Original Research Article Assessment of Heat Stress and Some Selected
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121 Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences 4(1) 2019 pp. 121-130 Original Research Article Assessment of Heat Stress and Some Selected Toxic Gases in Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, South-West, Nigeria *1Sodunke, M.A., 2Sulaimon, M.O., 3Musa, A.I., 1Osunkiyesi, A.A., 4Odiete, J.O. and 5Yusuf, Y.O. 1Physics/Electronics Unit, Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun, Nigeria. 2Department of Statistics and Mathematics, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. 3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. 4Department of Computer Engineering Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. 5Department of Architecture Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. *[email protected] ARTICLE INFORMATION ABSTRACT Article history : This research focuses on the assessment of heat stress and toxic Received 18 March, 2019 gases (CO, CO 2, NO 2, CH 4, H 2S, NH 3 and LPG) in Moshood Revised 01 May, 2019 Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) using a direct in-situ Accepted 06 May, 2019 measurement of heat stress and toxic gases measuring systems. Available online 30 June, 2019 The results obtained showed that MAPOLY exhibits a temperature humidity index (THI) ranging from 21.5 ℃ to 26.9 and wind chill index (WCI) ranging between 31.1 and 35.9 Keywords : ℃ ℃ which presents the study area to be a hot and strong heat stress Temperature humidity index ℃ Wind chill index zone. Toxic gases levels for CO 2 (4615 ppm -31950 ppm), and Statistical model NH 3 (39.89 ppm -104.64 ppm) show that the pollution is high and Heat stress non-tolerable to humans. However, the measured values of CH 4, Toxic gases LPG, NO 2, H2S and CO which were (8.07 ppm - 60.3 ppm), (17.66 ppm-56.8 ppm), (0.04 ppm - 0.14 ppm), (0.03 ppm -1.26 ppm) and (3.56 ppm - 5.73 ppm) respectively are not lethal to human health. © 201 9 RJEES . All rights reserved. 1. INTRODUCTION Under normal condition, temperatures 36 ℃ and 38 ℃ are the regimes at which human beings naturally maintains a perfect comfort in their bodies and as the temperature of the body gets to 40 ℃ ,it will be difficult for the body to overcome the excessive heat produced, thus leading to heat stroke which could result into health disorders like dizziness, fatigue and stroke if not properly managed, it could be threatening to human life (Abderrezak and James, 2002) . Proper knowledge of heat stress and toxicity of the environment are worth knowing so as to know the degree of the safety of the environment humans are exposed to. Olayinka et al. (2015) earlier reported a high concentration for carbon (IV) oxide (CO 2), nitrogen (IV) oxide (NO 2) and hydrogen sulphide (H 2S) in 122 M.A. Sodunke et al. / Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences 4(1) 2019 pp. 121-130 Abeokuta and attributed the high concentration to vehicular movement. In a heat stress survey conducted by Gillies (1991), it was found out that the wind chill equivalent temperature, is the temperature required under no –wind conditions that will equal the cooling effect of the air and the wind on average size, nude person in the shade. The effect of sunshine is much more pronounced at low wind speeds and gradually diminishes as wind speed intensifies and its effects become dominant (Shitzer, 2007). It is important to know that two parameters form the heat stress which are temperature humidity index (THI) and wind chill index (WCI). Temperature humidity index combines atmospheric parameters like temperature and humidity while wind speed and humidity constitute the wind chill index (WCI). A combustion process is subject to changes like unburnt fuel which later turns to partly burnt fuel which breaks into other forms of gases and mixes with the impurities in the air to form oxides of nitrogen and sulphur (NOx and SOx) and other gases such as carbon (II) oxide (CO), CO 2, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and methane (CH4). It is important to know that the emission of gases into the environment may transpire into global warming (Prather ,1995). Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) is a fast-growing higher institution in the city of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State which experiences an exponential increase in students’ population yearly that gives birth to traffic density. Despite this traffic congestion, there is no research work or findings on the safety of its workers over the years on environmental pollution and heat stress. This research is thus centered on the assessment of heat stress and investigation of toxic gases in MAPOLY. 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1. Description of Study Area The study area is Moshood Abiola Polytechnic also known as MAPOLY, a tertiary institution of learning located in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The Ojeere campus is situated in the South-Eastern part of Abeokuta which covers about 960 hectares of rolling land bounded by Ogun river to the south which covers the latitude of 7°6′0′′ N and longitude of 3 °20'10'' E respectively. Sixteen investigation sites were selected in MAPOLY which include School of Science and Technology (SST), Information Technology Centre (ICT), School Library (Library), School Bank (Bank), General Admin (Admin), School Auditorium (Auditorium), School of Business and Management Studies (SBMS), School Last Bus Stop (Bus Shed), School of Engineering (Engineering), Students’ Affairs, School of Communication (Sch. Comm), School General Market (Market), Creche, Maintenance Department (Maintenance) and MAPOLY Guest House (MAPINSCO). Figure 1 shows the investigated sites in MAPOLY. 2.2. Sampling and Analysis This study was conducted in the wet season. Specifically, sampling and analysis for gaseous pollutants and heat stress was carried out in July, 2018 since it belongs to the peak zone of the wet season in Abeokuta where MAPOLY is situated. Direct in-situ measurements (air pollution and heat stress) were carried out using gas monitors and heat stress monitors. Heat stress and air pollutants were measured. Each measurement was allowed to stabilize for five minutes before reading in order to ensure stable reading was recorded. The measurement was carried out when traffic volume was high in the morning from 10 am -11 am at an interval of five minutes as programmed in the instruments used for the measurement. 123 M.A. Sodunke et al. / Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences 4(1) 2019 pp. 121-130 Figure 1: Map showing the investigated locations in MAPOLY 2.3. Statistical Analysis The air pollutants and heat stress (THI and WCI) data collected were analyzed and graphs were plotted using Microsoft Office Excel while the forecast or prediction model was done using MINITAB 17 software. Temperature humidity index (THI) and wind chill Index (WCI) were calculated using Equations (1) and (2) respectively (Unger, 1999). THI = − 0.55 − 0.0055 − 14.5 (1) Where t= air temperature ( oC) and f = relative humidity. WCI ( = 13.12 + 0.6215 − 11.37 . + 0.365. (2) Where V = Wind speed (km/h) and T= temperature ( oC) Forecasted 5 years values of the concentration of air pollutants and heat stress parameters were done using the additive decomposition analysis method of the time series model with seasonal length of 4. The model is defined as: = + ! + "#$% #& + '%&$ (3) Where: Level: The average value in the series. Trend: The increasing or decreasing value in the series. Seasonality: The repeating short-term cycle in the series. Noise: The random variation in the series. 124 M.A. Sodunke et al. / Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences 4(1) 2019 pp. 121-130 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Figures 2 to 10 show the results for the toxic gases and heat stress (WCI and THI) as analyzed by the automatic in situ gas monitors and heat stress (WCI and THI) monitors. Sixteen areas in MAPOLY were investigated for the presence of 7 toxic gases (CO, CO 2, NH 3, NO 2, CH 4, LPG and H 2S) and assessment of heat stress i.e. wind chill index (WCI) and temperature humidity index (THI). 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Concentration (ppm) 3 NH Location Figure 2: NH 3 concentration for the investigated areas in MAPOLY 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 S S Concentration(ppm) 2 H Location Figure 3: H 2S concentration for the investigated areas in MAPOLY 125 M.A. Sodunke et al. / Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences 4(1) 2019 pp. 121-130 0.16 0.14 0.12 0.10 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.02 0.00 Concentration (ppm) 2 2 NO Location Figure 4: NO 2 values for the investigate areas in MAPOLY 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 CO Concentration(ppm) Location Figure 5: CO concentration for the investigated areas in MAPOLY 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 LPG Concentration (ppm) Location Figure 6: LPG concentration for the investigated areas in MAPOLY 126 M.A. Sodunke et al. / Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences 4(1) 2019 pp. 121-130 60 50 40 30 20 10 Concentration (ppm) 0 4 CH Location Figure 7: CH 4 concentration for the investigated areas in MAPOLY 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 Concetnration (ppm) 2 CO Location Figure 8: CO 2 concentration for the investigated areas in MAPOLY 28 C) o 27 THI THI ( 26 25 24 Location Figure 9: THI values for the investigated areas in MAPOLY 127 M.A. Sodunke et al. / Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences 4(1) 2019 pp. 121-130 36 34 C) o 32 WCI ( 30 28 Location Figure 10: WCI values for the investigated areas in MAPOLY The measured values for the toxic gases and heat stress are given as: NH 3 (7.11 ppm - 104.64 ppm), H 2S (0.03 ppm-1.26 ppm), NO 2 (0.04 ppm - 0.14 ppm), CO(3.56 ppm - 5.73 ppm), LPG (17.66 ppm-56.8 ppm), CH 4 (8.07 ppm 60.3 ppm), CO 2 (4615 ppm-31950 ppm), THI (21.5 -26.9 ) and WCI (31 -35.9 ).