oa Lifestyle and Air Pollution: The use of Domestic Generators in an African City

Air is doubtlessly a basic necessity without which no living being can survive. The sole function of the breathing mechanism in human beings is the taking in of needed air (oxygen) and pushing out unneeded air (carbon dioxide). The need for clean and unpolluted air should therefore not be over-emphasized. With the debut of modern technology, man-made air pollution is gradually becoming a dominant trend. Human-induced carbon monoxide emission is posing a chronic threat to the well-being of, not only humankind, but the entire flora and fauna worlds. One of the chief sources of this dangerous substance in developing countries, particularly Africa, is domestic generators. This paper looks at the lifestyle of people in the Nigerian city of Kano, an arid zone, with a view to determining the extent to which they are attached to domestic generators, and the resultant carbon monoxide emission. Randomly sampling residences in Kano Metropolis, the paper attempts to find out the number of those who use domestic generators, the frequency of their use, the average number of hours for which these generators are working and, if possible, the amount of carbon monoxide emitted within this timeframe along with the level to which this pollutes the air, and the consequent health hazards that this entails. The paper discovered that the number of residents in Kano Metropolis who own, and constantly use domestic generators, exceeds that of those who do not. The paper also found out that the aspects of lifestyles which strongly attached them to the constant use of domestic generators include: organized feasts, lighting mosques, schools and Majalis, voluntarily lighting streets and neighbouring houses, and working within residential areas. The paper also discovered that most of the generators are in operation for longer, and their combined emitted carbon monoxide is highly voluminous which can substantially cause health hazards by polluting the air. The paper concludes that lifestyle plays a significant role in air pollution as reflected in Kano Metropolis and there is therefore the need for moderation and regulation to eschew this menace.

Keywords: Lifestyle / Africa / Kano / Generators / Pollution

Ahmad Yahya, Department Of Islamic Studies, Federal College Of Education, Pmb 3045, Kano, Nigeria

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