ABSTRACT
The effect of meteorological parameters such as air temperature and relative humidity,
wind direction, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, ultraviolet radiation, and solar
radiation on the concentration of the atmospheric particulate matter had been carried out.
This atmospheric particulate matter is also known as suspended particulate matter (SPM) or
total suspended particles (TSP) in the atmosphere is investigated in this study. The
research was carried out in Benin City between January and December 2019. North
West (NW), North East (NE), South East (SE), and South West (SW) are the four zones
that make up the city. In both the wet and dry seasons, 180 representative SPM samples
were collected from artisans’ workshops using an Apex2IS Casella standard pump fitted
with a conical inhalable sampling (CIS) head at a flow rate of 3.5L/min for 8 hours.
Meteorological parameters were collected at the same time as particulate matter
(SPM). In the dry season, SPM/TSP levels ranged from 2,278.02 to 16,458.34 μg/m3
inthe dry season, while in the wet season they ranged between 2313.45 and 12604.16
μg/m3. The TSP exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) and National Ambient
Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 250ug/m3 which can lead to serious health issues if
not mitigated. The meteorological parameters ranged from 27.92 – 33.47oC
(temperature), 59.88 – 78.96% (relative humidity), 748.46 – 754.31mmHg (pressure),
2.87 – 6.95km/h (wind speed), 154.96 – 205.46oC (wind direction), 425.19 –
1,073.46W/m2(solar radiation), and 717.31 μW/m2. The correlation of TSP with some
meteorological parameters such as atmospheric pressure and solar radiation was found
to be highly significant, while others were not within the location of this study. Thus,
these findings can be inferred for areas or regions of similar anthropogenic activities
and weather conditions.
KEYWORDS: Air quality, Meteorological parameter, Correlation, Auto-mechanic
workshop
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