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ABSTRACT
Indiscriminate siting of retail petrol stations in urban areas like Benin City without following the regulatory guidelines is a serious environmental and health challenge. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of retail petrol stations on air quality in close proximity to residential environment in Benin City Metropolis. Quantitative analysis consisting of air samples were collected from the ambient air of retail petrol stations (PS) using well calibrated air samplers from three study stations designated as location 1, 2 and 3 respectively and a fourth location designated as a control location. The data was analysed using standard methods. Qualitative data was carried out using Well-structured and pre-tested questionnaires administered to two hundred (200) respondents living in close proximity to retail petrol stations, and the data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis including frequency count, percentage and chi-square goodness of fit to determine the level of significance. The results of this study showed that the monitored meteorological parameters have the following range in all the locations; temperature (24 - 340C), relative humidity (56 – 77%) and air quality parameters have the following range; HCOH (0.00 – 0.09 µg/m3), TVOC (0.01 – 0.028 µg/m3), PM1.0 (3 - 34 µg/m3), PM2.5 (7 – 53 µg/m3), PM10 (14 - 81 µg/m3), CO (0.00 – 2.00 ppm) and CO2 (391 – 474 ppm). These parameters were all observed to be within WHO and FMenv regulatory limits except for PM2.5 and PM10, which were higher than the permissible limits. The air quality index (AQI) mean values were between 22.33 – 98.00 representing air quality rating of between good to moderate levels respectively. The Socio demographic information of respondents shows that 52% were males while 48% were females; 39% were between the ages of 25 – 30 years; 48% and 44% had secondary and tertiary education respectively, and 30% and 24% had lived between 1 – 3 years and 4 – 7 years in close proximity with retail petrol stations respectively. Results also showed that 23% of retail PS sold all petroleum products, 24%, 22% 11% of residential buildings, schools, hospitals respectively are near retail PS. Although, 50% of the retail PS are equipped with measures to control air pollution. The presence of retail petrol stations has impacts on the ambient air quality. Thus, the study recommends that regulatory agencies should enforce all regulations pertaining to the establishment and operations of retail PS and further study is also needed to ascertain the specific health impacts caused by retail petrol stations.
