ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER IN IKEJA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF LAGOS STATE

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects of industrial wastewater on the environment of Ikeja by identifying the  industries  that  generate  and  discharge  wastewater.  It  also  examined  the  physico-chemical composition of the wastewater and determined the spatial distribution of wastewater discharge and its relationship  with environmental  pollution. It compared the waste water quality of the sampled industries  in  the  study  area  with  LASEPA  regulatory  standards.  Field  collection  of  wastewater samples  were  undertaken  in  2009  from  nine  (9)  groups  of  industries  and  the physico-chemical analysis  was conducted  at the federal  institute of Industrial  Research,  (FIIRO) Oshodi,  Lagos. The total  number  of nine waste water  samples  was collected  at source.  The result of the laboratory analysis  shows that most of  the industries  discharge  untreated  wastewater  into the environment while   some   that   have   treatment   plants   do  not   properly   treat   their   wastewater.   Principal Components Analysis (PCA), isolated five wastewater parameters identified as major pollutants from the wastewater which are iron (Fe), turbidity (TUR), pH, Chlorine (Cl) and Lead (Pb). Also two group of industries,  Food, beverages,  hotels and farms (FBH) and Cosmetics,  soap and detergents  (CSD) account  for  86.56%  of  environmental  pollution  arising  from  industrial  wastewater  in  Ikeja.  The pollution  is  most  concentrated  in  the  west  central  part  of  Ikeja.  The  problems  created  by  the discharge  of  untreated  wastewater  include  pollution  of  surface  and  underground  water.  Field observations showed that the problems of flooding, destruction of crops and farmland, reduction of aesthetic values of the environment and increase in reported cases of sickness and diseases could be associated with indiscriminate  waste water disposal. The study concluded that the activities of waste water generating industries in Ikeja LGA have a negative impact on the environment of Ikeja.

The study therefore recommends  that the government  of LAGOS State and indeed Ikeja Local Government Area should review their environmental policy to reflect the current trends in sound environmental management and global best practices, among other suggestions.

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1: Background of the Study

For all of man’s existence on the surface of the earth, man has created  more problems than he has been able to solve. In an attempt to solve one problem another one is created. The environment is man’s first right. Unfortunately, through increased human activities, man has exerted a lot of pressure on his environment and this has resulted in such problems as pollution,  desertification,  soil erosion, climate change, loss of biodiversity among many others (Watson et al, 1989). Most of these problems which have long assumed global dimensions are either directly or indirectly linked to industrialization.

The environment  was until a few decades ago viewed by many as just  their immediate surroundings.  Today the true definition is embraced  world wide  as total outer physical and biological systems within which human beings, plants  and other organisms live. There is no gainsaying that nations are fast experiencing deterioration of their entire environment –air being polluted with vehicle and  factory fumes; sea, streams, rivers and underground  water and other water  bodies  and sewers are daily laden with industrial effluent discharge. Raw materials are needed by both small and large scale industries in the manufacturing process. The processing of these materials into finished products leads to the production of waste materials.

Industrial wastes and emissions contain toxic and hazardous substances most of which can be detrimental to human health. Some of these substances  include  lead, cadmium, and mercury (heavy metals), and toxic organic chemicals such as pesticides, polychlorinated  biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and phenotic compounds   (FEPA,   1991).   After   a  survey   of   the   backlog   of   the   Nigeria’s environmental  problems  from  independence  in  1960,  the  Federal  Environmental Protection  Agency  (FEPA)  in  1990  identified   industrial  pollution  as  a  priority environmental  problem requiring urgent  attention (Osibanjo,  2000). According to a World Bank report published in 1993, industrial pollution was also identified as a key environmental   problem   in   Nigeria.   Similarly,   the   Lagos   State   Environmental Protection Agency  (LASEPA)  ranked  industrial  pollution especially from untreated effluent as one of the major problems facing the state hence, the interest in this study. It was believed until recently that pollutants, which are discharged or emitted into the

environment, were generally assimilated or absorbed by nature. For instance, it was thought that discharged chemical effluents from industries become so well diluted and then was absorbed into the water bodies and or ground  without any threat to lives (Kupoluyi and Madukasi, 2005). Today, those assumptions are being proved wrong; as the discharged untreated effluents are having negative impact on the environment. At the global level, there had been recorded  incidents of death  of plants, animals and human beings resulting  from untreated  industrial  wastewater.  The Mina-Mata  Bay disaster in Japan in the 1960s, resulting from mercury poisoning with enormous death toll of both human beings and animals,  provides a classical example (FEPA 1991). Other examples include the Itai Itai cadmium poisoning also in the 1990’s, the Bhopal disaster  in  India  in November  1984  from  a pesticide  factory,  pesticide  and  PCB contamination in the 1970’s and 1980’s among others.

In Nigeria as in many developing nations of the world, serious environmental

pollution problems have also been recorded. The dumping of toxic wastes in Koko Delta State in 1988, the accidental discharge of water containing high ammonia level into Okrika River from National fertilizer Company of Nigeria (NAFCON), near Port Harcourt are case studies (Oghenekobaroh,  1997). This caused massive fish kill and socio-economic  problems  for artisanal  fishing  industry in the surrounding  villages. The  international  community  has  made  several  efforts  to  stem  the  ugly  tide  of environmental pollution especially in  developing countries like Nigeria. The United Nations Conference on the  Human Environment  (1972) which gave birth to United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 is part of these efforts. In spite of Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) Interim Guidelines and Standards   for   Industrial   Effluents,   Gaseous   emissions   and   Hazardous   Waste Management  (FEPA Green Book, 1991),  and several other regulatory  laws put in place to check the menace of industrial pollution in the country, the problem continues to persist. Hence the need to study the associated impacts of such pollutants.

1.2: Statement of the Research Problem:

Industrial wastewaters are liquid effluents that come from industries and large commercial outfits. Common waste generating industries include breweries,  textiles, bottling industries,  pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals,  meat packaging,  dairies,  paint and allied chemicals, metal finishing industries to mention a few. The liquid effluents may be direct by-products of wet processes or may arise  from equipment and floor

washing. Wastewaters are by far more complex than domestic sewage. In addition to containing carbonaceous materials and nitrogenous substances, industrial wastewater may contain complex organic and inorganic matter, toxic chemicals and heavy metals depending on the type of industries.

According to World Bank (1993) report, there are about 3,000 industries  in Nigeria out of which 60% are located in Lagos. It is also estimated that 60% of the industries  in Lagos are located  within Oregun and Ogba industrial estates  of Ikeja L.G.A. With the polarization of industrial activities in Lagos, it is also expected that the environmental impacts will be polarized. Osibanjo (2000) reported that less than

10%  of  the  industries  in  Nigeria  manage  their  wastewater  in  an  environmentally friendly  manner.  According  to  LASEPA  (1991),  there  were  ten  (10)  wastewater treatment plants in Lagos. Our preliminary investigation shows that none of them is functional today. Appendix C shows listing of water treatment plant in Lagos. Further investigation  reveals  that  several  researchers   have  done  remarkable  studies  on pollution of Lagos environment in general. Unfortunately, a lot of attention had been given  to  industrial  solid  and  municipal wastes  to  the  neglect  of  the  problems  of environmental pollution by liquid effluents.

Although institutional framework, regulatory and control measures have been put in place by Federal Government of Nigeria, Lagos State Government  and Ikeja Local  Government  Authorities  in order  to  arrest  the  ugly trend,  the  problem  has continued  unabated. Industrial effluents when discharged  untreated  may pollute the surface  water,  ground  water  and  soil  such  that  fishing,  forestry,  crop  production, animal husbandry and general ecosystem  services are  no longer possible (Osinem,

2005).  Similarly,  effluents  that  accumulate  in  poorly  built  drains  may  constitute breeding grounds for mosquitoes resulting in malaria and other dangerous diseases.

Due to the low lying nature of Ikeja L.G.A, the water table is very close to the surface  of the ground.  The discharge  of untreated  industrial  wastewater  may  have adverse  effect  on the surface  and  ground  water  sources on which  the community depends for both domestic and industrial uses. With heavy concentration of industrial activities in Ikeja L.G.A, there is an unfortunate paucity of records on the effect of industrial wastewaters within the area.

This work is very relevant and timely because available records suggest that no direct investigation has been conducted on the problems of industrial wastewater on Ikeja environment.

Most of the studies in review focused only on the effect of effluents on one medium of the environment  at a time without considering that industrial  wastewaters  could have a multiplier effect on different media of the environment at the same time.

Other isolated studies done in Lagos and in other parts of Nigeria concentrated on a single  effluent  type.  From  the  literature  reviewed,  single  effluent  type  may  not necessarily  be  harmful   until  it  mixes   up   with  other   chemicals.   Lagos  State government’s  environmental  protection program  places less  emphasis  on industrial waste water.

This study has been oriented to cover this intellectual  gap by investigating  several effluent  types generated  by different  industries  Vis  a Vis their  biophysical,  socio- economic and health effects on the Ikeja environment.

Given the above scenario, one may be compelled to ask the following questions:

    Why has this problem persisted over time?

    How can the regulatory authorities approach the problem?

      What  factors  are  responsible  for  the  non-  compliance  with  regulations  by industries?

      What  environmental  conditions  are  indicative  of poor  treatments  of  liquid effluents in Ikeja?

    What parts of Ikeja L.G.A are most guilty of this violation

1.3 Aim and Objectives:

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of industrial wastewater on the environment of Ikeja L.G.A of Lagos State; with a view of creating the  necessary awareness for their control and management

In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives have been outlined.

1.   To identify industries that generate and discharge effluents in Ikeja L.G.A

2.   To  determine  the  spatial  distribution  of  effluent  discharge  and  establish  a relationship between the level of pollution and environmental problems in the study area

3.   To examine the physical and biochemical composition of industrial effluents generated by these industries.

4.   To compare the quality of waste water by the operating industries with both

FEPA and LASEPA standards.

5.   To suggest appropriate measures for the mitigation of industrial waste  water pollution in the study area.

1.4 The research Hypothesis

In order  to  further  evaluate  the  quality of waste  water  discharged  by  these industries vis-à-vis the LASEPA regulatory effluent standards, it became necessary to test the Goodness of Fit using the Chi Square students test.

The hypothesis is stated as follows:

Ho: The observed difference between LASEPA effluents standards and

the quality of industrial waste water discharged in Ikeja is a function of poor management by the industries.

H1: The observed difference between LASEPA effluent standards and the quality of industrial waste water discharge in Ikeja is not a function of poor management by industries.

We applied the formula for chi-square test which is expressed as:

X2 = ∑ (0 – E)2

E                                                                          (1)

Where χ2 denotes chi-square coefficient; O is the observed data and E is the expected value of the data. The detailed calculations of the Chi Square test are presented in Appendix N.

1.5 Scope of Study:

Environmental pollution by untreated industrial effluents is a very wide and interesting field of study. Several industries exist in the study area with varying degrees of production. Effluents in this study refer to industrial waste water.

This work therefore focused only on large and medium scale manufacturing

industries generating effluents in Ikeja L.G.A.  The spatial distribution of these industries and how their activities with particular reference to waste water impact on the environment of Ikeja is also within the scope of this study. The study compared the effluent quality of these industries with regulatory standards applying different tools and techniques of analysis. The study area is limited to Oregun and Ogba  industrial layouts of Ikeja L.G.A.

1.6 The Study Area:

1.6.1: Geographical locations:-

The study area is Ikeja L.G.A of Lagos State. It is located in the north central part of Lagos State. Lagos State is located approximately between Latitudes 60 00’ and

70 00’ North of the Equator and longitudes 30 00’ and 40 00’ East of Greenwich. Ikeja

L.G.A is bounded in the north by Ogun State, in the West by Agege and Alimosho L.G.A,  in the south and east by Oshodi-Isolo  and  Somolu  L.G.As  respectively  as shown in Fig. 1. Ikeja L.G.A covers a land area of approximately 49.92 km2.

1.6.2: Relief and Climate:-

Ikeja L.G.A is a lowland area below 400 meters above the sea level. It falls roughly within the areas of sedimentary rocks lying in basins of sedimentation.

About 75% of the land surface has been developed into built up areas for residential and economic  purposes,  though  there  are still some marshy and  swampy parts of Oregun and Opebi areas that are yet to be reclaimed.  These  areas are made up of deposits of sand, clay and mud.

Within  the study area as  in other  parts of the state,  there  are two  distinct climatic seasons in a year: the dry season running from November to March, and the rainy season running from April to October. The rainfall is usually very heavy in June. A dry period  sets  in later  in August.  This can be  pleasantly  refreshing  given the coldness  of  air  brought  about  by the  earlier  rains  and  oceanic  breeze.  There  are however,  long  sunny spells  during  the  rainy  season,  particularly  at the onset  and towards the end of the season. January invariably ushers in a period of harmattan; a dry and dusty wind blowing from across the Sahara in the north-east. Though there is a lot  of  dust  in  the  air,  the  evening  may  be  relatively  cool.  The  maximum  daily

temperature  is  320   C,  minimum  daily  temperature  is  190   C  and  the  mean  daily

temperature is 250 C. The total annual rainfall is 1,800mm for Ikeja L.G.A.

1.6.3: Drainage:-

Ikeja L.G.A is drained by Odo-Iya Alaro stream. It takes its source from a spring in Adekunle village behind industrial road and Ajowa Plastics on Agidingbi road on the Isheri/Agidingbi axis ( Figure 2).

The stream is bounded by Adekunle suburb in the north, Ogba Industrial Estate in the west, Agidingbi  in the east and Adeniyi  Jones/Aromire  in the south. It  flows in a southerly  direction  through  farm  lands  and  cuts  across  Adekunle  village  until  it reaches Awolowo road where it slightly changes course and flows to the south east; then  runs  parallel  to  Oregun  –Opebi  link  road  and  Ikorodu  road  near  Maryland. Another arm of Odo –Iya stream enters from Ipodo/Unity road area of Ikeja and passes through  Custom  Training  school  compound  by Mobolaji  Bank  Anthony Way and flows through Opebi. It passes under Ikeja –Opebi Link Bridge to join the other arm from Oregun in the marsh  behind Sheraton Hotels and Towers. The stream passes between Ojota and Mende from where it joins Ogudu creek and empties into the Lagos Lagoon  (Nwaokoro,  1999).  The  stream  is a major  drainage  channel  and  receives industrial  and  domestic  wastewaters  from  Surulere  Industrial  Estate  road,  Lateef Jakande road, Acme road, Adeniyi Jones and Awosika Estate through Aromire. The Stream  is fairly fast  flowing  between  Adekunle  and  Aromire  areas  partly  due  to topography of the area and flows at a rate of about 5.5 m/s through alluvial deposits. The Odo –Iya Alaro stream is part of an extensive flood plain marsh.

1.6.4: Population:-

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (2006), the total population of Lagos was 5,726,000, while the population of Ikeja L.G.A was 313,196. This is made up of 169,233 males and 143,963 females. The annual growth rate is 2.83%. Ikeja is believed to be among the local governments with the smallest landmass. Incidentally, high concentration  of economic activities  in this area has  attracted  high density of population resulting in pressure on existing facilities. The earliest settlers in Ikeja and its environs are the Aworis who

migrated from Otta, an Awori town in Ogun State about 24km north of Ikeja township. Ikeja was originally a Yoruba settlement but with the on-set of migration, people from different localities make up the population of the area now.

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