Abstract
Air pollution has been identified as the largest global environmental threat facing the world today, estimated to cause 7 - 10 million deaths worldwide annually (World Health Organisation, 2014, 2016; Yale University, 2018). Trinidad and Tobago, with a per capita GDP of USD$16310 (2019), is the most industrialised of the Caribbean islands, and like the rest of the Caribbean region is also affected by seasonal Sahara dust (<PM2.5). Assessment of the air quality was done for over Trinidad’s west coast. Pollution was measured at four stations during March ‘15-May ‘16, representative of rural, urban, mixed background and industrial land uses. Annual mean PM2.5 and PM10 in ambient air exceeded the WHO guidelines for protection of public health (n = 522). PM2.5 and PM10 exceed the WHO (2006) safe limit guidelines (PM2.5 is 10 μg/m3; PM10 is 20 μg/m3) over 70% of the time sampled at urban and industrial sites. Gaseous pollutants found to be in exceedance were CO, NH3, NO2, N2O, C6H6. Nitrogen dioxide and benzene were the most prolific. A collated metric based on measurement of these pollutants yielded a statistically validated algorithm—An Air Pollution Index. The single metric can convey useful and easily understood information on air quality to the regulators and the general public.
Highlights
IntroductionAir pollution is a complex multicomponent mixture that can have varying impacts on human health, ranging from chronic effects on the respiratory and cir-
The indices developed in this study (API-11 and API-6) have been shown to be both representative and statistically valid, with several advantages over the single pollutant indicator used currently by the USEPA which is directly linked to its own National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
The multiparameter approach has more intuitive logic as air quality is affected by a slew of pollutants, not one at a time
Summary
Air pollution is a complex multicomponent mixture that can have varying impacts on human health, ranging from chronic effects on the respiratory and cir-. Besides the locally produced industrial and urban linked air pollutants, T & T like the rest of the Caribbean is seasonally afflicted with trans-Atlantic fine particulates brought over with the stratospheric Sahara Air Layer (NASA, 2013). These pollutants are the likely cause of the increase respiratory and allergic response ailments observed by health workers locally (Monteil et al, 2005). The characterisation and distribution of the air pollution are described only in summary in this paper and will be discussed in greater detail in a separate publication
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