ANALYSIS OF STREET LEVEL AIR QUALITY ALONG TRAFFIC CORRIDORS OF LAGOS METROPOLIS

By

Akanni Cornelius,

Geography & Regional Planning Department,Olabisi Onabanjo University,Ago-Iwoye,

Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Street level ambient air pollution resulting from urbanization is one

of the microclimatic problems faced in many major urban centres including Lagos
Metropolis. The air along traffic corridors where majority of residents in the
formal and informal sectors subsist daily could hardly be regarded as fresh. There
is paucity of information on the environmental and health implications of
declining air quality in Lagos metropolis. Hence, this study examined an aspect of
urban micro-climate by considering the effects of street level air temperature,
wind speed, land-use and traffic density along traffic corridors on air quality in
Lagos Metropolis.

Twenty-eight stations located within dominant land-uses (commercial,

residential, industrial, institutional, acquisition/parks, dumpsites/incinerators
and transportation) along traffic corridors and six stations located 250m away (as
control) were selected for daily temperature and wind speed measurements, weekly
monitoring of almond tree (Terminalia catappa L) leaf and air samples for
pollution study. Air temperature was measured with thermographs, portable-infrared
and thermistor-thermometers; wind speed with cup-counter anemometers, while
traffic counts were conducted to determine traffic density during the wet season
months of September and October and dry season months of November and December,
2005. Concentration of pollutants: particulates (Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Al, Zn, As, Hg,
Fe, Mn, Mg) and obnoxious gases (CO2, NO2, SO2 and Ozone) were determined by
laboratory analyses of leaf and air samples using MiniVol Gas Analyzers. T-test
was used to ascertain whether significant difference existed between wet and dry
season data; ANOVA was used to test for significant geographical and seasonal
variations in air pollutants, while stepwise regression analysis was used to
examine the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable.

Average air temperature values during the wet and dry seasons were 26.63 0.13 oC
and 28.18 0.14 oC, average wind-speed during the wet and dry seasons were 4.8 0.31
m/min and 4.12 0.24 m/min respectively. These values were significantly different
(P<0.05). Total Suspended Particulate Matter varied from 22.36-29.07mg/m3 against
WHO Air Quality Standard (AQS), 0.05-0.15 mg/m3; Sulphur-dioxide and Ozone varied
from 1.1-1.73 mg/m3 and 0.01-0.18 mg/m3 respectively as against 0.00125 and 0.0015
mg/m3 AQS. ANOVA showed spatio-temporal variations in pollutants and significant
correlation of traffic density with all metals studied (P<0.05). Average traffic
density varied from 2200 and 5202 vehicles/hr during morning and afternoon peak-
periods and 3251 and 7214 vehicles/hr during wet and dry seasons respectively.
Lead varied from 1.4-3.1 mg/m3 and 1.7-2.6 mg/m3; Cadmium varied from 1.7-
3.15mg/m3 and 0.011-0.1mg/m3, Iron varied from 3.06-3.6 mg/m3 and 0.5-2.6mg/m3,
while Arsenic varied from 0.9-1.98 mg/m3 and 0.011-0.1mg/m3 along traffic
corridors and at control points respectively. Step-wise regression analyses
further showed that traffic density, air temperature and land-use contributed
significantly to air pollution (P<0.05).

The micro-climate of Lagos Metropolis is characterised by relatively high air

temperature, low wind speed and air pollution that varied according to traffic
density. Concentrations of pollutants were higher than the WHO Air Quality
standards and were also higher along traffic corridor than further away. Air
temperature, traffic density and land-use contributed significantly to air
pollution.

Key words: Urban-Microclimate, Air-Temperature, Wind-speed, Traffic Corridor,

Air pollution

ANALYSIS OF STREET LEVEL AIR QUALITY ALONG TRAFFIC CORRIDORS OF LAGOS METROPOLIS

By

Akanni Cornelius,

Geography & Regional Planning Department,Olabisi Onabanjo University,Ago-Iwoye,

Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Street level ambient air pollution resulting from urbanization is one

of the microclimatic problems faced in many major urban centres including Lagos
Metropolis. The air along traffic corridors where majority of residents in the
formal and informal sectors subsist daily could hardly be regarded as fresh. There
is paucity of information on the environmental and health implications of
declining air quality in Lagos metropolis. Hence, this study examined an aspect of
urban micro-climate by considering the effects of street level air temperature,
wind speed, land-use and traffic density along traffic corridors on air quality in
Lagos Metropolis.

Twenty-eight stations located within dominant land-uses (commercial,

residential, industrial, institutional, acquisition/parks, dumpsites/incinerators
and transportation) along traffic corridors and six stations located 250m away (as
control) were selected for daily temperature and wind speed measurements, weekly
monitoring of almond tree (Terminalia catappa L) leaf and air samples for
pollution study. Air temperature was measured with thermographs, portable-infrared
and thermistor-thermometers; wind speed with cup-counter anemometers, while
traffic counts were conducted to determine traffic density during the wet season
months of September and October and dry season months of November and December,
2005. Concentration of pollutants: particulates (Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Al, Zn, As, Hg,
Fe, Mn, Mg) and obnoxious gases (CO2, NO2, SO2 and Ozone) were determined by
laboratory analyses of leaf and air samples using MiniVol Gas Analyzers. T-test
was used to ascertain whether significant difference existed between wet and dry
season data; ANOVA was used to test for significant geographical and seasonal
variations in air pollutants, while stepwise regression analysis was used to
examine the effect of independent variables on the dependent variable.

Average air temperature values during the wet and dry seasons were 26.63 0.13 oC
and 28.18 0.14 oC, average wind-speed during the wet and dry seasons were 4.8 0.31
m/min and 4.12 0.24 m/min respectively. These values were significantly different
(P<0.05). Total Suspended Particulate Matter varied from 22.36-29.07mg/m3 against
WHO Air Quality Standard (AQS), 0.05-0.15 mg/m3; Sulphur-dioxide and Ozone varied
from 1.1-1.73 mg/m3 and 0.01-0.18 mg/m3 respectively as against 0.00125 and 0.0015
mg/m3 AQS. ANOVA showed spatio-temporal variations in pollutants and significant
correlation of traffic density with all metals studied (P<0.05). Average traffic
density varied from 2200 and 5202 vehicles/hr during morning and afternoon peak-
periods and 3251 and 7214 vehicles/hr during wet and dry seasons respectively.
Lead varied from 1.4-3.1 mg/m3 and 1.7-2.6 mg/m3; Cadmium varied from 1.7-
3.15mg/m3 and 0.011-0.1mg/m3, Iron varied from 3.06-3.6 mg/m3 and 0.5-2.6mg/m3,
while Arsenic varied from 0.9-1.98 mg/m3 and 0.011-0.1mg/m3 along traffic
corridors and at control points respectively. Step-wise regression analyses
further showed that traffic density, air temperature and land-use contributed
significantly to air pollution (P<0.05).

The micro-climate of Lagos Metropolis is characterised by relatively high air

temperature, low wind speed and air pollution that varied according to traffic
density. Concentrations of pollutants were higher than the WHO Air Quality
standards and were also higher along traffic corridor than further away. Air
temperature, traffic density and land-use contributed significantly to air
pollution.

Key words: Urban-Microclimate, Air-Temperature, Wind-speed, Traffic Corridor,

Air pollution