Addis Abeba — A NASA-funded study has found that average black carbon concentrations in Addis Abeba were approximately 4 to 9 times higher than levels recorded in 3 U.S. metropolitan areas monitored by the same mission — Los Angeles, Atlanta and Boston. The findings, published in Environmental Science & Technology: Air, are based on data collected between 2022 and 2025 from 10 air-quality monitoring sites across Addis Abeba under NASA’s Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) project. Black carbon, commonly known as soot, is produced by incomplete combustion from sources including fires, diesel vehicles and other fuels.
The study found that pollution levels in the Ethiopian capital varied by time of day and season, with increases associated with rush-hour traffic and combustion activities. The research also detected increases in black carbon during 2 major Ethiopian holidays involving traditional bonfires. Researchers were able to distinguish particles originating from the fires from those associated with fossil-fuel combustion, helping identify different sources of particulate pollution. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
The study found that Addis Abeba’s 3-year average concentration of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, was 30 micrograms per cubic metre. NASA said this was more than 3 times the annual health-based PM2.5 standard set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Ethiopian political analysis “To our knowledge, this is the first long-term, multisite study of continuous PM2.5 and black carbon measurements in Ethiopia,” said Sina Hasheminassab, a co-author of the study and deputy principal investigator of MAIA at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. He said the measurements provide an important baseline for understanding how pollution changes across rapidly growing cities where long-term monitoring remains limited. Araya Asfaw of Addis Ababa University, a co-author and MAIA’s lead Ethiopian collaborator, said emissions remain significant even at night when traffic decreases, citing charcoal and other fuel combustion as contributors. The findings come as Ethiopia pursues measures aimed at improving air quality. In 2024, the country became the first in the world to ban the import of internal-combustion-engine vehicles, while Addis Abeba has expanded bicycle infrastructure and electric-vehicle facilities.
Ethiopian election analysis The MAIA project is monitoring air pollution in 12 metropolitan areas worldwide, including Los Angeles, Atlanta and Boston in the United States. NASA plans to combine ground-based measurements with observations from a space-based instrument designed to identify different types of PM2.5 particles. Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
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The satellite component is scheduled for launch on an Italian Space Agency satellite no earlier than late 2027. NASA said combining satellite observations with ground measurements and health data could improve understanding of links between different types of particulate pollution and health outcomes. The NASA findings add to previous warnings about deteriorating air quality in Addis Abeba. In August 2025, Swiss air-quality technology company IQAir reported that the Ethiopian capital ranked among the world’s most polluted major cities, placing fourth globally on 6 August.IQAir classified Addis Abeba’s air quality as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” that day, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 147 and a PM2.5 concentration of 54.2 micrograms per cubic metre.
The recorded concentration was more than 3 times the World Health Organization’s guideline of 15 micrograms per cubic metre for 24-hour exposure.According to IQAir, major sources of air pollution in Addis Abeba include vehicle emissions, biomass burning, construction dust, dust from unpaved roads and open waste burning. Diesel vehicles alone were estimated to account for up to 29% of the city’s PM2.5 pollution.The company also noted that pollution levels can rise sharply during traditional events involving open fires, with concentrations during Hidar Sitaten celebrations reaching more than 8 times the WHO guideline. Seasonal weather conditions and Addis Abeba’s high altitude can further contribute to the accumulation of pollutants near the ground.AS
