign to characterise air and noise pollution and their sources at high-resolution within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), Ghana. Our design uses a combination of fixed (year-long, n=10) and rotating (week-long, n =~130) sites, selected to represent a range of land uses and source influences (eg, background, road traffic, commercial, industrial and residential areas, and various neighbourhood socioeconomic classes). We will collect data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx), weather variables, sound (noise level and audio) along with street-level time-lapse images. We deploy low-cost, low-power, lightweight monitoring devices that are robust, socially unobtrusive, and able to function in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) climate. We will use state-of-the-art methods, including spatial statistics, deep/machine learning, and processed-based emissions modelling, to capture highly resolved temporal and spatial variations in pollution levels across the GAMA and to identify their potential sources. This protocol can serve as a prototype for other SSA cities.Ethics and dissemination This environmental study was deemed exempt from full ethics review at Imperial College London and the University of Massachusetts Amherst; it was approved by the University of Ghana Ethics Committee (ECH 149/18-19). This protocol is designed to be implementable in SSA cities to map environmental pollution to inform urban planning decisions to reduce health harming exposures to air and noise pollution. It will be disseminated through local stakeholder engagement (public and private sectors), peer-reviewed publications, contribution to policy documents, media, and conference presentations.
