By Maduka Nweke, [email protected]
The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty designed to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.
The objective of the Minamata Convention is to protect the human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. It contains, in support of this objective, provisions that relate to the entire life cycle of mercury, including controls and reductions.
Virtually every resident, organization, and human activity in the U.S. generates some type of waste. Many different types of waste are generated, including municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, industrial non-hazardous waste, agricultural and animal waste, medical waste, radioactive waste, construction and demolition debris, extraction and mining. Treatment of waste to remove or inactivate contamination can render the waste less toxic, which can lead to more options for waste transport and disposal. Treatment can also be used to reduce the volume of waste.
Volume reduction is especially needed for certain types of waste either due to transportation constraints or lack of disposal capacity.
Staging/storing waste prior to treatment, transport, and/or disposal may be required because methods and technologies for treatment or logistics for off-site transport may not yet be available, or existing waste management facilities may not have the capacity or capability to manage the waste.
Mercury is released into the air through the burning of coal at power plants and the burning of mercury-containing wastes. Mercury is also discharged directly into waterbodies by publicly owned treatment works (POTWs are wastewater treatment plants) or remains in the sludge generated by the treatment plant.
What is Mercury Waste? Mercury-added products include any product or device that contains mercury. These mercury-added products and equipment can be a major source of mercury contamination in the environment. Mercury does not break down in the environment and it can build-up in the tissues of fish, which may then be consumed by people.
In the environment, particularly lakes, waterways and wetlands, mercury can be converted to a highly toxic, organic compound called methylmercury through biogeochemical interactions. Methylmercury, which is absorbed into the body about six times more easily than inorganic mercury, can migrate through cells which normally form a barrier to toxins.
The Nigerian State is embroiled with a lot of waste materials both solid, liquids and semi-liquids such that because the ways to convert the wastes into renewable energy that eluded the state made it impossible for Nigeria to benefit therefrom. Poor management of wastes results in the pollution of the soil, air and surface and underground water causing a major impact on public health. According to Amasuomo and Baird great experts in human health protection, waste management is the process where pollutants are detoxified to ensure a safe environment.
In some developed climes, these waste materials give the state useful income generation and the employment that emanates therefrom releases the state of huge loads that could cause security risks within. Good waste management does more than just clean up the environment, it can also provide diverse benefits for communities that engage in waste management activities.
Solid waste management is a major environmental challenge in most Nigerian cities. Waste generation rate in Nigeria is estimated at 0.65-0.95 kg/capita/day which gives an average of 42 million tonnes of wastes generated annually. This is more than half of 62 million tonnes of waste generated in sub-Sahara Africa annually and where and how to channel these wastes becomes a huge problem for the nation.
The former Minister of Environment, Mohammed Mahmud, once stated that the policy of checking pollution in environment will provide a framework for the integration of efforts by the federal, state and local governments, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders in waste management. According to him, the policy will examine the problems and prospects of solid waste management in Nigerian cities using the mixed method of data collection.
The findings revealed that waste management in Nigerian cities is largely monopolized by the agencies of state governments (sub-national governments) which have limited capacity to tackle the problems of solid waste management in their cities. In addition, 52 per cent of wastes generated are organic wastes which creates additional disposal problems. Although the problems of solid waste management in Nigeria range from poor collection and disposal methods; lack or poor waste management database; insufficient financial resources; non-compliance to laws and lack of awareness on dangers of poor sanitary habits, therefore a robust waste data base, strict policies and regulation are important for effective solid waste management in Nigeria.
In his waste management assessment, the Managing Director, Anambra Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA) Mr. Amechi Akora, once said that the state government spends about N1.5 billion yearly on solid waste disposal and management across the state. The Managing Director while fielding questions from Newsmen recently said that solid waste management was one of the most pressing environmental challenges being faced by the government.
Akora said that the state capital alone generates more than 400 tons of solid waste daily, out of which only 30 per cent was collected. He added that other major commercial centers in the state such as Nnewi and Onitsha also generates huge tons of waste daily.
“Reckless and indiscriminate disposal of waste along the roads and streets had led to blockage of sewage and drainage networks. Most of the wastes are generated by households and in some cases, by institutions, corporate organisations, local industries, artisans and traders which litters the immediate surroundings. It is a fact that improper collection and disposal of wastes can result in water pollution, land pollution, drainage blockage, flooding and infrastructural degradation,” he said.
Speaking on the efforts of Lagos State Government in tackling wastes, the Managing Director/CEO of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, said the disposal of solid wastes to land is the ultimate end-point for any waste management system. He however said, waste landfills should be set up and operated properly in order to minimise the risks posed to health and the environment.
This review provides an insight into landfill operations and management in Lagos. Secondary data and observations at the landfill sites were used and the results show that landfills within Lagos metropolis are uncontrolled and do not conform to international standards of similar operations elsewhere in the world. This non-compliance results into a proliferation of insects and rodents which allows blowing of litter that causes bad odour and general environmental degradation. These negative impacts can only be minimized by pragmatic design and proper management of landfills within urban and peri-urban areas.