CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION: HOW SIGNIFICANT IS
THE LOCAL CONTRIBUTION?
AN INAUGURAL LECTURE,
2014/2015
PERCY CHUKS O.N, IANWA
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN
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CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION: HOW SIGNIFICANT IS
THE LOCAL CONTRIBUTION?
An inaugural lecture delivered
at the University of Ibadan
on Thursday, 7May, 2015
By
PERCY CHUKS ONIANWA
Professor of AnalyticalJEnvironmental Chemistry
Faculty of Science
University of Ibadan
Ibadan, Nigeria.
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Ibadan University Press
Publishing House
University of Ibadan
Ibadan, Nigeria.
© University of Ibadan, 2015
Ibadan, Nigeria
First Published 2015
All Rights Reserved
ISBN: 978 - 978 - 8456-79-7
Printed by: 1badan University Printery
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•
The Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administra-
tion), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), The Registrar and
other Principal Officers, Provost of the College of Medicine,
Dean of the Faculty of Science, Deans of other Faculties and
Postgraduate School, Dean of Students, Distinguished Ladies
and Gentlemen.
Preamble
I belong to the Department of Chemistry, that unique
Department where even as a Professor, one may never have
the opportunity of becoming the Head of Department before
retiring! We can deduce easily from this that this opportunity
of my giving this second inaugural lecture of the 20l4t15
session on behalf of the Faculty of Science, is a chance and
rare priviledge for which I am thankful to God, my Dean and.
my Head of Department. My lecture is the lih to be delivered
from the Department of Chemistry since its inception.
Our Department of Chemistry is organised into five
specialist units: Analytical, Industrial, Inorganic, Organic and
Physical. I belong to and currently coordinate the Analytical
Chemistry unit which consists of ten lecturers out of the
forty-two in the whole Department. The sub-discipline of
Analytical Chemistry harnesses the subject matter of the other
sub-disciplines towards the development of new analytical
methods/techniques, and the assessment and improvement of
existing ones. The other chemistry specialisations on the
other hand employ the chemical analytical techniques in their
operations. Details of the functions of analytical chemists and
growth of the Analytical Chemistry unit in the Department
_has already been reviewed by Prof. Oladele Osibanjo in his
2008 inaugural lecture which was the first from the
Analytical unit. Mine is the second from that unit.
In addition to fundamental research involving analytical
methods development, most analytical chemists usually have
another primary area of interest to which the analytical'
techniques are applied. Thus, we have special application
interests in food analysis, drug analysis, environmental
samples analysis, and so on. I belong to the group which
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specialises in environmental chemistry. My first exposure to
research in Environmental Analytical Chemistry was as a
final year project student of Professor Osibanjo during the
1971/78 academic session. I subsequently returned for the
Masters programme in Analytical Chemistry and was
supervised by Prof. S.O. Ajayi. My PhD programme was
jointly supervised by Professors S.O. Ajayi and O. Osibanjo
of the Department of Chemistry, along with Professor A.
Egunyomi of the Department of Botany, on the use of
bioindicators for monitoring atmospheric .heavy metal
pollution. From then, these three eminent professors had
shaped the direction of my future research.
Chemical Environmental Pollution
A more generalised definition of the term 'pollution' may be
adapted from that of the Joint Group of Experts on the
Scientific Aspect of Marine Pollution (GESAMP). By this,
"Pollution is the introduction by man, directly or indirectly,
of substances or energy into the natural environment,
resulting in such deleterious effects as harm to living
resources, hazards to human health, impairment of quality of
ecological media and limitation of their use, and damage to
physical infrastructure with consequent economic loss". My
lecture is expectedly limited only to the introduction of
chemical substances that possess any of the usual
characteristics of substances classified as hazardous; i.e.
substances that may be explosive, flammable, spontaneously
combustible, poisonous, corrosive, toxic, ecotoxic,
powerfully oxidising, or capable of liberating toxic gases
when in contact with air or water (UNEP 2006).
Chemical environmental pollution began to attract global
attention, particularly in the developed countries, only after
the second world war, from the 1950s. This was catalysed by
the numerous incidents of the period, such as the severe
deterioration of air quality as evident in the catastrophic
London smog and the Donora (USA) smog, the Minamata
tragedy, and the palpable fear of radiation contamination
from DllC1ear sesctors and we&flOfI§ teete. Rapid illdtIg(ffai
development following the war years only aggravated the
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· ,
environmental problems in the 1960s and 1970s, and drastic
protection-related laws and regulations were quickly enacted
by most of the developed world nations. A classical example
of such regulations is the 1970 USA Clean Air Act (Gerard
and Lave 2005).
Chemical pollution can affect every environmental media,
mcluding air, surface water, ground water, sediment, soil,
subsoil and biota. The complex interaction amongst these
components ensures that the contamination of one often
results in subsequent contamination of some or all others. The
most important sources of pollution have been well
recognized to be anthropogenic activities related to energy
generation and use, transportation, waste disposal,
agriculture, industrial production, civil constructions, and
household domestic activities. A minor contribution to
chemical contamination may also result from non-
anthropogenic phenomena such as volcanic emissions, forest
fires and biogenic emissions.
A wide range of chemical pollutants are known to have
deleterious effects on human health (table 1).
Epidemiological statistics related to toxic chemical pollution
can be somewhat staggering. A 2012 report by the
Blacksmith Institute (now known as "Pure Earth" from
March 2015), an international. not-for-profit organisation
dedicated to pollution control in developing countries,
indicates that about 125 million people are at risk from toxic
pollution across 49 low to middle-income countries. Of these,
about 20 million are children, who unfortunately are usually
most susceptible to the impacts of chemical pollution. The
World Health Organisation (WHO) has also reported that
globally in 2004, 4.9 million deaths (8.3 per cent of total) and
86 million disability-adjusted life years (DAL Ys, which
address a blend of death and disease impact) (5.7 per cent of
total) were attributable to exposure to selected chemicals for
which data were available. It regards this as being
underestimated (Pruss-Ustun et al. 2011) as data was not
available for quite a number of important chemical
substances.
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Table 1: Health Outcomes and Examples of Suspected or Confirmed Linkages to Chemicals
Health effect Suspected or. Examples (not comprehensive)
Confirmed '
Number of
Chemicals '0 --), .
Asthma (via non- .j N!A inorganics (chlorine, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid); other
respiratory sensitization) organics (ethylene oxide);
-" pesticides (acephate, diazinon, malathion, safrotin)
Cancer 1070 aromatics (benzene);
aromatic amines (benzidine, 4,4' -methylenebis 2-chloroaniline);
'" . combustion byproducts (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin,
polyaromatic hydrocarbons);
. fibers/dust (asbestos, silica); halogenated compounds (methylene
- chloride, trichloroethylene); inorganics (sulfuric acid); .
, metals (arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel);
other organics (butadiene, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde); pesticides
(chlordane, DDT)
i;;~:,.: ..;~-•." ;)
Diabetes N/A combustion byproducts (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin);
metals (arsenic),
pesticides (N-2-pyridlmethyl-N'p-nitrophenyl urea)
'';:,'
",-'.
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. ",-
Table 1 contd.
466 aromatics (benzene); halogenated compounds (carbon tetrachloride,
pentatchloroethane );
.'< metals (beryllium, chromium compounds, mercury, nickel and
compounds);
" other organics (methanol, methyl butyl ketone);
~., pesticides (aldrin, DDT, dieldrin, mipafox, leptophos, cyanofenphos)
Neurotoxicity 201 • aromatics (benzene, toluene);
~.; halogenated compounds (trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride);
~..:. inorganics ( hydrogen sulfphide, phosphorus);
metals (arsenic and compounds, lead and compounds, manganese
and compounds, methylmercury, tin compounds); pesticides (aldrin,
carbofuran, chlorpyrifos, coumaphos, diazinon, endosulphan, endrin,
", fonofos);
phthalates ( dibutyl phthalate);
other organics (caprolactum, cumene, ethylene, ethylene glycol,
ethylene oxide, methanol, polychlorinated biphenyls)
,-
Reproductive Toxicity (e.g. 261 halogenated compounds (l-bromopropane, 2-bromopropane); metals
Impaired Fertility, Birth (chromium and compounds, cobalt and compounds, lead and
Defects) ." compounds, mercury);
phthalates (dibutyl phthalate, di(2-ethylehexyl)phthalate (DEHP),
benzylbutylphthlate); other organics (n-hexane); pesticides (1,2-
dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), mirex)
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Table J contd.
Skin Burns/Irritation; 867 isocyanates (chlorophenylisocyanate , hexamethylene diisocyanate,
methyl isocyanate, methylene bisphenyl isocyanate, naphthylene
Serious Eye Irritation! 892 diisocyanate) ;
Damage; other organics (caprolactam, hydroxylamine);
pesticides (guazatine, dodemorph, paraquat dichloride, sabadilla)
Respiratory Irritation 224
Skin Sensitizers (e.g. 997 acid anhydrides (maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, trimellitic
Dermatitis, Allergy) anhydride);
amines (ethylenediamine, triethanolamine);
Respiratory Sensitizers 114 diisocyanates (methylene bisphenyl isocyanate, naphthylene
(e.g. Allergy, Allergic diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate);
Asthma) metals (chromium and compounds, nickel and compounds);
other organics (formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde)
Source: UNEP (2013)
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The global community recogruses the critical risks to
mankind from chemical pollution, and is taking steps to
mitigate these. At national, regional and international levels,
various organs have been established to stem chemical
pollution through the sound management of chemicals and
wastes. At the global level, not less than fourteen UN
agencies and their subsidiaries are involved in the
management of chemicals and wastes. Notable examples are
UNEP, OPCW, UNFCCC, WHO, FAO, UNIDO, lAEA,
World Bank, etc. Several international conventions and
protocols also address the management of chemicals and
wastes to achieve sustainability in "green" economies.
Examples include the Basel convention, the Stockholm
convention, the Rotterdam convention, the Montreal protocol,
the Minamata convention, the Kyoto protocol, the Bamako
convention, etc. Nigeria is signatory to most of these
conventions.
The magnitude of the global chemical pollution problem
differs among countries. We may broadly place countries in
three categories for the purpose of describing the magnitude
of the problem. On one extreme are the very developed
countries which produce, consume and export very large
quantities of chemicals and chemical products, and should
therefore ordinarily be expected to have the highest chemical
pollution problems. This is not the case however, because this
group of countries often possess the capacity to deploy
appropriate technologies for very sound management of
chemicals and wastes. Appropriate regulations are in place in
such countries, public awareness is usually high, and
offenders are adequately sanctioned. The result in such
countries is that chemical pollution has to a large extent been
effectively curtailed. The other extreme includes the least
developed countries which produce, import and consume very
low quantities of chemical products. These countries do not
possess the expensive technologies for chemicals and wastes
management.· However, due to the usually low emissions
levels, the environmental burden of pollutants is low and
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chemical pollution is usually often not yet at critical levels.
The countries most at risk belong to the third or "middle"
category. These include countries often described as "middle-
income", "emerging", "transition", to which our dear country,
Nigeria, rightly belongs. Here, production, import and
consumption figures for chemical products are relatively
high, albeit not as much as for the developed countries.
Unfortunately, the infrastructure for the sound management
of chemicals and wastes is either also non-existent or very
poorly developed (Adegoroye 1994). Pollution control
regulations are often mouthed and hardly ever enforced. The
result is often higher magnitudes of pollution problems than
those of the developed countries.
In Nigeria, chemical pollution issues have never been the
subject of serious national discourse. Even the highly
politicised hydrocarbon oil pollution of parts of the Niger
Delta is often regarded more as "their problem" by the
majority of persons from the other zones of the country.
Reasons adducible for the lack of interest in pollution issues
may include a high level of illiteracy, extreme superstition
and corruption. Among the literate elite, there is also the lack
of awareness of the risk levels and of incidents of local
chemical pollution incidents. The average Nigerian only
exhibits a momentary fleeting concern for a form of pollution
that is physically visible, such as floating oil in a river, and
heaps of garbage on street comers. This is a rather
unfortunate situation that portends grave dangers in the event
of a major environmental catastrophe. Chemical environ-
mental pollution is a global problem and Nigeria has been
contributing to its growth and history. A few examplesfof our
contribution to global chemical pollution issues will illustrate
this.
Heavy Metals Pollution
Heavy metals are often described as metals whose specific
gravity values are greater than 5.0, and which are also toxic to
man when they occur above certain relatively low threshold
concentrations. The mechanism of toxicity is often at the
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cellular lever, and may involve processes such as binding by
chelation, ion-exchange, ion-replacement, etc, to critical
functional groups of enzymes and other molecular structures
that are important in physiological functions. The most toxic
and infamous three of the heavy metals are lead, mercury and
cadmium.
Mercury acquired its infamy through the "minamatal>
incident/disease in Japan.' By the early 1950s, Chisso:
Corporation, a plastic manufacturing company, had dumped
about 27 tons of mercury compounds into the Minamata bay,
on the coast of the Shiranui Sea. Fishes in the bay became
contaminated, and those who ate these also became poisoned
and developed the "Minamata" disease characterised by
numbness of limbs and lips, difficulty hearing or seeing,
tremors in arms and legs, difficulty walking, and even brain
damage. Some of those affected went crazy and shouted
uncontrollably (Harada 1995; Ekino et al. 2007).
Subsequently, poisoned women gave' birth to. severely
deformed children (fig. 1). According to the Japanese
government, some 2,955 people contracted the Minamata
disease, out of which 1,784 died.
"
Fig. 1: Mother bathing a minamata-diseased "child",
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Cadmium acquired notoriety through the "itai-itai" disease in
Japan which resulted from the discharge of effluent
containing cadmium compounds into the Jinzugawa River by
the Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company around 1910. This
con-taminated the drinking water and crops (particularly rice)
irrigated with the water (Kasuya et al. 1992). Symptoms of
the disease included kidney failure, softening of the bone, and
severe pains in the bone (fig. 2).
Fig. 2: A Japanese suffering from "itai-itai" disease.
Lead has always been recognised as a neurological toxin,
particularly to children. But the world did not have a classical
case of lead poisoning-related disaster similar to those of
cadmium and mercury, for reference, until Nigeria offered
one in the form of the now classic incident of the Zamfara
lead poisoning. The poisoning incident occurred in some
seven villages within three local government areas (Anka,
Bukkuyum and Maru) of Zamfara State (Lo et al. 2010;
Plumlee et al. 2013). About 400 children are known to have
so far died since March 2010, with about half of these deaths
occurring within the first few months of the incident (Biya et
al 2010; Blacksmith Institute 2011; Greig et al. 2014). This
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lead pollution was derived from illegal artisanal mining for
gold in these villages. The ores contained high levels of
associated lead. The extraction procedure involved grinding,
crushing, amalgamating and washing of the lead/gold bearing
rocks, and some of these activities were carried out in the
vicinities of homes (fig. 3). Soon, the topsoils, surface and
ground water, as well as food items became contaminated.
Children began to fall ill (fig. 4), and many died! Blood
samples collected from 205 living children aged <5 years all
revealed lead poisoning (2:10 JlgldL) , and 97% of children
had levels above the threshold (2:45 JlgldL) for initiating
" chelation therapy. Blood lead concentrations ranged from
33.3 to 445 JlgldL. Lead concentrations in' soil and dust
ranged from 45 parts per million (ppm) to > 100,OQOppm;
~5% of family compounds exceeded the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency standard (400 ppm) for areas where
children are present (CDC'201G). In the words of top officials
of the Blacksmith Institute (2011): "Never before has there
been a lead poisoning epidemic of this magnitude anywhere
in the world." Note that amalgamation, involving the use of
very toxic mercury, is one of the steps involved in the
artisanal extraction of gold .
•
Fig. 3: Crushing of lead/gold bearing rock in Zamfara.
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Fig. 4: A child being treated for lead poisoning in Zamfara State.
The world rose to the occasion in support of Nigeria. To the
rescue came several international agencies, including
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) which assisted with medical
treatment and chelation therapy, the Blacksmith Institute and
Terragraphics which carried out remediation by top soil
replacement (fig. 5). The WHO,. UNICEF, USAID, and
. others also supported. Aleogether, these organisations 'spent
about US $2 million to execute the first phase of assessment,
evaluation: treatment, evacuation' and vremediation. The
Nigerian 'government, was then expected to provide the
follow-up funding for the completion of the rehabilitation
works. The Government eventually announced that it had
completed the remediation at a cost of W837million (Nnodim
2013).
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Fig. 5: Evacuating lead-contaminated topsoil in a Zamfara village.
Lead pollution also arises from the use of leaded compounds
as anti-knock additives to gasoline. For this reasofi, the
developed countries have all, since the 1980s, phased out the'
use of leaded gasoline. Nigeria is one of the countries in the
world that are yet to fully phase out the addition of lead to
gasoline (table 2).
Table 2: Amount of Tetraethyl Lead in Gasoline, by Country
Country Concentration, gIL
Nigeria 0.65-0.74
Algeria 0.60
South Africa 0.33
Libya 0.60
Morocco 0.30
Tunisia 0.50
Sudan 0.40
United Kingdom (UK) 0.00
USA 0.00
Highest in the Worl'a 1.0
Source: Galadima et al. (2012)
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Pollution of Ogoniland
Petroleum hydrocarbon oil pollution is of significant
importance worldwide, and many classical examples abound.
Most have resulted from major spill incidents during shipping
accidents in international waters, or during accidents in the
production process onshore and offshore. Celebrated classical
cases include those of the Amoco Cadiz, Exxon Valdez,
Atlantic Express, Gulf War spills, Deepwater Horizon, etc.
The cases have all involved the spilling of hundreds of
thousands of tons of crude hydrocarbon oils, with very grave
consequences for the ecologies of the surroundings.
The Niger Delta region of Nigeria has attained
prominence worldwide for the political and humanitarian
crisis arising from the ecological damage of the area due to
crude oil pollution derived from the activities of oil
companies. The problem was so visible and severe in
Ogoniland (figs. 6 and 7) that the natives (Ogonis) resorted to
self-help and forcibly shut down oil exploration and
production activities in the area around the early 1990s.
Subsequent illegal artisanal production of crude and refined
oils by the natives in the region only further worsened the
pollution problem (Pyagbara 2007). The Federal Government
of Nigeria then had to invite the United Nations Environment
Programm (UNEP) to carry out a comprehensive assessment
of the crude oil-related pollution status of Ogoniland.
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Fig. 6: A village in Ogoniland in the midst of oil pollution.
Fig. 7: An Ogoni man in his oil-polluted neighbourhood.
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Over a 14-month period, the UNEP team examined more than
200 locations, surveyed 122 kms of pipeline rights of way,
reviewed more than 5,000 medical records and engaged over
23,000 people at local community meetings. Detailed soil
contamination investigations were conducted at 69 sites.
Altogether, more than 4,000 samples were analyzed,
including water taken from 142 groundwater monitoring
wells drilled specifically for the study, and soil extracted from
780 boreholes (UNEP 2011). The 262-page report, which is
now a classical reference document, provided a systematic
and scientific evidence for the contamination and damage of
every ecological media in the region and called for a massive
restoration and rehabilitation project by the Federal govern-
ment, with adequate follow-up monitoring and assessment.
The situation, once again, placed Nigeria prominently on the
world map of chemical pollution problems.
The Koko Toxic Waste Dump Incident
The Koko toxic waste saga was a scandal of international
proportion! Owing to the high level of public awareness of
environmental issues in developed countries from the 1970s
onwards, most communities in these countries refuse to allow
industries to -dispose toxic wastes within their neighbour-
h-oods. This has usually resulted in cland.sstine moves to trade
such wastes to poorer countries where awareness is lacking or
the money is critically needed (Vir 1989; Clapp 1994,2001).
In 1987, following some unethical business agreements
between some businessmen in Italy and one 67 years old Mr.
Sunday Nana of Koko town in Delta State of Nigeria, five
shiploads of highly toxic wastes departed the port of Pisa in
Italy, headed for and deposited their deadly load on a portion
of.land owned by Mr. Nana in Koko, for a rental fee of about
$100 per month!
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Fig. 8: Section of stack of drums of toxic wastes dumped in Koko.
The waste dumped in Koko consisted of about 3,780 tonnes
of toxic materials that included about 8,000 drums of
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), formaldehyde, asbestos
dust, etc. (fig .. 8). They were clandestinely labelled as
materials related to the building industry. Following the
international uproar and diplomatic. row that resulted from the
disclosure, the Italian government had to pay for the
evacuation of the wastes back to Italy. But not before some
damage had been done! Many of the 100 workers of the
Nigerian Ports Authority who participated in the assessment
and evacuation without the use of adequate protective gears
became seriously ill and many received government
compensation years later. Some of the drums leaked the toxic
wastes into soil which was subsequently leached to
contaminate water bodies in the area. Many cases of
If, premature births were suddenly recorded in the local hospital
during the period (Ihonvbere 1994).
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The Koko waste saga, though unfortunate, had its positive
fallouts. The international community rose to the occasion
and established the Basel Convention on the control of trans-
. boundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal.
The Federal' Government of, Nigeria immediately
promulgated the Harmful Waste Decree 42 of 1988, which
facilitated the establishment of the defunct Federal
Environment Protection Agency (FEPA) that has now been
replaced by the National Environmental Standards and
Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). These benefits
notwithstanding, the episode represented another unfortunate
contribution of Nigeria to the global database of international
toxic waste/chemicals dumping.
Incident of Smog in Lagos
Smog is derived from the words "smoke" and "fog", and
describes a hazy, toxic condition which overhangs the
atmosphere of highly polluted large cities from time to time
(fig. 9). It usually occurs early in the morning and lasts for
several hours until disappearance towards late afternoon.
Modem day type of smog is known as the "Los Angeles
smog" or photochemical smog, or oxidising smog, and is
mostly related to a high density of polluting automobiles in
cities (fig. 10). Cities that have experienced smog incidents at
some point in time include London, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo,
New Delhi, Mexico City, Tokyo, Beijing, Cairo, New York,
Calcutta, among others. It is currently the most significant
environmental problem in some Chinese cities.
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Fig. 9: Smog over an Asian city.
"
. Lagos joined the league of these big "smoggy" cities on 12
October, 2005 when residents: woke up to behold a dense,
hazy, eye-irritating and choking smog which reduced
vitibility 'tremendously" and lasted till the later part of the
day. Smog is known' to have deleterious ·effects on human
health, physical strength. of materials (e.g. rubber),
atmospheric quality; and on 'vegetation in· particular. There
are three primary: ingredients for smog: nitrogen oxides,
'hydrocarbons and: ultraviolet radiation (Manahan 2000;
Akinyemi 2007; Itua 2007; fig.lO). The first two are readily
available in a city such as Lagos with a very high density of
automobiles (about one million vehicles ply the streets of"
Lagos daily). Reactions in hot internal combustion engines of
automobiles .'readily yield nitrogen oxides. Unburnt
hydrocarbons leak from many parts of automobiles into the
atmosphere, and is supplemented by other sources such as
household and industrial electricity generators. In the
presence of sunlight, the nitrogen oxides undergo complex
stepwise photochemical reactions that lead to the formation of
the very active scavenging and powerfully oxidising hydroxyl
radical. This radical oxidises the hydrocarbons to a variety of
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oxidised particulate products which are suspended in the air
and cause the poor visibility. The particulates include
aldehydes, peroxyacetyl nitrates (PANs), tropospheric ozone,
and a variety of volatile organic compounds. The occurrence
of a temperature inversion which inhibits thermal convection
usually enhances the smog" phenomenon. It is rather
surprising that, given the ready availability of the precursor
ingredients, there has been only one major smog incident in
Lagos. However, it should be noted that Lagos, and perhaps
other fast growing Nigerian cities, such as Ibadan, Kano, Port
Harcourt, etc, are very susceptible to incidents of smog. The
classical case of the 1952 smog incident in London lasted for
four days, and resulted in the immediate death of about 4000
persons, and varied health injuries to some other 100,000!
(Bell et al. 2004). The toll for the Lagos incident has never
been known!
0,
Hydrocarbon free radicals
react further with species
such as NO... to produce
P~l\.;,~a.ldehyde s, and other
smog components.
Fig. 10: GeneraIised mechanism of smog formation (Manahan 2000).
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Nigeria's Contribution to Global Warming via GHG
Emissions
Global warming and climate change are the topical
environmental issues of the last ten years or more. It is
already well established that anthropogenic releases of
greenhouse gases (most especially carbon dioxide) is the
prime cause of global warming. The greenhouse gases distort
the natural heat balance of the earth by absorbing and
trapping heat-bearing infrared radiation that is reflected from
the surface of the earth into space. Global efforts have been
targeted towards the reduction of this emission. Industrial
production and other processes involving fossil fuel
combustion lead to the release of large amounts of carbon
dioxide which is the main culprit despite its relatively low
global warming potential. About 50% of the total 2011 global
greenhouse gas emission (43,372.71 MtC02e) was contributed
by only six countries (China, USA, Russia, Japan, Brazil and
India), out of about 188 countries for which the 2011
inventory was made (table 3). Nigeria is not a major
contributor to this problem, being only the 25th largest
contributor with 0.75% of the total. Nigeria is however the
second largest contributor in Africa, next to South Africa.
But, should Nigeria even be ranked up to the 25th contributor?
Do we come anywhere near this ranking in terms of volume
of manufactured goods that ought to lead to more fossil fuel
combustion as is the case with China? We certainly are not.
We .rank about 136 in Gross National Product. Our newly
rebased high GDP has been derived mostly from sectors of
the economy that are not high energy consuming. We have
been contributing that much from gas flaring, cooking with
firewood, kerosene, use of electricity, home and industrial
generators, etc. Nigeria is clearly one of the countries that the
global community can focus on to achieve some reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions.
However, the total contribution from Nigeria can still be
significantly reduced if appropriate policies for this purpose
are put in place and implemented.
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Table 3: 2011 Greenhouse Gas Emission by Selected Countries
Country GHG Emission (MtCOze)*
World 43372.71
Angola 223.35
Argentina 372.46
Australia 563.45
Bangladesh 128.85
Benin 16.98
Botswana 11.46
Brazil 1131.10
Cameroon 89.51
Canada 716.21
Chad 38.36
China 10552.61
Cote d'Ivoire 56.85
Cuba 53.83
Denmark 53.69,
Egypt 286.32
Ethiopia , 124.61
Finland' , 70.19
France 487.39
Gabon {'.78
Germany 882.93
Ghana 28.03
Guinea 19.96
Hungary 65.75
India 2486.17
Iran 715.53
Israel 87.03
Italy 491.07
Japan 1307.41
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Ta8le 3 contd.
Kenya 46.26
Korea, Rep. (South) 687.74
Kuwait 195.68
Libya 117.00
Mexico 699.05
Morocco 88.45
Netherlands 205.76
New Zealand 70.95
Niger 19.83
Nigeria 324.51
Norway 50.00
Pakistan 308.38
Philippines 149.56
Poland 374.42
Portugal 74.02
Russian Federation 2374.31
Saudi Arabia 532.89
Sierra Leone 5.92
South Africa 456.85
Spain 351.59
Sweden 59.68
Switzerland 49.95
Turkey 403.65
United Arab Emirates 211.21
United Kingdom 543.55
United States 6550.10
Venezuela 267.00
Zimbabwe 20.85
* Data do not include land-use change and forestry
Source: World Resource Institute (2011)
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Nigeria's Contribution to Other Global Chemical
Environmental Problems
Nigeria's contribution to global chemical environmental
issues spans more than the examples highlighted above. A
few more brief examples should underscore this.
One source of exposure of children to lead is from the use
of lead in the formulation of household interior and exterior
paints, and in pigments for children's toys. There has been
concerted global efforts to drastically reduce and even
eliminate the inclusion of lead in paints and toys.' Some
countries have since phased this out, while in 2009 the USA
and WHO took proactive steps to initiate the Global Alliance
to Eliminate Lead Paints which was geared towards the
phasing. out of the manufacture and sale of leaded paints.
Today, Nigeria's paint still ranks among one of the highest in
lead levels (Adebamowo et al. 2006, 2007; Nduka et al.
2008).
The African Pesticide Stockpile Programme is another
global issue bordering on a problem that is unique to several
African countries, including Nigeria. Over the years, many
African countries have accumulated a stockpile of obsolete
hazardous pesticides dotted over many areas of each country.
Obsolete stockpiles cause cancer, allergies, reproductive
disorders, damage to the nervous system and disruption to the
immune system (The World Bank 2013). Out of the estimated
50,000 tonnes of the stockpile, Nigeria is said to have a rather
-disproportionately low contribution. of 6000 tonnes
(Akinboade 201O)! But, did we have=to contribute at all?
International organisations (especially the World Bank, GEF,
FAO, WHO, WWF, UNEP, CropLife, etc.) and the
governments of Germany, Canada, Japan, Sweden,
.Switzerland and the EU have made significant progress at
resolving the problem through prevention, safe evacuation
and disposal (fig. 11). .
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Fig. 11: Disposal of obsolete pesticide stockpiles in Africa (World Bank
2013).
Acid rain was perhaps the most serious global issue of the
1970s. The industrial emission of acidic, polluting gaseous
oxides of sulphur and nitrogen was the major source. It
became such a big problem due to the transboundary
transport of this form of pollution, often far beyond the
vicinities of the sources of emission. Global and regional
cooperative actions were put in place to stem the tide of acid
rains that destroyed vast expanses of vegetation, water bodies,
and adversely affected respiration in the most susceptible of
human populations. Today, acid rain is no longer a problem
in Europe and the Americas. Unfortunately, it is still one in
the Delta region of Nigeria, arising from indiscriminate and
continuous gas flaring in addition to other industrial
emissions (Nduka et al. 2008; Efe 2010).
The transboundary shipment of electronic/electrical
wastes (e-waste) from the developed countries and the
subsequent dumping in third world countries has become a
subject of global proportion, and is receiving huge
international attention. Nigeria is one of such dumping
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grounds of these end-of-lif~ electronic/electrical equipment
which are ultimately disposed by dumping and burning,
sometimes after stripping them of some useful components.
Apart from their, nuisance values as solid wastes, these e-
wastes contain very toxic substances such as metals (Cd, Pb,
Hg, Li), polyvinyl chloride, brominated flame retardants, etc,
which can be leached out into environment media, under
certain environmental conditions (Olafisoye et al. 2013;
Sindiku et al. 2014). It has been estimated that in 2009, about
3 million tonnes of such electrical/electronic equipments were
imported into Nigeria, out of which about 75% were second-
hand, and would soon end up in the dumps (Egwali and
Imouokhome 2013; Breivik et al. 2014; Sullivan 2014).
Managing the Problem: Need for Assessment and
Monitoring
The foregoing examples are still not exhaustive of evidence
of Nigeria's contribution to the global chemical pollution
problems. They however serve adequately to affirm that
Nigeria's contribution is not insignificant. Almost every
major chemical environmental issue has a Nigerian stamp on
it. Should there be a world map drawn, of countries
contribution to the global pollution problem, Nigeria will
certainly be located with a bright spot. The solution to the
problem lies in effective environmental management that
must include the critical steps of assessment, monitoring,
remediation, rehabilitation, prevention, reduction, sound
disposal, public information, risk assessment, regulations and
enforcement. Assessment and monitoring are the critical first
few steps in the quest for scientific evaluation and decision
making on the problems of the environment (fig. 12). Data
obtained from environmental assessment are valuable for a
variety of purposes such as understanding spatial and
temporal distribution of pollutants, prediction of future status,
land-use planning, risk assessment, planning of emergency
response, formulation and enforcement of regulations, and
determining the effectiveness of remediation actions. Much of
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my research contribution to the solution of the problem is ,
related to the assessment of various components of
environmental media, and the modelfing of data obtained for
useful management decisions.
WISDOM
~6.
UNDERSTANDING "..B,
; "i
~ ~
KNOWLEDGE ~j '..•
, ".
•,
cC ~e >•c-8-8 E•
:>
INFORMATION -~~!
s ~I z:;
! .ii0.5 !
DATA' t...l,:. .E
UlI-
OBS ERVA'1'ION' c
and .2
MEASUREMENT ~
~> Increasl ng subjscllvity •
Fig. 12: The staircase of knowing (Roots 1997),
Some of My Contributions
Analytical Methods Development and Assessment
During some months in 1999 and 2000, I was on a Third
World Academy of Science (TWAS)-sponsored study leave
to the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear
Sciences (lCENS) located on the campus of the University of
the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica. ICENS had then
completed a geochemical mapping of the topsoils of Jamaica
and had obtained some startling results. The study showed
naturally elevated levels of cadmium, lead and arsenic in
some parts of the country. Analysis of the samples had been
carried out mainly by neutron activation analysis (NAA) in
addition to a few other techniques. There was then the need to
analyse some plants, foods, and other biological materials to
ascertain if these metals had also accumulated in them. The
NAA configuration used at ICENS was noted not to be
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sufficiently sensitive to determine some heavy metals at the
levels at which they occur in many biological samples.
Ordinarily, NAA is one of the most accurate and interference-
free techniques for simultaneous multi-elemental analysis
because of its none-destructive testing capability that frees it
from losses associated with sample pretreatment. Usually in
NAA, samples are directly irradiated with neutrons to induce
radioactivity in samples. The gamma spectrum of such
products are then analysed and the intensities related to the
concentrations of the analytes. The neutron source at ICENS
was a low-power research nuclear reactor (the Slowpoke-2)
with a thermal rower of 20 Kw, and a typically maximum
flux of about 10 n cm-2s-12 . I was charged with finding a way
to improve the detection limit of the use of the Slowpoke
reactor for NAA of biological materials. Working closely
with my research hosts, Professor Gerald Lalor and Dr. Mitko
Vutchkov, we reasoned that the biological matrix could first
be converted into an inorganic-type matrix by a controlled
dry ashing process, and the consequent mass-reduction factor
then considered in the direct analysis of the ash. It was likely
that this proposal would not be straight-forward as dry ashing
itself often leads to some elemental loss, and the new matrix
achieved would really not be exactly identical to the semi-
inorganic ones usually more easily analysed by NAA.
However, by careful control of the procedures of ashing, and
the thermal flux of the reactor, we eventually succeeded in
developing a sample treatment protocol which improved the
detection limit, about tenfolds, for some 20 elements, with
acceptable margins of errors relative to what would have been
obtained for the unashed samples (fig. 13). While the dry
ashing produced improved analytical results for samples that
were of low ash contents, the increased background gamma
counts observed in ashed samples was found to sometimes
negate the detection limit gain, particularly in certain plant
samples which had high ash contents but low levels of analyte
(Lalor et al. 2003).
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30.0I IJMedian • Standard Deviation I
25.0!-~============~-~-fH
~g., 20.0
".0a 15.0.\-----------------:=-n-U-i't-1:rlH
~
!;! 10.0~-t-:3~ 5.0 '-__'_::I:_·;.;;____;.;.;._.•..•,.,._r:_.n___l._t:H1Ht-iIHJ ..i..rII ~I • I I I
0.0Ca Ti Fe Mn Na VKLa MgSm Cd Cr AI Zn Rb Dy Br Sb As CI
Fig. 13: Relative errors of results from ashed samples compared to direct
plant tissue analysis.
In another of such studies, I assessed the features of analysis
of moss plant samples by four very varied techniques, the
atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS),· differential
pulse anodic stripping votammetry (DPASV), direct current
plasma spectroscopy (DCPS), and xray fluorescence
spectrometry (XRF) (wavelength dispersive configuration).
The assessment was necessitated by suggestions in the
literature that the disparities observed in metal levels in
mosses from different studies may sometimes be due to
differences in the analytical techniques utili sed. It had been
suggested that the complex nature of the matrix of the moss
may account for certain uniqueness in its analysis by different
techniques. Since I was then studying levels of metals in
mosses as indicator of atmospheric pollution, the assessment
came in handy as not only a quality assurance tool for my
own study, but a contribution to the controversy of the period.
The equipment were made available to me in three different
institutions in Sweden through the Swedish International
Fellowship in Chemistry. My main observation was that
results obtained by AAS, DCPS and DPASV did not differ
significantly, while that obtained by XRF tended to be
somewhat slightly but systematically higher. There were
issues related to the difficulty with the standard addition
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procedure by XRF for analytes such as iron that often
occurred in very high concentrations in the moss samples.
Given that matrix interference and particle/grain size are very
critical in NAA, and that it is virtually impossible to obtain
cheap matching standards for standard calibration curves, the
only option had been to analyse by the standard addition
method (Onianwa 1987).
Study of Mosses as Bioindicators of Atmospheric Pollution /
Direct analysis of air samples for pollutants may often be
cumbersome, time consuming and expensive. Sometimes,
only relativity in pollution levels between different areas is
required, and in such cases the use of indicators becomes very
valuable to attain cheap, integrative estimates of temporal and
spatial variations in pollutant levels. As early as the 1970s,
some moss species found in Europe had been identified for
this purpose and applied in different modes (Ruhling and
Tyler 1973; Rasmussen and Johnsen 1976; Onianwa 2001).
Mosses are lower green plants that have the potential of being
good indicators of atmospheric metal levels because they are
epiphytic, have no developed vascular system and cuticle, and
receive nutrients directly from the atmosphere. The leaves are
known to contain chemical substances, including uronic
acids, that can trap different kinds of pollutants. A
preliminary investigation of some local species obtained from
various parts of Nigeria appeared to reflect expected
variations in pollution levels (Onianwa and Egunyomi 1983).
We then carried out further empirical investigations on a few
species to understand the sorption and accumulation
characteristics towards metals. Some questions were clearly
pertinent here; e.g., Can the active uptake sites be saturated?
What are the accumulation capacities? Are some metals
displaced, as in classical ion exchange systems, when other
heavy metals are sorbed? Species studied for this purpose
were: Rhacopilopsis trinitensis (c. Muell) Britt. Et Dix.,
Stereophyllum virens Card., and Thuidium gratum (c. Muell)
Jaeg. Sorption was found to be high even at relatively high
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heavy metal levels in various solutions (table 4), while
exchange and displacement of other metals were minimal,
suggesting some mechanism of ion exchange and chelation
for the uptake, and a high accumulation potential (Onianwa et
al. 1986a) (table 5). Subsequently, these and several more
species were used to carry out a detailed survey of
atmospheric heavy metal deposition patterns in the
southwestern region of Nigeria. Gradients in ambient metal
pollution levels were to a large extent reflected in the levels
in mosses. Contour maps of heavy metal levels in mosses
were derived. Some surprising local hot spots were also
identified. For example, very high copper levels (100-1000
p,g/g compared to background levels of 10-30 p,g/g) were
found in forest mosses around Ondo State, which appeared to
have been derived from the heavy use of certain copper-based
fungicides in cocoa farms of the area (Onianwa et al. 1986b,
Onianwa and Ajayi 1987, Onianwa 1987). Subsequently, the
study was also conducted for parts of the northern and
southeastern regions of Nigeria (tables 6 and 7). We also
addressed and proffered opinions on the controversies
regarding inter-species variation in accumulation capacities of
mosses, and the significance or otherwise of uptake of metals
from the substrates.
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Table 4: Sorption of Pb, Cu and Cd from Neutral Solutions by the Mosses
Cone. of metals
(p.g ml.i'} % Pb sorbed % Cu sorbed % Cd sorbed
Rt" sv Tga Rt Sv Tg Rt Sv Tg
10 90.0 94.6 92.5 80.4 71.7 79.2 95.3 85.4 90.8
20 87.2 93.6 95.5 85.6 80.8 87.6 95.8 94.3 93.4
50 90.2 98.2 95.0 87.9 86.6 88.8 96.1 99.4 95.9
80 90.7 96.1 95.0 87.1 87.0 91.2 94.3 94.9 93.0
100 79.8 93.1 92.5 85.1 87.5 91.8 94.8 93.4 93.0
200 91.6 94.8 95.6 84.0 89.2 88.2 90.0 88.7 85.8
500 97.3 99.0 94.3 65.0 59.4 50.3 74.7 68.9 61.7
1000 96.6 93.7 81.8 35.7 30.8 26.6 46.0 50.7 39.3
20 (mixed) 98.9 98.6 98.6 87.3 83.2 88.1 97.3 96.9 96.6
100 (mixed) 93.0 97.9 97.8 66.3 72.9 82.8 89.9 88.4 83.3
200 (mixed) 97.1 96.9 94.8 92.0 87.9 87.1 94.7 93.8 90.7
"Rt, R. trinitensis; Sv, S. virens; Tg, T. gratum
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Table 5: Proportion of Original Metal Contents released from Moss-Tis~ue upon Sorption of Pb
Cone of
Pb %Ca %Mg %Zn %Mn % Fe %Cu
solution
(p,g mL"')
Rt Sv Tg Rt Sv Tg Rt Sv Tg Rt Sv Tg Rt Sv Tg Rt Sv Tg
10 1.0 0.7 0.6 12 5.6 3.4 21 8.0 2.6 NO 1.3 1.2 0.3 0.1 0.1 21 15 5.5
20 0.8 1.0 0.6 16 7.6 3.1 21 14 2.6 NO 0.8 1.2 0.3 0.1 0.1 26 16 23
50 1.2 J.l 1.2 19 6.0 5.7 22 8.0 0.9 NO 1.5 1.5 0.2 0.2 0.4 30 21 16
80 J.J I.5 J.J 18 9.2 6.0 17 12 2.6 NO J.J 1.9 0.2 0.1 0.3 21 16 8.2
100 1.2 1.6 1.6 20 14 7.6 25 8.0 1.7 NO 2.1 1.8 0.2 0.1 0.1 23 12 2.7
200 2.1 3.6 5.3 23 17 14 21 6.9 1.7 NO 2.1 2.5 0.2 0.1 0.1 23 15 8.2
500 5.9 28 30 68 39 33 .10 15 2.6 NO 4.8 7.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 26 26 2.7
1000 28 62 65 108 57 44 II 18 13 20 12 15 0.2 0.1. 0.1 21 16 3.0
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Table 6: Summary of Concentrations of the Metals in Roadside Moss Samples from the South-west Region of Nigeria
Zones Pb Zn Cd Cu Ni
Higher Pollution Mean 136± 77 99±34 0.35 ± 0.21 .26.3 ± 6.0 10.2 ± 2.7
Range 26.7 - 281 53.4-153 <0.05-0.70 ·i'l.4-38.1 5.2 - 13.5
Medium Pollution Mean 42 ± 19 150± 110 0.16 ± 0.17 17.8 ± 4.8 8.0 ± 2.3
Range 12.4 -127 31.6 - 496 <0.05 -0.77 8.1-29.7 3.6 - 15.7
Low Pollution Mean 14.3± 7.5 70±34 0.12±0.15 14.1 ± 6.2 7.0 ± 2.3
Range 6.6 - 33.3 26.3 - 140 <0.05 -0.65 8.1 - 30.9 3.5 - 13.5
Source: Onianwa and Ajayi (1987)
Table 7: Summary of Results for Moss Metal Concentrations (ppm) in'Southeastern and Northern Regions
Metal Parameter Northern Region South-eastern Region Average for Entire Study Area
Pb Mean 44.4 58.8 -*
Range 1.25 - 327 7.0 - 272
Zn Mean 38.2 60.7 50.9
Range 11.6-189 12.5-319
Cd Mean 1.38 1.01 1.17
Range <0.02 - 4.6 <0.02 - 4.2
Cu Mean 12.4 10.4 11.3
Range 4.0 -79.5 2.1 - 68.8
Ni Mean 5.38 5.78 I 5.60
Range <0.05 - 16.5 <0.05 - 18.1
*Difference between northern and south-eastern region is statistically significant
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Studies on Top-Soil Heavy Metals Pollution
Topsoil is a critical sink for assessing the health of the total
environment. It receives direct deposition from the atmo-
sphere, leachates from runoffs, and direct deposition of solid
wastes on it. It is not mobile and can thus integrate deposition
over time. The soil can be a useful indicator of overall
pollution of the environment as long as suitable control
samples can be obtained to enable distinction between natural
mineralization and anthropogenically derived contents. With
several of my research students, I have focused assessment on
topsoils in Ibadan and elsewhere mainly on heavy metals
(especially lead) composition. We have studied a number of
"hotspots" as well ana non-hotspot locations. One of the
really alarming results was obtained in 1992 when we studied
the distribution of lead and other heavy metals in soil and
vegetation in the vicinity of a battery factory (the Exide
Batteries Ltd.), which had been established in 1982 and
located in the Kute area, near Monatan in Ibadan (Onianwa
and Fakayode 2000).
The factory, which derives its lead for battery production
by smelting and refining impure lead obtained from scrap
batteries, was surprisingly co-located with a primary school
(now converted to a secondary school) right adjacent to it
(fig. 14). Remember the Zamfara lead poisoning episode of
201O! Topsoil lead levels were as high as 4000 ppm within
the playground of the then primary school, and declined
gradually in all directions (table 8). Even at 1 km from the
factory, the levels had not declined to nonnal background
levels at control points within the city. The factory was thus a
really dangerous hotspot of lead emission in all directions
from the site. The questions I have since then asked are:
Which facility was first sited at this location? The school or
the battery factory? Who gave the approval for the location of
the second facility? How knowledgeable on environmental
pollution issues are staff of the town planning authority? In
what ways could the exposure to such high levels of lead
have affected the children? We note that the factory was shut
down in 2000 purely for economic reasons of non-viability.
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Although lead toxicity is likely to be more fatal in children of
less than five years, it is still significantly serious in adults
where it is known to cause high blood pressure, muscular and
joint pains, decline in mental functioning, memory loss,
reduced sperm count, and miscarriages in pregnancy. We
repeated the study in 2014 (Atere 2014) and still found levels
of lead in soil still as high as 4000-5000 ppm in the outer
perimeters of the factory. Heavy metals persist in the
environment!
Table 8: Concentrations (mg kg") of Lead in Soil and Plant aro~nd
the Battery Factory
Transect Distance from Soil Plant
Factory (m)
NW 0 2010 ± 1400 1350 ± 1050
NW 20 1160± 590 1090 ±780
NW 50 294 ± 150 830 ± 120
NW 100 150 ± 70 109± 68
NW 250 83 ±43 352 ± 56
NW 500 77 ±71 77±33
NW 750 39±23 52 ±25
NW 1000 290 ± 330 154± 230
SW 0 4100 ± 1800 970±730
SW 50 3150 ± 2000 780 ± 410
SW 100 2790 ±2000 440± 190
SW 250 2500 ± 1900 490± 270
SW 500 1450 ± 740 186± 100
NE 0 950 ± 890 3640 ± 2100
NE 50 860± 200 790± 580
NE 100 1060 ± 480 310 ± 230
NE 250 140± 36 170± 100
NE 500 104± 53 61 ±35
NE 750 69 ±39 79 ±41
W 0 3010 ± 2100 1710 ± 790
SE 0 590 ± 1500 24oo± 1500
SE 50 1400 ±6oo 2000± 1300
SE 100 830± 54 1110± 580
CTR*l About 15 krn 11.4±7.2 10.6± 6.4
CTR 2 About 15 krn 14.7 ± 9.1 9 ± 13
CTR 3 About 15 krn 10.5 ± 9.3 10.7 ± 9.0
* Controls
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Fig. 14: The school located directly beside the battery factory (April,
2015).
Etim and Onianwa (2012) have also investigated lead levels
in soils in the vicinity of the military shooting range in Ojoo
area of Ibadan. As suspected, levels were very high at the
impact bems or targets, reaching levels of 5680 ppm in
topsoil amf 6370 in subsoil at this point, compared to about
20 ppm at background control points within the city. The
shooting range is located in some remote location from
normal residential area, and it is pleasing to note that
migration of the high lead levels from the bems was not yet
significant. At about 250 m from the bern, lead levels were
within the background control levels. Copper levels were
also elevated about IS-fold at the bem. Speciation studies
indicated that most of the lead in the soil was held in the non-
exchangeable soil phases. Further monitoring of this vicinity
is essential.
We have similarly investigated the levels of lead and
other metals in topsoil and vegetation in several other
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r
important locations, including industrial estates in Ota and
Ikeja (Fakayode and Onianwa 2002; Etim and Onianwa
2013), inside nursery school playgrounds and classroom dusts
in Ibadan (Ibrahim et al. 2002), automobile repair workshops
(Onianwa et al. 2001) and roadsides of Ibadan city (Onianwa
2001). Within the city of Ibadan, we have also determined
topsoils contamination from hydrocarbon oils (Onianwa
1995), and aerial deposition of suphate-sulphur (Onianwa and
Babajide 1993). The results generally provide
baseline/current data that indicate some growing degree of
contamination, and the need to be proactive to curtail the
trend.
Studies on Surface and Groundwater Qualities
Water is a valuable resource for drinking, recreation,
transportation, domestic cooking and washing, aquaculture,
aquatic life support, livestock production, irrigation and
industrial production. Each of these uses of water requires the
water to possess certain specific characteristics. Water that
naturally meets these characteristics is in very short supply in
comparison to the magnitude of need. Of the estimated 1.4 x
1018m3 of water on Earth, more than 97% is in the oceans.
Only about 35 x 1,015m3 of Earth's water is freshwater, out
of which about 0.3% is held in accessible rivers, lakes and
reservoirs (Shiklomanov and Rodda 2003; Pimentel et al.
2004). Unfortunately, much of the available freshwater is not
fit for purpose due to pollution related to discharge of
sewage, agricultural wastes, industrial effluent, municipal
runoffs, municipal wastes, domestic/kitchen wastes, and oil
spills (UN Water 2005). Water quality assessment is therefore
critical for determining the degree of contamination of local
resources. My research team has studied the qualities of a
number of surface and ground water resources in various
parts of the country. Sediments of rivers integrate the long-
term conditions of surface water bodies and thus often
represent a better indicator of water quality. Over a one-year
period of monthly sampling, we investigated the quality
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status ofQua Iboe and Cross rivers (Umoren and Onianwa
2012), each at seven specially selected, spatially dispersed
and non-visibly impacted points. Apart from determining the
general physicochemical characteristics of the waters and
sediments, analyte concentration data was used, in
conjunction with thermodynamic data and the PHREEQCI
model, to carry out chemical speciation of the major ions. For
the Qua Iboe river system, the speciation showed that the
predominant species were the free ions of Ni2+ (97.6%), C02+
(97.7%), Zn2+ (92.6%), Cu2+ (70.2%1' and Pb2+ (62.0%) as
well as the hydroxide species, CrOH + (58.7%) and chloride
species, CdCe+ (82.3%). From the model calculations,
solubilities of the .minerals atacamite, tenorite and
pyromorphite showed positive values of the saturation
indices, which indicate supersaturation and mineral precipi-
tating conditions of the water for these species (table 9).
39
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Table 9: Saturation Indices of Some Mineral Phases at Some Stations in Qua Iboe River System
Saturation Indices (SI)
Phase log Formula
SQ-! SQ-2 SQ-3 SQ-4 SQ-5 SQ-6 Ksp
Anglesite -7.28 -7.80 -7.12 -3.15 -2.38 -2.70 -7.91 PbS04
Atacamite 3.04 2.42 .3.09 -12.55 -10.53 -11.79 14.26 CU2(OHhCI
Cd(OHh -1.64 -1.41 -0.13 -10.61 -10.25 -10.35 13.73 Cd(OHh
CdCr204 -4.00 -5.22 -0.14 5.09 4.82 4.15 15.00 CdCr204
Cerrusite -1.62 -2.13 -1.63 -2.16 -1.61 -2.05 -3.24 PbC03
Co(OHh -7.94 -8.24 -8.15 -8.43 -7.92 -7.98 12.30 Co(OHh
Cr02 -7.17 -7.75 -6.13 -3.36 -4.00 -4.28 -19.14 Cr02
CuCr204 -6.71 -8.27 -4.31 5.13 4.73 3.93 16.22 CuCr204
Cuprite -1.23 -1.74 -0.84 -3.22 -2.09 -2.56 -1.91 CU20
Hydrocerrusite -1.52 -2.74 -1.77 -9.14 -7.95 -9.19 1.85 Pb3(OHh(C03h
Malachite 0.25 -0.30 0.53 -6.23 -5.32 -5.85 5.90 CU2(OHhC03
Nantokite -7.13 -7.47 -6.96 -3.45 -2.32 -2.71 -6.77 CuCI
Ni(OHh 0.89 0.64 0.64 -8.58 -7.88 -7.94 12.75 Ni(OHh
Otavite -1.13 -1.22 0.58 -4.13 -3.32 -3.49 -1.77 CdC03
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Table 9 contd.
Paralaurionite -2.51 -2.79 -2.76 -4.37 -3.71 -4.24 0.20 PbCIOH
Pb3(P04h -4.41 -6.02 -4.72 -5.92 -5.15 -6.19 -19.97 Pb3(p04h
PbHP04 -1.45 -2.16 -1.49 1.06 1.41 1.07 -15.73 PbHP04
Pyromorphite 4.04 1.45 3A4 3.19 4.96 3.06 -47.90 Pb5(P04)3C1
Smithsonite -3.43 -3.92 -3.44 -4.38 -4.07 -4.16 0.44 ZnC03
Tenorite 2.89 2.77 2.92 -3.34 -3.12 -3.35 7.65 CuO
Tsumebite 0.65 -0.38 0.37 -9.62 -9.00 -9.94 2.53 Pb2CuP04(OH)3:3H20
Zincite 0.75 0.58 0.52 -6.18 -6.33 -6.36 11.20 ZnO
ZnC03:H2O -3.19 -3.69 -3.22 -4.16 -3.86 -3.95 0.14 ZnC03:H2O
CO2 -6.95 -7.25 -6.70 -0.94 -0.46 -0.53 -7.83 CO2
O2 -0.74 -0.72 -0.82 -0.74 -0.85 -0.78 -2.89 O2
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Akporido and Onianwa (2015) also assessed heavy metals
and petroleum hydrocarbon levels over a period of two years
at some selected locations of the Esi river, a major water body
in the Western Niger Delta region, with the purpose of
fingerprinting the contaminants and determining the
provenance. General physicochemical parameters for surface
and subsurface waters were also documented during the
study. Nickel:Vanadium ratios in the water and sediment
tended to closely match the values for Forcados blend, which
suggested that some contamination must have been derived
from oil exploration activities in the area.
One of my doctoral students (Olayiwola 2012) studied the
Osun river system for which only very little chemical quality-
related information was available in the literature. It was
surprising to find out that even the Ogun-Osun River Basin
Development Authority had never embarked on quality
analysis of the river system, did not have the capacity/facility
to so do, and had no existing quality data for parts of the river
network. We sampled along the main course of the river and
31 of its tributaries, locating 90 carefully selected points for
water collection and 63 for sediment collection. Sampling
was carried out bimonthly for a period of 24 months at all
these sites. Using the Pratti model, water from 37% of the
sampling points were found not to be fit for drinking. Data
obtained for BOD, phosphate and nitrate were found to give
good time series model fits with high regressions, and were
thus used to make a LO-year projection of the concentrations
of BOD, phosphate and nitrate (i.e. 2008 to 2018) in water at
some of the sampling points, baring changes in the current
nature and trend of anthropogenic inputs. These three quality
parameters are valuable for estimating gross organic pollution
and the tendency towards eutrophication.
Within the city of Ibadan, the rivers and streams have also
been studied for the levels of various quality parameters
(Onianwa and Essien 1999; Onianwa et al. 2001; Onianwa et
al. 2012).
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Surface waters and sediments of lakes are particularly
suitable for indicating the general levels and trends of
pollution in an environment, particularly if the water body is
not located close to a polluting hotspot. Lakes are fed by and
drained by streams and rivers, but because they represent a
large relatively stagnant mass of water, they tend to better
reflect the degree of accumulated pollutants. Four lakes in
Ibadan city were recently studied by my MSc student
(Anazonwu 2012) to determine the physicochemical and
heavy metals levels. The aim was partly to compare her data
with that which had been obtained in a 1977-1979 survey
carried out by Mr. Casper Mombeshora, then a doctoral
student in the Department of Chemistry. This comparison
should indicate if any significant changes in metal levels in
the aquatic system had occurred over a period of thirty years.
The data obtained by Mombeshora had been published as:
Mombeshora et al. (1981), Mombeshora et al. (1983), Ajayi
and Mombeshora (1989).
The lakes studied by Anazonwu were the lIT A lake, the
Awba lake of our University, the Agodi lake and the Eleyele
lake. Mombeshora studied only the first three of these. The
comparison (table 10) indicated mostly insignificant
differences in surface water metal levels. Significant
differences involving increases after the elapsed period were
noted in the sediment contents' of metals such as Co, Ni, Pb
and Zn. The factor of amplification was quite significant for
lead in the lITA (x8.5) and Awba lake (xI6) sediments. As
pointed out earlier, sediments are a better indicator of the
overall status of the aquatic system than the surface water.
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Table 10: Comparison of Average Results obtained by Ajayi & Mombeshora /Mombeshora et al. (1977-79 studies)
with that of Anazonwu (2012 studies)
Lake Media Cone. Unit Study Cd Co Cu Cr Ni Ph Zn
Awba Sediment mg/kg Anazonwu* 1.31 20.6 27.5 41.1 20.3 54.1 141
Awba Sediment mg/kg Ajayi &M.** 1.2 30.5 48.7 14.5 27.4 26.0 91.5
Agodi Sediment mg/kg Anazonwu 1.36 10.3 27.1 45.0 18.3 50.3 223
Agodi Sediment mg/kg Ajayi & M. 1.5 23.9 48.0 20.7 29.6 77.5 165
UTA Sediment mg/kg Anazonwu 1.13 18.0 20.7 48.0 26.6 21.0 74.0
UTA Sediment mg/kg Ajayi & M. 1.2 41.2 44.2 17.1 29.3 20.4 85.0
Eleye\e Sediment mg/kg Anazonwu 1.13 18.4 33.9 31.6 22.4 48.1 155
Eleyele Sediment mg/kg Ajayi &M. -***
Awba S. Water+ iJ,g/L Anazonwu 4.8 6.3 0.63 13.0 15.0 34.0 5.4
Awba S. Water iJ,g/L Mombeshora'" 5.8 1.9 0.9 1.1 2.1 1.6
Agodi S. Water iJ,g/L Anazonwu 5.9 13 3.8 15 15 7.7 13
Agodi S. Water iJ,g/L Mombeshora 8.4 2.6 2.3 1.6 4.9 4.7
IITA S. Water iJ,g/L Anazonwu 5.8 15.4 2.4 12 21.4 11 12
UTA S. Water iJ,g/L Mombeshora 1.0 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.3 1.5
Eleyele S. Water iJ,g/L Anazonwu 5.6 4.2 3.9 8.2 13 23 4.8
Eleyele S. Water gg/L Mombeshora
* Anazonwu (2012) - conducted in 2012
** Ajayi & Mombeshora (1989) - conducted 1977-1979
*** Not studied by Ajayi & Mombeshora and Mombeshora et al.
+ Surface Water
++Mombeshora et al. (1981) - conducted 1977-1979
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Impacts of Industrial Effluents
Most thriving chemical material producing industries in
Nigeria discharge their liquid effluent untreated or
inadequately treated unto some land or water course. The
impact on some small water courses is sometimes devastating
as this often makes such waters no longer drinkable,
"fishable" or "swimmable". Some of such water bodies
become coloured, smelly and sterile with regards to aquatic
life. The case is not different for some industries and streams
in Ibadan. We have studied some Ibadan rivers with respect
to the impacts of effluent discharges on them. In one case, a
major brewery discharges partially treated, coloured waste
into the Olosun River. Over a period of two years, we
examined the characteristics of the river water and sediment
at various locations up to 700m upstream and 700m
downstream (as access would permit), as well as the
somewhat hidden discharge point. It was observed that at
700m downstream, the water body was still stressed, as the
natural self-purification capacity of the river had not restored
the water to its upstream quality, particularly with respect to
the level of nutrients and gross organic pollution parameters
(table 11; Ipeaiyeda and Onianwa 2009).
A similar study was carried out on the impact of the
discharge of effluents of several food and beverage industries
on the Alaro River in the Oluyole area of Ibadan (Ipeaiyeda
and Onianwa 2011). For both river systems, we related the
data on the dispersion of contaminant inputs downstream to
the hydrology of the water courses and modelled this to
produce a means of predicting the water quality parameters
downstream. Etim and Onianwa (2013) also determined the
impact of effluent discharge from the Ota Industrial Estate on
the Oruku River.
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Table 11: Average Levels of Water Quality Parameters at Upstream, Discharge Point and Downstream of the
Olosun River during Wet and Dry Seasons, 2004
Wet season 2004 Dry season 2004
Parameter Upstream Discharge point Downstream Upstream Discharge point Downstream
pH 8.2 ± 0.26 6.9 ± 0.3" 7.1±0.4" 7.3±0.la 4.6 ± 0.2c 6.3 ± 0.3a
Temperature 26.7 ± 0.6" 27.0 ± 0.1" 27.1 ± 0.2" 26.7 ± 0.6a 26.7 ± OS 27.0 ± 0.2a
Total solids (mglL) 200 ± 16" 1960 ± 160b 1440 ± 120c 303 ± 15" 2430 ± no- 1880 ± 83b
TDS (mglL) 147 ± 32b 1490 ± 71" 1160 ± 67d 204 ± 15b 1490 ± 87a 1220 ± 140b
TSS (mg/L) 85.7 ±29.0b 476 ± 92" 284 ± 87c 99.3 ± 27.3b 940± 60d 674 ± 160e
Turbidity (Fl'U) 8.3 ± 4.1b 38 ± 16a 20.7 ± 8.0c 8.0 ± 4.9b 32.3 ± 6.8a 20.9 ± 5.6ac
Total hardness (rng/L) 107 ± 9b 298 ± 79" 214±51c 175 ± 52c 725 ± 380d 562 ± 2601
Alkalinity (mg/L) 77 ± 13b 173 ± 39" 126 ± 16" 120 ± 6" 298 ± 61c 224 ± 41c
cr (mglL) 108 ± 1b 330 ± 42a 276 ± 32c 120 ± 2b 403 ± 28d 333 ± 23a
N03· (mglL) 12.0 ± 5.0
b 50 ± 19" 33 ± 12c 12.9 ± 1.8b 53 ± 11a 37.3±9.1c
NH3 (mglL) 2.81 ± 0.53b 16.8 ± 7.5" 9.9 ± 4.8e 3.08 ± 0.83b 15.4 ± 4.3a 10.4 ± 1.8e
SO/ (mg/L) 9.7 ± 2.9b 40.2 ± 5.3" 25.4 ± 4.4e 14.6 ± 3.8b 40.6 ± 1.8" 27.8 ± 4.5e
P043- (rng/L) 0.07 ± 0.02b 0.57 ± 0.06" 0.34 ± 0.05e 0.15 ± 0.03d 0.55 ± 0.12" 0.37 ± 0.08e
DO (mg/L) 6.2 ± O.4b 1.71 ± 0.55" ~.91 ± 0.15c 3.3 ± 0.8e 1.36 ± 0.28" 2.2 ± 1.0e
BOD (mg/L) 2.40 ± 0.46b 14.6 ± 1.9" 8.7 ± 2.2c 2.60 ± 0.47b 13.5 ± 0.95a 9.0±0.s<
46
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Table J J contd.
COD (rng/L) 133±3S" 800±4S" 528± 110" 170±23h 1240±i()Od 883 ± 90"
Ca (rng/L) 87.9±S.Sb 272 ± 76u 184±4S" 119±lOb 497±ISO" 377 ±130u
Ni (rng/L) 0.08 ± 0.02b 0.15 ±0.02" 0.11 ± 0.02" 1.18± 0.16" 1.97 ± 0.45" 1.33 ± 0.19"
Zn (mg/L) 0.37 ± 0.27b 2.03 ± 0.93" 1.24± 0.61" 1.12± 0.45" 6.81 ± 2.9" S.3±3.1"
Cr (rng/L) <0.02 <0.02 <0.02 <0.002 0.14 ± 0.13" 0.06 ±O.04b
Co (mg/L) <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 0.27 ± O.OSb 0.49 ± 0.17" 0.31 ± 0.08b
Cu (rng/L) 0.20 ± O.13b 0.31 ± 0.158 0.23 ± O.13b 0.33 ± 0.09" 0.42 ± 0.14"" 0.36 ± 0.07"
Cd (mg/L) <0.002 0.03 ± o.oi- <0.002 0.04 ± 0.01" 0.14 ± 0.09b 0.06 ± 0.03"
Pb (rng/L) <0.05 0.07 ± 0.05" 0.02 ± 0.01b 0.06 ± 0.05" 0.24 ± 0.07" 0.12±0.02d
Depth (m) 0.33 ± 0.14" 0.35 ± 0.168 0.25 ± 0.06b 0.26 ± 0.09b 0.28 ± 0.09b 0.19 ± 0.04"
Velocity (m/s) 0.19 ± 0.01b 0.42 ± 0.02" 0.37 ± 0.02c 0.15 ± om b 0.41 ± O.Ola 0.33 ± 0.03"
Note: Means within rows with different superscripts (a.b.c.d.e.f) are significantly different (p < 0.05)
47
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Another of my graduate students (Onwordi 2014), among
other studies, investigated the physicochemical characteristics
of the raw effluents discharged from several industries
located in three industrial estates (Ikeja, Ilupeju and Isolo
estates) in Lagos metropolis. The study was conducted for a
period of two years, and sampling was carried out bimonthly.
Industry types covered included food and beverages, textiles,
pharmaceuticals, basic metals, paints, conglomerate, and a
central treatment facility. None of the effluents, over the
study period, met the regulated limits of NESREA. We
further used the data to generate a model for predicting the
gross organic loading (in form of COD) and the potential to
cause eutrophication (in form of phosphate) of the effluent.
Thus, from results of other parameters, it is possible to
estimate what the COD and phosphate concentrations would
be. The textile industry effluents were the worst con-
taminated, and we examined different bench scale options for
chemical treatment of the effluent, and monitored the·
efficiencies via the COD levels after treatment. Application
of fentoin reagent gave the best results.
Pollution Associated with Solid Waste Management
The nuisance value of municipal solid wastes is the most
recognised and visible environmental problem in our local
community today, but hardly is the invisible but severe
pollution problem associated with such wastes known to the
common man. The total elimination of wastes generation is
impracticable, but minimisation is a laudable goal. In Nigeria,
wastes are often unsegregated (except by scavengers within
landfills), and what is ultimately disposed within the many
poorly managed major dumpsites often includes degrade able
and non-degradeable municipal and household wastes mixed
with some industrial wastes. Burial, dumping and
uncontrolled burning are the usual disposal practices, with
attendant pollution of air, soil, surface water and ground
water.
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UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Waste generation within the city of Ibadan has been
estimated in several studies but is believed to be somewhat in
the neighbourhood of l.6 million tonnnes per annum, with
some 70-90% estimated to be biodegradable (Ogwuleka
2009; CPE 2010; Awopetu et al. 2014). The earlier dumpsites
that are now disused were the Ring Road dumpsite (now the
site of an ultramodern shopping complex; fig. 15) and the old
Aperin dumpsite. Many scholars have studied these
dumpsites from different pollution-related perspectives; and
these include studies by members of my research group
(Onianwa 1994; Onianwa et al. 1995; Aboho et al. 2011;
Aboho et al. 2012; Ibeto and Onianwa 2011). Results from
studies by my group have mostly indicated the elevation of
topsoil levels of heavy metals, high levels of some metals and
other contaminants in leachates, and minimal contamination
of nearby ground water and surface water resources). The old
dumpsites have now been replaced by newer ones such as the
Lapite, Aba-eku and Awotan dumpsites. In a more recent
study by one of my Masters students (Omobhude 2012), we
segregated representative samples of the wastes from these
newer dumpsites and determined the heavy metals contents of
these materials (table 12). Using data on the relative
composition of each material in the waste stream and the
estimated loading of waste at each location, we estimated the
total loading to be about 189,000 kg/yrlha. Using the USEPA
Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (USEPA 1992,
2008), we also determined the leachability of the metals from
each type of waste material studied. Etim and Onianwa
(2013) have also assessed leachate characteristics at some
solid waste dumpsite in Ota Industrial Estate.
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Fig. 15: The Shoprite shopping mall at Ring Road, and the former waste
dump on which it was built.
50
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Table 12: Mean Concentrations (mg/kg) of Metals In Each Component of Solid Wastes from Awotan Dumpsite
Component Cd Co Cr Cu Ni Pb Zn
Ash 5.7±3.4 1O.0±6.7 8S±48 459±210 44±13 536±110 484±89
Metal 7.59±0.19 30.0±3.1 200±35 796±130 111±29 l11O±1600 431±110
Plastic 2.6±1.0 <0.18 29±16 29±27 11.9±4.7 335±540 85±53
Rubber 3.7±1.3 <0.18 1O.3±3.8 80±70 50±77 248±210 llO±61
Nylon 2.39±0.34 <0.18 14.0:t2.6 77±33 13.1±4.8 139±11O 109±67
Paper 5.5±6.1 0.8±1.4 253±370 44±12 17.7±9.1 59±19 70±10
Textile 2.02±0.45 94±160 26±370 80±25 20±14 60±30 115±61
Glass 1.82±0.81 <0.18 5.4±7.4 29±23 12.4±7.7 92±120 83±51
Kitchen waste 2.87±0.42 l.39±0.81 13.3±7.6 114±72 11.9±4.5 99±57 127±19
Hair 2.85±0.11 0.66±O.61 16.9±6.1 91±29 13.7±5.5 84±41 174±93
Palm kernel 1.8±1.6 0.9±1.l 14.1±8.9 31±15 8.3±4.5 35±26 113±27
Wood 1.40±0.40 0.15±0.20 18.3±7.3 17±14 27±22 12.0±6.1 77±34
Manure 3.53±0.98 O.57±0.60 19±10 46±29 17.8±4.4 75±52 255±72
Leather 3.l2±0.71 0.38±0.66 19±17 196±83 15.9±5.5 90±39 250±81
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We have not only assessed solid wastes for their potential to
contaminate the environment. Another of our projects was
targeted towards a waste-to-wealth approach of utilizing the
huge amount of wastes available, to a beneficial purpose. My
doctoral student (Adekunle 2001) established a methodology
for composting urban agricultural waste to extract a
concentrate of biogenic, polymeric and polyfunctional fulvic
and humic acids (Adekunle and Onianwa 2001).
Combinations of these acids were tested on crops in
greenhouse experiments and found to stimulate and enhance
growth. More interestingly, through further research by Dr.
Adekunle after graduation, the extract has found further
application in bioremediation as an innovati ve and eco-safe
nanotechnology-based technique which is now at the field-
scale trial platform for remediation and restoration of
petroleum polluted oil-based mud (POBM) and drill cuttings
(Adekunle 2011).
Heavy Metals in Foods
The oral route is perhaps the most important route of entry of
most toxicants into human tissues. When environmental
media such as soils, air and water are contaminated with
heavy metals, for example, the impacts on the adult man
largely depends on the extent to which the metals get into
human food items and drinking water. While assessing the
environment media for specific toxicants therefore, it is also
useful to assess the levels in foods and potable water. I noted
early, however, that there was a sparcity of literature on the
levels of toxic heavy metals in Nigerian foods. Earlier data on
elemental composition of Nigerian foods were compiled by
nutritionists who had been more interested in the contents of
essential elements. It should be noted though that some
elements could be essential at trace levels, and toxic above
certain thresholds. But some elements such as lead and
cadmium have no essential nutritional importance even at
trace levels. I, therefore, mostly in the 1990s, studied several
local Nigerian foods for their contents of heavy metals such
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UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
as lead, cadmium, nickel, copper, aluminium, etc, a'.d in
some cases estimated the dietary intake from the consumption
of these foods. The data generated are very valuable for
assessment of the local exposure risks to these heavy metals
(Onianwa et al. 1997; Ketiku et al. 1999; Onianwa et al.
1999a, 1999b; Onianwa et al. 2000a, 2000b).
Pollutant levels in soil, soil chemical characteristics, and
plant/crop type may be critical for determining soil-plant
relationships and the transfer of pollutants from contaminated
soils to plants. This necessitated one of my doctoral student's
work which involved a survey of heavy metals in soils of
selected farmlands of Kogi State (an important food
producing state) and various crops grown in such farms
(Emurotu 2014). Present level of contamination of soil and
crops with most metals was found nqt to be significant, with
very low risk associated with consuming such crops. Metal
concentrations in crops parts were also generally lower than
model-derived threshold limits for toxicity in plants.
Inventory of Local Greenhouse Gas Emissions on Campus
Some of my Masters students estimated the release of
greenhouse gases on our campus, using a purpose-designed
model known as the Clean Air-Cool Planet's Campus Carbon
Calculator Model (CACPCCC). The model is widely in use in
tertiary institutions in the USA (Sinha et al. 2010; Klein-
Banai and Theis 2013), and the American College and
University Presidents' Climate Commitment (an association
of more than a thousand Presidents of tertiary institutions in
the USA committed to mitigation of climate change) has
made it mandatory for its member institutions to carry out
biannual inventories of their greenhouse gas emissions. In
applying the model, the organisational boundaries are
determined by consolidated methodologies that attempt to
account for greenhouse gas emissions from operations of
facilities in which the institution has a partial ownership share
or working interest, holds an operating license, or leases, or
which otherwise represents joint ventures or partnerships of
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UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
some kind. These involve the equity share approach, the
operational control approach, and the financial control
approach.
Details of the methodology cannot be described here. but
it is worthy to note that input data for the University of
lbadan was obtained from representative academic
departments, the administration. residential areas, Works and
Maintenance Department, farms and botanical garden. car
parks, etc. Information obtained for the computation
included: data on number of vehicles, electricity' COIlJ-
smnption, staff travels, household electrical appliances" office
electrical appliances and fittings, gasoline consumption, hours
of operation of the University and private generators, solid
waste generation, number of trees felled, fertiliser applicatioa
rate, length of campus roads, etc. HiighligbilS of the findings
(table 14) were as follows:
• Much higher ORO emission levels were obtained
during years 2005, 2006, and 2007 out of the 2005 -
2010 period. These appear to have been derived from
much higher contributions from the energy sector
during these earlier years.
• Overall, the energy sector contributed to about 95% of
the total emissions for the entire 2005 to 2010 study
period.
• The highest contribution to the energy sector was
derived from purchase of municipal electricity.
The only similar studies available for comparison of our
results were those of some American Universities. Table 15
gives some of the comparisons for the 2009 and 2010 values.
The emissions from the University of Thadan appeared to fall
within the lower rung of the values for the American
universities. We also carried out similar surveys for the public
and private hospital facilities within the city of Ibadan.
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UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Table 13: Typical Output of the Clean Air Cool Planet (CACPCCC) Campus Carbon Calculator versions 6.6
_.M. QI!!L~~··_···I··_·~_~_~!!!·!_!!_·:!·_'··_·__··_·_.--.--.- -.-.- -..-.-- ..-- -.----- -.-.- --.---.-.-.--.-- ..-- - ----.---.-- -- -- ..- - - -.- ------ ..
.-W-OR--K-S-H--E-E-T --··O·v·eUrvNiewIVoEf ARnSnuifayl -E6m-Fiss-i-o-n-s--------------- .·.--.-.---·-- - -- .-.- ---- .-.---- .-.- - --- .-.
UNIVERSITY XXXXXXXX
CH4 eCOl
k Metric Tonnes
! -
.••+..- - - -.-. --j- - _- ··----··-·--········+--·-·-····----i····-···-·-.·.·--·-····--·······-t·····················--········-········----·····-···-·1
i
). 1,4jl}='=~P:·--2!~26:S4·~·-.·5-~:t52::~I-=. =-T.l~7~5=~::~·~.:·L~!~X~}-=~=~=::==:~=
-.-..'-.----.-- -.-..-.- ..- .-.-----------.--.-~--.-. ···---·-------t···------·--·-·-··----·-··· ..7- ,91- 2- .9--.--- --.- --.
436.3 2.1 11.5
Purchased Electrici 3,971,028.9 I 291,048,762.7 I 3,879.1 I 6,709.7 I 73,386.6
Purchased Stearn/Chilled
Water
55
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Table 13 contd.
9,379.0 665,141.5 98.5 35.4 1,143.3
35,035.6 2,529,140.1 172.0 73.6 4,365.3
Directly Financed Air
Travel
Other Directly Financed
Travel
Study Abroad Air Travel
Solid Waste (260,590.0) (12,332)
Wastewater
Paper
Scope 2 T&D Losses 590,541.3 28,565,262.2 383.6 663.6 48,772.6
Offsets Additional
Non-Additional
Totals Scope 1 ~ 2..-1--,49..2-.-.4.--.-- .._2.-,-22..-6,-8.-45.5 _.._- 79-6.6-.-;-1T129.7 -- -24--,240-.3 .
Scope 2 3,971,028.9 291,048,762.7 3,879.1 16
~~O'P-~~. _. ~?_~,95tS._.~= JJ ,4~~??}:f=~ ::~I~I::=:J:,709.7 73,38..?~:;L.:.:::==·JII[6~.01:::=.:.~=~=
._~LScop~_s __ . .__ 3,327,477.1 325,774,562.0 5,329.3 I 7,612.1 19.2,~~_~_~..?.. _
All Offsets
Net
Emissions: I 109,536.9
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UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Table 14: Contributions from the Different Sectors to the Total Emissions on the
University Campus during 2005-2010
Year Energy sector Transport Agriculture Waste sector Total emissions
(MTeC02) sector sector (MTeC02) (MTeC02)
(MTeC02) (MTeC02)
2005 522426.6 6029.7 11.5 9717 538,184.8
2006 485238.1 6198.2 11.5 9734 501,181.8
2007 450360.7 6641.2 11.5 10146 467,159.4
2008 337078.5 7239.0 11.5 10146 354,475
2009 92082.8 7682.9 11.5 9936 109,713.2
2010 95810.6 7921.2 11.5 12332 116,075,3
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Table 15: Net Carbon Dioxide Equivalence Greenhouse Gas Emissions (metric tons) for Some
American Universities compared with University of Ibadan
University Year of Study Net Emission Per Full- Per 1000 sq.
(MT of CO2 e) Time Feet
Enrollment
Arizona State University 2010 269,364 4.0 19.6
California State University, Bakersfield 2009 10,127 1.5 10.1
Case Western Reserve University 2009 263,217 28.8 34.6
Clemson University 2009 139,080 7.9 20.8
Colorado State University 2011 219,074 8.5 22.6
Cornell University 2010 225,000 10.9 15.0
George Washington University 2009 128,183 6.4 16.6
Illinois State University 2009 123,768 6.1 19.0
Kennesaw State University 2010 97,494 4.4 28.0
Mississippi State University 2009 114,189 6.4 15.3
New York University 2009 136,486 3.3 11.5
Ohio University 2010 213,545 11.0 26.4
Seatle University 2009 23,787 4.3 10.7
University, of California, Berkeley 2009 193,300 5.5 11.9
University of Cincinnati 2010 432,202 16.9 30.2
University of Connecticut 2007 201,770 10.8 18.9
University of Florida 2009 350,312 7.3 17.5
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Table 15 contd.
University of Illinois, Chicago 2009 290,806 11.8 19.8
University of Maryland, Baltimore 2010 169,516 27.8 27.7
University of Massachusetts, Amherst 2010 120,448 4.4 11.1
University of Miami 2009 243,065 16.4 22.9
University of New Hampshire •• ~I 2009 68,505 4.9 11.0
University of Oregon 2009 89,615 4.1 - 14.2
University of Pennsylvania 2010 182,866 7.4 13.4
University of Utah 2009 269,589 11.8 23.6
University of Vermont 2010 73,116 6.2 13.6
University of Wyoming 2009 120,238 10.9 16.6-
University of Ibadan 2010 116,075 5.9* 5.3**
*student pop. - 19,787; **existing campus area - 670.9 hectares / 30% building floors area
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Conclusions and Recommendations
Mr. Vice-Chancellor, sir, ladies and gentlemen, I have within
the very strict constraints of time allotted attempted to project
some of the global chemical environmental problems, and
highlight the fact that Nigeria contributes significantly in
variety and magnitude to almost everyone of these forms of
chemical pollution. I have also described some of my
research studies that have been directed toward the first few
critical steps of assessment and data generation in the process
of achieving environmentally sound management of the
Nigerian environment. Nigeria has both the capacity to
reduce its pollution profile and to become an even more
dangerous higher level polluter. I do not think it is a matter of
choice. We must direct our nation in only one direction, one
of becoming a cleaner, greener economy in which dangers of
pollution related to chemicals and wastes are mitigated.
The energy production and utilization sector is very key
to achieving a significant reduction in our pollution emission
profile. Because of the lack of adequate municipal electricity
supply, there has been a preponderance of use of home
electricity generators, domestic cooking with firewood,
charcoal, sawdusts, kerosene and natural gas. These have
resulted in tremendous amounts of emissions of carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
and a variety of other toxic organics. Indoor air pollution
which results from this was the silent killer of about 95,300
Nigerians in 2004 (WHO 2004).
I therefore urge the Federal Government to recognize the
link between the generation of more electricity for home use,
and the improvement of the health of the citizenry. All efforts
should therefore be made to achieve a rapid and positive turn-
around in our perennial electricity generation problem. The
international community must also help Nigeria to solve its
energy problem. What is the purpose of building windmills,
solar/nuclear power and hydroelectrical systems all over
Europe as a means of stemming global warming, when
Nigeria alone can, and must have been cancelling the effects
of all these efforts through the amounts of carbon dioxide
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emitted daily from each of our homes, offices and factories
with the increased use of imported private electricity
generators. The emitted carbon monoxide knows no boundary
and does not warm up only parts of Africa!
I have already highlighted the critical need for regular
assessment and monitoring of various environmental media-
air, soil, surface and ground water, vegetations, foods, and
other suitable indicators. Most of all the data that is currently
available on the status of our environmental media have been
obtained through .the praiseworthy efforts of individual
academic researchers who are often limited in resources and
so tend to limit the spatial and temporal expanse of their
study (Abimbola and Olatunji 2011). What are the dissolved
oxygen contents of various parts of the River Niger over the
last few years? What was the average carbon monoxide level
over the city of Ibadan yesterday? What was the chemical
oxygen demand of the effluent from the Nigerian Brewery
about midday yesterday? What is the average lead content of
the topsoil within the Vice-Chancellor's lodge? We do not
have answers to these. Yet, I can go online at any time and
find information on the air quality within the last hour, of any
major city of the developed countries. Government must take
up the responsibility of environmental assessment and
monitoring. The various State Environmental Protection
Agencies, the Federal Ministry of Environment and NESREA
have important roles to play in this regard. They must go
beyond their traditional roles of being regulators and
enforcers, to one of direct assessors and monitors. They must
have functional laboratories, competent staff, effective data
management and communication systems. It is time, for
example, to develop and Air Quality Index system for
Nigeria! This way, perhaps the Lagos smog and the Zamfara
lead poisoning episodes could have been averted. I therefore
call on all the agencies concerned with regulating the
Environment to take on these additional roles, while
governments make the necessary financial, personnel and
technical facilities available for this purpose.
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·Finally, Mr. Vice-Chancellor sir, I have had a rewarding
management experience in the last six and half years of my
position as the Coordinator of the University's Multi-
disciplinary Central Research Laboratory (MCRL). I wish to
express my gratitude for this opportunity. I also, with the kind
permission of the Chairman of the MCRL Administrative
Committee, would like to publicly acknowledge the special
support which your administration has been giving to the
MCRL. The need to adequately equip each and every
department cannot be wished away, but recent realities of our
indi vidual departmental financial and infrastructural
situations has made the central laboratory model a very
attractive and effective option which most Nigerian
University's are buying into. The concern today, sir, of the
MCRL Committee is a very deep-seated worry about the
sustainability of the MCRL. We believe that perhaps the
various governing organs of the University need to articulate
this and propose a more enduring sustainability plan. As it
stands now, the MCRL can only depend on the goodwill of
the person of each vice-chancellor. We pray that the'
administration will look into this. It is also on this note that I
wish to reach out to the Federal Government to revisit the
initial proposal of setting up and fully equipping six zonal.
central laboratories, one of which was to be located on our
campus. Funds were initially budgeted, but never released. If-
we are to achieve the much touted technological development
within a reasonable time, through home-grown research, then
the issue of providing state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for
departments and central laboratories cannot be over-
emphasised.
Likewise, I am aware that the Committee of Vice-
Chancellors of Nigerian Universities are making very
important arrangements to jointly subscribe to the very
versatile and comprehensive Elsevier's databases, Science
Direct and Scopus, to be made available to researchers in our
universities. This move should be concretised quickly as it
would go a long way in improving the quality of staff and
students' literature searches, and hence the derived research
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designs and project outcomes. I wish us all well in our
academic pursuits under the present rather difficult
circumstances.
Acknowledgement
I believe I can adapt/modify the poetic words of the great
Winston Churchill and say that my life has been one in which
"never was so much owed to so many by one person!" So
many have influenced me positively, but I shall be
constrained here to acknowledge a few and pray that I be
forgiven by those for whom I am unable to find the space and
time now.
First I would like to acknowledge my academic mentors,
Professors S.O. Ajayi, O. Osibanjo and A. Egunyomi, who
were involved in the supervision of my research work for
various degree programmes at the University of Ibadan, and
have remained my very dear friends and colleagues in the true
spirit of the academic tradition. I thank them immensely for
the warmth of my experience of the tutelage under them.
I have enjoyed being student under many great and true
teachers at all levels of my education. I cannot remember
them all, but I certainly will not forget my Secondary School
teachers of EnglishlLiterature, Mr. Ralph O. Ekpeh (now His
Royal Majesty, Eze Enugwu-Ukwu and Igwe of Umunri
Clan) and MathematicslPhysics, late Mr. Patrick G.N. Okolie
(alias Bonvie). They were' fantastic teachers who influenced
me positively, and I still relish what their presence in front of
the class meant to me. In our Department of Chemistry, I
fondly remember enjoying and always looking forward to the
lectures of Professors J.I. Okogun, E.K. Adesogan, B.B.
Adeleke and J.I. Faniran.
Our Department of Chemistry is one of the best places in
the world to choose to be a worker/lecturer. The culture there
has been one of peace, friendliness, cooperation, hard work
and loyalty. I thank the current Head, the energetic, goal-
getting, meticulous and very experienced Professor A.A.
Adesomoju. I also thank my other colleague professors not
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earlier mentioned: O. Ekundayo, R.A. Oderinde, Tim Odiaka,
J.A.O. Woods (long-time, special friend), Kayode
Adebowale, Bamiji Babalola, Dayo Olu-Owolabi for
cordiality that makes the workplace pleasant to be. I extend
the same gratitude to every other staff of the Department, but
I must not fail to single out and mention the other members of
my very dear Analytical Chemistry unit: Drs Adewuyi,
Ogundiran, Adeyi, Ipeaiyeda, Adie, Etim and Alabi. I also
appreciate the laboratory personnel who have directly worked
with me: Mrs. Abdul-Waheed, Mrs. Opeseitan, Mrs. 'Oboh,
Mr. Oluwadare, Dipo Ayodele, and Helen Johnson. I also
cherish the friendship I always had and still have with some
retired staff of the Department, in the persons of Mr. Chris
Ehilebo, Mr. Perry Ahmadu, Mr. Paul Nwabueze, Mr.
Iregbeyaoje and Mr. Tunde Abaire.
I must not fail to appreciate the support that I have
received from various academics in foreign institutions
outside of this country. I therefore wish to remember and
appreciate Professors, Gerald Lalor, Mitko Voutchkov, Bengt
Nygard, Drs. Per Jenische, Ingemar Gustavsson, Mr. Charles
Grant, and Perti Knutilla. I have also enjoyed the valued
friendship of many in my Faculty, especially, Dr. Salam, Dr.
Chukwuka, Dr. Jayeola, Prof. Sanni, Prof. Onilude, Prof. &
Prof. Ugwumba, Prof. Farai (my Deanl), Prof. Hussain, Prof.
Oladiran, Prof. Olayinka, Prof. Oyelaran, Prof. Sodipo, Prof.
Amahia, Prof. Folorunsho, Prof. Ayoola, Prof. Ekhaguere
(my oga sirl) and late Prof. Abimbola; Prof. Tijani, Prof.
Aleru, Prof. Jonathan, Prof. Osonubi, Prof. Odebode, Drs.
Bakare, Ogundare, Aiyelaagbe, Oyedeji, Aboaba, Dr.
Oladosu. I also would like to appreciate the following special
friends from other Nigerian Universities: Professors Kakulu,
Odukoya, Sodipo, Arowolo, Kehinde Olayinka,
Ogunfowokan, Bode Ajayi, Shaato; and Dr. Tunde Odesanya.
I have very much enjoyed being a teacher, despite the
limitation of material rewards from it. This has been partly
due to my innate love for teaching, but mostly because I have
interacted with so many wonderfully exciting students. I owe
them the gratitude of the opportunity to teach them. In this
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respect I want to thank my past Ph.D. students, Dr. Iheoma
Adekunle, Dr. Sylvester Aboho (late), Dr. Ayo Ipeaiyeda, Dr.
Sam Akporido, Dr. Effiong Etim, Prof. Jumoke Olayiwola,
Dr. Jude Emurotu and Dr. Theresa Onwordi; as well as my
M.Phil. student, Mr. Ini Umoren. The MSc students have
been so numerous, but I still remember some special ones:
Wale Babalola, J.J. Akpan, Kayode Busari, Shina Kadri,
Ande Sesugh, David Omobusuyi, Ochuko Oputu, Avwioroko
Ochuko, Dr. Nnorom Innocent, Dr. Onwudili Jude, Prof.
Tsafe, Dr. Iyaka, Dr. Sayo Fakayode, Prof. Rufus Shaato, Dr.
Iwegbua Maxwell, Itua Omobhude, Ugo Ewuzie, lfeoma
Anazonwu, Prince Ogeleka, Eroms Ojo, Bablo, Joe Adoghe,
Thomas Daniel and John Witemire-who have all now
distinguished themselves in their chosen career paths.
In the last six and half years, I have worked closely with
quite a number of persons in the course of my assignment as
Coordinator of the MCRL. In particular, I wish to thank
members of the various Administrative Committees of the
period, especially the Chairmen, Professor o.c. Aworh and
Professor B.O. Oke, for being such wonderfully nice persons
to work with towards a common positive goal. I specially
thank Mr. Jimoh Ogundeyi for his companionship and
friendship in the MCRL. I also thank the various staff: Mrs.
Korede, Olomola, Balogun, Akinola, the gentlemen - Yusuf,
Abiola, Busari, Oyedele and Oyetayo; and the associates -
Joel Ajayi, David Omobusuyi and Chris Odeh. I have also
enjoyed working with Dr Aremu Adegokc as we together
plan for the soon-to-come transition to his Coordinatorship of
the MCRL.
I must acknowledge the following who have been very
supportive of the well-being of my family in various ways:
Prof. O.E. Fagade, Niyi & Oyinkan Adenipekun, Dr.
Dawodu, Ify and Bokun Onyeonoru, Mrs. Eimunjeze, late
Mrs. Maduemezia, Peter & Margaret Aziba, Charles & Vel
Uwakwe, Uche & Ngozi Ugoji, Chris & Ngozi Okonji, the
Anyanwus, Festus & Josephine Ikem, Mrs. Akang, Olachi
Ukachukwu, Titi Busari, Tope Sodipo, Bimpe Samotu, Tope
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Oyedele, the Nnadozies, Mama Anthonio, Mrs. Ikotun, Mrs.
Adeboye, Dr. (Mrs.) Babatola, Feyi Ademola-Adeoye, Dr.
Chief & Chief (Mrs.) Abu, Mr. & Mrs. Sylvester Okwudishu,
Jerry and Florence Akinwunmi, Hycinth and Sola Elueme,
the Okechukwus and Aries Okonmah.
My late father was so proud of his son, but did not see me
acquire the PhD which he had prophesied would be my
portion, on one occasion when he was teaching me arithmetic
in Primary 2. He passed on as I was at the terminal stage of
the MSc programme. I thank him for so much decency and
honesty that was deep-seated in him, which he taught me by
example, and also transferred to me genetically. I never tire of
talking about him to my wife and children. My late mother
cared so lovingly for his first son and her other children. May
her gentle soul rest in peace. I thank each and everyone of .
my siblings, especially Elvis, Nicholas, Elizabeth, Victoria,
Michael, Vincent, Nwabuno Awele, Onwuyali, Obiageli and·
their various spouses and children, for their love and care.
I also appreciate my cousins, Diokpa/Chief George Eze
Onianwa (present head of the Onianwa family), Ikechukwu
Onianwa, Godwin. Onianwa, Ezenwani Onianwa and their
families. My other cousins, the Nzemekas, the Ohais, the
Okonmas, the Nwaobis, the Onianwas of Umueze, the
Nzekwues of Ogbowele, the Nwaezeigwe's of Ezukwu,
Okolies of Umuidi, and the Eluezes of Ogbowele are well
appreciated. I very specially appreciate Professor & Mrs.
Azubuike A. Elueze who have been a caring family to me on
campus.
In a warm and very special way, I recognise and
appreciate my in-laws, the Umunnas-Uncle Odigwe, Larry,
Hillary, Arnold and Ernest and their spouses and children. A
very special gratitude is reserved for the matriarch of the
family, my indefatigable, vivacious and wonderful mother-in-
law, Mrs Patricia Ndudi Umunna. May the Lord continue to
guide, protect and bless you. I also thank your committee of
friends who never cease to honour my family with their
presence at events such as this. It is a great pity that my late
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father-in-law, Mr. Lawrence Okoji Umunna, did not live to
witness today's event, the type he would have been proud of.
May his soul rest in peace. I must not forget to .acknowledge
and appreciate the love of my related in-laws, the
Nwabuokus, Mr. & Mrs. Sunny Egho, Mr. & Mrs. George
Ohaegbu, Samson, Ify & Victoria Obona, Stella Umunna,
Chekwube, Rosemary Akala, Edith Okonkwo, the
Chukwujekwes, Austin & Esther Okafor, and so many
others! !
The Catholic Parish of Our Lady Seat of Wisdom has
been my church of spiritual reconciliation, adoration and
worship. I thank the parish priest Rev. Fr. E. Ade Owoeye
and his assistant Rev. Fr. Samuel Frederick, as well as the
former assistant, Rev. Fr. Vincent Alabi. I also thank
members of the Liturgical Committee and the Morning Star
Choir of the parish. May the Lord bless you all in His holy
place. I appreciate the highly' professional efforts of Mrs.
Nike Farai and her team in editing the draft manuscript of this
lecture.
My children, Chizi, Nwanne and Awele, are sweet to
behold. I thank God for them as they surround me and
mummy with love and affection. It has been a sweet blessing
watching you grow up to gradually become independent. You
will reap the blessings of your obedience and faithfulness to
your parents, in Jesus name. I trust that the Lord shall go and
abide with you always.
Now, for the love of my life, made specially in heaven to
fit me - Patricia Obiajulu Onianwa. I cannot find the words
that truly convey my inner feeling of thankfulness for your
love and faithfulness all these years. I rush home after work
every evening with positive anticipation, to meet you,
knowing what awaits me: a pleasurable time to gist, to laugh,
to play, to sing, to download the excitements and worries of
the day, sometimes to dance for you. May God always grant
us this sweet companionship together till very ripe old age.
Amen.
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY
Finally, but not the least: What is so special about me?
Nothing! Nothing, but the abiding Grace of the Almighty
Father, who fathomed my being and nurtured me to this day!
He made it possible for me to have today, to write this
lecture, to open my mouth and lift my hands to speak about
His environment-the environment which He gave to us in
majestic pristine condition. He has in His infinite mercy
watched us degrade His environment! Forgive us Father, for
we know not what we do! I give him the best of gratitude for
this wonderful day .and opportunity. May the Grace of our
heavenly Father abide with each and everyone of us. Amen.
Thank you all for your kind attention.
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BIODATAOF
PROFESSOR PERCY CHUKS ONIANW A
Professor Percy Chuks Onianwa, was born on 10 April 1955
to the family of late Chief Frederick Okonwanji Onianwa
(alias Oshimili) and late Mrs. Comfort Egobi Onianwa (nee
Nwaezeigwe) of Ogboli quarters in Ibusa town of Oshimili
North Local Government area of Delta State. He attended St.
Augustine's Grammar School, Ibusa, from 1968 to 1972 and
passed with a Division One. Between 1973 and 1974, he was
at the Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, Lagos where he
undertook his Higher School Certificate programme before
being admitted into the University of Ibadan in 1975. In 1978,
he graduated with a Second Class Honours, Upper Division,
from our prestigious Department of Chemistry. Subsequently,
he obtained the degree of M.Sc. (Analytical Chemistry) and
PhD (AnalyticallEnvironmental Chemistry) from the same·
Department in 1980 and 1985 respectively. Professor
Onianwa joined the staff of the University of Ibadan on 01
November, 1980 as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department
of Chemistry, and rose through the ranks to the position of
Professor of AnalyticallEnvironmental Chemistry in 2001.
Professor Onianwa's research interest is in the field of
analytical methods development and assessment, and the
application to environmental assessment,monitoring and
modelling particularly with respect to heavy metals and other
pollutants. He has published widely in mostly reputable
international journals. He has collaborated locally and
internationally in this respect, and has been visiting scholar to
a number of reputable foreign research centres, including the
University of Uppsala's Department of Analytical Chemistry,
the Laboratory for Coastal Research of the National Swedish
Environmental Protection Board in Drottinngholm, and the
Statens Lantbrukskemiska Laboratorium (SLL), Ultuna,
Sweden. He was also a Third World Academy of Science
(TWAS) research fellow at the International Centre for
Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS), located on the
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campus of the University of the West Indies, Kingston,
Jamaica. Professor -Onianwa has supervised and graduated
eight PhD and one MPhil candidates, and scores of MSc
candidates.
He has held several administrative appointments in the
University. He is the current representative of the Faculty of
Science on the University -Appointments and Promotion
Committee, and has in the past served on the Telephone
r Committee, Student's Welfare Committee, Staff Disciplinary
Committee, and several ad-hoc committees. He has, since
September 2008, till date, held the position of Coordinator of
our University's Multidisciplinary Central Research
Laboratory (MCRL).
Professor Onianwa has served as external examiner for
PhD and MSc programmes to two universities in South
Africa, and fourteen Nigerian Universities. He has also served
on the National University Commission's accreditation teams
to several first and second generation Universities. He is
regular reviewer to thirteen international reputable journals,
and in February 2013 was appointed substantive Editor of an
Elsevier journal, the Journal of Food Composition and
Analysis. He is a member of several professional
organisations, including the Institute of Chartered Chemists
of Nigeria (a fellow), Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria
(a fellow), American Chemical Society, Royal Society of
Chemistry (UK), Council of Science Editors, International
Society for Managing and Technical Editors, and the Society
for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
Since 2004, he has held the position of Chairman of
Technical Committee on Chemicals and Cosmetics of the
Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). In February 2013,
on the recommendation of the SON, he was appointed
"Expert" to the Technical Harmonisation Committee (THC)
, 05 (on Chemicals/Chemical Engineering products) of the
African Standardisation Organisation (ARSO), the
standardisation coordinating organ of the African Union,
based in Nairobi. He was, also in 2013, appointed Member of
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UNEP-WCMC (United Nations Environment Programme -
World Conservation Monitoring Centre) Group of Experts on
the Development" of Indicators for the Global Assessment of
Harmful Substances. Professor Onianwa has been involved in
some assignments involving chemical pollution management
issues for the ECOW AS Commission, and the Basel
Convention Coordinating Centre for the Africa Region'
(BCCC-Africa).
He is happily married to Dr. Patricia O. Onianwa, Deputy
Director of Nursing, and current Head of Nursing, University
College Hospital, Ibadan. They are blessed with children .
•
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NATIONAL ANTHEM
Arise, 0 compatriots
Nigeria's call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith
The labour of our heroes' past
Shall never be in vain
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom
Peace and unity
o God of creation
Direct our noble cause
Guide thou our leaders right
Help our youths the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation where peace
And justice shall reign
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN ANTHEM
Unibadan, Fountainhead
Of true learning, deep and sound
Soothing spring for all who thirst
Bounds of knowledge to advance
Pledge to serve our cherished goals!
Self-reliance, unity
That our nation may with pride
Help to build a world that is truly free
Unibadan, first and best
Raise true minds for a noble cause
Social justice, equal chance
Greatness won with honest toil
Guide our people this to know
Wisdom's best to service turned
Help enshrine the right to learn
For a mind that knows is a mind that's free
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UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY