Investigation of the Socio Economic Impact of Oil Spill Remediation on the Health of People in Oil Bearing Localities in the Niger Delta.
Keywords:
Oil-Spills, Socio-Economic, Remediation, Health of people, Niger-Delta.Abstract
Crude oil is the major source of income to the Nigerian economy, which accounts for about 70% of government revenue and more than 83% of the country's total export earnings. Crude oil spills are frequent events in Nigeria and in the past 50 years, it is estimated that 10–13 million tons of oil have been spilled into the environment and more than 77% of it have not been recovered. The spills are caused by sabotage, oil exploration activities, equipment failure, pipeline corrosion, and tanker accidents. This study investigated the socio economic impact of oil spill remediation on the health of people in oil bearing localities in the Niger Delta and the different remediation technologies for polluted water, soil, and sediment media that are appropriate for the local Nigerian environmental conditions. The characteristics of the Nigerian crude oil have been discussed, and the basic factors to be considered in cleaning crude oil contamination were explored. Bio stimulation was identified to have a high potential for cleaning polluted sediments in the Niger Delta. The limitations of the methods/techniques are discussed, and the future technological prospects are highlighted in this review.