Open Access

ARTICLE

Public Health Implications of Road Construction and Traffic Congestion in a Hydrocarbon-Polluted Environment: An Assessment of Air and Noise Pollution

Idongesit Sunday Ambrose¹, Sunday Edet Etuk², Okechukwu Ebuka Agbasi^3,*, Ijah Ioryue Silas⁴, Unyime Udoette Saturday⁵, Eyo Edet Orok⁶

1 Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, 533101, Nigeria
2 Department of Physics, University of Uyo, Uyo, 520001, Nigeria
3 Okna Geophysical Services, Eket, 524101, Nigeria
4 Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, 533101, Nigeria
5 Department of Geography and Natural Resources Management, University of Uyo, Uyo, 520001, Nigeria
6 Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Calabar, Calabar, 540001, Nigeria

* Corresponding Author: Okechukwu Ebuka Agbasi. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Remote Sensing Advances for Atmospheric Monitoring)

Revue Internationale de Géomatique 2025, 34, 335-350. https://doi.org/10.32604/rig.2025.064552

Received 19 February 2025; Accepted 22 May 2025; Issue published 13 June 2025

Abstract

Road construction and traffic congestion are increasingly recognized as major contributors to environmental and public health challenges in urban Nigeria, particularly in Rivers State. Despite growing urbanization, a gap remains in localized data on the combined effects of air and noise pollution in hydrocarbon-polluted environments. This study addresses that gap by conducting a preliminary environmental health assessment focused on the Port Harcourt Ring Road project. Air quality and noise levels were monitored in situ at 20 strategically selected locations, with five control points included for baseline comparison. Digital portable meters were used to measure concentrations of pollutants including NO₂, SO₂, CO, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, CH₄, Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs), and H₂S, while ArcGIS software was employed for spatial interpolation using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) method. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to examine relationships among pollutants. Results revealed significantly high concentrations of NO₂, SO₂, and PM₁₀—exceeding the Federal Ministry of Environment’s permissible limits. Strong positive correlations were observed among key pollutants (e.g., NO₂-SO₂: r = 0.79; CO-NO₂: r = 0.71; CH₂O-CO₂: r = 0.84), indicating familiar sources such as vehicular emissions and construction activities. Noise levels at several junctions exceeded World Health Organizsation (WHO) and Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) thresholds, posing risks of hearing loss and stress-related disorders. These findings underscore the need for stricter regulatory oversight, improved urban planning, and follow-up studies to explore the health impacts in high-risk zones further.

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