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

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...

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Main Authors: 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
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2020-08-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/8/e035798.full
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author 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
author_facet 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
author_sort Michael Brauer
collection DOAJ
description 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.
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spelling doaj-art-14e846a9aab9453bb1f76d091818554d2024-12-02T01:45:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-08-0110810.1136/bmjopen-2019-035798High-resolution spatiotemporal measurement of air and environmental noise pollution in Sub-Saharan African cities: Pathways to Equitable Health Cities Study protocol for Accra, GhanaMichael Brauer0Majid Ezzati1Sierra N Clark2Abosede S Alli3Jill Baumgartner4Mireille B Toledano5Allison F Hughes6James Nimo7Josephine Bedford Moses8Solomon Terkpertey9Jose Vallarino10Samuel Agyei-Mensah11Ernest Agyemang12Ricky Nathvani13Emily Muller14James Bennett15Jiayuan Wang16Andrew Beddows17Frank Kelly18Benjamin Barratt19Sean Beevers20Raphael E Arku21School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadaprofessor of global environmental healthDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UKDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USAInstitute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canadasenior lecturer in epidemiologyDepartment of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Physics, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Greater Accra, GhanaDepartment of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UKDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UKDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UKDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USAMRC Center for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UKNIHR HPRU in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, UKEnvironmental Research Group, MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UKMRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UKDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USAIntroduction 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.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/8/e035798.full
spellingShingle 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
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
BMJ Open
title 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
title_full 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
title_fullStr 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
title_full_unstemmed 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
title_short 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
title_sort 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
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/8/e035798.full
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