SO-TOX is a HORIZON-WIDERA project coordinated by the Center for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) of the University of Aveiro, in collaboration with the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança and the Agostinho Neto University, in Luanda, Angola. SO-TOX complements APAM, a project funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology that began in March 2023. The latter’s main objective is to evaluate the sources that contribute to the high levels of particles in the atmosphere of the Angolan capital and to the toxicity of this pollutant. In line with the multilateralism advocated by the UE and with the current Cotonou Partnership Agreement within the scope of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy, SO-TOX will contribute to one of the agreed objectives: developing/facilitating the implementation of quality standards in Africa for the air pollution in order to promote well-being at all ages. The project is also aligned with the recent resolution of the World Health Assembly that established as a priority action to deal with air pollution and its health risks in Africa.
Most developed countries have cutting-edge equipment and systems for monitoring air quality, which are used to inform decision-makers and the population, to make forecasts and to trigger the adoption of preventive and control measures. Many African countries have the highest air pollution estimates, but the worst air quality monitoring infrastructure. Only 7 out of 54 African countries have some real-time air pollution monitors. Angola does not have any of these means. According to a UNICEF report, in Africa, only 6% of children, the most vulnerable population, live less than 50 km from an air quality station, while in Europe and the USA that number is 77%. The scarcity or non-existence of air quality data is a serious concern and reveals a gap that needs to be urgently filled so that the African continent can better understand the causes and health risks. The availability of data can help raise public awareness and change the view of policymakers to adopt specific legislation and ensure appropriate management of air quality. Among atmospheric pollutants, the one that most contributes to morbidity and mortality is particulate matter with diameters less than 10 and 2.5 µm (PM10 and PM2.5), which has been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency of Cancer Research. Particulate matter, after being inhaled, leads to the formation of reactive oxygen species, which trigger various inflammatory processes in our body. The APAM project contemplates the first long-term PM10 and PM2.5 sampling campaign ever carried out in Luanda. The samples will be subjected to detailed chemical characterization. SO-TOX extends the scientific activities of the APAM project by integrating the application of new open source tools for analysing Luanda’s air quality data (e.g., Openair, AirSensor and Python), the application of various methodologies to PM10 and PM2.5 to determine the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the application of mathematical models to the size distribution of atmospheric particles to infer either their origin or formation processes, or the sites of deposition and action in the respiratory system. The oxidative potential of particulate matter has been extensively proposed as an indirect measure of its toxicity, so the new European air quality directive will include this parameter in the list of mandatory determinations. Within the scope of SO-TOX, methodologies will be implemented at CESAM to determine the oxidative potential of particulate matter. The combination of multiple analytical techniques with the measurement of oxidative potential and the application of mathematical models will make it possible to assess which sources or compounds in particulate matter contribute most to oxidative stress. This information is fundamental for the adoption by the environmental and health authorities of specific measures.
SO-TOX is in line with various societal challenges and United Nations sustainable development goals related to climate action, transport, health and well-being. The project obtained the collaboration of the Provincial Government of Luanda, the Ministry of the Environment of Angola and the Luanda Provincial Command of the Civil Protection Services. In addition to promoting academic, scientific and technological cooperation between different institutions, in order to enable Angola to monitor air quality through advanced scientific training, it is expected that SO-TOX will contribute to the adoption of legislation in the area of air quality air, not only by the Angolan Ministry of the Environment, but also by government bodies from other PALOP countries.
As advocated by the Horizon Europe program, SO-TOX will contribute to: i) boosting EU-Africa cooperation in research & innovation, ii) making science more open and accessible to all through various communication and dissemination initiatives, and iii ) foster the creative and innovative potential of the post-doctoral fellow hired within the scope of the project and diversify her skills through advanced training following an interdisciplinary approach. Given that the scholarship holder has links to the Universities of Pune and Agra, India, the project will facilitate the opening of doors to new collaborative opportunities with this emerging power.
