Abstract

Particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) concentrations for twenty (20) geo referenced locations within the University of Benin Ekehuan Campus located in Benin city were obtained with the aid of a PM meter.  The sampling points were visited once weekly for four weeks in the month of February, 2024.  The respective PM data sets were subjected to one-way analysis of variance test using relevant statistical software. Spatial PM maps were developed for the study area using the inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation procedure.  Weekly PM_2.5 mean values for week 1 ranged from 61 ± 3 to 107 µg/m³ ± 2.6.  Weekly PM₁₀ mean values for week 1 ranged from 91 ± 1 to 134 µg/m³ ± 2.5. Weekly AQI derived from PM_2.5 mean values ranged from 155 to 187 for Week 1 and 155 to 186 for week 4 respectively. For the respective PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ data sets, the observed differences were significant at P >0.05. Comparatively, the observed PM₁₀ levels were generally higher than the PM_2.5 concentrations in majority of the visited areas. With respect to PM_2.5 derived AQI data, the air quality of the study area was classified unhealthy for the residents and institutional workers respectively. It is suggested that studies focusing on the drafting and implementation of likely intervention measures targeting a reduction in the PM levels especially at the respective sources within the campus should be undertaken.

Key Words: Air quality, Air quality index, Ekehuan campus, Spatial map, Particulate matter