Air-borne SO2 pollution monitoring in the upstream petroleum operation areas of Niger-Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

In the process of crude oil production, sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas is produced as a result of flaring and booming of crude oil associated gases. This paper presents the study carried out on the monitoring of SO2 emission from some oilfields in the crude oil producing areas of Niger-Delta region of Nigeria. Six locations were studied while monitoring involved morning and evening times for four months using a Testo 350 Flue Gas Analyzer. Comparison of the mean measurements with Nigerian FEPA tolerance limits indicate that SO2 values from 60 m away from the point sources for all the fields were comparatively higher than their maximum tolerance limits of 50 g/m3 for long term exposure and SO2 values were also comparatively higher than the emission limit range (30-300 g/m3) for SO2 from stationary sources. It is concluded that this breach of tolerance level may result in acid rain formation, which can be detrimental to the environment while the long-term effect can alter the ecology of the areas. It is recommended that the environmental matrix quality for soil, water, and air be carried out for these areas periodically.