Installation of an integrated air quality and meteorological parameters monitoring system in Ondo, Nigeria

Abstract

Air pollution poses a threat to humans and the natural environment. Unfortunately, the high-tech equipment required to quantify and quickly mitigate the air pollution effect remains scarce in many research locations in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The study constructed a rigid support framework, assembled device components, and installed an integrated air quality and meteorological parameters monitoring station (IAQ-MPMS) at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City. Before we conducted this study, the research equipment did not exist in Ondo State. The IAQ-MPMS is subdivided into a hardware subsystem (AirVisual monitor, solar panel, power bank, and other accessories) and a software subsystem (codes, cloud storage, and the smartphone application). The AirVisual monitor unit was powered by the abundant solar energy in Nigeria (using a PV module and other solar hardware). The equipment was deployed to the field, configured, and tested to work well. After the calibration and validation, the real-time data extracted from the study location by the IAQ-MPMS was displayed online to the general public free of charge using software programmes. Its analytic platform uses codes to make a seven-day prediction with precision on air quality, meteorological parameters, and weather conditions. Furthermore, the data generated by the station in 2024 was downloaded from the cloud and analysed using Python tools. The results showed seasonal variation in the air quality parameters in Ondo. The air quality was moderate (AQI at 68–65) in the rainy season (August, September, and October); it was unhealthy to sensitive people (AQI at 121) in November and peaked at unhealthy (AQI at 169) to the public health outdoors in December. The air quality exceeded the WHO’s recommended limits. It can be attributed to local emissions, meteorological parameters, and air mass impact from the Atlantic Ocean or the Saharan Desert in the northern part of the country. Also, seasonal variation occurred in the meteorological parameters in Ondo. For instance, the temperature values were higher (28.8–28.6 °C) in the dry season than in the rainy season (temperature values of 24.0 °C, 25.1 °C, and 26.0 °C). The obtained data was consistent with the existing literature in Southern Nigeria. The government and stakeholders are encouraged to develop effective strategies to mitigate the observed air pollution level.