Impact of Particulate Matter as an Air Quality Pollutant Released from Quarry Activities in Akamkpa, Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines the impact of particulate matter (PM2.5) and (PM10) as an air quality pollutant released from quarry operations at a quarry site in Akamkpa, Cross River State, Nigeria. Rock quarrying is the practice of obtaining quarry materials, typically rocks, from above or below land surfaces and crushing or grinding them into fragments to produce various rock sizes. For air quality assessment, concentrations of the air pollutants were measured at different locations within and around the quarry site, from a height of 1.5m above ground level. Highly sensitive digital portable meter was used for the measurement of PM2.5 and PM10. The Inverse Distance Weighted model (IDW) tool in ArcGIS was used to perform a spatial interpolation analysis on the data measured from the field monitoring during the dry and wet seasons. The findings indicate that during the dry season, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations ranged from 292µg/m3 to 127.33µg/m3 and from 377.67µg/m3 to 222.67µg/m3 respectively, while during the wet season, they ranged from 239.67µg/m3 to 92.00µg/m3 and from 276.33µg/m3 to 124µg/m3. The findings suggest that residents of the study area should limit their exposure, especially during the dry season.