A COMPARISON OF PARTICULATE MATTER (SOOT) LEVELS IN WARRI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE AND PORT HARCOURT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF RIVERS STATE NIGERIA USING SENTINEL 5P.

ABSTRACT

This study compared the levels of PM2.5 (soot) concentration in two local government areas in Nigeria, namely Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers state and Warri South Local Government Area of Delta state, for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023 using Sentinel 5P images in Google Earth Engine. Both study areas are known for hosting various particulate matter-emitting activities such as gas flaring, crude oil refining, and fossil fuel burning. The research findings indicate that Warri South Local Government Area had the highest concentration of PM2.5 (0.421655178 µgm-3) compared to Port Harcourt Local Government Area (0.369041443 µgm-3) mainly due to increased industrial activities such as gas flaring and oil refining for the period of study. The levels and sources of PM2.5 contamination in both areas differ significantly, with the PM2.5 pollution levels in the Port Harcourt Local Government Area being significantly lower. The study recommends proper sensitization for people in areas with higher concentration levels to be aware of the acute and chronic effects of PM2.5 contamination, strict industrial emissions policies with penalties imposed on defaulters, and further studies on the sources and health impacts of PM2.5 in the study areas