MODELLING OF GROUND LEVEL CONCENTRATION OF PARTICULATE MATTER IN MAJOR NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY AIRSHED

R. O. Yusuf; A. O. Tiamiyu; J. A. Adeniran; E. T. Odediran

R. O. Yusuf Environmental Engineering Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
A. O. Tiamiyu Environmental Engineering Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
J. A. Adeniran Environmental Engineering Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
E. T. Odediran Environmental Engineering Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

Keywords: Particulate Matter, Concentration, University, Dispersion Modeling

Abstract

Modelling of air pollutants for air quality assessment has been an important landmark achievement by environmentalists especially in areas where on-the-field monitoring is not economical. Models have proven to be cost-efficient and predicts better with different sample sizes. The objective of this study was to model the particulate matter pollutants of a major Nigerian university airshed and to compare of the predicted results with regulatory standards. Dispersion modelling analysis using for line and point sources study of the university airshed was carried out. Prior to the use of the modelling tool, vehicular counts, emission estimation and loads for the two pollution sources was done. The predictions revealed that concentration levels of PMs to emission source and receptor environments for the line source study were extremely high due to factors such as emission height and meteorological conditions of the university. The predicted concentrations from the point source were moderate and the reason is due to the emission height (stack height), wind speed and direction. Other contributing sources could be as a result of biomass burning, bush burning and pollutant transport. This study will be a bedrock for institutional-based air quality assessment that checkmate the anthropogenic contribution to deteriorating ambient