Investigation of the air quality characteristics in the DLSU campus vicinity

• Main Authors: Machado, Joy April, Salonga, Gerard Niño A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Air quality—Philippines—Manila; Air—Pollution—Measurement; Air—Pollution—Physiological effect; Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment; Environmental Monitoring
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/18603
• Institution: De La Salle University

Air quality is the state of ambient air. Due to various health implications of poor air quality, it is important to provide information on its status. Weather monitoring facilities are stationed in selected posts, such as the Environmental Management Bureau Air Quality Monitoring Station (EMB-AQMS) located in De La Salle University (DLSU). This study characterized air quality data obtained from the EMB-AQMS. The EMB AQMS consists of a (1) gas filter correlation analyzer, which measures CO level, (2) differential optical absorption spectrometer (DOAS), which measures concentrations of 03, SO2, NO2, and BTX, and (3) tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM), which evaluates the concentrations of PM10 and PM2.s in the air. Diurnal and seasonal trends were examined and analyzed from July 2012 to December 2013 except August 2012. The relationship of air quality with morbidity of influenza, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), and bronchial asthma was also investigated. Further analysis included the association of air quality with meteorological data acquired from a Davis Vantage Pro 2 automatic weather station. Results showed that children are generally the ones most prone to contracting pulmonary diseases, while those aged 55 and above are next in terms of vulnerability to the diseases. Pulmonary diseases were also found to be more prevalent during the third and fourth quarters of the year. Additionally, ozone concentration peaks in the middle of the day and during the summer season. Toluene concentration peaks around 0400H to 0600H. And NO2 concentration is higher during weekdays compared to weekends. The study also found strong correlations between: CO concentration and morbidity of pneumonia (R­value=0.6332), CO concentration and solar radiation (R-value=0.5168), PM2.s concentration and morbidity of influenza (R-value=0.6813), PM10 concentration and morbidity of influenza (R-value=0.6862), PM10 concentration and solar radiation (R­value=0.6255), benzene concentration and morbidity of influenza (R-value=0.5969), ozone concentration and humidity (R-value=0.8264), S02 concentration and rain (R­value=0.5833), S02 concentration and wind speed (R-value=0.5896), N02 concentration and rain (R-value=0.5102), N02 concentration and solar radiation (R­value=0.6259), xylene concentration and humidity (R-value=0.8035), and xylene concentration and wind speed (R-value=0.5874).