INDUSTRIALIZATION AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES GENERATION AND WATER QUALITY OF THE WATER TABLE IN PORT HARCOURT

THE IMPACT OF INDUSTRIALIZATION AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE GENERATION ON THE WATER QUALITY OF THE WATER TABLE OF PORT HARCOURT

The aim of this proposed study will be to investigate the impact of industrialization and industrial waste generation on the water quality of the water table of Port Harcourt.

To achieve this, the objectives of the proposed study shall include to:

1. Investigate what nature of industrial waste is generated on daily basis by companies and industries operating in Port Harcourt
2. Scrutinize the disposal technique adopted by these companies in disposing of their wastes to see if they are in compliance with laid down international procedures and standard
3. Accumulate water samples from sample points scattered within Port Harcourt in other to test the groundwater quality vis-à-vis industrial waste generated within the vicinity
4. Study impact of gas flaring on the water table quality
5. Examine if there are existing government legislation and policies, as well as to ascertain the level of enforcement and compliance

OTHER RELATED PROJECT TOPICS HERE

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Groundwater is a valuable resource often used for industry, commerce, agriculture, and most importantly for drinking. Often, the raw water used for domestic purposes is vulnerable to contamination due to human influence resulting in pollution. Groundwater pollution is mainly due to the process of industrialization and urbanization that has progressively developed over time without any regard for environmental consequences (Longe and Balogun, 2010). In recent times, the impact of leachate on groundwater and other water resources has attracted a lot of attention because of its overwhelming environmental significance. Leachate migration from wastes sites or landfills and the release of pollutants from sediments (under certain conditions) pose a high risk to the groundwater resources if not adequately managed (Ikem et al., 2002).

Groundwater is refilled from the surface water naturally and, as a natural cycle, it eventually flows back to the surface in various ways either naturally, as with springs and oceans, or artificially through man-induced means crudely or technologically like water wells and mechanically pumping out water for domestic and industrial usage. Largely, groundwater is harnessed for agricultural, municipal, domestic, and industrial use by constructing and operating extraction channels called wells. As Sudarsanaet al. (2013) acknowledged, water plays an important role in the promotion of human health and agricultural production. And according to the United States Geological Survey (2013), many municipal supplies of water are derived solely from groundwater. This too is true for underdeveloped regions of the world where electromechanical water sources are provided for personal or community consumption. These revilements are called boreholes.

The groundwater, according to Freeze and Cherry (1979), maybe from infiltrating precipitation or from groundwater of another level from into the aquifer. In areas with sufficient rainfall, as with Port Harcourt, water passes through the unsaturated zone of the soil through pore spaces in it. As the depth beneath the Earth surface increases, the infiltrating water fills up the pores in the soils until the saturation zone is reached. The quality of groundwater is impacted by the quality of the refill in the water cycle. Dash and Sahoo (2013) observed that rapid industrialization, urbanization, and population growth have put tremendous pressure on the degradation of both surface and groundwater quality. Udom et al. (2015) noted that both geogenic and anthropogenic reasons are responsible for groundwater quality degradation. In Port Harcourt metropolis in particular, due to the high-density industrial activities of oil-related operations going and the surging population with commercial activities resulting in other forms of industrial waste, the major source of pollution of the water table is industrial waste.

Maczulak (2010) defines industrial waste as wastes produced by industrial activities which include materials rendered useless during an industrial activity like a manufacturing process. These wastes are those of factories, operational byproducts like oil exploration and drilling, mills, and mining. Such industrial wastes include chemical solvents, industrial by-products, paints, metals, and radioactive wastes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011), industrial waste containing toxic or non-conventional pollutants requires specialized treatment systems. While other industrial waste like those of conventional pollutants as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) can be treated by sewage treatment plants.

Port Harcourt as a location was founded in 1912. (Hudgens and Trillo, 2003) The then colonial administration of Nigeria created the port for the exportation of coal from the collieries of Enugu which is located 243km due north of Port Harcourt, to which it was linked by a railway built by the same administration. (Udo, 1970; Williams, 2008) Following the discovery of crude oil in 1956, Port Harcourt has experienced a major activity surge as it has a large number of multinationals as well as other allied industrial concerns. According to the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (2006), Port Harcourt is the chief oil-refining city in Nigeria. And so with it comes industrial-related challenges as industrial waste generation. These wastes generated do not have a well-designed disposal strategy due to the weak nature of environmental policies to regulate waste handling resulting from activities.

Coupled with the weak nature of government policies both at national and state to mitigate against improper waste handling and regulate its disposal, Port Harcourt experiences serious lab our inflow both from within and outside Nigeria due to the concentration of numerous industries ranging from large scale ones such as oil and gas prospecting industries like Shell, Chevron, Total E&P, Elf, Agip, Con oil, Oando, NNPC, and the refinery; cement factories such as Ibeto cement, Eagle cement; petrochemical and fertilizer companies like Indorama and Notre (Formerly NAFCON); petroleum-servicing companies like Magcoba, Halliburton, Geofluids; as well as other land and sea companies.

As with any other part of the world (Miller, 1996), the health of the population in Port Harcourt is dependent strictly on the environment. And one major component of any environment is the source of water. Relating with Udeh (1996) on his observation concerning the localization of industries in developing cities of the world, the location of industries in Port Harcourt has made water pollution, air pollution and hazardous wastes to be pressing environmental problems. Nwanchukwu (2000) noted that in most of the industries located in the Trans-Amadi layout, varieties of activities such as grinding, molding, welding, cutting, and painting of materials or products are going on with the residence and the environment paying the price. Furthermore, Imeshore (2002) reported that the activities of oil prospecting and other industries result in pollution resulting from gas flaring, continuous and constant oil spills, industrial effluents which affect the ecosystems.

1.2 Statement of Problem

A wide range of pollutants always associates with the existence of industries during the transformation of brawn materials into industrial finished products at the various stages of the process. Such operations of oil-and-gas-prospecting industries, petrochemical industries, fertilizer production industries, food and beverage industries, breweries and fermentation industries, pharmaceuticals, road construction industries, and cement manufacturing industries generate overwhelming pollutants that seriously endanger the health and wellbeing of the people. This is particularly noticeable within the geographic vicinity where these industries are situation, the operations/productions are carried out, and where the wastes are disposed of. (Okpakoad Berewari, 2014) Also, Udoka (2000) revealed that as part of industrial growth, wastes are growing in quantity and becoming more varied, toxic, and difficult to dispose or degrade, and densities in cities and around where industrial activities take place in developing nations far surpass those of developed nations, hence a potentially much greater number of people are exposed to pollutants and its effect in the developing nations. Thus is truly the case in a country like Nigeria, and Port Harcourt, the hub and oil and gas exploration activities, in particular.

The pollutants are even more injurious if they not all biodegradable, as with some radioactive pollutants used for oil-related exploration activities. These nature of pollutants tend to have a long-term impact on the environment and groundwater quality through infiltration from the topsoil to the hydrogeologic zone. Also quite dangerous is the formation of acid rain and other toxic soluble chemicals surface waters resulting from gas flaring. Sagay (2001) stated that comparative statistics of gas flaring worldwide puts Nigeria far above as the greatest victim of the ‘crime’. The study referenced a report if World Bank (1995) that ranked Nigeria distant top with 76% of her gas (including non-associated gas) produced in oil-exploration operations flared uninhibited. The closest to Nigeria was Saudi Arabia with 20% gas flared, while at fourth was Mexico with just 5% gas flaring. The majority of hydrocarbons related operations in the Niger Delta subregion takes place in Rivers State with huge operational bases in Port Harcourt.

These and many more industrial operations as a result of the oil boom impact hugely on the environment and the resulting water quality.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of this proposed study will be to investigate the impact of industrialization and industrial waste generation on the water quality of the water table of Port Harcourt.

To achieve this, the objectives of the proposed study shall include to:

1. Investigate what nature of industrial waste is generated on daily basis by companies and industries operating in Port Harcourt
2. Scrutinize the disposal technique adopted by these companies in disposing of their wastes to see if they are in compliance with laid down international procedures and standard
3. Accumulate water samples from sample points scattered within Port Harcourt in other to test the groundwater quality vis-à-vis industrial waste generated within the vicinity
4. Study impact of gas flaring on the water table quality
5. Examine if there are existing government legislation and policies, as well as to ascertain the level of enforcement and compliance

1.4 Research Questions

To help with the direction of the proposed study, the following research questions have been formulated:

1. Do industrial waste have any impact on the underground water quality of the surrounding environment?
2. Are there specific kinds of industrial wastes that interfere with the groundwater quality or its generally all industrial wastes?
3. Can industrial wastes be treated before going out into the environment in other to reduce their environmental impacts?
4. How can recycling be adopted in the treatment and handling of industrial waste in Port Harcourt?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses have been formulated for use with the proposed study:

H.₀₁: industrial waste does not significantly impact the water quality of the water table.

H.₀₂: Industrial waste cannot be significantly treated nor recycled so they do not have an impact on the water table.

1.6  Significance of the Study

This study when completed will be significant in the following ways:

1. It will help in bringing to large consciousness and awareness the impact of industrial activities, waste generation, and its impact on the groundwater in Port Harcourt
2. It will provide relevant authorities and the populace with an informed blueprint that can be implemented for better industrial waste handling and disposal
3. The suggestions that will be made can lead to the creation of economic avenue as more manpower will be trained and employed to carry out such operations
4. The study will to an extent help mitigate environmental degradation while at the same time checking economic waste
5. More private-sector jobs mean more sources of funding for the government for infrastructure and development resulting from tax

1.7  Scope of the Study

The scope of this study shall be limited to industrial wastes generation and disposal techniques within Port Harcourt and environs and its effect on the quality of the groundwater (water table) as consumed by the inhabitants. The water quality index for the sampled water will be computed and compared with acceptable standards. Furthermore, a relationship will be established between the proximity of water source (depicting the water table quality) and sites for discharge of industrial wastes.