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The Green Economy
Research Project
Technology Deployment for Sustainable Urban
Development – “Township Caterers”
‘The number of people relying on the traditional use
of biomass is projected to rise from 2.7 billion today to
2.8 billion by 2030. Using World Health Organization
estimates, linked to our projections on biomass use,
it is estimated that the household air pollution from
the use of biomass in inefficient stoves would lead to
over 1.5 million premature deaths per year, over 4000
per day in 2030, greater than estimates for premature
deaths from malaria, tuberculosis or HIV/AIDS.’ (World
Energy Outlook, 2010).
Roadside catering is widespread in African towns and
cities – and it mostly makes use of open fires. Fuel
wood is either harvested or obtained from commercial
or construction and demolition activities. With a
significant amount of construction timber treated with
insecticides, notably with chromated copper arsenate
(CCA), it may well be that food preparation and
consumption is undertaken in the presence of toxic
heavy metals. This concern was investigated in several
informal dwellings or townships in Cape Town and
surrounding areas. The primary objectives of this
project were:
to determine whether or not CCA-treated wood
was being used, particularly for food preparation,
and what food it was being used to prepare;
regardless of whether this concern could be
confirmed, to do the investigation in such a way as
to harness student social-engagement enthusiasm
to impact on the well-established health burden of
wood and smoke exposure.
If the result was found to be positive, the further
objectives were:
to determine the specific exposure to CCA
from handling the wood, handling the ash, and
breathing in the air from the combusted wood;
to determine whether caterers exposed to CCA
displayed elevated levels of these substances.
Since this was quite a diverse project, the consortium
of involved parties was extensive. While it was
driven by the Environmental and Process Systems
Engineering Research Group, a strong partnership
was formed with Engineers without Borders, with
collaboration from UCT’s Centre for Occupational and
Environmental Health, the Centre for Transport Studies
and the Environmental Policy Research Unit and, later,
indispensable ties with the Energy Research Centre.
The following milestones have since been achieved: the
collection and analysis of wood samples which confirmed
some use of treated timber (CCA); the collection and
testing from human subjects has also been undertaken.
These findings are the subject of three journal papers
to appear in 2013. They have been communicated to
both the City of Cape Town’s Air Quality Management
Department and the South African Wood Preservation
Association, with both bodies having initiated responses
to address the problem. Lastly, Nyanga in Cape Town
was selected as pilot site for testing the alternative
technology (efficient wood stoves) that reduces exposure.
(In collaboration with UCT’s student initiative “Engineers without Borders”, 2010–2012,
supported by the Vice-Chancellor’s Strategic Fund)
Professor Harro Von Blottnitz (back, right), who
leads the “Township Caterers” project, together
with students and caterers.