TITLE:
Effect of Gas Flaring on Soil and Cassava Productivity in Ebedei, Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Morrison Ifeanyi Atuma, Vincent Nduka Ojeh
KEYWORDS:
Gas Flaring; Soil; Cassava Productivity; Ebedei
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.4 No.10,
September
30,
2013
ABSTRACT:
The threat to human, fauna and flora
life posed by pollution due to gas flaring cannot be over-emphasized. Gas
flared often resulted in some environmental degradation, one of such influence
is soil pollution and poor crop yield. This study examined the effect of gas
flaring on soil and cassava productivity in Ebedei, Ukwuani LGA, Delta State.
For the purpose of data collection, five (5) experimental sites were
systematically selected around the flare site in Ebedei and a control site at
Obiaruku. Soil samples were collected at
surface 0 - 10 cm and 10 - 20 cm at distance of 50 m, 100 m, 150 m, 200 m and 250 m apart respectively away from the
bund wall of the flare. The data generated were analysed using multiple
regression and paired t-test analyses. The study revealed that the soils found
in Ebedei have high composition of sand and soil temperature and are acidic.
The soil electrical conductivity, Phosphorous, Nitrogen, Potassium and Sodium
were very low. More so, the yield of cassava increases with a corresponding
increase in distances from flare site. The first hypothesis revealed that there
is significant variation in soil nutrients as distance increases from gas flare
sites. This is evident from F value of 234.99 which is greater than the
critical table value of 4.39. Furthermore, as flare distance increases, so also
the organic carbon, electrical conductivity and Nitrogen increase. The second hypothesis
revealed that there is a significant difference in cassava yield at gas-flared
area and the non-flared area which is evident at t (6.032) is greater than the
critical table (1.895) at P 0.05. It is
therefore recommended that Government and FEPA should enact environmental
Policies and revisit and review existing environmental and oil drilling laws in
Nigeria with a view of updating them to international and environmental
friendly standards.