Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Atmospheric Environment. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Atmospheric Environment, 118, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.006
Submitted manuscript, 59.3 KB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY-NC-ND: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Atmospheric Environment. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Atmospheric Environment, 118, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.006
Accepted author manuscript, 746 KB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY-NC-ND: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Contributions of gas flaring to a global air pollution hotspot
T2 - spatial and temporal variations, impacts and alleviation
AU - Anejionu, Obinna
AU - Whyatt, Duncan
AU - Blackburn, George Alan
AU - Price, Catheryn
N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Atmospheric Environment. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Atmospheric Environment, 118, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.006
PY - 2015/10
Y1 - 2015/10
N2 - Studies of environmental impacts of gas flaring in the Niger Delta are hindered by limited access to official flaring emissions records and a paucity of reliable ambient monitoring data. This study uses a combination of geospatial technologies and dispersion modelling techniques to evaluate air pollution impacts of gas flaring on human health and natural ecosystems in the region. Results indicate that gas flaring is a major contributor to air pollution across the region, with concentrations exceeding WHO limits in some locations over certain time periods. Due to the predominant south-westerly wind, concentrations are higher in some states with little flaring activity than in others with significant flaring activity. Twenty million people inhabit areas of high flare-associated air pollution, which include all of the main ecological zones of the region, indicating that flaring poses a substantial threat to human health and the environment. Model scenarios demonstrated that substantial reductions in pollution could be achieved by stopping flaring at a small number of the most active sites and by improving overall flaring efficiency.
AB - Studies of environmental impacts of gas flaring in the Niger Delta are hindered by limited access to official flaring emissions records and a paucity of reliable ambient monitoring data. This study uses a combination of geospatial technologies and dispersion modelling techniques to evaluate air pollution impacts of gas flaring on human health and natural ecosystems in the region. Results indicate that gas flaring is a major contributor to air pollution across the region, with concentrations exceeding WHO limits in some locations over certain time periods. Due to the predominant south-westerly wind, concentrations are higher in some states with little flaring activity than in others with significant flaring activity. Twenty million people inhabit areas of high flare-associated air pollution, which include all of the main ecological zones of the region, indicating that flaring poses a substantial threat to human health and the environment. Model scenarios demonstrated that substantial reductions in pollution could be achieved by stopping flaring at a small number of the most active sites and by improving overall flaring efficiency.
KW - Gas flares
KW - Remote sensing
KW - Dispersion modelling
KW - Health impacts
KW - Environmental impacts
KW - Niger delta
U2 - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.006
DO - 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.006
M3 - Journal article
VL - 118
SP - 184
EP - 193
JO - Atmospheric Environment
JF - Atmospheric Environment
SN - 1352-2310
ER -