Assessing the rates of air emissions from buildings in Maiduguri Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Owing to the increasing concern of environmental pollution resulting from the combustion of fuels for energy supply, this study examines the rates of diverse air emissions originating from residential, commercial, and public buildings in the Maiduguri metropolis, located in Borno state, Nigeria. The primary energy sources employed in Maiduguri buildings include firewood, charcoal, kerosene, and natural gas for cooking/heating, as well as petrol and diesel for electricity generation. To gather data on energy consumption rates, comprehensive door-to-door interviews were conducted, involving a number of sample buildings. The paper utilizes rates of fuel consumption and emissions factors extracted from relevant literature to estimate the rates of gaseous pollutants and particulate matter within the city. The findings reveal that the daily emissions rates of various pollutants, including CO2, NH4, N2O, SO2, NOx, NMVOC, CO, NH3, and PM, are as follows: 86,885 t/day, 296 t/day, 9 t/day, 2 t/day, 8 t/day, 58 t/day, 595 t/day, 0.03 t/day, and 63 t/day, respectively. The cumulative greenhouse gas emissions stand at 96 ktCO2e/day. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that a substantial shift to natural gas in the domestic sector could lead to a significant positive impact on emissions reduction.