Determination and Comparison of CO2 and Air Pollutants Emitted From the Exhaust Gas of Selected Electric Generators

Abstract

The study is aimed at providing information on the composition of the exhaust gas and concentration of air pollutants that are generated by different commonly used electricity generators in an average Nigerian household. The generators used for this study were a 0.7 kVA petrol engine, a 2.5 kVA petrol engine and an 8.8 kVA diesel engine. The gases include: CO₂, CO, SO₂, NO₂, NO, O₃, Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC), Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and respirable and inhalable particulates (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀). The mean concentrations of the air pollutants measured for 0.7, 2.5 and 8.8 kVA generators respectively were as follows: NO had a value of 14.84, 15.8 and 21.84 ppm, NO₂ had a value of 6.44, 4.14 and 5.54 ppm, NOx had a value of 21.27, 19.94 and 27.37 ppm, The mean concentration of the air pollutants recorded for 0.7, 2.5 and 8.8 kVA generators includes: 98.0, 60.24 and 0.00 ppm for SO₂; 1006.67, 1391.54 and 69.80 ppm for CO; 1000.00, 1266.67 and 1733.34 ppm for CO₂; 62.67, 362.34, 80.67 µg/m³ for O₃ respectively. The mean value for TSP, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were 844.57, 1288.57 and 1249.00 µg/m³; 510.80, 763.04 and 760.74 µg/m³; and 333.77, 525.54 and 488.27 µg/m³ for 0.7 kVA, 2.5 kVA and 8.8 kVA generators respectively. Due to the high risk of health hazards and ecological impacts associated with the air pollutants, it is advisable to switch to alternative sources of electricity that are clean and environmentally safe.