ABSTRACT
For a total period of four
months, effluent, water and soil samples were collected on a monthly basis from
an industrial area in Nnewi in Anambra State in order to determine their
constituents. A total of twenty six parameters were analyzed for effluents and
water, while a total of fourteen parameters were analyzed for soil. The result
showed that effluents from the industry (Promotex) contained a number of
contaminants which contaminate the soil and nearby river. Correlation technique
was used to determine the degree of relationship between nitrate content and
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) values of the effluents and water; and to
determine the degree of relationship between the pH values and the Arsenic
content of the soil. There was a generally low negative correlation for all the
months for the effluents(-0.58,-0.07,-0.09,and 0.47 respectively for July,
August, September and October) and soil (-0.03,-0.66.and- 0.54 for July, August
and October respectively) except for the month of September (0.06) that had a
very low positive correlation between the pH and Conductivity values of the
soil. The student t-test with N+ N- 2 degree of freedom was used to test for
the null hypothesis that there is no significance difference between the
Alkalinity and Chloride contents of the effluents and water. The environmental
implications established that Ele River as well as the soil in the area is
polluted at varying levels by effluents from the industry and surrounding
environment.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1.
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Industrial
revolution describes the period of transition from an agricultural society,
devoid of mechanization, to a society that is based on industry. This results
to an increase in technological and economic activities. The origin of
industrial development is traceable to the industrial revolution in the 18th
century (Abduli, 1996). Industrial revolution applies to a set of technical,
economic and social changes associated with a rapid development of industry.
Industrial revolution was a term used to describe changes in the British
industry. These changes were in the transformation of the coal, iron and
textile industries; the mechanization of cotton and woolen industries and the
use of steam power. Britain is therefore regarded as the first country to
undergo full-scale industrialization. It changed the structure of the British
economy. The social and economic relations of the people were affected.
Generally, industrial revolution in itself is the shift, at different times in
different countries, from a traditionally agricultural based economy to one
based on the mechanized production of manufactured goods in large- scale
enterprises (Mato,and . Kasceva 1999).
Every nation
strives to industrialize by working towards greatest degree of self-sufficiency
within its bounds. To achieve industrialization successfully, countries need a
highly productive agricultural sector; functioning markets; a stable government
and a conducive socio-political environment and institutional framework. Such
successful industrialization will depend to a very large extent on the degree
of utilization of locally available raw materials and other inputs, including
local manpower.
Industrial activities are not
recent in Nigerian history. The Nigerian economy started as a peasant
subsistence agricultural economy. Nigeria depended on her cash crops to satisfy
the needs of the British colonial masters. By the late 1950s, regional
government and needs promoted regional competition and cash crop development.
Marketing boards were established to pursue agricultural commodity exports.
From the East flowed rivers of palm
oil; from the North, pyramids of groundnut, while in the West were warehouses
full of bags of cocoa beans. All these were exported in their raw and
unprocessed form.
With the discovery
of oil in 1956 by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Nigeria’s
dependence shifted from cash crop economy to an “oil” mono-economy. Oil then
accounted for over 90 percent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange. This ushered in
the oil boom era. With the crashing of oil prices in the early 1980s,
Structural Adjustment became inevitable as Nigeria found it difficult to meet
her obligations. The naira began its decline. Local industries became expensive
to run. Consequently, there was massive reliance on imported goods. Sequel to
this, the Research Department of National Institute for Policy and Strategic
Studies made some recommendations on the restructuring of Nigeria’s industrial
policy.
The experience of industrial
activities in Nnewi is not different from the national experience. Nnewi people
started with peasant subsistence farming, palm produce trading and
transportation business and commercial apprenticeship.
According to the
records of the Nnewi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture
(NCCIMA) there were 40 registered members in 1992. This number rose to 118 by
1995. The period of 1984-1995 witnessed a high growth in the establishment of
industries. A significant number of those industries are still in existence,
and their activities greatly increased. The increased industrial activities
gave rise to industrial pollution.
Industrial pollution is
considered one of the major issues in environmental protection. Industries
contribute to the pollution of the environment, especially in the absence of
regulations that force manufacturers to reduce their hazardous impact.
1.2.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Industrialization
leads to rapidly expanding employment opportunities, a rise of national income
per capita, changes in the distribution of income, changes in the domestic
living and working condition, changes in social conduct and convention and an
overall significant impact on the health and stability of the economy. However,
industries contribute to the pollution of the environment through the discharge of hazardous wastes. These pose potential hazard
to humans, plants and animals.
Nnewi is a densely
populated town, rich in both commercial and industrial activities. Over the
last ten years, it has fastly grown from a village to an urban centre. The
rapid urbanization of the town is not without its attendant problems, there is
visible urban decay. Urban Development Authorities have not been regulating
developmental activities. A major consequence is that industries spring up
indiscriminately in all parts of the town without regulation. Production and
waste generation go on uncontrollably leading to massive pollution of both
water and land resources. PROMOTEX is an example of one such industrial
establishment located at the centre of the town. It produces soap and cosmetics
and discharges its effluents untreated into the Ele River, a major link to
other sources of potable water in the town.
Over the years, successive
changes have been observed around this Ele River. These observations have
stimulated the interest to undertake this study. Consequent upon this, there is
need to study the impact of these effluents on the environment.
1.3.
SCOPE OF STUDY
The study spanned a period of 4 months (July to October).
Soil analysis and effluent analysis were carried out. A total of 26 Parameters
were analyzed for the effluent, while a total of 14 Parameters were analyzed
for the soil.
1.4.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
AIM: The
aim of this study is to characterize the effluent wastes from PROMOTEX
industry and ascertain its impact on pollution of the Ele River and its
immediate environment.
OBJECTIVES: In order to achieve
the aim of the study, the following objectives were pursued. The
specific objectives were to:
1.
ascertain the raw materials and
production processes employed at PROMOTEX industry
2.
establish the physiochemical
constituents of effluents from PROMOTEX
3.
establish the extent of pollutant
inload and determine the impact of untreated effluents
from PROMOTEX on the soil and surface water quality of the area.
1.5.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The availability of baseline data of pollutant indices is
essential for waste management, facility monitoring and environmental
regulation.
The study
will aid Policy makers in making policies that will protect the environment
from industrial activities, while still encouraging industrialization.
Environmental Managers will also find the study useful in the management of the
environment with a view to ensuring sustainable development.
Future researchers will find
the study useful. The methodology that will be adopted will serve as a basic
guide for subsequent researches. The research will also help to create
environmental awareness of both the government and the people.
1.6.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The
study has the following limitations:
(a)
FINANCE: Huge amount of money was
needed to carry out a more detailed research. The researcher therefore limited
the work to the confines of her financial ability.
(b)
TIME: There is need to carry out
study across the two seasons of the year, but time constraint limited the work
to four months.
1.7.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The conceptual framework that
was used is the hydrogeopollution cycle. Hydrogeopollution cycle looks at
cyclicity of hydrogeochemical pollutants via the hydrologic cycle. This cycle
explains the cyclic movement of water in the outer part of the earth and
reservoirs or the “storage tanks” where water may be held in varying lengths of
time (Egboka et al. 1989, Nnodu and Ilo, 2000). As the water body moves in a
cycle, it carries along with it, from point to point, the geochemical elements
of nature as shown in figure I.
When effluents are discharged
from industries, they find their way into surface waters through runoff and
consequently pollute these water bodies. Some of the effluents sip into the
soil thereby impacting on the land.
Since a
large number of industries are concentrated in Nnewi North Local Government
Area, and effluents from these industries are released to the various sections
of the environment, there is no doubt; these resultant geochemical elements are
circulated from one point of the hydrological cycle or the other. Therefore, a
research of this type was due for the area.
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Item Type: Project Material | Size: 49 pages | Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word | Delivery: Within 30Mins.
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