Assessment of Dry Season Ground Level Vehicular Air Pollution in Minna Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47514/kjg.2025.07.01.047Abstract
Vehicular emissions are one primary contributor to air pollution, especially in the dry season, when environmental conditions favour the accumulation of pollutants in the atmosphere. Thus, commuters and inhabitants along roadways are vulnerable to respiratory irritation, coughing, asthma, and long-term exposure, which can result in chronic respiratory diseases. Therefore, this study assessed ground-level vehicular air pollution during the dry season in Minna metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria. The Testo 350XL gas analyser was used to measure NOx and CO levels, and a 5-in-1 multifunction laser sensor, the BRV8 detector, was used to analyse the PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations. Additionally, a geographic positioning system (GPS) device was used to pinpoint the locations of the sampled intersections and roundabouts. A total of 45 junctions and roundabouts were sampled for their air quality conditions. The results revealed that the PM10 concentrations significantly exceeded the PM2.5 concentrations across the various locations, with Minna-Bida Road and Eastern Bypass having the highest PM10 concentrations at 560.2 μg/m³ and 495 μg/m³, respectively, thereby exceeding the WHO standard of 150 μg/m³. Notably, the Gurara Junction recorded the highest PM2.5 (621 μg/m³) and PM10 (773 μg/m³) concentrations, surpassing the WHO limits of 75 μg/m3 and 150 μg/m3, respectively. In addition, COx had the highest occurrence at Mechanic Road, with a value of 2.064 mg/m3, followed by Chanchaga-Mekunkele Road, with a value of 1.836 mg/m3, which falls below the 30 mg/m3 WHO standard. NOx concentrations were relatively low across the assessed locations, ranging from 0.738 mg/m3 to 0.250 mg/m3, which were below the 0.5 mg/m³ for the one-hour exposure guideline set by the WHO. This study has, among other goals, recommended the promotion of green infrastructure, such as planting trees and increasing green spaces around these roads, junctions, and roundabouts, to help absorb pollutants and improve air quality in Minna metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Peace Nwaerema, Usman Ibn Ahmad, Sale Bawa, Barnabas Ayuba (Author)
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