AIR POLLUTION; CAUSES, EFFECTS AND REMEDIATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

More recently, air pollution has been a prevailing issue for discussion due to its adverse health and environmental effects in major cities and more importantly the Niger Delta region as a whole. Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere. The causes of air pollution are either natural or anthropogenic. While its effects could be health or environmental. In terms of remediation, there are now practical alternatives to the principal causes of air pollution. For instance, combustion of fossil fuels for space heating can be replaced by using ground source heat pumps and seasonal thermal energy storage. Commonly used as pollution control devices by industry or transportation devices which can either destroy contaminants or remove them from an exhaust stream before it is emitted into the atmosphere has been listed. Also, motor vehicles driven by fossil fuels, a key factor in urban air pollution can be replaced by electric vehicles. This has led us to present a general overview of the causes, effects and remediation of air pollution with a little focus on Nigeria. Finally, when it comes to the Niger Delta, there are numerous challenges facing air quality studies such as; lack of equipment, lack of infrastructure, inadequate expertise and weak policy framework.