CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION,
CAUSES AND IT’S POSSIBLE CONTROL
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment
that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical
system or living organisms.
Ibiwoye E.O (2009), Pollution can
take the form of chemical substance or energy such as noise, heat, or light. It
was the industrial revolution that gave birth to environment pollution as we
know it today. The emergence of great factories and consumption of immense
qualities of coal and other fossils fuels gave rise to unprecedented air
pollution and the large volume of industrial chemical discharge added to the
growing load of untreated human waste.
If our surrounding polluted we
suffer from many kinds of disease and sickness, if our surrounding get highly
polluted our life get endangered.
Pollution as a very pervasive
phenomenon, is a discharge into the environment in qualities of some substance
or energy or gases by man which can be considered harmful to himself and other
living organism and worse still, reduce the quality of human life, pollution is
a relative concept and although, almost no substance exists in a pure state, it
is only when the impurities rise above a certain level that there is concern.
Moreover, they varies from case to case depending on the particular use for
which the source is intended.
1.1 Causes of Environmental Pollution
Industrial pollution is a pollution which can
be directly link with industries in contrast to other pollution sources. This
form of pollution is one most leading causes of pollution worldwide. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate that up to 50% of nation’s
pollution is cause by industries. Industrial pollution poses problem for the
entire planet especially developing countries like Nigeria. There are number of
forms of industrial pollution. One of the most common is water pollution,
caused by dumping of industrial waste, which causes leakage into ground water
and waterway.
Industrial pollution can also impact
air quality, and it can enter the soil causing widespread environment problems.
Smoke rise from the fuel that we burn in our kitchens and workshops. This smoke
gives rise to carbon dioxide that pollutes our environment. The smoke that
people make while they smoke that rises from the hotels, and restaurants in
towns and cities pollute the environment.
Industrial pollution hurts the environment in a range of ways, and
it has a negative impact on human lives and health pollutants make an kill
animals and plants, imbalance ecosystems degrade air quality radically, damage
buildings, and generally degrade quality of life factory workers in area with
uncontrolled industrial pollution are especially vulnerable.
1.2 TYPES OF POLLUTION
Pollution is a result of progression and
development that is occurring on a regular basis with the growth of technology,
more and more development is taking place in order to improve the quality of
human life, this series is certainly giving high level of comfort and a rich
life style to all humans but is sadly diminishing the worth of human health,
the need to have a good and healthy environment is ignored. Many new inventions
and introduction are causing a danger to human life as they are done artificially;
this artificial and unsystematic way of generating high level of comforts is
producing components that are inevitable to human life. Be it anything
including the basis needs of like clothing and even food is now being produced
synthetically. There are some of the most common types of environmental
pollution that are gradually bringing people to a morbid stage are
A. Air pollution
B. Water pollution
C. Noise pollution
D. Land pollution
E. Waste and water pollution
A. Air pollution in the industries takes place
when some dangerous gases are discharge in to atmosphere in quantities that may
render the air unbreathable.
B. Water pollution The waste product of
factories, (water pollution) which are in form of liquid effluent may drain off
in to the nearby fresh or steam there by polluting the water and rendering the
water noxious, harmful and undrinkable.
C. Noise pollution The excessive noise emanating
from the factories engines has effect on our sleep, hearing, speech
communication, degree of annoyance and other undesirable effects of noise
pollution and it also affect human being physiologically and physiological.
D. Land pollution occur when solid refused are
heaped-up on the ground surface causing severe nuisance to the environment and
also reduce or limit the utility of availability of space to which the affected
land can be put in to.
E. Waste and water pollution, when toxic
substances enter lake streams, rivers, oceans, and other water bodies, they get
dissolved or lie suspended in water or get deposited on the bed. This result in
the pollution of water whereby the quality of the water deteriorates, affecting
aquatic ecosystems. Pollutants can also seep down affect the ground water
deposit.
1.3 MAJOR AIR POLLUTANT, CHEMICAL POLLUTANT
AND THEIR SOURCES.
Major Air Pollutants and Their Sources
Carbon
monoxide (CO) is a
colorless, odorless gas that is produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-
based fuel including petrol, diesel, and wood. It is also produced from the
combustion of nature and synthetic product such as cigarettes. It lowers the
amount of oxygen that enters our blood; it can slow our reflexes and make us
confused and sleepy.
Carbon
dioxide (CO2) is
the principle green house gas emitted as a result of human activities such as
the burning of coal oil, and natural gases.
Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFC) Are gases
that are released mainly from air-conditioning system and refrigeration when
releases in to the air, with few other gas which leads to a reduction of the
Ozone layer that protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the
sun.
Lead:
Is present
in petrol, diesel, lead, batteries, paints, hair dye products etc. lead, affect
children in particular. It can cause nervous system damage and digestive
problems and in some cases, cause cancer.
Major Chemical pollution and their Sources
In most parts of world the bodies of wholes and dolphins washing
ashore are so highly contaminated that they qualify as toxic waste and have to
be specially disposed off. There are many different sources of chemical
pollution including;
a) Domestic sewage
b) Industrial discharges
c) Seepage from waste sides
d) Atmospheric fallout
e) Accidents and spill at sea
f) Operational discharges from oil rigs
g) Mining discharges
h) Agricultural run-off.
However, the chemical that are probably of most concern for
everyone are the persistent pollutants, those substances that enters marine
food chain and are centrally passed along the chain to the marine top predators
increasing amounts persistent pollutants industrial chemical. The most common
pollutants are:
i.
Carbon monoxide (Co)
ii.
Carbon dioxide (Co2)
1.4 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The primary aim of this project is
to analyzed the causes, and effects of environmental pollution and how it can
be eradicated in the society.
Objectives
i.
To
investigate the possible causes of industrial pollutant
ii.
To
ascertain the effect of that or such pollution in the area of studied. i.e.
Kwara and Osun State
iii.
To
provide a possible eradication or control method.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The focus of this study is on
industrial pollution and how it possible to control it. The purpose of this
work will be incomplete until the necessary and relevant industries in Kwara,
and Osun State are visited and inspected. In line with this fact, manufacturing
industries were visited, industries like Pharmaceutical Company, Timber (saw
mill) Industry, Bottling Company etc. from where data’s were obtained.
1.6 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
The importance of this project is to
determine invariably the possible causes and effects of environmental pollution
in the study areas. It includes the determination of sources of the pollution
in those environment and the possible control/eradicative measures to be put in
place in order to reduce or curb the negative effect of such pollutions in the
environment.
1.7 DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA
The description of study areas for
the research work is listed below here:-
a. Tuyil Pharmaceutical Company (Ilorin): This is a company that is largely known for
drug production and is locate along Yidi Road Ilorin.
b. Nigeria Bottling Company LTD (Oshogbo): This is a company know internationally for
production of soft drink in variety of brands. It’s situated along Edward Road,
along Aregbe Road Oshogbo in Osun State.
c. Saw Mill/Wood Industry (Ilorin): This is an industry noted for the production of
timbers for construction works. It is located along Offa –Ajase-Ipo Road beside
Offa-garage Ilorin, Kwara State.
d. Iron and Steel Manufacturing Industries
(Oshogbo): This
is an industry known for manufacturing iron and steel. This company buys
scraped iron and steel reformed it for used purposes. It is situated along
Ikirun along Oshogbo, Osun State.