Socio-economic baseline for oil-impacted communities in Ogoniland: towards a restoration framework in Niger Delta, Nigeria.

This study documents the socio-economic baselines in selected oil-impacted communities prior to the commencement of the Ogoni clean-up and restoration project. Adopting mixed approach consisting of semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), and household surveys, we surveyed the pre-remediation socio-economic conditions in the Ogoniland communities between July 2018 and March 2019. Results indicated that almost all respondents (99.6%) agreed that the smell of petroleum products or crude oil was evident in the air they breathed even as there were visible black particles (soot) in the respondents' nostrils, on their clothes, and in water. The respondents described the ambient air as smoky and choked with an offensive smell. The household waters were smelly, brownish, or oily, and most respondents (76%) cannot afford to treat their water. Forty-two percent of the respondents who relied on fishing and farming for a living sought for alternative means of subsistence and acknowledged that oil pollution caused stunted growth and low crop yield. The majority of respondents (91%) reported falling fish catches, while the fish caught smell and taste of oil, lowering their market value and posing a potential health risk to consumers. It is evident that oil pollution has impacted the socio-ecological values and sustainable livelihood in Ogoniland. This study provides baseline data for monitoring post-remediation socio-economic improvements in Ogoniland. It also highlights areas of urgent intervention to improve livelihood, and access to basic amenities (e.g., potable drinking water), waste management infrastructure, and statutory policy changes for sustainable development in Ogoniland.

Pharmaceutical and personal care products as emerging environmental contaminants in Nigeria: A systematic review.

The increasingly broad and massive use of pharmaceuticals (human, veterinary) and personal care products in industrially developing nations makes their uncontrolled environmental and ecological impact a true concern. Focusing on Nigeria, this systematic literature search (databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, EMBASE, Scopus, Cochrane library and African Journals Online) aims to increase visibility to the issue. Among 275 articles identified, 7 were included in this systematic review. Studies indicated the presence of 11 personal care products (15.94 %) and 58 pharmaceutical products (84.06 %) in surface and ground water, leachates, runoffs, sludge, and sediments. The 42.86% (3/7) of reviewed studies reported 17 analgesics; 71.42 % (5/7) reported 16 antibiotics; 28.57 % (2/7) reported 5 lipid lowering drugs; 28.57% reported anti-malaria and fungal drugs; 14.29 % (1/7) reported estrogen drugs. Different studies report on sunscreen products, hormone, phytosterol, insect repellent, and ß1 receptor. Gemfibrozil (<4-730 ng/L), Triclosan (55.1-297.7 ng/L), Triclocarban (35.6-232.4 ng/L), Trimethoprim (<1-388 ng/L) and Tramadol (<2-883 ng/L) had the highest range of concentrations. Findings confirm the need of i) legislation for environmental monitoring, including biota, ii) toxicological profiling of new market products, and iii) sensitization on appropriate use and disposal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products.

Nutrients dynamics in water and sediment of the Bonny Estuary, Niger Delta, Nigeria.

Surface water and sediment from Bonny Estuary, Nigeria, were assessed to determine the nutrient dynamics. Nutrients (nitrates, phosphates, and total organic carbon (TOC)) and some physicochemical parameters of water samples are collected from three sampling stations along the Bonny Estuary during wet seasons (April 2017, 2018, and 2019) and dry seasons (November 2017, 2018, and 2019). Physicochemical parameters analyses were conducted in situ using Horiba water checker (Model U-10). Surface water nitrate and phosphate were analysed by APHA 4500-NO3-B Colorimetric method, while sediment nitrates and phosphate by Chemical Analysis for Ecological Matter CAEM/APHA 4500-NO3-E Colorimetric method and TOC by CAEM-Wet-Oxidation Titration method. There was no significant seasonal variation in pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, conductivity, and turbidity nor across the sampling stations. TDS values showed significant seasonal variation with higher values in the wet seasons. Surface water nitrate and phosphate had higher concentrations in wet seasons though within recommended limits. Conversely, nitrate, phosphate, and TOC in the sediments were quite high, with higher values in wet seasons, especially the downstream of the estuary. The high levels of nutrients in the sediments as opposed to surface water could be a result of rapid deposition of nutrients which could lead to possible nutrient enrichment of the sediment. Nutrient levels in the sediment have increased fourfold over the study period. This suggests an influx of nutrients into the estuary, due to human activities. Nutrient enrichment could result in deterioration in aquatic water quality and pose a threat to the ecology of the estuary.