Assessment of Variations in Air Quality in Wet & Dry Seasons: A Case Study of Borokiri, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- June 15, 2021
- Posted by: rsispostadmin
- Categories: Environmental Science, IJRSI
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VIII, Issue V, May 2021 | ISSN 2321–2705
Levi-Okoli Ifeyinwa Chikerenma1; Briggs-Kamara Apaemi2; Sigalo Friday Barikpe3; Iyeneomie Tamunoobereton-Ari4
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
This study measured the criteria air pollutants of Borokiri and its environs in order to evaluate the air quality level of the area in comparison with the WHO guidelines/acceptable limits. A portable gaseous emission analyzer, the BOSEAN Gas Detector, which collects and stores data independently was used for the measurement of ambient air quality. The Suspended particulate matter was measured with an EGVOC SPM Monitor, which operates by counting and sizing the number of particles in the air. The measurements were done for both dry and wet season at different times during these seasons. From the findings, only the ozone (O3) level is safe enough within the study area, with respect to the WHO guidelines. All the other pollutants are highly unsafe for the people of the study area. The particulate matter mean concentrations (both PM2.5 and PM10) were lower in wet season compared to dry season. This was attributed to the time of data collection during the wet season, which was during the COVID-19 lockdown, with little or no activities going on in the study area. The rain effect could also have washed down the pollutants.
Keywords: Air quality, WHO, Borokiri, Criteria air pollutants, Dry season, Wet season.
INTRODUCTION
Individuals in Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria, and its environs have since the last quarter of 2016 been encountering adverse environmental impacts of particle contamination. This “twofold air contamination burden”- the yet to be resolved prevailing air contamination and the “additional” development of particle contamination, which a source of environmental wellbeing risk, prompted protests over government inaction in certain areas of the state. In February 2017, a couple of months following the beginning of the contamination, the government declared an Emergency, and set up a Task Force to explore and discover an answer for the issue. Worldwide study stated that particle contamination corresponds decidedly with a range of morbidities and an expanded danger of mortality among exposed populaces.
In spite of the fact that everybody is exposed to some degree of air contamination in the course of their life, there are a few groups of individuals who are more inclined
