The quality of public sources of drinking water in oil-bearing communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

Abstract

Background:Studies carried out in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have demonstrated a link between oil exploration and poor-quality drinking water. However, many of these studies have been limited by small coverage and focus on few parameters. This study thus aimed at a comprehensive assessment of the quality of public sources of drinking water in three gas flaring and three non-gas flaring communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.Methods:A total of 13 samples were collected from the major sources of drinking water in six communities in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States, Nigeria. These were stored and transported in line with International standards to a certified environmental laboratory where physical, chemical, bacteriological and petro-chemical assessments were conducted for 27 parameters.Results:Some samples had a pH below the normal range for drinking water, with median pH value of 4.63. All chemical parameters assessed fell below the normal acceptable range with exception of magnesium which exceeded the acceptable range. There were11 samples (91.7%) with microbial contamination; total and faecal coliform demonstrated at values ranging between 15 and 90 most probably number (MPN)/100 ml for total coliform and 9 to 23 MPN/100 ml for faecal coliforms. Oil, grease and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) were identified in water samples from all communities. Values for oil and grease ranged between <0.001 and 0.015 mg/l, while TPH values were between <0.001 and 0.046 mg/l. There was no significant difference between median values in gas flaring and non-gas flaring communities.Conclusion:Distortion of physico-chemical properties, and hydrocarbon and faecal contamination of drinking water are a major challenge in oil-bearing communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria irrespective of gas flaring status. This calls for urgent interventions to improve the quality of drinking water for the people of the Niger Delta.

Novel metric for managing the protection of humanity and the environment against pollution and its adverse effects

“…Ogbonna, Ekweozor and Igwe (2002) 2018reported that there is urgent need to ensure regular supply of potable water to the people in the oil producing communities of the Niger Delta because their right to water is being violated as they are compelled to drink polluted water. Maduka and Ephraim-Emmanuel (2019) reported that crude oil exploration and associated harmful activities such as oil spills and gas-flaring have adversely affected the health of the people and the biological, economic and socio-cultural life of the oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta. Adeola et al (2015) reported that drinking water sampled from water boreholes in Eliozu community, Rivers state were contaminated and he recommended regular monitoring of the physico-chemical properties of groundwater sources in Eliozu and other parts of the Niger Delta to ensure safe drinking water for the people.…”

“…Amnesty international (2018) reported that there is urgent need to ensure regular supply of potable water to the people in the oil producing communities of the Niger Delta because their right to water is being violated as they are compelled to drink polluted water. Maduka and Ephraim-Emmanuel (2019) reported that crude oil exploration and associated harmful activities such as oil spills and gas-flaring have adversely affected the health of the people and the biological, economic and socio-cultural life of the oil bearing communities in the Niger Delta. Adeola et al.…”

Comparing Household Environmental Health Indicators between Oil-bearing and Non-oil-bearing Communities in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

“…23, 24] There is need for major improvements in making domestic potable water available to the populace to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of improving water availability, accessibility, quality, and utilization study found surface water and water vendors to be the second most common source of water in non-oil-bearing and oil-bearing communities, respectively. This may be because oil exploration activities have been shown to pollute surface water resulting in a myriad of health problems [25][26][27] and environmental pollution There is need for the enforcement of the laws and penalties that protect the environment from pollution [29][30][31].…”

Exposure and Public Health Effects of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

“…13 In Nigeria, these environmentally deleterious activities such as deposition of industrial waste containing harmful petroleum effluents, gas flaring, and so on still go on despite having constitutional basis (eg, section 3 of the "Associated Gas Reinjection Act" of Nigeria) that makes them illegal. 14,15 Many PAHs possess the capacity to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, bioaccumulative, toxic, and persistent in the environment for long periods of time. They have thus come to be regarded as potentially harmful to the environmental and seen as a source of public health concern.…”