An Application Of Receptor Modeling To Identify Airborne Particulate Sources In Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

There have been no clear demarcations between industrial and residential areas of Lagos with focus on industry as the major source. There is need to identify potential source types in the study areas in order to have insight into the actual sources impacting the receptor sites. Elemental concentrations of airborne particulate matter sampled at three urban site classes in Lagos (an industrial city) in southwest Nigeria were subjected to statistical analysis to determine the number and nature of sources impacting the receptor sites. Inter-elemental Correlation, Principal Component Factor (PCFA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analyses (HCA) were the statistical tools used to infer the sources in the study areas. Soil re-suspension, automobile and residential fuel burning were observed to constitute the major sources.

Keywords: Abatement, dust entrainment, Industrial emission stacks, receptor sites, urban infrastructure

IFE Journal of Science Vol. 9 (1) 2007 pp. 129-136