Abstract
BACKGROUND: Airborne particulates are an issue in many urban regions around the world and their detrimental impact on human health has increasingly become a public health concern. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to examine particle pollution in an urban settlement in Nigeria. This study examines the extent, spatial variation, and sources of indoor and outdoor particulate matter (PM) concentrations in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. METHODS: The survey research method was adopted. Sampling included 385 buildings across selected precincts and different residential zones in the town of Ogbomoso. Particulate matter analytes (PM(1), PM(2.5) and PM(10)) within/around each building were measured with a particle counter and details on domestic utilities/practices were obtained with a questionnaire. Analysis of variance was used to determine inter-zonal variations in PM levels and simple linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between indoor and outdoor air quality. RESULTS: Indoor and outdoor respirable particle (PM(2.5)) concentrations were lower than the World Health Organization (WHO) Interim Target limit of 75 μg/m(3), while concentrations of inhalable particles (PM(10)) were higher than the set limit of 150 μg/m(3) for daily averages. Coarse particles dominated, with an accumulative PM(2.5)/PM(10) ratio of 0.24. The inter-zonal analysis of PM concentrations revealed that indoor and outdoor PM levels varied significantly by residential zone (p = 0.0005; p = 0.01, respectively). Regression analysis showed a significant but weak relationship between indoor and outdoor PM levels (r = +0.221), while the coefficient of determination (R(2) = 0.049) showed that only about 5% of the variation in indoor air quality was associated with outdoor air quality. Particle pollution inducers were identified in the residents' waste disposal methods and adopted fuels/energy sources, with firewood and charcoal linked with increased concentrations of particulate matter. CONCLUSIONS: Air quality was relatively poor in the study area given observed particulate matter concentrations. Cleaner fuels, effective waste management systems and improved roads are needed to foster better air quality in the study area. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare no competing financial interests.