Effect of Road Transport Operations on the Environmental Quality of Air and Associated Health Implications in Ondo State, Nigeria

Transport movement along road corridors and freight movement generates on-street business for some individuals. Operations of fossil powered automobiles contribute to poor quality of air in the environment, using survey research and experimental design methods. Traffic survey of vehicles were carried out to determine the volume and composition of vehicles on selected roads in Ondo State. Altair 5X analyser was used to collect and analyse air pollutants of CO, SO2 and NO2, while, questionnaires were administered to randomly selected respondents for data collection on effect of air-borne transport pollutants on human health. The study revealed that about 4562 to 729 pcu/hr traverse through different road corridors in Ondo state, while about 13.690 to 2.190 ppm of CO, 0.020 to 0.006 ppm of SO2 and about 0.068 to 0.011 ppm of NO2 were produced. The study showed that the level of CO, SO2 and NO2 produced at some corridors exceeds the average minimum acceptable standard. Findings from respondents who subsist and do business along the selected corridors showed that 11.70% of them have high levels of cough which suggest a serious sign of danger as 4% is the allowable level for cough in a community, 9.10% have high throat irritation, 10.79% have nasal discharge and 4.45% have Asthma. The study recommended that vehicles plying on urban road in Ondo state should undergo regular check to meet up with recommended emission standard and that proactive measures taken to reduce over dependence on fossil fuel powered automobile.