Assessment of Air Pollution in Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the spatio-temporal and seasonal variation in the concentration of CO, NO_2­, SO₂ and PM₁₀ in Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria. Data on the air pollutants were collected at four points between 8:00am-10:00am and 3:00pm-5:00pm daily, from 16^th January to 24^th February (dry season) and 5^th June to 14^th July (rainy season) in 2017 using Gasman hand-held gas monitors. Data were analysed using mean, coefficient of variation (CV) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The result showed highest and lowest mean concentrations of CO of 21.86ppm (rainy season) and 17.00ppm (dry season) in the town center (Point 2, GBKC) and 2.46ppm (rainy season) and 2.45ppm (dry season) in the suburb (Point 1, YRA). The mean concentrations of CO, NO₂ and SO₂ were higher in rainy season, and the mean concentration of PM₁₀ was higher in dry season, with the mean concentrations of NO₂, SO₂ and PM₁₀ higher than the national acceptable levels in both seasons. The spatial variation in concentration of the air pollutants was significant with respect to land use/land cover types than seasons. There should be regular monitoring of air quality as the population and human activities increase in the town.