Measurement and Modelling of Vehicular Emissions in Some Selected Towns in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This work focused on the measurement and modeling of vehicular emissions (CO, NO₂, SO₂ and PM₁₀) in some selected towns of Nasarawa State, Nigeria using appropriate standard method for six months and the data modeled by Standard Research Institute model. The measured and modeled results of the pollutants concentrations in all the selected towns ranged as follows; CO, 6.52-17.93 µg/m³ and 1.63-2.70 µg/m³, NO₂, 0.14-0.23 µg/m³ and 0.04-0.18 µg/m³, SO₂, 0.18-0.28 µg/m³ and 0.09-0.20 µg/m³ and PM₁₀ 9.92-33.37 µg/m³ and 4.53-17.23 µg/m³respectively. Comparison of these results with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) set limits for these pollutants in the ambient air showed that CO concentration exceeded the limit of 11.40 µg/m³ in all the selected towns except for Akwanga town, while the concentration levels of NO₂, SO₂, and PM₁₀ in the ambient air of the selected towns were within the permissible limit and pose no threats. Vehicular density was also determined by counting for the same period. The mean vehicular density decreases across the selected towns, with Karu having 3982, Lafia 2768, Keffi 2171 and Akwanga 1719. The mean concentration of each pollutant also showed the same trend with a significant correlation of about 99% between vehicular density and pollutant concentration for all the pollutants except NO₂. From these results, it is worth recommending that government should enforce the control of vehicles that emit much fumes and sponsor the fabrication of electric or fuelless vehicles.