Govt Plans Safety Measures
Despite the thoroughly degraded
environment, which they have had to
contend with over the years, there
appears to be no end in sight to the
vicissitudes of life plaguing residents of
Rivers State.
Right now, anxiety is building in the
state over the deteriorating air quality,
a development that forced some
residents of Port Harcourt, the state
capital to take to the streets demanding
that government takes decisive steps to
tackle the rising air pollution.
Soot is a black powdery or flaky
substance consisting largely of
amorphous carbon, produced by the
incomplete burning of organic matter.
In the recent past, levels of particulate
matter (which is popularly referred to
as soot) is prevalent in the air in Port
Harcourt, Obio-Akpor, Ikwerre, Okrika,
and Eleme local councils
In these areas, these substances settle on
just anything including rooftops, floors,
cars, washed clothes and so on. The
dangerous bent to it, however, is the
fact that in recent times, the soot has
risen to almost 11 times above the
recommended safety level set by the
World Health Organisation.
Particulate matter, also known as
particle pollution, is a complex mixture
of extremely small particles and liquid
droplets that get into the air. Once
inhaled, these particles can affect the
heart and lungs and cause serious
health effects.
Spotting nosemasks, the protesters
wielded placards, which bore
inscriptions like, “Save our lungs,” “Let
us breath, stop soot,” “The lives of our
children matter,” “Soot kills. Stop soot,”
and “Stop the soot, save Rivers,” among
others.
They also demanded that both the
federal and state governments should,
expeditiously come up with the most
effective ways of curbing the rising air
pollution in the state.
Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo, who
was among the protesters said the
sudden saturation of Port Harcourt
atmosphere with soot, arising from
imperfect combustion, has triggered
health concerns among the residents.
She said if the situation is not tackled
decisively, residents of the city,
particularly children under the age of
five, would suffer from severe
respiratory infections.
“People are dropping dead daily
because of asthmatic attack, even those
who weren’t known to suffer from
asthma,” she lamented.
Another resident of the state capital,
Ross George, complained that parents
are becoming agitated whenever they
clean the nostrils of their children only
to discover layers of soot.
“Our environment is becoming more
polluted, and we have waited since
November last year to get a response
from government, which has not yet
come. We are increasingly worried as
the situation worsens, and we are
becoming agitated. So, we need to know
what is going on. We need to be
reassured that investigation and
analysis are going on.”
Another protester described the air
quality in Port Harcourt, Eleme and
Rukpokwu at present as very poor by
global standards, and urgent steps are
required to address the situation.
In sharing this view, Mr. Eli Emeka, told
The Guardian that Port Harcourt and its
environs, especially Eleme, Abuloma,
Iwofe, Rupokwu, Okrika, Woji, were
gradually turning into a gas chamber,
particularly for children.
“Every day, you can see smog hanging
all over the city as a result of pollution.
You can longer wash white clothes and
spread them outside because of soot.
Floors in residential houses and offices,
cars are covered with soot. The levels,
from investigation, are extremely high,
breaching the safe limit by over 11
times at several places in Port Harcourt.
This is a health emergency,” he said.
A native of Eleme, who identified
himself as Obari Theo, also told The
Guardian that it was disheartening that
environmental agencies at both the
federal and state levels have failed to
take cognisance of the fact that for
years, petrochemical outfits and
refineries operating in Eleme have been
belching plumes of soot into the
atmosphere.
On the social media, a growing number
of persons have been ventilating their
anger over governments’ handling of
the air pollution in the state, just as
residents have been uploading
photographs showing how soot has
taken over their homes, and calling on
the government to do more to protect
the environment and citizens.
Concerned by the air pollution, the state
government recently set up a
taskforce headed by the Commissioner
of Environment, Prof. Roslyn Konya, to
explore ways of containing the menace.
An air pollution analysis report
published by the state Ministry of
Environment, revealed that Port
Harcourt is one of the most polluted
cities in the country.
Konya while addressing the agitated
residents, explained that based on her
ministry’s investigation, it was
discovered that the soot is largely
petroleum-based, as a result of
incomplete combustion of hydrocarbon.
She assured the people that the state
government is using the process of
climatology and emission modelling to
trace sources of the black soot in the
state capital, adding that tests have
already been conducted in certain parts
of the city, with a view to tracing
possible sources.
“We have sampled two sites namely,
Abuloma and Peter Odili Road, and you
have to sample from 12 midnight to
6am. And then from 6am to 8am
to know that difference, whether there
will be an increase or decrease from
midnight or whether it will be higher or
lower in the morning. I personally went
with them,” Konya said.
According to her, “WHO acceptable level
of particulate matter of 2.5 microns is
the size of the soot. The acceptable level
by WHO is 25 microgram per cubic
metre. What we got was 270
micrograms per cubic metre and these
values were got from the two sites
between 12 midnight to 6 am. And then
from 6am to 8am, we found out from
Odili Road that the value was 62
microgram per cubic metre and then
from Abuloma town was 124 microgram
per cubic metre.
That means that there was a lowering of
the content in the morning, and from
midnight, it was very high. This shows
that the activities producing this soot
take place in the night,” she said.
The ministry’s findings, however,
revealed that this soot was as a result of
incomplete combustion of petroleum
products, with refineries, and petro-
chemical companies as suspected
sources. The other sources include
illegal refineries and burning of old car
tyres to access copper imbedded in
them.
A petroleum expert, Kombo Manson
Braide, described as unfortunate, a
recent statement by the Navy that 40
illegal refineries have been destroyed,
including operating equipment, and
storage facilities worth N3b in the
process of battling illegal refining
activities in the creeks of the Niger
Delta.
“Quite unfortunately, such destruction
by a combination of aerial, and gunboat
bombardment leave a predictable trail
of havoc, and ecological degradation
behind: oil spills on land and marine
environments, and copious inventories
of soot, poor air quality, and thermal
pollution due to fires and unconfined
explosions. The sustained black smog
over Port Harcourt is mainly due to the
uncontrolled incineration of crude oil
following military missions to destroy
illegal refineries in the Niger Delta.
“The effect of the fires in the locations
of burnt out illegal refineries is
equivalent to the cumulative inventory
of smoke and fire that would result from
the incomplete combustion of 10 to 20
tanker-load of crude oil, at each of the
40 locations,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the state government has
urged residents of parts of the state
affected by soot to take precautionary
measures including, “covering all foods;
don’t drink rain or exposed water; don’t
eat exposed roasted plantain and suya;
keep doors and windows closed; mop
floor regularly; keep children indoors
and away from the floor; use nose mask
(if intensity of soot is much in your
area), while asthmatic persons to take
extra care.”
