Human Health Risk Assessment Associated with the Inhalation of Air Pollutants Around Industrial Area in Bonny Island, Rivers State

Abstract

Burning fossil fuels for industrial, commercial, and transportation purposes directly contributes to air pollution. Extended long-term exposure to the pollutants, which harm the neurological, reproductive and respiratory systems and cause cancer and, in rare cases, deaths, can exacerbate these issues. This study assessed the environmental and health risks associated with criteria pollutants in the air of Bonny Island. For this study Samples were collected from twenty sampling points using a digital gas monitor. Air samples were collected for the dry and wet seasons samples were collected during the time of active release of the pollutants. This research employed the quantitative AP-HRA in the risk assessment. The risk due to inhalation of air pollutants in the ambient air was estimated for CO, NOx, O3, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10 using specific models for respective risks. The risks for the exposure quantification of CO, NOx, O3, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10 for inhalation of air pollution were far below the annual threshold of 0.004, 10, 60, 40, 5 and 15, respectively, as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In addition, the calculated risk of inhalation of CO, NOx, O3, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10 was below the USEPA acceptable risk in the study location for the 20 days during the wet seasons. It is recommended that further research should be carried out on the effects of air dispersion on particulate matter and gaseous pollutants.