https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-06375-0
Regular Article
Installation of an integrated air quality and meteorological parameters monitoring system in Ondo, Nigeria
1
Department of Physics with Electronics, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Foundation and Infrastructure Limited, Abuja, Nigeria
3
Department of Science Laboratory Technology, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Nigeria
4
Department of Mathematics, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Saveetha University, 602105, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
5
Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City, Ondo State, Nigeria
6
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City, Ondo State, Nigeria
Received:
24
January
2025
Accepted:
28
April
2025
Published online:
24
May
2025
Air pollution poses a threat to humans and the natural environment. Unfortunately, the high-tech equipment required to quantify and quickly mitigate the air pollution effect remains scarce in many research locations in the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The study constructed a rigid support framework, assembled device components, and installed an integrated air quality and meteorological parameters monitoring station (IAQ-MPMS) at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City. Before we conducted this study, the research equipment did not exist in Ondo State. The IAQ-MPMS is subdivided into a hardware subsystem (AirVisual monitor, solar panel, power bank, and other accessories) and a software subsystem (codes, cloud storage, and the smartphone application). The AirVisual monitor unit was powered by the abundant solar energy in Nigeria (using a PV module and other solar hardware). The equipment was deployed to the field, configured, and tested to work well. After the calibration and validation, the real-time data extracted from the study location by the IAQ-MPMS was displayed online to the general public free of charge using software programmes. Its analytic platform uses codes to make a seven-day prediction with precision on air quality, meteorological parameters, and weather conditions. Furthermore, the data generated by the station in 2024 was downloaded from the cloud and analysed using Python tools. The results showed seasonal variation in the air quality parameters in Ondo. The air quality was moderate (AQI at 68–65) in the rainy season (August, September, and October); it was unhealthy to sensitive people (AQI at 121) in November and peaked at unhealthy (AQI at 169) to the public health outdoors in December. The air quality exceeded the WHO’s recommended limits. It can be attributed to local emissions, meteorological parameters, and air mass impact from the Atlantic Ocean or the Saharan Desert in the northern part of the country. Also, seasonal variation occurred in the meteorological parameters in Ondo. For instance, the temperature values were higher (28.8–28.6 °C) in the dry season than in the rainy season (temperature values of 24.0 °C, 25.1 °C, and 26.0 °C). The obtained data was consistent with the existing literature in Southern Nigeria. The government and stakeholders are encouraged to develop effective strategies to mitigate the observed air pollution level.
Copyright comment Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
