POLLUTION OF VEHICULAR EMISSION ANALYSIS AT FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AKURE NORTH GATE

Abstract

The paper dwells on the atmospheric pollution resulting from the vehicular exhaust discharge at the north gate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria. The vehicular traffic census took place at gate on the Ilesha-Akure high way passing in front of the gate for six days. The census was conducted using a digital tally and a stop watch for nine hours at thirty minutes interval daily. The tally was pressed to count each time a vehicle passed both to and from either direction along the road at a chosen point in front of the University north gate. A daily vehicular count was obtained from the ratio of total vehicles to the total time interval of nine hours. Thereafter the average vehicular exhaust discharge, pollution source strength and pollution concentration were determined. At the same time, a data logger was used to measure the meteorological elements of the temperature, the wind speed and the relative humidity of the weather daily. The relationship between the pollution source strength and concentration with the meteorological parameters obtained with data logger, speed and distance covered by vehicles were also determined. The average daily vehicle populations within the time interval being considered were respectively 8280, 8306, 7315, 7210, 8766 and 8491 for the six days in succession. The meteorological data analysis showed that the air relative humidity and wind speed increased with decrease in temperature especially when it rained. The source strength and concentration of pollution decreased with increase in the speed of vehicles and the distance moved indicating that pollutants dispersed faster into the air in the process.