IMPACT OF WASTE MANAGEMENT DEFICIENCIES ON SOIL AND GROUNDWATER: ITS KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, PERCEPTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

This study undertook both experimental and non-experimental research approach to investigate the impact of waste management deficiencies on soil and groundwater; its knowledge, attitude, perception and public health implications in Port Harcourt and its environs during the dry and wet seasons of 2020. Five (5) sampling stations were established and designated as SS1 GW1, SS2 GW2, SS3 GW3, SS4 GW4 and SS5 GW5. SS (1-5) represent soil sample while GW (1-5) represent groundwater samples. SS5 GW5 was used as the control station. Soil and groundwater samples were collected within and around waste dumpsites for physicochemical (pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, total hardness, acidity, salinity, turbidity, biological oxygen demand, total dissolved solid, total suspended solid, phosphate, nitrate and sulphate) and heavy metal (lead, cadmium, magnesium, manganese, copper, nickel, iron, zinc, arsenic, mercury) including total organic compound, total hydrocarbon, total coliform and faecal coliform analyses. BOD, Salinity, TDS, EC, pH, DO and Temperature were analyzed in situ. Water samples were collected in 10ml sterile plastic containers for the determination of other physicochemical variables and transferred in an ice packed cooler to preserve their integrity while the heavy metal for the soil samples were collected with a hand auger and placed in a foil paper; and sample for total hydrocarbons were placed in a zip-log bag onward to the laboratory for further investigation. Some physicochemical properties of soil such as Electrical Conductivity, Sulphate ion, Phosphate ion, Nitrate ion and Total Hydrocarbon had wide variation while groundwater showed narrow variations in levels of pH, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen and BOD during the study period. The pair wise comparison of the edaphic parameter using the student t-test revealed that pH, Temperature, Salinity, and Mn were significant at P<0.05 between the dry and wet season.  PO43- in soil correlates positively with PO43-ions in water (r = 0.645) at P<0.05. However, the pollution index of Fe in GW1 and GW3 were higher than the regulatory standard during the wet season while Cu in GW4, Fe GW1 and GW2 including Mn in GW2 were higher than the regulatory standard (PI>1) during the dry season. The overall pollution index of the heavy metal appeared as Zn>Fe>Cu>Pb>Mn which is a great concern to public because excess ingestion of these metals mostly Pb have been implicated with organ related health issues. Households are responsible for the management of their waste and most of the streets in Port Harcourt do not have designated waste collection centres. Most the residents dispose their waste into sanitary drains and at median of major roads. Thus, there is need for all water vendors to monitor and treat their water sources to guarantee healthy consumption by the public and there should be provision of waste management infrastructure at all levels of the process.