Submit your papersSubmit Now
For Enquiries: [email protected]
IIARD LogoIIARD

DYNAMICS OF VEHICULA R SOURCE PARTICLE POLLUTION AND ITS CORRELATION WITH SOME ATMOSPHERIC PROPERTIES

Robert, James James, Owunabo-Brown, Daopunye David, & Igbo, Nkechinyere E

Abstract

Vehicular emissions contribute significantly to air pollution, particularly in urban environments where traffic congestion is prevalent. This study examines the dynamics of vehicular source particle pollution and its correlation with atmospheric properties across selected traffic junctions in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The study measured particulate matter ($PM_{1.0}$, $PM_{2.5}$, and $PM_{10}$), relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed at ten major junctions: St John's-Iwofe, Mgboba-Location, Rumuokwuta, Rumuigbo, Wimpey, Rukpokwu, Rumuokoro, Agip, Waterlines, and Eliozu. The results showed variations in $PM_{1.0}$ concentration from $34~mu g/m^{3}$ to $84~mu g/m^{3}$, $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations varied from $46~mu g/m^{3}$ to $105~mu g/m^{3}$ and $PM_{10}$ varied from $55~mu g/m^{3}$ to $119~mu g/m^{3}$ respectively. $PM_{2.5}$ concentrations for all the selected junction were higher than the global regulatory standards such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), as the values these values exceeded the recommended 24-hour limits of $15~mu g/m^{3}$ for $PM_{2.5}$ and $45~mu g/m^{3}$ for $PM_{10}$, indicating severe air quality degradation around the selected junctions. Of all selected junctions under study, Agip and Rumuokoro junctions had the highest PM concentrations, correlating with heavy traffic density and prolonged vehicle idling times. Meteorological parameters showed relative humidity between 44% and 54%, temperature ranging from $34^{circ}C$ to $37^{circ}C$, and wind speeds varied from $1.9~m/s$ to $3.0~m/s$. Analysis of these atmospheric conditions revealed that high PM concentrations were recorded at locations with lower wind speeds, signifying limited pollutant dispersion. Additionally, temperature and PM levels showed a positive correlation, suggesting enhanced secondary pollutant formation in high-temperature zones.

Keywords

DynamicsVehicularParticle PollutionAtmospheric Properties

References

Adekunle, O. A., Oguntoyinbo, J. S., & Ogunsola, O. J. (2019). Urban air pollution and public health in Lagos, Nigeria. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 10(5), 1636-1645. Adon, M., Yoboué, V., Bamba, F., Djossou, J., & Galy-Lacaux, C. (2016). Particulate matter and black carbon concentrations in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Environmental Pollution, 214, 254-263. Akintunde, E. A., Lawal, A. A., & Onadeko, T. A. (2019). Assessment of vehicular emissions and its impact on air quality in Ibadan, Nigeria. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26(29), 301-314. ASHRAE. (2019). Humidity control design guide for commercial and institutional buildings. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Banister, D. (2008). The sustainable mobility paradigm. Transport Policy, 15(2), 73-80. Beevers, S. D., & Carslaw, D. C. (2005). The impact of congestion charging on vehicle emissions in London. Atmospheric Environment, 39(1), 1-5 Bravo, H. A., Sosa, E. R., Sánchez, P. A., Jaimes, P. M., & Saavedra, R. M. (2017). Vehicular emissions and $PM_{10}$ concentrations in Mexico City. Journal of Environmental Management, 201, 357-364. Brook, R. D., Rajagopalan, S., Pope, C. A., et al. (2010). Particulate matter air pollution and cardiovascular disease. Circulation, 121(21), 2331-2378. Dockery, D. W., Pope, C. A., Xu, X., Spengler, J. D., Ware, J. H., Fay, M. E., & Speizer, F. E. (1993). An association between air pollution and mortality in six US cities. New England Journal of Medicine, 329(24), 1753-1759. Efe, S. I. (2018). Urban air pollution and its effects in Lagos, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Science and Public Health, 2(1), 27-37. Eke, F. A., Ukpebor, E. E., & Igbafe, A. I. (2021). Measurement of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds in Obio/Akpor, Nigeria: Sources and health implications. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 71(1), 36-48. EPA. (2020). National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). US Environmental Protection. Gui, X., Ren, J., Wang, G., Wang. Y., Zhang, M., & Wang, X. (2025). Retrieval of atmospheric visibility and its driving factors in Shanghai, China. Atmosphere, 16(10), 1181. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16101181 Guttikunda, S. K., & Calori, G. (2013). A GIS-based emissions inventory at $1~km imes 1~km$ spatial resolution for air pollution analysis in Delhi, India. Atmospheric Environment, 67, 101-111. Huang, R., Zhang, Y., Bozzetti, C., Ho, K. F., Cao, J. J., Han, Y., & El Haddad, I. (2014). High secondary aerosol contribution to particulate pollution during haze events in China. Nature, 514(21), 218-222. Jalaludin, B., Morgan, G., & Lincoln, D. (2018). Traffic-related air pollution and health: A literature review on exposure assessment and epidemiological studies in Australia. Air Quality and Climate Change, 52(2), 23-31. Joint Research Centre. (2023, May 31st). More vegetation in targeted urban areas can mitigate extreme heat. https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/more-vegetation-targeted-urban-areas-can-mitigate-extreme-heat-2023-05-31 Kumar, P., Gurjar, B. R., Nagpure, A. S., & Harrison, R. M. (2016). Urban air quality management: Developing a sustainable strategy for Nairobi, Kenya. Atmospheric Environment, 127, 151-160. Munu, P., Amegah, A. K., Quansah, R., Jaakkola, J. J. K., & Noguera, S. A. (2017). The health impacts of vehicular emissions on residents living near major roadways in Accra, Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(4), 417-428. Nigeria Meteorological Agency. (2020). Climatic data report: 2019-2020. NIMET. National Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Demographic and geographic statistics of Rivers State, Nigeria. NBS Publication. Nweke, O. C., & Sanders, W. H. (2021). Environmental justice and air pollution in urban Nigeria. Environmental Health Perspectives, 129(1), 1-10. NOAA. (2020). Air stagnation and its impacts on urban air pollution. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Oke, T. R. (1987). Boundary layer climates. Routledge. Okoye, O. E., & Chukwuma, E. C. (2020). Assessment of air pollution and its health impacts in Abuja, Nigeria. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192(9), 592-612. OSHA. (2021). Heat stress guidelines. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Pant, P., & Harrison, R. M. (2013). Estimation of the contribution of road traffic emissions to particulate matter concentrations from field measurements: A review. Atmospheric Environment, 77, 78-97. Pucher, J., & Buehler, R. (2008). Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. Transport Reviews, 28(4), 495-528. Rivers State Government. (2020). Geographical and administrative layout of Obio/Akpor. RSVG. Santos, G. (2005). Urban congestion charging: A second best alternative. Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, 39(3), 245-277. Seinfeld, J. H., & Pandis, S. N. (2016). Atmospheric chemistry and physics: From air pollution to climate change (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. Venter, M., Vakkari, V., Beukes, J. P., Van Zyl, P. G., Josipovic, M., & Pienaar, J. J. (2019). Atmospheric particulate matter in Johannesburg, South Africa: Source apportionment and health risk assessment. Science of the Total Environment, 695, 133871. WHO. (2021). Global air quality guidelines. World Health Organization. WHO. (2018). Health and climate change. World Health Organization. Zhao, P., Feng, X., & Zhang, Y. (2019). Urban air pollution and meteorological interactions. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 10(2), 495-507.

More Articles from RESEARCH JOURNAL OF PURE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Advances In NLP-Driven Analytics for Automated Detection of Regulatory Liabilities in High-Volume Contracts

Author: Ngonadi Uchechi, Michael Ominyi, Ngozi Samuel Uzougbo, Blessing Chika Jones,, USA

Resilient Test Automation Framework for Microservices: Addressing Integration, Scalability, and Reliability

Author: Awonowo Olusegun Oriyomi,, Anrinnle Qowiu Olaoluwa, Lawal Ahmed Oladimeji, Babayemi Temitayo Matthew, Azubuike Marvelous Onyedikachukwu, Olomu Ayomide Babatunde, Omitogun Ayomide Elijah