Microenvironmental modelling of air pollutants in Ghana

This research paper describes the first application of a microenvironmental modelling approach in Accra, Ghana, to estimate personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) across different age and gender groups. The study utilizes the INDAIR dynamic model and a steady-state model to analyze how different home, work, school, and transport environments contribute to overall exposure, specifically highlighting the impact of cooking fuels.

• The study applied a microenvironmental modelling approach in Accra, Ghana, to estimate personal PM2.5 exposures for population groups disaggregated by age and gender. This involved combining time-activity profiles with PM2.5 concentrations from three home microenvironments (using the INDAIR dynamic model) and work, school, and transport microenvironments (using a steady-state model).
• Cooking with charcoal in Accra results in significantly higher home PM2.5 concentrations and higher personal exposure for children and adult females compared to adult males. For children and females in charcoal-using households, residential cooking accounts for over 60% of total personal PM2.5 exposure, whereas this figure drops to under 10% in households using liquified petroleum gas (LPG), with the rest coming from outdoor sources.
• Personal PM2.5 exposure estimates are particularly sensitive to three key parameters: charcoal emission rates, kitchen volume, and the air exchange rate between indoor and outdoor environments.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2020). Microenvironmental modelling of air pollutants in Ghana. https://www.sei.org/publications/microenvironmental-modelling-air-pollutants-in-ghana/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Microenvironmental modelling of air pollutants in Ghana. 2020. https://www.sei.org/publications/microenvironmental-modelling-air-pollutants-in-ghana/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Microenvironmental modelling of air pollutants in Ghana |date=15 March 2020 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/microenvironmental-modelling-air-pollutants-in-ghana/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2020microenvironmental, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Microenvironmental modelling of air pollutants in Ghana}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/microenvironmental-modelling-air-pollutants-in-ghana/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }