The Bonny Island axis of the Niger Delta, Nigeria, is one of the most industrialized
belts of Nigeria. Among the significant industries in the locality is the Nigerian
natural gas liquefying plants. The plant complex generates emissions which are
propagated by meteorological agents. An atmospheric dispersion model was used
to model the emissions using a computer programme. A statistical analysis of
meteorological parameters was also carried out to determine the pollutants
dispersion in the atmosphere. The analysis shows that wind speed is moderate and
the predominance of southerly winds will move plumes toward human settlements
in the north and north-eastern directions from the plant. From the diffusion model,
the compounds likely to be emitted in the largest quantity from the plant in the
order of magnitude were CO2, NOx, CO, PM10 and SOx. There is evidence that
pollutants concentration would be highest for receptors at about 10 km from the
emission sources even under unstable atmospheric conditions. The concentration
of all the pollutants were well within the set ambient limits for the averaging
period considered (i.e., 1 hour). It is recommended that the LNG plants continue
to use natural gas as their major fuel as it will help in reducing pollutants like CO,
PM10 and SOx. Also, due to the large CO2 gas emitted, afforestation and
conservation projects should be initiated in Bonny Island so as to earn carbon
credit.