COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF BTEX POLLUTION IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS: A CASE STUDY OF LEICESTER, UK, AND LAGOS, NIGERIA.

Abstract

This study presents a comparative assessment of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) concentrations in ambient air across two urban environments: Leicester, United Kingdom, and Lagos, Nigeria, to evaluate air quality and associated public health risks. Air samples were collected using Tenax/TA-Carbograph 1TD sorbent tubes and analyzed via Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). BTEX concentrations in Lagos were significantly higher up to 10 - 15 times more than those observed in Leicester, with benzene consistently showing the highest levels in both cities. The calculated Hazard Quotients (HQs) for individual BTEX compounds and the cumulative Hazard Index (HI) revealed that while all values remained below the threshold of concern (HI < 1), the HI in Lagos (0.7565) was nearly three times that of Leicester (0.2550), indicating a greater chronic exposure burden. The elevated BTEX levels in Lagos are largely attributable to vehicular emissions, poor fuel quality, and unregulated industrial activities. These findings underscore the need for urgent policy interventions and enhanced air quality management in Lagos, particularly targeting benzene, a known human carcinogen. The study highlights the disparities in urban air pollution and its implications for public health in rapidly urbanizing cities of the Global South.