EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

ON GROUNDWATER POLLUTION IN
NIGER DELTA
300L - I.T PROJECT

MADUKWE ONYINYECHI.B.
17/SCI14/017
31/11/2020

1|Page
 INTRODUCTION
Pollution;
Pollution started from prehistoric times when man created the first fires. According to a 1983
article in the journal Science, "soot" found on ceilings of prehistoric caves provides ample evidence of
the high levels of pollution that was associated with inadequate ventilation of open fires.
The term pollution can be defined as influence of any substance causing nuisance, harmful effects,
and uneasiness to the organisms. Pollution can also be the consequence of a natural disaster. For
example, hurricanes often involve water contamination from sewage, and petrochemical spills from
ruptured boats or automobiles.
Environmental pollution could simply be defined as any undesirable change in physical, chemical, or
biological characteristics of any component of the environment i.e. air, water, soil which can cause
harmful effects on various forms of life or property. Pollutant is any substance causing harmful effects
or uneasiness to the organisms
Many things that are useful to people produce pollution. Cars spew pollutants from
their exhaust pipes. Burning coal to create electricity pollutes the air. Industries and
homes generate garbage and sewage that can pollute the land and water. Pesticides—
chemical poisons used to kill weeds and insects—seep into waterways and harm wildlife.

All living things—from one-celled microbes to blue whales—depend on Earth’s supply of air and
water. When these resources are polluted, all forms of life are threatened.

Pollution is a global problem. Although urban areas are usually more polluted than the countryside,
pollution can spread to remote places where no people live. For example, pesticides and other
chemicals have been found in the Antarctic ice sheet. In the middle of the northern Pacific Ocean, a
huge collection of microscopic plastic particles forms what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage
Patch.

Air and water currents carry pollution. Ocean currents and migrating fish carry marine pollutants far
and wide. Winds can pick up radioactive material accidentally released from a nuclear reactor and
scatter it around the world. Smoke from a factory in one country drifts into another country.

In the past, visitors to Big Bend National Park in the U.S. state of Texas could see 290 kilometres (180
miles) across the vast landscape. Now, coal-burning power plants in Texas and the neighbouring state
of Chihuahua, Mexico have spewed so much pollution into the air that visitors to Big Bend can
sometimes see only 50 kilometres (30 miles).

The three major types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution.

1. Air Pollution

Sometimes, air pollution is visible. A person can see dark smoke pour from the exhaust pipes
of large trucks or factories, for example. More often, however, air pollution is invisible.

Polluted air can be dangerous, even if the pollutants are invisible. It can make people’s eyes
burn and make them have difficulty breathing. It can also increase the risk of lung cancer.

2|Page
 Sometimes, air pollution kills quickly. In 1984, an accident at a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India,
released a deadly gas into the air. At least 8,000 people died within days. Hundreds of
thousands more were permanently injured.

Natural disasters can also cause air pollution to increase quickly. When volcanoes erupt,
they eject volcanic ash and gases into the atmosphere. Volcanic ash can discolour the sky for
months. After the eruption of the Indonesian volcano of Krakatoa in 1883, ash darkened the
sky around the world. The dimmer sky caused fewer crops to be harvested as far away as
Europe and North America. For years, meteorologists tracked what was known as the
“equatorial smoke stream.” In fact, this smoke stream was a jet stream, a wind high in Earth’s
atmosphere that Krakatoa’s air pollution made visible.

Volcanic gases, such as sulphur dioxide, can kill nearby residents and make
the soil infertile for years. Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy, famously erupted in 79, killing
hundreds of residents of the nearby towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Most victims of
Vesuvius were not killed by lava or landslides caused by the eruption. They were choked,
or asphyxiated, by deadly volcanic gases.

In 1986, a toxic cloud developed over Lake Nyos, Cameroon. Lake Nyos sits in the crater of a
volcano. Though the volcano did not erupt, it did eject volcanic gases into the lake. The
heated gases passed through the water of the lake and collected as a cloud that descended
the slopes of the volcano and into nearby valleys. As the toxic cloud moved across the
landscape, it killed birds and other organisms in their natural habitat. This air pollution also
killed thousands of cattle and as many as 1,700 people.

Most air pollution is not natural, however. It comes from burning fossil fuels—coal, oil,
and natural gas. When gasoline is burned to power cars and trucks, it produces carbon
monoxide, a colourless, odourless gas. The gas is harmful in high concentrations, or amounts.
City traffic produces highly concentrated carbon monoxide.

Cars and factories produce other common pollutants, including nitrogen oxide, sulphur
dioxide, and hydrocarbons. These chemicals react with sunlight to produce smog, a
thick fog or haze of air pollution. The smog is so thick in Linfen, China, that people
can seldom see the sun. Smog can be brown or greyish blue, depending on which pollutants
are in it. Smog makes breathing difficult, especially for children and older adults. Some cities
that suffer from extreme smog issue air pollution warnings. The government of Hong Kong,
for example, will warn people not to go outside or engage in strenuous physical activity (such
as running or swimming) when smog is very thick.

When air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide mix with moisture, they change
into acids. They then fall back to earth as acid rain. Wind often carries acid rain far from the pollution
source. Pollutants produced by factories and power plants in Spain can fall as acid rain in Norway.

Acid rain can kill all the trees in a forest. It can also devastate lakes, streams, and other waterways.
When lakes become acidic, fish can’t survive. In Sweden, acid rain created thousands of “dead lakes,”
where fish no longer live.

Acid rain also wears away marble and other kinds of stone. It has erased the words on gravestones
and damaged many historic buildings and monuments. The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, was once
gleaming white. Years of exposure to acid rain has left it pale.
3|Page
Governments have tried to prevent acid rain by limiting the amount of pollutants released into the
air. In Europe and North America, they have had some success, but acid rain remains a major problem
in the developing world, especially Asia.  

Greenhouse gases are another source of air pollution. Greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide and methane occur naturally in the atmosphere. In fact, they are necessary for life on Earth.
They absorb sunlight reflected from Earth, preventing it from escaping into space. By trapping heat in
the atmosphere, they keep Earth warm enough for people to live. This is called the greenhouse effect.

But human activities such as burning fossil fuels and destroying forests have increased the amount of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This has increased the greenhouse effect, and
average temperatures across the globe are rising. The decade that began in the year 2000 was the
warmest on record. This increase in worldwide average temperatures, caused in part by human
activity, is called global warming.

Global warming is causing ice sheets and glaciers to melt. The melting ice is causing sea levels to rise
at a rate of 2 millimetres (0.09 inches) per year. The rising seas will eventually flood low-lying coastal
regions. Entire nations, such as the islands of Maldives, are threatened by this climate change.

Global warming also contributes to the phenomenon of ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is the

process of ocean waters absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Fewer organisms can
survive in warmer, less salty waters. The ocean food web is threatened as plants and animals such
as coral fail to adapt to more acidic oceans.

Scientists have predicted that global warming will cause an increase in severe storms. It will also cause
more droughts in some regions and more flooding in others.

The change in average temperatures is already shrinking some habitats, the regions where plants and
animals naturally live. Polar bears hunt seals from sea ice in the Arctic. The melting ice is forcing polar
bears to travel farther to find food, and their numbers are shrinking.

People and governments can respond quickly and effectively to reduce air pollution. Chemicals called
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a dangerous form of air pollution that governments worked to reduce
in the 1980s and 1990s. CFCs are found in gases that cool refrigerators, in foam products, and
in aerosol cans. The term pollution can be defined as influence of any substance causing
nuisance, harmful effects, and uneasiness to the organisms. Pollution can also be the
consequence of a natural disaster. For example, hurricanes often involve water contamination
from sewage, and petrochemical spills from ruptured boats or automobiles.

2. Land Pollution

Many of the same pollutants that foul the water also harm the land. Mining sometimes leaves
the soil contaminated with dangerous chemicals.

Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields are blown by the wind. They can harm plants,
animals, and sometimes people. Some fruits and vegetables absorb the pesticides that help
them grow. When people consume the fruits and vegetables, the pesticides enter their
bodies. Some pesticides can cause cancer and other diseases.
A pesticide called DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was once commonly used

4|Page
to kill insects, especially mosquitoes. In many parts of the world, mosquitoes carry a
disease called malaria, which kills a million people every year. Swiss chemist Paul
Hermann Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize for his understanding of how DDT can
control insects and other pests. DDT is responsible for reducing malaria in places such
as Taiwan and Sri Lanka.

In 1962, American biologist Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring, which

discussed the dangers of DDT. She argued that it could contribute to cancer in
humans. She also explained how it was destroying bird eggs, which caused the
number of bald eagles, brown pelicans, and ospreys to drop. In 1972, the United
States banned the use of DDT. Many other countries also banned it. But DDT didn’t
disappear entirely. Today, many governments support the use of DDT because it
remains the most effective way to combat malaria.

Trash is another form of land pollution. Around the world, paper, cans, glass jars,
plastic products, and junked cars and appliances mar the landscape. Litter makes it
difficult for plants and other producers in the food web to create nutrients. Animals
can die if they mistakenly eat plastic.

Garbage often contains dangerous pollutants such as oils, chemicals, and ink. These
pollutants can leech into the soil and harm plants, animals, and people.

Inefficient garbage collection systems contribute to land pollution. Often, the garbage

is picked up and brought to a dump, or landfill. Garbage is buried in landfills.
Sometimes, communities produce so much garbage that their landfills are filling up.
They are running out of places to dump their trash.

A massive landfill near Quezon City, Philippines, was the site of a land pollution
tragedy in 2000. Hundreds of people lived on the slopes of the Quezon City landfill.
These people made their living from recycling and selling items found in the landfill.
However, the landfill was not secure. Heavy rains caused a trash landslide, killing 218
people.

Sometimes, landfills are not completely sealed off from the land around them.
Pollutants from the landfill leak into the earth in which they are buried. Plants that
grow in the earth may be contaminated, and the herbivores that eat the plants also
become contaminated. So do the predators that consume the herbivores. This
process, where a chemical build up in each level of the food web, is
called bioaccumulation.

Pollutants leaked from landfills also leak into local groundwater supplies. There, the
aquatic food web (from microscopic algae to fish to predators such as sharks or
eagles) can suffer from bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals.

Some communities do not have adequate garbage collection systems, and trash lines

the side of roads. In other places, garbage washes up on beaches. Kamilo Beach, in
the U.S. state of Hawaii, is littered with plastic bags and bottles carried in by the tide.
The trash is dangerous to ocean life and reduces economic activity in the area.
5|Page
 Tourism is Hawaii’s largest industry. Polluted beaches discourage tourists from
investing in the area’s hotels, restaurants, and recreational activities.

Some cities incinerate, or burn, their garbage. Incinerating trash gets rid of it, but it
can release dangerous heavy metals and chemicals into the air. So, while trash
incinerators can help with the problem of land pollution, they sometimes add to the
problem of air pollution.

3. Water Pollution

Some polluted water looks muddy, smells bad, and has garbage floating in it. Some polluted
water looks clean, but is filled with harmful chemicals you can’t see or smell.

Polluted water is unsafe for drinking and swimming. Some people who drink polluted water
are exposed to hazardous chemicals that may make them sick years later. Others
consume bacteria and other tiny aquatic organisms that cause disease. The United
Nations estimates that 4,000 children die every day from drinking dirty water.

Sometimes, polluted water harms people indirectly. They get sick because the fish that live in
polluted water are unsafe to eat. They have too many pollutants in their flesh.

There are some natural sources of water pollution. Oil and natural gas, for example, can leak
into oceans and lakes from natural underground sources. These sites are called petroleum
seeps. The world’s largest petroleum seep is the Coal Oil Point Seep, off the coast of the U.S.
state of California. The Coal Oil Point Seep releases so much oil that tar balls wash up on
nearby beaches. Tar balls are small, sticky pieces of pollution that eventually decompose in
the ocean.
Human activity also contributes to water pollution. Chemicals and oils from factories
are sometimes dumped or seep into waterways. These chemicals are called runoff.
Chemicals in runoff can create a toxic environment for aquatic life. Runoff can also
help create a fertile environment for cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae.
Cyanobacteria reproduce rapidly, creating a harmful algal bloom (HAB). Harmful algal
blooms prevent organisms such as plants and fish from living in the ocean. They are
associated with “dead zones” in the world’s lakes and rivers, places where little life
exists below surface water.

Mining and drilling can also contribute to water pollution. Acid mine drainage (AMD)

is a major contributor to pollution of rivers and streams near coal mines. Acid helps
miners remove coal from the surrounding rocks. The acid is washed into streams and
rivers, where it reacts with rocks and sand. It releases chemical sulphur from the rocks
and sand, creating a river rich in sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is toxic to plants, fish, and
other aquatic organisms. Sulfuric acid is also toxic to people, making rivers polluted by
AMD dangerous sources of water for drinking and hygiene.

Oil spills are another source of water pollution. In April 2010, the Deepwater
Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing oil to gush from the ocean
floor. In the following months, hundreds of millions of gallons of oil spewed into the
gulf waters. The spill produced large plumes of oil under the sea and an oil slick on the
6|Page
surface as large as 24,000 square kilometers (9,100 square miles). The oil slick
coated wetlands in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi, killing marsh plants
and aquatic organisms such as crabs and fish. Birds, such as pelicans, became coated
in oil and were unable to fly or access food. More than 2 million animals died as a
result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Buried chemical waste can also pollute water supplies. For many years,
people disposed of chemical wastes carelessly, not realizing its dangers. In the 1970s,
people living in the Love Canal area in Niagara Falls, New York, suffered from
extremely high rates of cancer and birth defects. It was discovered that a chemical
waste dump had poisoned the area’s water. In 1978, 800 families living in Love Canal
had to abandon their homes.

If not disposed of properly, radioactive waste from nuclear power plants can escape
into the environment. Radioactive waste can harm living things and pollute the water.

Sewage that has not been properly treated is a common source of water pollution.
Many cities around the world have poor sewage systems and sewage
treatment plants. Delhi, the capital of India, is home to more than 21 million people.
More than half the sewage and other waste produced in the city are dumped into the
Yamuna River. This pollution makes the river dangerous to use as a source of water
for drinking or hygiene. It also reduces the river’s fishery, resulting in less food for the
local community.

A major source of water pollution is fertilizer used in agriculture. Fertilizer is material

added to soil to make plants grow larger and faster. Fertilizers usually contain large
amounts of the element’s nitrogen and phosphorus, which help plants grow.
Rainwater washes fertilizer into streams and lakes. There, the nitrogen and
phosphorus cause cyanobacteria to form harmful algal blooms.

Rain washes other pollutants into streams and lakes. It picks up animal waste from
cattle ranches. Cars drip oil onto the street, and rain carries it into storm drains, which
lead to waterways such as rivers and seas. Rain sometimes washes chemical
pesticides off of plants and into streams. Pesticides can also seep into groundwater,
the water beneath the surface of the Earth.

Heat can pollute water. Power plants, for example, produce a huge amount of heat.
Power plants are often located on rivers so they can use the water as a coolant. Cool
water circulates through the plant, absorbing heat. The heated water is then returned
to the river. Aquatic creatures are sensitive to changes in temperature. Some fish, for
example, can only live in cold water. Warmer river temperatures prevent fish eggs
from hatching. Warmer river water also contributes to harmful algal blooms.

Another type of water pollution is simple garbage. The Citarum River in Indonesia, for
example, has so much garbage floating in it that you cannot see the water. Floating
trash makes the river difficult to fish in. Aquatic animals such as fish and turtles
mistake trash, such as plastic bags, for food. Plastic bags and twine can kill many
ocean creatures. Chemical pollutants in trash can also pollute the water, making it
7|Page
 toxic for fish and people who use the river as a source of drinking water. The fish that
are caught in a polluted river often have high levels of chemical toxins in their flesh.
People absorb these toxins as they eat the fish.

Garbage also fouls the ocean. Many plastic bottles and other pieces of trash are
thrown overboard from boats. The wind blows trash out to sea. Ocean currents carry
plastics and other floating trash to certain places on the globe, where it cannot
escape. The largest of these areas, called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is in a
remote part of the Pacific Ocean. According to some estimates, this garbage patch is
the size of Texas. The trash is a threat to fish and seabirds, which mistake the plastic
for food. Many of the plastics are covered with chemical pollutants.

The pollutants are the substances that pollute our environment and primarily affect the living
organisms, though may also sometimes affect the non-living components (as in the case of marble
statues by acidic environment, or rusting of iron). The pollutants can be broadly divided into;
(a)biodegradable pollutants; and
(b) non-biodegradable pollutants.
Biodegradable pollutants or Non-persistent pollutants are those substances that are easily
decomposed by microorganisms or bacteria, present in the environment and they include all organic
substances of plant and animal origin. Even some synthetic organic chemicals are also biodegradable.
While non-biodegradable pollutants are these substances which cannot be decomposed easily by
bacteria. They include heavy toxic metals like lead and mercury, nuclear wastes, etc., which cannot at
all be degraded by natural bacterial activity . They also include those persistent organic
pollutants which cannot be easily degraded by bacteria and may remain in the environment for
decades or even longer. Such persistent organic pollutants include: synthetic fibres, pesticides (like
DDT), and plastics, etc. even crude oils are generally nonbiodegradable, although they become
somewhat biodegradable after the addition of small amount of rhamnolipids or glycerol.

 Regulatory agencies charged with protecting the environment identify two main categories of
pollution: point-source and nonpoint-source pollution.

1. Point-source pollution: This type of pollution is easy to identify. As the name suggests, it

comes from a single place. Nonpoint-source pollution is harder to identify and harder to address. It is
pollution that comes from many places, all at once.
2. Nonpoint-source pollution:  This is the opposite of point-source pollution, with pollutants
released in a wide area. As an example, picture a city street during a thunderstorm. Non-point sources
pollution is comparatively hard to recognize, and hence methods of control can be complicated and
need much effort. The main source of this pollution is the run-off from rains and the direct
rainfall through polluted atmosphere.  One of the most important nonpoint source pollutants is
related to agriculture run off like fertilizers and pesticides which flow into the water, and storm water
drainage

The challenge of ensuring usable water in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of human and
ecosystems emerged as one of the primary issues of the 21 st century. Poor water quality could cause
serious health problems, reduce agricultural productivity and economic prosperity of communities.
Problems of this nature have been increasing in scope, frequency, and severity because the demand
for water continues to grow while supply of renewable water remains relatively fixed. While it is
agreed that water is one of the most important resources with great implications for African
development, the freshwater situation in Africa is unfortunately not encouraging. The situation is
8|Page
getting worse as a consequence of population growth, rapid urbanization, increasing agriculture and
industrial activities, and lack of adequate capacity to manage freshwater resources. Bayelsa state is a
wetland in Niger Delta with possible serious problems of availability of portable water. All the surface
water bodies in the state are pollution-laden and hence there is the need to resort to groundwater for
consumable water.
Groundwater includes all water found beneath the surface of the Earth. It is derived primarily by
percolation of atmospheric or surface water and contained in pore spaces of permeable reservoir
rocks, this makes it a replenishable resource unlike other resources of the Earth. In any geological
environment, groundwater chemistry is controlled by the chemistry of the infiltrating water, the
chemistry of the porous media including the interstitial cement or matrix of the aquifer, the rate of
groundwater flow and the permeability of the aquifer. More than 85% of public water for
consumption is sourced from groundwater, and this is used for domestic, industrial and agricultural
purposes.

Niger Delta;

Niger Delta, according to Ashong and Aniefiok (2007), is of two classifications, namely:
physiographic (core) Niger Delta and oil producing Niger Delta. The core Niger Delta includes states
like Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers. The Niger Delta as currently
defined by government comprises Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and
Rivers states with a total of 185 local government areas and a combined population of over 28million
persons. Such inclusion of other oil producing states from other geo-political zones sees as a measure
of administrative convenience adopted by the government.
The resulting ecological devastation as a result of oil exploration and related activities are
enormous. Oil film in water prevents natural aeration killing fish and other aquatic lives, farm lands
are lost, drinking water and air are made unsafe for human consumption. The resulting impact on the
residents is enormous, yet the amounts of wealth generated from these areas are not reinvested in
order to lessen these environmental impacts. This clearly could culminate into environmental racism
and discriminatory acts, a systematic denial of rights.
 The mangrove forests of the Niger Delta are important ecological resource as they provide essential
ecosystem including soil stability, medicines, healthy fisheries, wood for fuel and shelter, tannins and
dyes, and critical wildlife habitats. Oil spills contributes to degradation and destruction of the
mangrove forests. Endangered species such as Delta elephant, the white monkey, the river
hippopotamus, and crocodiles are increasingly threatened by the activities of the oil companies.
In Niger Delta, one of the threatening environmental problems prevalent in the area is
environmental pollution caused by oil exploration and related activities. As an oil producing region, oil
spillage is one of the most outstanding causes of water and land or soil pollution while air pollution is
mostly caused by gas flaring and industrial effluents. The direct impact of oil exploration in the region
has been felt by everyone living in the area. Some of these issues include ecological degradation,
environmental pollution, associated human rights abuses, high inflation and loss of livelihood. It could
only be fair if these groups of people are appropriately compensated .

9|Page
.
However, the problem still remains how the activities of these bodies, agencies and ministry are
reported upon or gets to the publics to achieve the intended results. Thus, the study attempts to find
out if Nigerian press do cover environmental pollution in the Niger Delta, analyse the quantity and the
nature of coverage or reportage given to environmental pollution in the Niger Delta region of the
country from September, 2010 to May, 31 2011 (nine months) using four selected national
newspapers and suggest environmental education as a means of reducing environmental pollution in
the Niger Delta.
Despite all the efforts of the earlier mentioned bodies and organizations, many industrial outfits
disregard the environmental laws to make man pay more of socio-economic price than the monetary
price of their products or services. This socio-economic price is what man pays for exhibiting less
environmentally friendly attitudes. Man must therefore desist from all activities that tend to change
the balance of nature either for profit or development purposes since the bill for every intervention
may come decades later and sometimes even to a different address, but environmental damages
definitely have to be paid for by someone, somewhere, sometime. Continued pollution of the
environment in form of air, water or land pose much threats to life. It has become so serious that rain
water is no longer fit for human consumption due to the contamination of rain (acid rain) and ground
water unsafe equally due to waste disposal and oil spillage. Also, air pollution causes breathing and
respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases etc. On the other hand, soil contamination can alter
metabolism of micro-organism and arthropods in a given environment which may destroy layers of
primary food chain.
Human activities and the environment are inter-related. This is because any activity of man is done
in the environment and the resultant effect is either positive or negative to man. The press as the
watchdog of the society is expected to draw attention of the public, the government and
organizations to environmental problems around them; one of which is environmental pollution.

10 | P a g e
 One of the greatest problems facing the Niger Delta region in Nigeria is that of environmental
pollution which causes great damages to the earth. Environmental pollution takes place when the
environment cannot process and neutralize harmful by-products of human activities in due course
without any structural or functional damage to its system

Causes of Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is principally caused by human activities which release pollutants into the
air, water and land; in quantities in excess of what can be tolerated by them under their normal self-
cleansing capacities and the natural tolerance limits. Large scale use of fossil fuels in automobiles and
in generation of energy have caused serious air pollution; while discharge of untreated or partially
treated sewage and industrial wastewaters supplemented with solid wastes have polluted most of
our rivers and lakes. Even the seas and oceans have been polluted to a great extent. The dumping of
non-hazardous and hazardous wastes on land has polluted ground waters at several places, and is
responsible for spreading diseases of several kinds. Increased industrial activities and movement of
motorized vehicles have also caused a lot of noise pollution, particularly near the industrial and
commercial areas, and near the highways.
The municipalities have similarly treatment facilities for disposal of their domestic wastewaters
(sewage) and solid wastes. The modern life style and largescale commercial activities have injected
huge quantities of nonbiodegradable plastic and other similar wastes. Furthermore, modern
agricultural practices have injected heavy quantities of pesticides, fertilizers and insecticides, which
cause severe pollution of air, water and land. Unwarranted and over-consumption of finished
products like packaging paper, plastic carry bags and colourful toys are also responsible towards
pollution, because production of such products causes heavy pollution of environmental media.
Common man has generally been ignoring these activities of usually rich and affluent sections of the
society, and consequently suffering the impacts of pollution. Even the very poor and downtrodden
people of our society have also been causing environmental pollution of their own making, as they do
not care for hygiene and proper disposal of the night soil (faeces) produced by them.

Main Causes of Water Pollution in Nigeria

 Sewage and Wastewater

The sewage and wastewater that is produced in each household are treated chemically and released
into the sea along with fresh water. The sewage water carries pathogens, a typical water pollutant,
other harmful bacteria, and chemicals that can cause serious health problems and thereby diseases.
Microorganisms in water are known to cause some of the very deadly diseases and become the
breeding grounds for creatures that act as carriers. These carriers inflict these diseases onto an
individual via various forms of contact. A typical example would be Malaria.

 Oil and Petroleum Substances

Oceans are polluted by oil on a daily basis from oil spills, routine shipping, run-offs and dumping. … Oil
spills cause a very localised problem but can be catastrophic to local marine wildlife such as fish, birds
and sea otters. Oil cannot dissolve in water and forms a thick sludge in the water. These substances
can be classified as point source pollution, and are almost the highest ranked contaminants of the
water in Nigeria, mostly in the Niger Delta region along the coast of Nigeria.  Positively, “Nigeria’s
economy heavily depends on the oil and gas sector, which in 2008 contributes 97.5 percent of export  
11 | P a g e
revenues, 81   percent   of   government revenues according to the World Bank.    This    huge
prosperity can have significant impact on water pollution, especially, oil mining operations and
activities associated with shipping and drilling in the seabed as well as oil spillage in the water.  Water
polluted by oil  spills have numerous effects on the marine mammals and fish species.

 
 Nutrient Pollution and Eutrophication
Nutrient   Pollution is   a   major widespread ecological problem in
Nigeria as well as the entire universe. Numerous point and nonpoint pollution sources, involving    
waste     disposal, atmospheric nitrogen oxides, chemical fertilizers used in agriculture and fossil fuel  
uses, contain   Nutrients.   Nitrogen and phosphorus are the major nutrient elements   to   cultivate  
aquatic   plants. However, overgrowth of these organisms, consequence to the
increment of nutrients, is destructive to water. This is called “Eutrophication” which means well-
nourished water by nutrients. The eutrophication drive towards   a   rapid overgrowth of aquatic
plants – especially the phytoplankton  plants  which they  grow  on  the  surface  of  the  water – 
which affect the water sanitation,  hinder  the  food  chain cycle which  adversely  affect  the  fish 
population  and health, increase the  turbidity  of  water, and  prevent  the necessary solar 
transmission for emergent  vegetation growth. Similarly, when the aquatic plants –
namely the benthic plants – die and settle in the bottom, the
dissolved oxygen is reduced while it is used by them for decomposing, therefore, the water quality is
inappropriate due to less dissolved oxygen.

 Chemical and Industrial Pollution

Industries discharge chemical wastes comprising substances called effluents in rivers, lakes, streams
etc. Factories sometimes turn waterways into open sewers by dumping oil, toxic chemicals and other
harmful liquids called effluents into them.
Water can simply host the chemical substances due to its particular physical and chemical properties.
Chemical and industrial disposals are frequent pollutants of the water as they have the ability to
dissolve in the water molecules. Nevertheless, chemical pollutants either as solution in the
atmosphere or as a direct discharge from factories have few broad groups are discussed below
according to their effects.    An obvious example is the disposal of
industrial waste into the lagoon from Lagos metropolis which adversely affected the aquatic life and
the aesthetic view of the metropolis. Hence, bluish green is the current colour of the affected water,
their potential hydrogen (PH) level is high, and the meant rivers have non-
preferable sodium and lead components.
 

 Argo Chemicals
Agriculture, which accounts for 70 percent of water abstractions worldwide, plays a major role in
water pollution. Farms discharge large quantities of agrochemicals, organic matter, drug residues,
sediments and saline drainage into water bodies. Pesticides are widely used in Nigeria. Pesticides
reach and contaminate both surface water and ground water via runoff – with rain or irrigation water
– from adjacent farmlands, roadsides or countryside lawns.  Usually,
pesticides are toxic chemicals which are dangerous if contained in the ingested food.  An   analytical 
research   study was conducted at Ogba, Iroko and Ova rivers   in   Edo   State   concluded   that
certain degrees of pollution of fish and water   are   recorded   in   the   samples taken. 
Human health is endangered by rapid rising of contamination.
Pesticides have much effect on human health like destroying the nerve system, liver’s rotting, chronic
diseases, etc.
 
12 | P a g e
  Mining Pollution
Water-pollution problems caused by mining include acid mine drainage, metal contamination, and
increased sediment levels in streams. Sources can include active or abandoned surface and
underground mines, processing plants, waste-disposal areas, haulage roads, or tailings ponds.
Despite the fact that mining for minerals in Nigeria is still in development stage as national industry,
there are many small-scale, mostly illegal, businesses practice mining actions in some country states  
like   Mabou, Kebbi   and   Mambila Plateau.  Water pollution from mines is carried by rainwater and
other possible means to the fresh surface and ground water. The contaminated water causes skin
blisters and sores. Furthermore, there is some water bodies near mining practices are entirely devoid
of life. In addition to inclined acidity, the water can be polluted with heavy metals such as cadmium.
These heavy metals can be leached into waterways via rainwater. Arsenic leach heaps, in gold mining,
may seep out arsenic into groundwater or surface water

The Adverse Effects of Petroleum Spillage in The Marine Environment

The quality of the environment is adversely affected by the activities of the petroleum industry.
During exploration, drilling, transportation, processing, and storage, the petroleum industry
discharges gaseous, liquid and solid wastes and products into the environment threatening the health
of the population and damaging the quality of the environment by rendering farmlands and water
bodies unusable. In particular, oil spills are especially damaging to lands and the Marine environment.
Environmental resources at risk are those of direct economic value like fisheries, and those of intrinsic
value to human society, like aesthetically pleasing environment.

Once discharged, petroleum spills undergo several processes. When crude oil or refined petroleum
products are released into an aquatic environment, immediate changes occur in their physio-chemical
properties as a result of several weathering processes. These processes are evaporation, spreading,
advection, dispersion, dissolution, emulsification, adsorption onto suspended particulate material,
sedimentation (agglomeration and sinking), oxidation and biodegradation.

Sustainable Plans and Solutions

In light of the aforementioned existence of causes and impacts of the pollution in Nigeria, and
as an obligatory approach, immense strategies and plans have to take place in the country in order to
eliminate the pollutants and their negative impacts on the ecosystem. However, proposal and
application of strategies needs combined efforts from numerous stakeholders of the problem like the
government, international and national agencies, the residents, scientists and so forth. These
solutions vary related to the source of the pollution whether it is point source where
water treatment before discharge is an example, or non-point source where the most ideal
methodology is source reduction.

13 | P a g e
  Eliminating Oil and Petroleum Polluting Substances
As illustrated in the aforesaid causes and impacts part of this assignment, a great amount of oil
and other related petroleum substances seep into the ocean from many sources, aquatic life in these
affected areas have had eons to adjust to the conditions. Human-caused petroleum pollution
perpetually occurs in sensitive areas, often with catastrophic consequences.
The first-level effective solution to this sort of water pollution is to discontinue letting oil and oil
By products get into the water bodies. The occurrences of oil spills must be reduced; but more highly
important, the amount of petroleum pollution getting into waterways from non-spill sources must
also be stopped, which supply far more to the dilemma than spills.

 Domestic and international corporations can respond to Petro-pollution types by

adopting number of the following strategies first, step up the pace of moving the tanker fleet to all
double-hull ships. Second, adopt tightening policy prevailing constant quality checking of commercial
ships, motor boats, and leisure water craft, which can seep out oil and fuel into the water.
Furthermore, it should be a good idea to prohibit motorized vessels into our drinking-water
reservoirs. Third, require filtration millponds and natural buffer zones adjacent to roads and streets to
assist in keeping the contaminated runoff with oil and gas drips from discharging into streams, rivers
and watercourses. Four, establish more education programs to citizens and main concerns on the
matter of how to maintain oil out of aquatic life.

 Individuals also have the chance to contribute,

the following suggestions can support
pollution-free maritime first, minimize vehicle driving, which contribute to less petroleum pollution
into
waters farther than less air pollution into air. Second, Intensive care is required to be provided for oil
leaking cars especially for old fashion cars – as the common aspect of developing countries as well as
Nigeria. Third, affluent people and fishermen whom own motorized boats or jet skis, they must keep
intensive maintenance scheme to their owned chattels. Fourth, for those whom are directly linked to
change oil like mechanics or owners whom change by themselves, they have to ensure to not dump
the used oil into the nearest sewer drain. Furthermore, the government should find ways to re-use
the used motor oil in recycling as is the case in developed countries, United States for example.

 Surface ponds and Ground Remediation:

contaminated water is recognized as threatening to people hence; treatment should be dealt as a
priority after eliminating the pollution resources. Wright (1981) mentioned a technique of pumping
out the contaminated groundwater by drilling wells, purifying it and then re-injecting the clean water
into the aquifers or ejecting it into surface water The notion of this technique, excluding drilling wells,
can be applied for large ponds, lakes and rivers in more sophisticated methodology such as dividing
the contaminated water into zones. Barriers – same as for constructing artificial islands - to be
provided, and the inner area of the barrier can be purified. Follow that the adjacent zones in
programmed stages and so forth up to reach a total.

14 | P a g e
Figure 1: Polluted groundwater remediation. (a) Contamination from leaking fuel tank. (b) Vacuum-extraction
process lets the pollutant to evaporate, and pump-it-out. (c) Purified water re-injected into ground. (d) Soil vapor extraction
system to remove volatile organic compound in soil.

15 | P a g e
  Reducing Nutrient and Pesticide Pollution
Under this category of pollution, this is a combination of point and non-point pollution sources,
a plan of three steps could be adopted to eradicate the polluted water.

 Promote smart agricultural practices:

Proper procedures of applying fertilizer and using techniques like biodynamic farming, which is an
advanced organic farming method gains increased consideration for its emphasis on the quality of
food and the healthy condition of soil, settling dew ponds and riparian buffer zones could certainly
assist to prevent polluted runoff from entering streams and water bodies. Animal cultivation is
another addition to the problem. Runoff from chicken raising operation for example, is a major
principal source of nutrient pollution. Accordingly, illegal and non-planned practices imposed on
animals in intense feeding operations have to be banned and [proper organized eco-friendly
strategies should be followed instead]. During the recovery process, the effective pollution hubs must
meet strict water quality standards.

 Diminish suburban runoff of lawn fertilizers and pesticides: Although, lawn

fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals are beneficial to the lawn, landscape and gardens, they
constitute certain part of pollution to the near streams, rivers and water ponds when washed by
rainwater or blown by air. Therefore, natural and organic methodology of growing lawns is preferred
in order to eliminate the lawn pollutants. The process of organic lawn care depends on establishing
the soil that feeds turf grass using a few beneficial horticultural techniques to the grass plants, and
addressing pest and weed troubles without toxic substances.

 Stop additional wetlands’ damage and recover them wherever possible:

As an ordinary known, both domestic and coastal wetlands perform to buffer courses in runoff and
to clean pollutants from runoff and flows. Yet it has been usual practice in the United States and many
other countries to allow improvement concerns to nearly constantly push towards the value of
"nature's services.’’

 Cleaning Up Chemical and Industrial Pollution

“Global toxification” is a term describes the biosphere’s chemical inundation as was called by
an US biologist Joseph Sheldon. Chemicals almost exist everywhere, in everything - "better living
through chemistry" has adversely affected the being with a critical pollution downside (Jayantha
2008). Therefore, the following steps and cautious suggestions should assist in eliminating the
problem.
 Governmental and international corporations are expected to implement some strategies.
First, set up a list of superfund sites and improve their condition, and establish a "polluter pays"
principle whereas citizens must not forever foot the bill of industry exploitation. Second, another list
of brown field site has to be set up and pollution should be cleaned at these sites and encourage
them redevelopment. Third, all remaining industrial waste-water releases to streams and rivers must
be eliminated in order to enforce a "zero emissions" strategy for the waste water from factories and
other industrial units. Fourth, adopt a precautionary rule that artificial chemicals ought to be
considered toxic unless it can be verified otherwise. This notion has already been built-in into
Europe's new "REACH" law on chemicals. Fifth, Government should afford to build water treatment
plants to filter out chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Sixth, persist the battle to prevent emissions of
acid-rain substances (sulphur and nitrogen) that acidify lakes.

 Individuals can implement some actions when it comes up to chemicals according to

Jeantheau (2008): First, acquire organic food. Second, buy green household cleaners and green self
care products. Third, use pharmaceuticals when they are extremely needed and be aware of natural
cures and the importance of good nutrition, and low stress levels for healthy body. Fourth,
discontinue all chemical pesticides uses around owned houses and yards.
16 | P a g e
  Sewage treatment and reduction
Sewage waste is rather than an end product of the natural process to body’s metabolism from
humans and animals alike, it is a cumulative mixture from kitchens and indoor wet areas like grey
water, grease, oily products and so forth. As per Ayotamuno (1993), there are lots of unclosed drains
and septic tanks in Nigeria which they expose citizens to the possibility of fallen down as well as direct
exposure to parasitic organisms, in addition to the threaten of water resources. Therefore, sewage is
highly contaminated and needs careful treatment and reduction .
As a step ahead the illustration of sustainable techniques in Nigeria, it is worthy to review – as a
literature – the traditional cleanliness concept of industrialized countries. As Otterpohl et al (1997)
discussing, the sanitation concept, traditionally, of industrialized countries turns out linear material
flow resulting accumulation and disrupts the food-water cycle (see figure 12). There are several
drawbacks of the combined flushing to be noted. Few of these disadvantages are the following: first,
nutrient losses from treatment plants exceed 20% for Nitrogen, 5% for phosphorus and over 90% for
potassium. These nutrients are discharged to be accumulated in the sea. Second, destruction of
wastewater contents requires high energy. Third, highly polluted sewage sludge is extinct from use as
fertilizer in agriculture. Fourth, high usage of water for waste’s flushing which affect the water
abundance especially in municipal areas. Fifth, operation and rehabilitation expenditures for the
sewage treatment and drainage system are fairly high. The aforementioned drawbacks drive towards
- essentially – more sustainable methodology in comparison with the traditional techniques of
treating sewage.

 Sewage treatment system

The target to be achieved is the treatment of the sewage or wastewater before entering the
surface water basins. This requires sewage treatment plants which accordingly have to be funded by
demotic government as well as international contributors who provide fund for developing countries
essential projects like as United Nations and other Non-Governmental Organizations.
A preceding step of the treatment in plants, sewage wastes has to be segregated from storm
water, by providing separate drains, before discharging into waterways. Wastewater contaminants
are categorized into the following four groups according stage they are eliminated in; first,
nonbiodegradable material “debris and grit”. Second, particulate organic substances. Third, colloidal
and
dissolved organic substances and lately, dissolved inorganic substances.

17 | P a g e
Figure 2: A diagram of wastewater treatment. Raw sewage moves from the grit chamber to undergo primary
treatment, in which sludge is removed. The clarified water then proceeds to undergo secondary treatment
here (shown as activates-sludge treatment).

The changing lifestyle of modern man is not only polluting our environment, but is also over-
utilizing our natural resources base, particularly the non-renewable resources, like metals, minerals,
and fossil fuels. Such lifestyles, involving excessive consumption of natural resources and the
increasing human’s disconnection from nature via their unwholesome environmental practices are
likely to deprive our future generations from the availability of such resources, which take millions of
years in their regeneration. All such unsustainable human actions are finally likely to cause harmful
effects on our environment, human health and may possibly lead to the extinction of man from planet
Earth. Public pressure will be developed only when the public knows the values and the importance of
the environment, and of the harmful effects being caused by the different types of human activities.
The paper discusses environmental pollution in the Niger Delta and its consequential adverse effects
on
sustainable development, stating the role of an individual in pollution mitigation. The paper argues
that environmental pollution is central to the Niger Delta problems, as it has hampered rural
economic activities and posed threat to sustainable development. The information provided here can
catalyse strategic policies upon how the individuals or group of individuals will function in a way that
truly benefits

18 | P a g e
 Such abuse by man upon the environment is termed environmental degradation or environmental
pollution. The issue of man’s insensitivity to his environment was considered so important by the
United Nation General Assembly that in 1984, it set up a body known as the World Commission on
Environment and Development (WCED) to formulate a global agenda for a positive change in this
area.
Back home in Africa, the first African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) held in
Cairo, Egypt came up with what they called the Cairo Programme for African Co-operation, which
among other things emphasized the need for backing environmental degradation or pollution In
Nigeria there exist several regulations aimed at achieving friendly activities in our environment. Some
of these laws are:
1. The Mineral Oil (safety) Regulation of 1967 which asserts that pressure vessels used in oil
field and platform installations should not standard speculated by the Department of
Petroleum Resources in line with international standard. Also, it requires that noxious or
inflammable gases should be discharged safely.
2. Oil in Navigable Water Act of 1990: The Act prohibits the discharge of oil into the territorial
or navigable inland waters from land or any apparatus used for transferring oil from or to a
tanker ship.
3. Petroleum (Drilling and production) Regulation of 1969 amended in 1973 which holds that
the licensee or lease shall adopt all practical precautions to prevent the pollution of inland
rivers, water course, the territorial water of Nigeria or the seas by oil, mud or other fluids or
substances that might cause harm to fresh water or marine life.
4. Oil Pipeline Act of 1990: This provides for a compensation to be paid by a holder of a license
to any person whose land or interest in land is injuriously affected by the exercise of the
right conferred by the licence provided such damage or injury is not an account of the
sufferers‟ own default or on account of the malicious act of a third party.
Such continued negligence on the environment prompted the setting up of United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) charged with global environmental monitoring and regulation.
Similarly, in Nigeria, Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) was established by decree No.
58 of 1998 to ensure the protection of the environment from the abuse of the oil companies. This led
to the setting of similar agencies in the states of the federation. The Agency (FEPA) became a full
fledge Ministry- Federal Ministry of Environment in 1999 saddled with the responsibility of protecting
Nigerian environment and conserving her resources as well. Other institutions set up by the
government include: Department of Petroleum Resources charged with the responsibility of ensuring
compliance to various regulations on oil. These bodies are charged with maintaining environmental
friendliness through monitoring and coordinating human activities at the international, national and
local levels. They are to sensitize and persuade individuals, groups and organizations on dangers of
less environmentally friendly attitudes and to regulate man’s activities on the environment as well.

19 | P a g e
Recommendations;

Government should allocate higher investments to environmental sanitation: Current sanitation

investment in Nigeria is less than 0.1% GDP which is lower than several estimates for what is required.
Increased investments in environmental sanitation and hygiene promotion are required not only to
realize health and welfare benefits of sanitation but also to avert large economic losses and raise the
standard of living. Also, there is need to prioritize elimination of open defecation: Open defecation
not only has higher costs than any other sanitation practice, it has considerable adverse social
impacts. Many pipeline leakages would be avoided if the pipelines are properly buried below the
ground and if ageing or damaged sections of pipelines are repaired the lives and livelihoods of now
and in the near future.

The Role of an Individual;

The individuals or groups of individuals can help in preventing environmental pollution by embarking
on the following:
1) Minimize the use of energy by avoiding all kinds of wastages, since production of energy,
especially biomass energy, causes a lot of environmental pollution. Reduced consumption of energy
will help in reducing pollution.
2) Minimize the use of motorized vehicles by sharing car pools or by travelling in public transport or
on bicycles, or on foot. Also discard the old automobiles vehicles based on outdated technologies
producing enormous pollution.
3) Avoid using aerosol sprays and commercial air fresheners, which use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
The old air-conditioners and refrigerators based on CFCs should also be discarded, as CFCs cause
damage to ozone layer.
4) Advocate and encourage organic farming through buying the organically-grown vegetables, cereals,
and fruits.
5) Reduce the use of paper products, wherever feasible. Since manufacturing of paper causes large
scale air and water pollution, economy in its use will definitely help in reducing pollution. Moreover,
since wood pulp-based paper mills consume a lot of valuable forests (which release oxygen and
absorb carbon dioxide, thereby reducing pollution) paper manufactured from such mills should be
avoided. Purchasing paper, made by agro-based-pulp-paper mills and by wastepaper-based paper
mills (i.e., recycled paper mills) will certainly help the environment.
6) Purchase eco-friendly marked products, if you can afford, even if they are costly.
7) To plant and nourish trees, gardens, and forests; besides opposing felling of trees by unscrupulous
people.
8) Avoid using modern chemical fertilizers and pesticides in your garden.
9) Promote buying of rechargeable batteries, to avoid quick and repeated discarding of non-
rechargeable batteries.
10) Reduce the use of forest wood and timber by promoting the use of Aluminium windows and door
frames instead of teak and Sal wood frames.
11) Try to carry your own cloth bag for purchasing vegetables, groceries, or other necessities of daily
life, to minimize the use of plastic carry bags.
12) Avoid using paper napkins. Use washable cloth napkins/handkerchiefs.
13) Set up a compost plant in your garden and use it to produce manure for your plants to reduce the
use of fertilizers.
14) Try to avoid the use of disposable paper and plastic glasses, plates and cups, when their washable
alternatives made of glass or stainless steel are available.

20 | P a g e
15) Get electronic and other appliances repaired, and keep and use them for as long as you can,
rather than altogether discarding them at the first go. This will reduce the need of new products,
thereby reducing their production and consequential adverse pollution effects.
16) Try to buy consumer goods in refillable glass containers instead of in cans or throwaway plastic
bottles.
17) Make the Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee of your State to wake up.

For initiating action against the industrial units or municipalities not complying with the
antipollution laws, by asking leading questions under the ‘Right to Information Act, 2005’. This will
certainly help in checking and controlling environmental pollution. If necessary and feasible, even
complaints can be lodged in competent courts against the polluting industrial units (after giving
specified notice to the central Govt.) under section 19(b) of the Environmental Protection
Act, 1986.

Conclusion

It is pertinent to note that nature sustains its inhabitants and the fate of nature depends in human
hands. Therefore, man’s survival depends on how the mother earth is sustained. This calls for
adopting an environmentally friendly attitude capable of entrenching a healthy environment able of
meeting human needs, as well as support healthy living. Such environmentally friendly attitude can be
achieved through environmental education and strict adherence to environmental laws and
regulations in the country. Man’s activities on the environment upon which he exists calls for caution
from different organization, convention and institution at local and global levels as intervention
measures aimed at checking man inhumanity to nature

During creation, God made the earth a beautiful place for man to inhabit. In the book of Isaiah
45:18, it reads, “for thus said the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth
and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited”.
Unfortunately, man’s action and inaction are destroying the mother earth which is meant to sustain
life. Hence, there is the need to put structures in place to minimize the risk or negative effects of
necessary actions of man on the environment and aid effective information dissemination on
environmentally friendly attitudes.

21 | P a g e
Reference

1. Leera Solomon, Okorite George-West and Isetima Kelsy Alalibo

Department of Science Laboratory Technology, School of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt
Polytechnic, Rumuola, P. M. B. 5936, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Table of Contents

22 | P a g e
Introduction……………………………………………………….1

Pollution
 Air
 Land
 Water
 Point- Source
 Non-point Source………………………………………… 2-9

Niger- Delta…………………………………………………………….9-10

Causes of Environmental Pollution…………………………. 11-13

Adverse Effects of Petroleum Spillage in the Marine Environment….13

Sustainable Plans and Solutions…………………………….13-19

Recommendation………………………………………………….20

The Role of an Individual…………………………………………….20-21

Conclusion………………………………………………………………….21

Reference………………………………………………………………….21

23 | P a g e