Quality water not everywhere: Exploratory Analysis of Water Quality Across Ebocha-Obrikom Oil and Gas Flaring Area in the Core Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Abstract

Background:In Rivers State, Nigeria, Indigenous communities of Ebocha-Obrikom have nearly worst drinking water quality in the province with concerns extending from worsening water quality to deficiency of support from oil companies operating in the environment. The minute water is suspected, or recognized of being unsafe or hazardous to human consumption, community people are likely to be positioned under a wasted health.Objectives:To compare water quality parameters in the vicinity of Gas Flaring Area of Ebocha-Obrikom of Rivers State with that of the recommended standards.Methods:The research utilized standard analytical procedures. All sampling, conservation, transportation and analysis followed standard procedures described in APHA (2012). All the samples collected were transported to the laboratory through keeping in an icebox to prevent degradation of the organic substances.Results:Result depicts that Turbidity, DO, BOD, COD, TSS, Magnesium, Iron, Cadmium, Lead, Chromium, and Nickel exceeded the desirable limit meant for drinking purpose as well as could potentially pose threats toward human society. Hence, remain unsuitable for drinking, as the inhabitants were more vulnerable for their total lifetime period of exposure through continuous consumption of unsuitable drinking water.Conclusion:It is recommended that the local government environmental health officers and other regulatory agencies frequently monitor the levels of these pollutants within the area and also ensure strict adherence to guidelines to ensure a healthy environment. As exposure to the above stated parameters can have a remarkable impact on human health living in the vicinity of the gas flaring area by drinking water around the study area; thus, groundwater needs to treated before using for household purpose or drinking. Thus, this study would help in decision making for stakeholders and relevant authorities in the execution of reasonable groundwater management strategies and remediation plans in the area to protect public and environmental health.

Many Oil Wells, One Evil: Potentially toxic metals concentration, seasonal variation and Human Health Risk Assessment in Drinking Water Quality in Ebocha-Obrikom Oil and Gas Area of Rivers State, Nigeria

“…The copyright holder for this this version posted November 11, 2021. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.06.21266005 doi: medRxiv preprint Raimi et al, 2019c;Morufu et al, 2021a). Contaminants leaching into groundwater as well as runoff threatened the availability of safe drinking water (SDG 6) (see table 1 below).…”

“…The copyright holder for this this version posted November 11, 2021. ; https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.06.21266005 doi: medRxiv preprint resource for agriculture, human development, industry and that it can contribute to economic progress and meet a variety of societal demands Raimi et al, 2019a;Raimi et al, 2019d;Olalekan et al, 2021;Morufu et al, 2021a). The United Nations (UN) considers water access as well as sanitation to remain a human rights problem, with everyone entitles to adequate, acceptable, safe, physically-accessible and inexpensive water for personal as well as household purposes (Olalekan et al, 2018a;Raimi et al, 2019a;Olalekan et al, 2019a;Raimi et al, 2019d;.…”

“…About 100 million barrels of oil as well as 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas are produced daily by the industry. Thus, from operations of the oil and gas, exploration to manufacturing, storing as well as transporting products, can have a significant environmental impact (Morufu et al, 2021a). Consequentially, it's possible that it will have an effect on human health, biotic as well as abiotic or cultural heritage sites on a local or regional level (Raimi and Sabinus, 2017a;Premoboere and Raimi, 2018;Deinkuro et al, 2021;Morufu et al, 2021c;Olalekan et al, 2021).…”

“…Consequentially, it's possible that it will have an effect on human health, biotic as well as abiotic or cultural heritage sites on a local or regional level (Raimi and Sabinus, 2017a;Premoboere and Raimi, 2018;Deinkuro et al, 2021;Morufu et al, 2021c;Olalekan et al, 2021). While, the area plays host to over 100 oil wells, 9 gas flaring sites, an oil and gas gathering centre, a gas plant, a gas to power plants and several hundreds of kilometers of oil and gas pipelines all located within an area of less than 250 km 2 (Morufu and Clinton, 2017;Raimi and Sabinus, 2017b;Olalekan et al, 2018b;Olalekan et al, 2020a;Morufu et al, 2021a). Niger Delta region has a difficult terrain, and as such all kinds of environmental pollution is quite high (Olalekan et al, 2018b;Premoboere and Raimi, 2018;Olalekan et al, 2020a).…”

“…Exposure to cadmium as well as hydrocarbon (benzene) is classified as very carcinogenic for humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Additionally, groundwater pollution is probable to contain very harmful substances resulting from industrial production, such as lead, prior epidemiological research has indicated that main lead health outcomes include cancer as well as congenital malformation and have been found to be statistically associated with exposure to groundwater pollutions (Morufu and Clinton, 2017;Raimi and Sabinus, 2017b;Premoboere and Raimi, 2018;Olalekan et al, 2018b;Olalekan et al, 2020a;Deinkoro et al, 2021;Morufu et al, 2021a). Arsenic, chromium, fluoride, barium, boron, selenium as well as uranium are all common geogenic chemicals that have health implications in drinking water (WHO, 2011;Olalekan et al, 2018b;Olalekan et al, 2020a), nonetheless arsenic (As) as well as fluoride (F) have received the maximum attention owing to their toxicity as well as widespread distribution (Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002;Deinkuro et al, 2021).…”