Assessment of Air Pollutants Concentration around Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria
By Ugwa, C.D, Adesope, O.M., Numbere, A.O.Air quality monitoring and management remain important to environmental sustainability and public health issues. The study assessed the air pollutants concentration around Port Harcourt metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria. Based on human-related activities peculiar to different locations in the metropolis, Slaughter-Trans Amadi (STA), Refinery-Eleme Junction (REJ) and Petrochemical-Akpajo Junction (PAJ) were selected for the study. Air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM10), Hydrogen sulphide (H2S), Methane (CH4), Ammonia (NH3), Ozone (O3), Carbon IV oxide (CO2) were assessed during the morning (8:30 am - 11:30 am) and evening (4:15 pm - 7:15 pm) hour in the of May to July 2024 using Aeroqual 500 Multi-Gas Analyzer, with up-to-date calibration. The mean concentration of NO2 (0.01ppm), SO2 (0.02ppm), H2S (0.22ppm), O3 (0.13ppm) and CO (0.28ppm) are within the WHO-AQG limit for individual pollutants while the mean concentration of CH4 (29.33ppm), PM2.5 (17.00ppm), PM10 (56.02ppm) and TVOC (8.46ppm) was highest in the morning period of May while the concentration exceeded the WHO-AQG limit. The concentration and trend of PMs concentration indicates anthropogenic influence. There is a need for strict and appropriate vehicle emission management, industrial air pollution control, and close burning management of wastes to reduce the risks associated with these pollutants.