Effect of particulate matter from quarry activities on crops and plant biodiversity in South-Eastern Nigeria

In South-Eastern Nigeria, several quarry operations provide 8.7% of the country’s annual GDP to the economy. These businesses do, however, frequently cause air pollution. Extech Model VPC300 was used to measure PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and various meteorological factors, and conduct a social survey to determine the impact of particulate matter on the nearby crops. The four quarry locations and their surroundings were found to have high concentrations of particulate matter that exceeded the international standard. A kilometer distant from the quarry sites, PM 2.5 , and PM 10 show the strongest association matrix with the highest value of 0.9358. Additionally, at the quarry, there is a strong relationship between the temperature and PM 2.5 of 0.7860. According to respondents’ responses, quarrying has a significant detrimental impact on a variety of local plants, with vegetables suffering the greatest harm at a 30% response rate, along with habitat loss, plant biodiversity, and local crop survival. The outcome also demonstrates that quarry operations contribute to soil erosion and water contamination, both of which lower local agriculture yields in the areas. Based on the findings, it is strongly advised that a dust control system be established, with the quarrying area being surrounded by a green belt planted with pollutant-tolerant plants to limit the spread of dust and the industries being subject to self-regulatory rules.