CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
General introduction
Rapid increase in population and change in life style in Nigeria have resulted in a dramatic increase in the generation of municipal solid waste (MSW). It includes domestic as well as commercial waste that accounts for a relatively small part of the total solid waste stream in developed countries. Accumulation of a large amount of waste may create several problems to inhabiting populations. Population growth has been contributing to increase in the quality and variety of waste. Collection, transportation and handling of the waste if not properly dealt with, can create a number of problems, many of which are related to human health and environment1,2. Municipal solid waste management is an important part of the urban infrastructure that ensures the protection of environment and human health3,4. The accelerated growth of urban population with unplanned urbanization, increasing economic activities and lack of training in modern solid waste management practices in developing countries complicates the efforts to improve solid waste services5.
However, the unsettling problem is that dumping the waste on
soil is one means which the soil quality is degraded. The polluted soil affects human health through
direct human contact or inhalation of the polluted airborne dust and the
consumption of the garden vegetables grown on abandoned dumpsites or around
active dumpsites6. Solid waste management has become a global
problem especially in the developing countries of the world. In Nigeria, for
instance it is not unusual to see heaps of garbage in the major cities
littering the streets, dumped in drains, vacant plots, and water bodies, and
this has in many cases resulted in spread of communicable diseases7.
The situation appears to continue unabated due largely to the factors of
urbanization, population growth, improved life style and insufficient funds to
properly manage solid waste7. Improper management of solid waste
areas has resulted in serious ecological, environmental and health problems.
Such practices contribute to widespread environmental pollution as well as
spread of diseases8. Solid waste disposal methods are a major public
concern. Majority of the municipal solid waste disposal sites in Nigeria are still
open dumps. Solid waste disposal by landfill poses a threat to groundwater and
surface water quality through the formation of polluting liquids known as
leachate9.
Leachate generally
comes into existence during dissolution in the landfill. The environments can
be polluted by the leachate, which occurs at the end of decayed solid waste,
mixed with precipitates of surface water. As a result, surface water collection
system (rivers, creeks, lakes), subsurface collection system (groundwater
reservoirs) and solid system (different soil layers) have been seriously
polluted by this leachate9. Landfills are one of the sources of
groundwater and soil pollution due to the production of leachate and
transportation of the contamination to farther points in the ecosystem8.
The contaminations of soil, water and air with heavy metals even at low
concentrations are known to have potential impact on environment and human
health. These metals also pose a long-term risk to groundwater and ecosystem in
general10,11. The WHO, had confirmed the effects of
lead intake to include, abortion, infant mortality, malformation of foetus,
genetic mutation, retarded growth, intoxication, depression of respiration and
chromosomal aberrations. Based on these, researchers postulated ways of
controlling the generation of wastes and effects on the environment12.
Environmental monitoring refers to the set of activities that provide
chemical, physical, geological, biological and environmental, social or health
data required by environmental managers13. Environmental monitoring
involves the systematic collection of data to determine: The actual
environmental effects of a contaminant. The compliance of contaminant with
regulatory standards; or the degree of implementation and success of environmental
protection measures when successfully integrated with the environmental system
for the project, environmental monitoring can provide valuable feedback about
the effectiveness of environmental protection measures and in turn monitoring
may be related to the post project evaluation12,13.
Monitoring of soil quality indicators over time identifies changes or trends in the functional status or quality of the soil. Monitoring can be used to determine the success of management practices or the need for additional management changes or adjustments14,15. In Nigeria, agencies like the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), Ministry of Environment, and Environmental Sanitation Authorities and even local authorities are responsible for planning a defined line of action for disposal and management of waste generated on daily basis in our society. Gombe States Environmental Protection Agency (GOSEPA) is not an exception. The report that refuse dumps have caused traffic delays in some strategic parts of our urban centre’s is an example of poor management of refuse dumps in Nigeria towns and cities16.
The residents of the present study area use borehole water, which is located
close to the dumpsite for drinking and other domestics activities and they also
use the soil around the dumpsite is used for farming activities. It is
necessary to periodically examine wastes and some pollutants effect on soil and
groundwater through soil and water analysis. This will go a long way in
providing information needed for the development of techniques for tackling the
problem of soil and groundwater pollution and effect of municipal solid wastes
on the environment through proper disposal/management strategies.
PHYSICO-CHEMICAL STUDIES OF SOIL AND GROUNDWATER AROUND A MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE DUMPSITE IN GOMBE METROPOLIS
