Air pollution in urban areas: the case of the commune of Attécoubé in the district of Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)

Air pollution in the district of Abidjan has become an increasingly serious problem. This study was carried out in the Boribana district (Attécoubé lagoon) of the Attécoubé commune using a continuous air quality analyzer located at the naval training center of Attécoubé. Overall, the results showed that particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and gas (SO2 and NO2) concentrations exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds during the study period (April to December 2021), except for CO. Legal air quality limits were frequently breached during the study period. The daily SO₂ limit (125 µg/m³) was exceeded 200 times, far surpassing the three annual exceedances permitted by the Côte d’Ivoire Air Quality Decree. Similarly, PM10 concentrations surpassed the daily limit (50 µg/m³) 107 times, well over the 35 instances allowed per year. Daily concentrations of PM2.5 were generally above the WHO’s threshold (15 µg/m3) throughout the study period. These exceedances may represent a real health concern for the citizens living around of Attécoubé lagoon.