TITLE:
Impact of Oil and Gas Activities on Acidity of Rain and Surface Water of Niger Delta, Nigeria: An Environmental and Public Health Review
AUTHORS:
John Kanayochukwu Nduka, Vincent Nwalieji Okafor, Isaac Omoche Odiba
KEYWORDS:
Precursor Gases, Acid Precipitation, Natural Receptors, Gas Flaring, Environmental Pollution, Public Health, Niger Delta, Nigeria
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.7 No.4,
March
30,
2016
ABSTRACT: Acidic aerosols
resulting from gas flaring and refinery operations in the Niger Delta are a
serious environmental and public health concern. Several thousand tons of flue
gas components (dust particles, SOx, CO and NOx)
are released into the atmosphere by flaring billions of cubic meters of natural
gas, refining and volatilizing the spilt oil. Heat wave is generated by flaring
travels several meters away from flare points, destroying crops, farm lands,
exotic species that are hunters delight while causing extinction of fragile
soil flora and fuana. The occurrence of acid rain in the region implies that
the natural receptors of the area are the final recipient of land and
atmospheric pollutants. In effect, the water needs and public health of the
populace are greatly impeded. Nitric and sulphuric acids are regarded as the
sole contributors of nitrate and sulphate in precipitation influenced by
combusted hydrocarbons: fine nitrate aerosols that dissolve in rain water are
conversion products of NO2 that arise from flaring,
power plants and motor vehicles. Scientific evidence has shown that rain water
and surface water quality in the Niger Delta can accentuate the poor health
burden, and may be perpetuated through generations unborn. Diagnostic health
risk assessment has revealed that drinking nitrate contaminated water may be
associated with spontaneous miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, adult malignant
lymphomas, soft tissues sarcomas, cancers and lesions with added health burden
associated with heavy metals and other ions. All these pose public health
emergency and may significantly entrench health risk for generations to come.
Therefore, this manuscript is intended to close certain gaps that were not
covered by toxicological information and available data on environmental and
food contamination and human internal exposure: it will serve as a continuous
reminder and a useful guide to public health policy makers, workers and
community based physicians.