Modeling air pollution around major dumpsites in Lagos State using geospatial methods with solutions

Abstract

Air pollution is gradually becoming a major health concern globally and Nigeria is especially susceptible to air pollution Available data indicates that vehicular traffics, industries, wildfire and biomass burning are significant sources of air pollutants such as Particulate Matter PM, Carbon Monoxide CO, Nitrogen Dioxide NO2, Sulphur Dioxide SO2 and Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs in the air in Lagos State. The aim of this study is to perform geospatial modelling of air pollution around Olusosun and Solous dumpsites in Lagos State. The study analyses, assesses, and predicts air pollution emission in these dumpsites and examines their possible health impact on residents. Using both ground and satellite-based data, different GIS techniques were used to model this pollution concentration. These methods include Kriging, Regression, and Landfill Gas Emissions Model (LANDGEM) which helps to analyse, model and predict the air pollutant levels around these dumpsite. The average pollution level of Particulate Matter with a diameter that is 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) in Olusosun was 94.29 μg/m3 while those in Solous was 94.12 μg/m3 over a 24 h period. This is way above the Air Quality Guideline recommended by the WHO which is 15 μg/m3 over a 24 h period. This is similar to the high pollution level of NO2 which was 237.64 μg/m3 in Olusosun and 255.84 μg/m3 in Solous as against the WHO Air Quality Guideline of 25 μg/m3 over a 24 h period. SO2 level is also varyingly high in Olusosun and Solous. The reading of 109.27 μg/m3 in Olusosun is considerably high as compared to the reading of 43.82 μg/m3 in Solous. However, both readings are relatively higher than the Air Quality Guideline recommended by the WHO which was 40 μg/m3. The CO air quality level of 0.55 mg/m3 in Olusosun and 0.52 mg/m3 in Solous is within the accepted level of the Air Quality Guideline recommended by the WHO. This shows that CO is not a pollution threat in the major dumpsites in Lagos. This is similar to the readings of PM5 and PM10 which are within the WHO Air Quality Guidelines over a 24 h period. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data shows a trend of increasing concentration of PM2.5 over the 5 study months due to an increase in the quantity of waste disposal, which shows that high waste disposal is directly proportional to high level of PM2.5. It is recommended that living farther (more than 15 km) away from the dumpsites can reduce the high risk of air pollution and its related diseases for residents. Also, there is need for proper incineration and maintenance of waste to reduce the level of air and other pollutants in and around the dumpsites.