The Role of Meteorology for Seasonal Variation in Air Pollution Level in Eleme, Rivers State, Nigeria

Meteorological variables play important roles in the dispersion and dilution of air pollutants in an area. This study investigates the influence of meteorological parameters on seasonal variations of air pollutants in a semi industrial area. A ten year set of air quality and meteorological data were collected and used in the study. Data analysis was done using MatLab and SPSS software. The study showed that the degree of air pollution in the area varies according to two prevailing wind directions that dominated the area. The study indicated that NO2 decreases with wind speed and relative humidity, and slightly increases with wind direction and temperature. CH4 increases with wind speed and temperature and decreases with wind direction and relative humidity. CO slightly increases with wind direction and relative humidity, and decreases with wind speed and temperature. While SO2 increases with wind speed and wind direction, and slightly decreases with temperature and relative humidity. Results indicated that the coefficient of determination (R2) for both dry and rainy seasons are very low, indicating that there is a weak linear relationship between pollutant concentrations and meteorological parameters in both dry and rainy seasons. The study revealed that there is no significant relationship between pollutant concentrations and meteorological parameters. The study showed that the relationships between pollutant concentrations and meteorological parameters in the area are highly nonlinear. The yearly mean concentration of methane hydrocarbon was 146.2 μg/m3 in the dry season and 167.8 μg/m3 in the rainy season. The yearly mean concentration of carbon monoxide was 59.0 μg/m3 in the dry season and 60.4 μg/m3 in the rainy season. The yearly mean concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the dry season was 67.2 μg/m3 and 49.1 μg/m3 in the rainy season, while the yearly mean concentration of sulphur dioxide in the dry season was 47.7 μg/m3 and 48.8 μg/m3 in the rainy season. Seasonal variation showed no significant change in pollutant concentrations in both dry and rainy seasons (P>0.05).