Traffic air pollution and urban sustainability: an assessment of strategic road intersections in Owerri urban, Nigeria

Authors

  • Enos Ihediohamma Emereibeole Department of Environmental Management, Federal University of Technology, Owerri
  • Leonard Udochi Mgbeahuruike Department of Environmental Management, Federal University of Technology, Owerri
  • Chijioke Ndukwe Uyo Department of Environmental Management, Federal University of Technology, Owerri
  • Rapuruchukwu Nobert Unegbu Department of Environmental Management, Federal University of Technology, Owerri
  • Friday Anegbode Edo Department of Environmental Management, Federal University of Technology, Owerri

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2281-4485/16423

Keywords:

Air Quality, Road Intersection, Owerri Urban, Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

An assessment of the ambient air quality in selected road intersections in Owerri Urban, Southeastern Nigeria was carried out. Random sampling of 5 air pollutant species: NO2, CO, SO2, and PM 2.5 and PM 10, from 4 major points coded SP1 to SP4 were carried out daily, morning, afternoon and evening sections for 14 days in the dry season. The levels of each air pollutant species were determined in-situ using standard sampling devices. The coordinates of the sampled locations were recorded using GPS equipment. The results obtained revealed elevated levels of pollutants in all the selected intersections. NO2 ranged between 0.055-0.089 ppm, CO ranged between 0.70-12.70 ppm, SO2 ranged between 0.47-0.86 ppm, PM 2.5 ranged between 0.008-0.027 ppm whereas PM 10 ranged between 0.019 - 0.067 ppm in all the locations. SO2 level at SP1 (0.47±0.15), SP2 (0.86±0.21), SP3 (0.71±0.06), and SP4 (0.74±0.13) were found to be above the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv) limits. PM (2.5 & 10) was concentrated in SP4 whereas elevated levels of CO and SO 2 were observed at SP3 and SP2. SP3 was observed to have elevated levels of NO2. Changes could be attributed to high density of vehicles observed during peak hours and the presence of building clusters. The selected road intersections may not be safe due to cumulative impacts to various socio-economic and health effects triggered by prolonged exposures. Greening approach towards low-carbon cities and urban sustainability becomes essential.

References

AC-CHUKWUOCHA N., OGBENNA U., OGUGUA C., EMENIKE N. (2016) Erosion sensitivity assessment of communities in Owerri, Nigeria using geographic information system and revised universal soil loss equation base model. American Journal of Geo-graphic Information System, 5(2):55-67. https://doi.org/10.5923/j.ajgis.20160502.03.

ACHONU G. (2017) Police warns Imo public against use of commercial motorcycle. The Punch. 2017, Aug 19. Retrieved from https://punchng.com/police-warn-imo-public-against-use-of-commercial-motorcycle/

ADEPOJU T.T., FAKINLE B.S., ADESINA O.A., OKEDERE O.B AND SONIBARE J.A (2018) Estimation of gaseous pollutants from road transport system in Lagos metropolis of Nigeria. Environmental Quality Management, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.21552

ALIYU A.A., AMADU L. (2017) Urbanization cities, and health: the challenges to Ni-geria, a review. Annals of African Medicine. 16(4):149-158. https://doi.org/10.4103/aam.aam_1_17.

ANENBERG S.C., BELOVA A., BRANDT J., FANN N., GRECO S., GUTTIKUNDA S., HEROUX M-E., HURLEY F., KRZYZANOWSKI M., MEDINA S., MILLER B., PAN-DEY K., ROOS J., VANDINEGENEN R. (2016) Survey of ambient air pollution health risk assessment tools. Society for Risk Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1111/Risa.12540.

ALOZIE C. (2017) Okorocha bans keke operators in IMO. The Vanguard. 2017, Aug 31. Retrieved from https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/08/okorocha-bans-keke-operators-imo/

DAVID O. S. (2017) Imo State Government bans tricycle (Keke Napep) replace with 2000 wagons. 2017, Sept 1. Retrieved from https://dailyfamily.ng/imo-state-government-bans-tricycle-keke-replace-with-2000-wagons/

DZIUBAK T., DZIUBAK S.D (2022). A Study on the Effect of Inlet Air Pollution on the Engine Component Wear and Operation. Energies. 15(3):1182. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15031182

EMERIBEOLE A.C. (2015) Managing flood disasters in Nigeria cities: Issues and strat-egies towards meeting the challenges in the Modern World – a case study of Owerri Metropolis, Imo State. In FIG Working Week, 17-21. ISSN: 7587

ESEN F., TASDEMIR Y., CINDORUK S.S (2017) Evaluation of NOx and O3 concentra-tions in the atmosphere of Bursa, Turkey. Environ Forensics, 6(3):311-7. DOI:10.1080/15275920500194597

EZEMONYE M.N, EMERIBE C.N. (2012) Rainfall Erosivity in Southeastern Nigeria. Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management, 5, 2. DOI:10.4314/ejesm.v5i2.1

FAIZ A., SINHA K., WALSH M., VARMA A. (1990). Automotive air pollution: Issues and options for developing countries. Policy Research and External affairs Working Paper Series 492 World Bank Publications;Aug 31. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/743671468739209497/Automotive-air-pollution-issues-and-options-for-developing-countries

FU L. (2001) Assessment of vehicle pollution in China. Journal of the Air and Waste Management. 5(5):658-668. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10473289.2001.10464300

GOYAL S. (2006) Understanding Urban vehicular pollution problem vis-a-vis ambient air qualities study of megacity – Delhi, India. Environmental International, 32: 106-120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-005-9043-2

HAN S., BIAN H., FENG Y., LIU A., LI K., ZENG F., ZHANG X. (2011) Analysis of the relationship between O3, NO and NO2 in Tianjin, China. Aerosol Air Quality Res;11:128-39. doi: 10.4209/aaqr.2010.07.0055

JAFFE L.S. (2017) Ambient carbon monoxide and its fate in the atmosphere. J Air Pol-lut Control Assoc;18(8):534-40.

KIELY G. (1997) Environmental engineering. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 10: 0071164243

Krzyzanowski M, Kunna-Dibbert B, Schneider J. (2005). Health effects of transport related air pollution. Copenhagen: World Health Organisa-tion. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/328088

MORAN J., MORGAN M.D. (1989) Meteorology: the atmosphere and the science of weather (2nd ed). New York: MacMillan Publishing Company. ISSN: 128783215

MURALIKRISHNAN R., SWARNALAKSHMI M., NAKKEERAN E. (2014) Nano-particle membrane filtration of vehicular exhaust to reduce air pollution: a review. In-ternational Research Journal of Environment Sciences. 3(4):82-86. ISSN 2319–1414

NJOKU P., IBE F.C., ALINNOR J., OPARA A. (2016) Seasonal variability of carbon monoxide (CO) in the ambient environment of Imo State, Nigeria (2016). Interna-tional Letters of Natural Sciences, (53):40-52. https://doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/ILNS.53.40.

National Population Commission (NPC) (2006) Nigeria National Census: Population Distribution by Sex, State, LGAs and Senatorial District: 2006 Census Priority Tables (Vol. 3).

http://www.population.gov.ng/index.php/publication/140-popn-distri-by-sex-state-jgas-and-senatorial-distr-2006

NWACHUKWU M.A., ALOZIE C.P., ALOZIE G.A. (2018) Environmental and rainfall intensity analysis to solve the problem of flooding in Owerri Urban. Journal of Envi-ronmental Hazard. 1(1):107. ISSN 2475-319X

NYHAN M. (2015) Coping with air pollution in an age of urbanisation. Angle Journal. Retrieved from https://anglejournal.com/article/2015-06-protecting-urban-population-from-air-pollution-in-an-age-of-global-urbanisation/

OJO O.O.S., AWOKOLA O.S. (2012) Investigation of air pollution from automobiles at intersections on some selected major roads in Ogbomoso, Southwestern, Nigeria. ISOR Journal of Mechanical and Engineering, 1(4):31-35. https://doi.org/10.9790/1684-0143135

OKONKWO G.I., MBAJIORGU C.C. (2010) Rainfall intensity duration frequency analysis for southeastern Nigeria. Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Jour-nal, 12(1):22-30. http://www.cigrjournal.org

OMENIKOLO A.I., UDUMA C.I., CHINEKEOKWU T., ABARA J.C. (2017) Assessment of air pollution generated by transport in Owerri, Southeast, Nigeria. Merit Research Journal of Environmental Science., 5(1):9-17. ISSN: 2350-2266

ONYEMAUWA C.S., ODII MACA, LEMCHI J.I., EZE C.C., IBEKWE U.C., EME-NYONU C.A. (2008) Analysis of household consumption of cereals in Owerri munici-pality, Imo State, Nigeria. International Journal of Agricultural Research, 3: 273-280. DOI:10.3923?ijar.2008.273.280

SAVILLE S.B (1993). Automotive options and air quality management in developing countries. Industrial Environment, 16(1-2):20-32. http://www.sciepub.com/reference/189086

TIPPICHAI A., KLUNGBOONKRONG P., PAN-ARAM R., WONGWISES P. (2005) Prediction of CO concentrations from road traffic at signalized intersections using CAL3QHC model: the Khon Kaen case study. Songklanakarin Journal of Science and Technology, 27(6):1285-1298. ISSN: 0125-3395

WORLD BANK AND INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH METRICS AND EVALUATION (2016). The cost of air pollution: Strengthening the economic case for action. Wash-ington, DC.http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/781521473177013155/The-cost-of-air-pollution-strengthening-the-economic-case-for-action

XIE X., SEMANJSKI I., GAUTAMA S., TSILIGIANNI E., DELIGIANNIS N., RAJAN RT, PASVEER F, PHILIPS W. (2017) A review of urban air pollution monitoring and exposure assessment methods. International Journal of Geo-Information. (6)389. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi6120389.

ZAGHA O, NWAOGAZIE IL. (2015) Roadside air pollution assessment in Port Har-court, Nigeria. Stand Sci Essays, 3(3):66-74. ISSN: 2310-7502

Downloads

Published

2023-04-27

How to Cite

Emereibeole, E. I., Mgbeahuruike, L. U., Uyo, C. N., Unegbu, R. N., & Edo, F. A. (2023). Traffic air pollution and urban sustainability: an assessment of strategic road intersections in Owerri urban, Nigeria. EQA - International Journal of Environmental Quality, 54(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2281-4485/16423

Issue

Vol. 54 (2023)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Enos Ihediohamma Emereibeole, Leonard Udochi Mgbeahuruike, Chijioke Ndukwe Uyo, Rapuruchukwu Nobert Unegbu, Friday Anegbode Edo

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.