ABSTRACT
Oil spill as a result of exploration, production, and transportation of crude oil has led to the contamination groundwater in Delta State. This research focused on the impact of petroleum exploration, prospecting and mining on the physiochemical and microbiological characteristics of groundwater quality in Delta State. Groundwater samples were collected in three different areas in Warri LGA, Delta State. Results of physiochemical analysis showed that values of turbidity at three points; A (23 mg/l), B (13 mg/l), and C (27 mg/l) were above NESREA standard. Values of oil and grease at A (680 mg/l), B (560 mg/l) and C (3870 mg/l) were above NESREA standard. Values of Iron were above NESREA standards. Result of total heterotrophic bacteria count (THBC) and total coliform bacteria count (TCBC) were above maximum contamination Levels (MCLs) in drinking water. Isolates occurred thus: Bacillus subtilis (66.7%), Streptococcus faecalis (33.3%), Staphylococcus aureus (33.3%), Bacillus cereus (66.7%), and Escherichia coli (66.7%). Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus are organisms that degrade hydrocarbon while others are of public health importance. The presence of hydrocarbon degraders will help reduce the effect of hydrocarbon contamination in water. Oil spill altered the groundwater quality.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0. Introduction
The discovery and extraction of natural resources has brought different consequences to countries that are endowed with such resources. While some of these nations have become economically strong and self-sustaining, others have been drawn into serious economic hardships and conflicts. Proponents of the resource curse, project have it that the citizens of these countries rather suffer from abject poverty, environmental damages, pollutions, diseases, illiteracy and score very low on the United Nation’s Human Development Index (UNDP, 2006).
The Niger Delta region, where Nigeria current large oil and gas resources are located, to with the Niger Delta as the unifying feature has remained a source of global interest. With openness to the Atlantic Ocean and watercourses with access to the sea and rivers such as the Benue and Niger Rivers, the Niger Delta embodies some of the major coastal upwelling sub-ecosystems of the world and is an important center of marine biodiversity and marine food production ranked among the most productive coastal and offshore waters in the world (Atoyebi and Akinde, 2012). However, pollution from domestic and industry sources, over-exploitation of Oil and Gas resources and poorly planned and managed communities and coastal developments and near-shore activities are resulting in a rapid degradation of vulnerable land, coastal and offshore habitats and shared living marine resources of the region putting the economies and health of the populace at risk (Atoyebi and akinde, 2012). The deterioration in water and air quality from land and sea-based activities (especially industrial, agricultural, urban and domestic sewage run-off, eutrophication and gas flaring have been identified as a major Tran boundary environmental problem by communities in the region (Atoyebi and Akinde, 2012).
Pollution is generally believed to be the necessary price for the development ushered in by the petroleum industry. It has been asserted that even in the best oil field practice, oil spillage cannot be completely eliminated (Ekpu, 1996; Aghalino, 1999).
1.1. Background of the Study
Not only that the developed countries have been affected by environmental problems, but also the developing nations suffer from impacts of pollution (Listori and World-wide Bank, 1990). Niger Delta, the southernmost region of Nigeria, extends over about 70,000km2 and makes up 7.5% of Nigerian’s land mass. The Niger-Delta area of Nigeria coincides approximately to the south-south geopolitical zone of the country. Niger delta consists of the present day Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers. In the year 2000, however, Obasanjo’s regime included Abia, Delta, Cross River, Edo, Imo, and Ondo States in the region (Wikipedia, 2012). The region is the most blessed deltas in the world, in both human and material resources but the unfavorable manner in which these resources are harnessed overtime, is the bane of the regions predicament (Eregha, 2009).
Before the discovery of crude oil, agriculture was the dominant occupation of the people. Crude oil was discovered in commercial quantity in the region specifically in the present Bayelsa State in 1956 (Omofonmwa and Odia, 2009). Since then oil exploration and exploitation has continued resulting into what is termed environmental destruction due to neglect and less concern of the multinational companies in environmental management in the area (Eregha, 2009). The environmental degradation resulting from oil and gas production in the Niger-Delta has attracted the attention of environmentalists and other experts, who look at the region within the larger context of globalization (UNDP, 2006).
Environmental pollution, mainly of water sources has become of public interest (Niemi et al, 1990). Oil production comes with huge environmental challenges especially at a time where climate change and its negative consequences have captured global attention of environmentalists and other experts, who look at the region within the layer context of globalization (UNDP, 2006).
The issue of Environmental sustainability cannot be overemphasized in the Niger Delta as this is fundamental to the overall wellbeing of future generation which is an important aspect of environmental economics (Eregha and Irughe, 2009). The Niger-Delta region is dominated by rural communities that depends solely on the natural environment for subsistence living. More than seventy percent of the people depend on natural environment for living and nonliving livelihood (UNDP, 2006). Poor people are vulnerable to environmental dynamics because social, political and economic exclusion indicates they are left with few choices about where they live (Aluko, 2004). Hence, they bear the adverse effects of natural hazards, biodiversity loss and forest depletion, pollution and the negative impact of industrialization vis-à-vis oil exploration
It is disheartening to note that most people living in developing countries are deprived of the right to good drinking water as almost available drinking water is highly contaminated by oil spill. Providing adequate amounts of drinking water of an acceptable quality is a basic necessity and ensuring the sustainable, long-term supply of such drinking water is of national and international concern (Reid et al., 2003).
Delta State is located in the Niger Delta, the petroleum oil rich region of Nigeria. With about 25 billion barrels of crude oil and gas reserves of about 130 trillion cubic feet, the Niger Delta region generates the greatest proportion of foreign exchange and internal revenue earnings of the Federal Government. The crude oil sector alone accounts for 90 to 95% of export revenues. Gas, hitherto flared is beginning to make meaningful contributions to Nigeria’s income - earning a total of US$9197.5 million in export in 2001. In addition to these, potentials in fishery, agriculture, and forestry products emphasize this unique region’s riches. The region however encounters myriad environmental problems ranging from health hazards, poverty to flooding, coastal erosion, and oil spill (Udoh and Ekanem, 2011).
Oil spill is dangerous to the operating environment which by nature is very difficult to clean up if contaminated by oil. It is obvious that as long as petroleum resource is being explored and exploited, spills will still take place. Ways of minimizing them and their effects need to be explored particularly as the people most affected by the spill are those in the host communities where the exploration and exploitation of crude is being carried out (Udoh and Ekanem, 2011). Oil, a liquid petroleum product which contains mainly hydrocarbons, can enter water through direct spills or from a spill originally occurring on land and subsequently reaching water bodies through the effects of wind, rain, surface or sub-surface flow (UNDP, 2011).
Groundwater represents an important source of drinking water and its quality is currently threatened by a combination of over abstraction and chemical (including oil and grease) and microbiological contamination (Reid et al, 2003). Groundwater from a shallow origin is particularly susceptible to contamination from a combination of point and diffuses sources (Reid et al, 2003). Environmental degradation issues are of tropical concern to communities in the Niger Delta as it is a major cause of productivity losses (Opukri and Ibaba, 2008). This is the main reason why impact of oil and gas extraction cannot be overemphasized as the dominant view blames the oil production and its attendant consequences for the declining groundwater quality of the region.
Oil spillage in recent time has been a threat to human life, marine life, wildlife and microorganisms in the soil and groundwater. It has seriously threatened human existence especially those in the Niger Delta region. Statistics has shown that more than 2.4 million barrels of oil have spilled into the creeks and soil of southern Nigeria in the past 30 years. Some 70 percent of the oil has not been recovered while many spill sites have been abandoned (The Daily Independent, 2010).
Nwankwo (1987) reported about 1020 incidents of petroleum exploration, prospecting and miningages which culminated in the loss of about 1,358,715 barrels of crude oil to the coastal land and water of Niger Delta. This led to environmental pollution. But Folivi (1981) defined environmental pollution as the disruption of the natural equilibrium between the living species and their natural environment. This can occur in different ways:
· Through oil spillage, which could render farmland and water bodies unusable and unsafe
· By gas flaring in the refineries from rigs.
· Through exhaust and effluents from petrochemical plants.
Crude oil pollution of the environment may arise from oil well drilling production operations, transportation and storage in the upstream industry, and refining, transportation, and marketing in the downstream industry. It could also be from anthropogenic sources (Oberdorster and Cheek, 2000). Sources of petroleum and its products in the environment will also include accidental spills and from ruptured oil pipelines (Beller, et al., 1996).
The economic importance of crude oil exploitation and exploration as a natural resource led to its intensified extraction for export as a basis to earn foreign exchange for development. However, this continued and intensified exploitation has led to devastating effects on the ground water through crude oil spill Delta State.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Since the production and drilling of oil started in 1958, lots of noticeable changes have occurred, humans have been expressing the extent of damage done to the area, that is, affected area in terms of social imbalance, environmental degradation, and pollution, most especially the groundwater system (Eregha, 2001)
The economic significance of Nigerian Petroleum Industry is no longer doubt. It is now a vast operation covering on-shore and off-shore oilfields. As it with many blessing of modern civilization, there are negative externalities from the exploration and production of oil and gas. One of them is groundwater pollution occasioned by oil spillage. The magnitude of crude oil pollution and damages occasioned by these oil firms is incredible. Pollution is generally believed to be the necessary price for the development ushered in by the petroleum industry. It has been asserted that even in the best oil field practice, oil spillage cannot be completely eliminated (Ekpu, 1996; Aghalino, 1999).
The incident of petroleum exploration, prospecting and miningage and oil blow-out has devastated Niger Delta territories. High pressure oil pipeline crises cross beneath the surface of the farmland in Niger Delta, if not checked or effectively managed could lead to total annihilation of the ecosystem. In the Coastal environment a large areas of the mangrove ecosystem have been destroyed. The mangrove was once a source of both fuel woods for the indigenous people and a habit for the areas biodiversity, but it is now unable to survive the oil toxicity of its habitat (Eregha and Irughe, 2009).
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