Quality Research

Kenya faces increasing climate related health risks driven by rising temperatures, worsening air quality, and rapid socio environmental change. A quantitative Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment is urgently needed to inform evidence based National Health Adaptation Plans and subsequent investment cases. This contribution presents a complementary role for applied research to strengthen Kenya’s Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment, with a specific focus on heat stress and air pollution as two of the most climate sensitive health outcomes. Building on the World Health Organization Vulnerability and Adaptation assessment framework, we demonstrate how high-resolution quantitative exposure modelling can support all stages of the assessment process. Using integrated atmospheric and health impact models, we assess population exposure to heat stress and air pollution across past, present, and future climate conditions. Furthermore, the effect of mitigation measures, such as shifting work hours, is assessed. Heat stress is quantified using the wet bulb globe temperature framework, incorporating meteorological drivers such as temperature, humidity, wind, and solar radiation, as well as individual vulnerability factors including activity level and demographic characteristics. Air pollution exposure focuses on fine particulate matter, ozone, and nitrogen oxides, which represent the dominant air quality related health risks in Kenya. By accounting for co-exposure to heat stress and air pollution, the modelling framework captures compounded health risks and supports integrated climate, air quality, and public health policy assessment. A key added value of the modelling approach is source attribution, enabling air pollution exposure to be linked to both emission sector and geographic origin. This provides direct action perspectives for policy design and allows climate mitigation measures to be evaluated for their associated health co-benefits. Quantitative relationships between environmental exposures and health endpoints, including respiratory and non-communicable diseases, are applied in alignment with Global Burden of Disease methodologies. The contribution further outlines pathways for integrating satellite observations, sensor-based measurements, and sustained monitoring systems to support long term evaluation of adaptation measures. By embedding advanced quantitative methods within an existing national assessment framework, this work highlights how targeted international collaboration can enhance African leadership in climate health adaptation, strengthen decision relevant evidence, and support sustainable capacity development in line with global policy frameworks.

The adsorption performance of two honeycomb zeolites and beaded activated carbon (BAC) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was evaluated under industrially relevant conditions by using 2-propanol and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (1,2,4-TMB) as adsorbates. Equilibrium and cyclic adsorption capacity, removal efficiency, and heel build-up were assessed. Surface properties and thermal stability of fresh and used adsorbents were characterized by nitrogen adsorption and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), while TGA–FTIR was used to examine the desorption behavior and activation energy. Fresh BAC exhibited a higher initial adsorption capacity; however, it showed a significantly higher heel build-up rate. After five adsorption–regeneration cycles, BAC and honeycomb zeolites exhibited comparable adsorption capacity and removal efficiency. TGA results indicated stronger binding and pore entrapment of 1,2,4-TMB on BAC, with nondesorbed species removed at higher temperatures (∼270 °C) compared to zeolites (145 °C). These results demonstrate that honeycomb zeolites are an effective alternative to activated carbon for VOC control under realistic industrial conditions.

Ozone (O3) concentration in the regional atmosphere of South China was shown to increase. Here, we identified an unprecedented O3 reduction at a high rate of 2.79 ± 0.08 ppbv yr–1 during 2018–2023, contrasting with the long-term rise in the level of O3 at the same site. We found that this change was unlikely to be caused by COVID-19 lockdowns. Carbon monoxide and some volatile organic compounds (e.g., formaldehyde and toluene) also decreased. Significant O3 reductions occurred in the summer and autumn, with summer showing a higher percentage decline (9.51% yr–1). An ensemble machine learning model was developed to eliminate meteorological impacts on the O3 trends, which was shown to explain 24.5% of the year-round O3 reduction rate. The Weather Research and Forecasting model, coupled with Community Multiscale Air Quality, quantified the meteorological contribution of 54.0% to significant O3 reduction in August 2018 to 2023. While the model well reproduced O3 in August 2018, it overestimated the level of O3 in August 2023 when using emissions derived from simple extrapolation. Nevertheless, the remaining half of the O3 reduction rate in August was likely attributed to changes in anthropogenic emissions on land. This study also highlights the need for timely updates to emission inventories for effective air quality policy evaluations.

Abstract The effects of different initial and final hot-rolling temperatures on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 6101 aluminum alloy were systematically investigated using analytical methods such as optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tensile testing, and electrical conductivity measurements. The results indicate that although a higher initial hot-rolling temperature of 515°C resulted in slightly coarser grains and a minor reduction in electrical conductivity, it improved the uniformity of the grain structure and enhanced the fracture elongation. When the final hot-rolling temperature is set at 300°C, the mechanical properties meet the specifications for the 6101-T63 temper. The deformation stored energy retained from hot rolling promoted recrystallization nucleation, yielding a finer grain structure. This refined microstructure resulted in a less pronounced orange peel texture after bending, demonstrating improved bendability.

Abstract Temperature and precipitation change can increase crop water stress leading to declines in crop yield. In the US Corn Belt, previous studies have found that the topsoil is drying. But crops, even in systems with restrictive soil layers, access water from beneath the topsoil and it is poorly understood how weather variability will affect water availability throughout the entire root zone. To investigate these impacts, I built an integrated surface water–groundwater model of a field in the Central Mississippi River Basin. Using stochastically downscaled precipitation forcings, I found that in the topsoil (top 30 cm), less frequent precipitation leads to soil water more frequently dropping below the stress point. Increased precipitation during the spring did not impact the simulated soil moisture because soil was already near saturation at that time, meaning that additional precipitation primarily increased runoff. The shallow groundwater and soil layers beneath the topsoil did not experience drying, though unquantified recharge pathways limit the interpretation of groundwater results. Overall, this study showed that less frequent, more intense precipitation increases topsoil moisture stress. But the moisture in the critical zone below the topsoil is not likely to be affected, meaning it can be an important water source to sustain crop yields in places with unreliable precipitation. Thus, improvements to genetics and management that facilitate deep root growth should be investigated to sustain agricultural production in the future.