WSU LAB TECHNICIAN LEADS POLLUTION MONITORING MISSION TO ANTARCTICA

A Chemist at the Walter Sisulu University National Pollution Lab (NPL), Lonwabo Nettie, recently led a team of scientists to the South African National Antarctic Program base in Antarctica on a pollution monitoring mission.

This forms part of the Antarctic Treaty that was signed by 12 countries in 1949, which stipulates that South Africa has the responsibility to uphold and influence the evolution of the legal and institutional frameworks of the Antarctic Treaty System.

“The task force was dispatched in December of 2022 by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environmental Affairs (DFFE) with the mandate of studying organic and heavy metals left behind by research and other activities from South Africa,” said Nettie.

The base serves as South Africa’s research facility for the South African Weather Services (SAWS) to collect data on weather and climate change. It also serves as a station for the South African National Space Station Agency (SANSA) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

Nettie said, “One of the significant roles of this mission is to preserve the state of the base in order to protect its indigenous habitats. It is imperative that the activities don’t affect its wildlife as this is a requirement that plays an imperative role in upholding the agreement signed by SA which allows these bodies to operate there.”

According to a report published by The Guardian the continent’s fringing waters witness a massive shift each year, with sea ice peaking at about 18m square km each September before dropping to just above 2m square km by February.

Nettie is a qualified Chemist with an undergraduate qualification in Analytical Chemistry and a Master of Science in Chemistry.

He led a team of two coastal monitors from the DFFE, Sinazo Maceba, and Mzwandile Khuzwayo with the purpose of conducting research and preserving the natural state of the Antarctic land.

NPL Project Manager, Dr Motebang Nakin said, “I am so pleased to see the benefits of the partnership between WSU and DFFE through the NPL. It has equipped young researchers, like Nettie, with skills that allow them to travel to Antarctica to contribute to cutting-edge global research.”

NPL is a laboratory hosted by WSU. It enables the University to play a key role in the development of South Africa’s “Blue Economy” sector, focusing on harnessing of the ocean and coastal resources.

The team partnered DFFE Environmental Compliance Officer, Mntambo Mnakwa who obtained an undergraduate and honours degree in Biological Sciences within the university.

By: Ongezwa Sigodi