Perceptions and Awareness of Air Quality and Its Health Impacts in Agbarho Community, Ughelli North, Delta State

Developing nations face a severe problem with air pollution since they struggle with poor levels of awareness and ineffective air pollution control approaches. Air quality in the Nigerian town of Agbarho shows rising deterioration because of the town's evolving urban and industrial sectors and growing vehicular traffic. This study evaluated community members' understanding of air pollution and their understanding of pollution origins, health implications, and reduction methods. The study employed a descriptive survey that combined questionnaire responses from randomly picked 200 residents and purposeful interviews with 10 stakeholders. The researchers used descriptive statistics in combination with correlation analysis of the chi-square tests and thematic analysis to analyse the obtained data. 82.5% of the respondents recognized air pollution, though their understanding of environmental pollution was incomplete. Open waste burning and vehicular emissions proved to be the two principal sources of air pollution. Out of all health effects reported, respiratory diseases were most commonly diagnosed (85%). Education proved to be a factor that raised awareness (p < 0.05), while gender distribution did not show a correlation with awareness. The high level of awareness did not eliminate existing misinterpretations between the public and policymakers, which shows that special educational campaigns with strict regulatory supervision are required. The research closes information gaps by evaluating how the public views air quality rather than depending exclusively on measurement data. For Agbarho to reduce air pollution, the community requires enhanced environmental education services, better waste management, and stricter environmental laws.