Air quality monitoring from open waste and incinerator burning in Cape Maclear, Malawi

This thesis addresses waste management challenges in Cape Maclear, Malawi, where the absence of formal collection services has led to widespread open burning. The student implemented engineering upgrades to two De Montfort Mark 8A incinerators, including larger chimneys, additional air vents, structural reinforcements, a chimney cap, and a heat exchanger for waste heat recovery, together with a waste sorting table and forklift for material handling. Combustion performance and particulate matter (PM1.0, PM2.5, PM10) emissions were monitored before and after the upgrades. Combustion temperatures rose from 663 to 846 °C at one site and from 372 to 907 °C at the other, while waste-to-ashes ratios fell substantially, indicating more complete combustion, and PM concentrations dropped below WHO guideline levels.