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Effects of Gas Flaring on the Physicochemical and Microbiological Quality of Water Sources in Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria

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Abstract:

This study evaluates the effects of gas flaring on the physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of water sources at Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria. Surface and ground water samples from the area were compared with samples from Ihiagwa Autonomous Community in Owerri West, a non-gas flared community. Both water sources were then compared with WHO standards for drinking water. The results revealed that water sources from the gas flared area have high levels of temperature, total chlorine, nitrate, nitrites, sulphates, calcium, and zinc, chromium with a very acidic pH when compared with water from non-gas flared sources. Also, microbial load increased the farther the distance from the flare site. The human health imparts of the presence of heavy metals and microorganisms in drinking water had been reported. In conclusion, gas flaring can pollute water sources within oil and gas facilities, thereby making them unsuitable for human consumption. Oil and gas industries should therefore treat water within their areas of operations before discharged into water bodies in addition to other remediation measures as part of their social responsibility.

Info:

Periodical:
International Letters of Natural Sciences (Volume 56)
Pages:
7-13
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/ILNS.56.7
Citation:
W. Braide et al., "Effects of Gas Flaring on the Physicochemical and Microbiological Quality of Water Sources in Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria", International Letters of Natural Sciences, Vol. 56, pp. 7-13, 2016
Online since:
Jul 2016
Authors:
Wesley Braide, Judith Nwachukwu, Samuel A. Adeleye, Emmanuel Egbadon
Keywords:
Chemical Load, Gas Flaring, Heavy Metals, Microbial Load, Physical Load, Water Pollution
Export:
RIS, BibTeX, Text
Distribution:
Open Access

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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