Abstract
While millions of deaths are recorded from COVID-19 pandemic infection, the environment continues to benefits from the lockdown of cities. A descriptive cross-sectional survey aimed at assessing residents’ knowledge and perception concerning air pollution and breathing experience in Port Harcourt was carried out within 20th-28th of May, 2020. Convenience and purposive non-randomized sampling methods were used to recruit 358 participants. Using descriptive and chi square test analysis, majority (74% and 24%) of the respondents were very aware or aware of air pollution and its health consequences. This varied significantly with sex, age, marital status, occupation and location (p < 0.05). Before the city’s lockdown, 90.1% of respondents experienced particulate matter deposits on surfaces and during the lockdown; it reduces to 54.1% with significant difference (p < 0.05) across residential areas. Hence, age, sex, marital status, occupation and residential area likely to influence higher awareness of air pollution and not duration of stay. Also, significant difference in breathing experiences (p < 0.05) was noted, with majority reporting poor breathing experience before lockdown and good during the lockdown. Joint action of governments’ policies on air pollution and high awareness among residents could be explored effectively to mitigate air pollution hazards.
Highlights
Clean and healthy ambient air remains an essential physiological need for an effective and efficient human function and well-being (Wang et al, 2015)
Unlike Abuja where atmospheric particulate matter has been found to be within acceptable threshold (Obioh et al, 2013; Kanee et al, 2020), the atmosphere of Port Harcourt has been continually noted with saturated airborne particulate matter that far exceeds acceptable limits by over 200% (RSMENV, 2019; Edokpa & Ede, 2019; Ede & Edokpa, 2017; Yakubu, 2017; Akinfolarin, Boisa, & Obunwo, 2017)
During the Corona virus pandemic shutdown, millions of deaths resulting from COVID-19 pandemic have been reported (WHO, 2020b) and anthropogenic, economic, industrial activities and sources responsible for particulate matter pollution were found to be on hold and global air quality observed to improve significantly (Shrestha et al, 2020)
Summary
Clean and healthy ambient air remains an essential physiological need for an effective and efficient human function and well-being (Wang et al, 2015). Ambient air pollution remains a top risk of public health concern, as many people continue to breathe unsafe polluted air. It is ranked the 4th health threat and topmost environmental risk (WHO, 2016), leading to over 7 million annual death attributed to air pollution (WHO, 2016; WHO, 2018), with particulate matter having the topmost health risk contribution among the pollutants (WHO, 2020). Since there are limited investigations about residents’ awareness, attitude and perception of air pollution and respiratory health risks in Nigeria, the study explores the issue, using residents of Port Harcourt metropolis. The study findings could be necessary for the advancement of modern environmental policies, efficient and implementable air pollution mitigations that are acceptable by the public
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