Abstract—Gas flaring from stacks in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria emits hazardous pollutants that degrade air quality and pose health challenges. Seasonal weather patterns, Harmattan winds, and rainfall further influence pollutant dispersion and community exposure. This study presents the spatiotemporal distribution of gas-flare emitted pollutants from the stack and their relationship with meteorological factors from 2023 to 2025 using an Altair 5X multi-gas detector and an Air Ae Steward Air Quality Monitor. ARC-GIS Version 10.8 dispersion modeling and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-454/B-24-002)-based Air Quality Index (AQI) calculations were performed to evaluate the spatial patterns of the pollutants, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to assess seasonal changes. One-way ANOVA revealed significant seasonal variation for all pollutants (p < 0.001). The strongest seasonal effects were observed for PM₂.₅ (F (3,32) = 18.2, η2 = 0.63), PM₁₀ (F = 16.4, η2 = 0.60), and CO (F = 14.6, η2=0.58), indicating that season explained 49–63% of total concentration variability. NO₂ (F = 12.8, η2 = 0.52) and SO₂ (F = 11.5, η2 = 0.49) also showed large seasonal effects. Post-hoc analysis confirmed significantly higher concentrations during the dry/Harmattan season (Q1). Distance-based Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) demonstrated significant radial decay for all pollutants (p 0.004), with moderate to large effect sizes (η2 = 0.29–0.39). Seasonal influence consistently exceeded spatial effects, highlighting the dominant role of atmospheric stability in pollutant accumulation. Particulate matter exhibited the greatest seasonal amplification, indicating elevated exposure risk during dry-season conditions. These findings emphasize the need for seasonally targeted emission control and monitoring strategies in gas flare-impacted communities to reduce exposure and protect vulnerable populations in flare-affected areas.
Keywords—gas flaring, air quality, criteria pollutants, meteorological factors, pollutants dispersion, public health
Cite: Tyoyima John Ayua, Idongesit Sunday Ambrose, Unyime Ukoette Saturday, and Silas Ijah Ioryue, "Impact of Gas Flaring on Air Quality and Public Health in Southeastern City of Unyenge-Mbo, Nigeria," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 401-414, 2026.
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).