PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of rapid population growth due to uncontrolled and unplanned urbanization as it affects environmental degradation through solid waste generation in Port Harcourt Metropolis, which has brought about the problem of solid waste management to city authorities and state governmentDesign/methodology/approachThe study involved the administration of questionnaires to 76 different households with a total population of 393 persons giving an average size of 7 persons per household. Also, formal interviews with officials of relevant government departments as wells as private stakeholders in urban solid waste management were conducted. The questionnaires were designed to elicit information on the characteristics of the respondents and waste generation capacity as well as disposal methods. The data abstracted from the questionnaires were analysed using the multiple linear regression to test for the significant differences. The study period was between January 1999 to December 1999FindingsA total of 207.3 tonnes of solid waste was generated giving per capita annual waste generation rate of 0.53 tonnes equivalent to a waste generator rate of 1.45 kg of waste per capita daily. Analysis of solid waste composition was by land use types. The study showed that cartoons accounted for 16.1 percent, while papers and food remnants had 14.4 percent and 26.6 percent of total waste generated respectively.Practical implicationsAssist city dwellers tackle the problem posed by urban waste through provision of adequate infrastructure and social services.Originality/valueThe paper suggests continuous enlightenment programmes as well as employment of good technical services in the management of solid waste rather than the use of political will to tackle the problems. This work is original, as no such analysis has been carried out in Port Harcourt metropolis. The paper has provided data and knowledge upon which further research can be carried out.
The hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in Yenagoa and environs was investigated to determine the areal distribution of geochemical parameters and attempt to explain the controlling processes responsible for the various facies. Sixty water samples were collected from wells ( Borehole) at different times in both the dry season ( December to February) and the raining/wet Season ( Between May and October) and were analyzed for various parameters including pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Chlorine (Cl), Bicarbonate (HCO 3 ) and sulphate ion (SO4 2-) after standard procedures. The Data obtained from the laboratory analysis were used as variable inputs for the descriptive statistics such as mean, minimum, maximum and standard deviation. Laboratory tests were carried out on representative soil samples in accordance with British Standards (B.S) 1377, which are equivalent to the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) standards. The tests were grain size distribution analysis, permeability (using the constant and falling head permeameters) and Atterberg (consistency) limits and was conducted to enable the evaluation of the gradation, hydraulic conductivity (coefficient of permeability/ and consistency (water absorbing and adsorbing ability) properties of the soil samples, as well as their classification. Results showed that water table was generally close to the surface of the area. The first 0 to 5cm depth consist of organic clay, and essentially, the area is mostly characterized by the sandyclay and silty-clay materials. By implication, the upper clay protective layer for groundwater is thin, coupled with organic materials, biochemical oxygen demand is enhanced. Permeability and transmissivity character of the borehole indicate that if surface water is polluted in one area it can easily get transferred to other part of Yenagoa thus causing serious concern for health implication. The physico-chemical character of the groundwater reflects the hydrochemical facie of the groundwater in the study area. The most prevalent ionic concentration includes iron, calcium, magnesium, Sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate. The trend of occurrence shows the following relationship: Ca > HCO 3 > Na + > K > Mg > Cl -> SO 4 2 . Na + > K > Cl -. There is elevated occurrence of Ca 2+ > HCO 3 -> Mg 2+ ions in the groundwater beyond permissible level reflecting processes of natural rainwater recharge and water -soil/rock interaction
This work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. Author KOEU designed the study and performed the remote sensing and geo statistic analysis. Authors MCI and GTA wrote the protocol and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Author CCU reviewed and discussed further the implications of the result on the environment. Author IEO managed and reported various implications to the global climate and environmental sustainability. All authors read and approved the final manuscript Article Information
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