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Alert sensitive residents: ‘Big stink’ returns to Gauteng

The return of the big stink is due to winds blowing into Gauteng from Mpumalanga, the weather service says.

June 9, 2022
Reitumetse Mahope 2 minutes read
A strange dark cloud and sulphur stink in Pretoria had residents abuzz in February 2021. Photo: Martin van Niekerk

The unpleasant sulphur stench that hovered in parts of Pretoria and Mpumalanga in 2021 has made a return to Gauteng, a weather service has warned.

The Gauteng weather service said via its social media account: “The big stink returns to Gauteng due to winds blowing in from Mpumalanga”.

It said the unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups, would endure until Saturday.

Recently social media users in Randburg, Sandton, Rosebank, Centurion and parts of east of Pretoria have lamented the awful smell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The South African weather service said it was not aware of the matter.

It said however, an intense cold front was expected to make landfall over the Western Cape.

Last year Gauteng residents lamented a sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide “big stink” in the air.

 

Some residents later complained the pollution gave them a headache or nausea.

 

The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) is also probing the stench that has lingered over parts of Gauteng in the past two days.

“The department has noted concerns about the strong smell and is in the process of determining whether prevailing wind and weather conditions have contributed to the stench travelling over a long distance from another province, as was the case when a similar incident reported in 2021,” it said.

The 2021 stench is believed to have emanated from a Sasol plant in Secunda and is believed to be a combination sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.

DEFF spokesperson Albi Modise promised that investigations would take place and the findings released.

On April 23, 2019, the DEFF found the release of sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide into the atmosphere at the Sasol plant to be within the approved limits as approved by the local authority, the Gert Sibanda municipality .

“At this stage, DEFF and the municipality cannot say definitively what the major sources of the air pollution was,” said Modise.

He said the DEFF and the municipality suspected that the stench was from multiple sources in the area.

He said the SA weather service station in Irene, Centurion recorded a hydrogen sulphide level over Pretoria in excess to the WHO recommendation on February 12, 15 and 17 last year.

He said the DEFF found that there was also a low-pressure system in the north of the Mozambique Channel that gave rise to a rather uncommon circulation pattern over the region, particularly over the cities of Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Pretoria.

“It has therefore been recommended that other sources that could have contributed to the odour in Gauteng also be investigated.”

He said these contributions included power plants and waste water works that emitted hydrogen sulphide.

An enquiry has been sent to DEFF regarding the outcome of investigations.

ALSO READ: Steam your home to a more hygienic and allergy-free space

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At Caxton, every story is written by humans. We use AI only to perform quality checks - never to generate the news. Happy reading!
June 9, 2022
Reitumetse Mahope 2 minutes read

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