Maritime experts have lamented the high rate of water pollution in Nigeria, adding that it has far-reaching consequences.
A scholar at Western Illinois University, Moline, Illinois, United States, Samuel Babatunde, disclosed this in a document obtained by The PRIMANEWS.
According to Babatunde, the country’s maritime industry faces multiple sources of water contamination.
He stated that industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, oil spills, plastic trash, and untreated sewage were some of the main causes.
He added that different harmful substances, such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants like PFAS, were released directly into water bodies by industrial activity.
“Nutrient pollution is caused by pesticides and fertilizers found in agricultural runoff, particularly destructive oil spills that cause extensive contamination are those resulting from tanker accidents and offshore drilling activities. Urban areas are a major source of plastic pollution, and the marine environment is contaminated by hazardous microorganisms that are introduced by poorly treated sewage,” he explained.
He expressed fear that the dangers of the pollution were wide-ranging and complex.
According to Babatunde, the toxicity of chemical contaminants, such as heavy metals and polyfluoroalkyl substances, to marine creatures results in a decrease in biodiversity.
“These chemicals can bioaccumulate and biomagnify, which can affect animals at higher tropic levels, including people who eat tainted seafood. Critical habitats like coral reefs and mangroves, which are vital to the existence of many marine species, are deteriorating by oil spills and plastic pollution.
“Nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff causes eutrophication, which in turn encourages algal blooms that lower the water’s oxygen content and produce hypoxic conditions that are harmful to aquatic life. Untreated sewage contains pathogenic germs that can cause serious health problems and waterborne illnesses that impact the local communities that rely on these waters,”
He maintained that water pollution has a negative economic impact on fisheries, lowering fish populations, endangering food security, and affecting the fishing-dependent coastal people’s means of subsistence.
He stated that polluted waters and damaged marine environments discourage tourists, which reduces income for local economies that depend on tourism.
Babatunde advised that to effectively reduce water contamination, a comprehensive strategy was needed.
“First off, pollutant loads can be greatly decreased by improving wastewater treatment with cutting-edge technologies including membrane filtration, activated carbon, and phytoremediation,” he remarked.
He stated that to ensure that discharge standards are being followed, regulatory structures and monitoring systems must be strengthened.
According to a maritime lawyer, Dr Emeka Akabugo, the country releases 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.
“Some of the means through which the waters are polluted include rampant discharge of hot effluents, untreated sewage, agricultural runoff discharge of nutrients and pesticides. 14116, 051 litres of oil was spilled between 2010 and 2020,” Akabugo said.
