Spatiotemporal Variability of Air Pollutants and Meteorological Influences in Selected Parts across Six Local Government Areas in Rivers State, Nigeria

Air pollution remains a critical environmental and public health concern, particularly in regions affected by industrial activities and urbanization. Consequently, the objective of this paper was to assess the spatiotemporal variability of air pollutants and meteorological influences in selected parts across six Local Government Areas viz-a-viz Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni; Oyigbo, Etche, Ikwerre, Obio/Akpor, and Ahoada West in Rivers State, Nigeria using appropriate standard methods to analyze the levels of CO, SO2, NO2, PM2.5, PM10, H2S and VOCs respectively. Results indicated that pollutant concentrations exhibited clear seasonal variations, with higher levels during the dry season (January and April) compared to the wet season (July and October). CO levels ranged from 3.5 ppm (Ahoada West, July) to 6.4 ppm (Obio/Akpor, January and April), remaining within NESREA‘s 10 ppm limit. However, SO2 levels consistently exceeded the 0.1 ppm regulatory limit, peaking at 3.7 ppm in Etche (January). NO2 concentrations varied, with the highest recorded in Oyigbo (2.81 ppm, January), surpassing the NESREA limit of 0.064 ppm. Particulate matter concentrations were significantly above safe thresholds, with PM2.5 peaking at 2.6 ppm (Obio/Akpor, January and April) and PM10 reaching 6.7 ppm (Ahoada West, January). H₂S concentrations exceeded the 0.03 ppm limit, with the highest value of 3.1 ppm (Ahoada West, January). VOC levels followed a similar trend, reaching 6.5 ppm (Ahoada West, January). The seasonal trends suggest that increased emissions from industrial activities, vehicular traffic, gas flaring, and reduced atmospheric dispersion contribute to air pollution in the dry season, while precipitation and improved dispersion lower concentrations in the wet season. These findings underscore the urgent need for air quality management policies, stricter emission controls, and sustainable industrial practices to mitigate the health and environmental impacts of air pollution in the study areas.