TITLE:
Statistical Air Pollution Index (API) for Trinidad and Tobago Based on Observed Data on Trinidad’s West Coast
AUTHORS:
Himawatee Baboolal, Valerie Stoute, Samantha Chadee, Derrick Balladin
KEYWORDS:
Respirable and Fine Particulates, Gaseous Pollutants, Air Pollution Index
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.7 No.10,
October
30,
2019
ABSTRACT: Air pollution has been identified as the largest global environmental threat facing the world today, estimated to cause 7 - 10 million deaths worldwide annually (World Health Organisation, 2014, 2016; Yale University, 2018). Trinidad and Tobago, with a per capita GDP of USD$16310 (2019), is the most industrialised of the Caribbean islands, and like the rest of the Caribbean region is also affected by seasonal Sahara dust (PM2.5). Assessment of the air quality was done for over Trinidad’s west coast. Pollution was measured at four stations during March ‘15-May ‘16, representative of rural, urban, mixed background and industrial land uses. Annual mean PM2.5 and PM10 in ambient air exceeded the WHO guidelines for protection of public health (n = 522). PM2.5 and PM10 exceed the WHO (2006) safe limit guidelines (PM2.5 is 10 μg/m3; PM10 is 20 μg/m3) over 70% of the time sampled at urban and industrial sites. Gaseous pollutants found to be in exceedance were CO, NH3, NO2, N2O, C6H6. Nitrogen dioxide and benzene were the most prolific. A collated metric based on measurement of these pollutants yielded a statistically validated algorithm—An Air Pollution Index. The single metric can convey useful and easily understood information on air quality to the regulators and the general public.