Assessment of air pollution in crude oil producing communities of Ogbia in Bayelsa State, South-South, Nigeria
摘要
Ambient air quality was assessed in five crude-oil-producing communities—Imiringi, Otuasega, Emeyal, Otuoke and Ibelebiri—in Ogbia, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to characterise seasonal pollution patterns and potential health implications. Using triplicate measurements from an Oceanus AQM-09 station over eight months, concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO₂, SO₂ and O₃ were evaluated for dry and wet seasons. Dry-season PM2.5ranged from 153.53 ± 123.82 to 191.10 ± 122.72 µg m⁻3, while PM10 varied between 132.67 ± 101.30 and 147.33 ± 103.74 µg m⁻3. Corresponding wet-season values declined markedly, with PM2.5 of 19.52 ± 8.94–36.85 ± 21.90 µg m⁻3 and PM10 of 26.33 ± 3.79–32.00 ± 3.06 µg m⁻3. Gaseous pollutants showed similar seasonal contrasts: CO (dry: 282.00 ± 16.09–316.33 ± 46.69 µg m⁻3; wet: 216.67 ± 27.14–244.33 ± 17.01 µg m⁻3), NO₂ (dry: 8.15 ± 1.09–10.03 ± 1.09 µg m⁻3; wet: 5.01 ± 4.34–6.60 ± 4.85 µg m⁻3), O₃ (dry: 58.15 ± 36.26–70.92 ± 23.69 µg m⁻3; wet: 32.37 ± 18.73–34.37 ± 22.19 µg m⁻3) and consistently low SO₂ (< 2 µg m⁻3). Multivariate analyses implicated gas flaring, oil-related combustion and secondary photochemical processes as dominant sources. The findings indicate sustained exposure risks in Ogbia communities and reinforce the need for continuous monitoring and stricter emission control.