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CHAPTER ONE

•          INTRODUCTION

1.1.    BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Water is the prerequisite of life, mankind has settled along the Nile, the Euphrates, the Tigris, the Indus and the Yangtze-Kiang (Marsha et al., 1999). Since ancient times and well before the past millennium, people have sought ways of dealing with water (their main commodity and primary source of drinking, sanitation, irrigation, cultivation, transportation and communication). Two major water supplies are surface water and ground water and are the water resources for readily available water for human consumption. Surface water includes pounds, streams, rivers, oceans and lakes. Pure water rarely occur in nature due to water capacity to dissolve and absorb surrounding materials. Surface water is the most readily available, yet the most polluted as a result of anthropogenic, but happily, controllable activities (David, 2006). In Nigeria, surface water pollution is being associated with surface runoff, industrial effluent, cold-room effluent, domestic waste and abattoir effluent. In this study, emphasis is placed on effluent generated from abattoir processes.

The abattoir industry is an important component of the livestock industry providing domestic meat supply to over 150 million people and employment opportunities for teaming population in Nigeria (Nafarnda et al; 2012). However, majority of the activities going on in most of the abattoir present in Nigeria are never monitored for regulation purposes. Majority of the abattoir in Nigeria are not developed and facilities for the treatment of abattoir effluents are lacking. Potential health risks from waterborne pathogens can exist in water polluted by abattoir effluents, runoff from feedlots, dairy farms, grazed pastures, fallow and sod amended with poultry litter, grassland treated with dairy manure, and sewage sludge treated land. Such contamination of water bodies from abattoir wastes could constitute significant environmental and public health hazards (Nafarnda et al, 2012).In Southwestern Nigeria several pathogenic species of bacteria in abattoir effluent have been identified. These species among others include Staphylococcus sp., Streptococcus sp., in harsh environmental condition depicting the unfriendly nature of untreated abattoir effluent to the surrounding environment and human health (Coker et al., 2001). The main wastes originate from killing, hide removal or de-hairing, paunch handling, rendering, trimming, processing and clean up operations. The wastes generated from slaughter house usually constitute blood, grease, inorganic and organic solids, salts and chemical added during processing operations (Raheem et al). On the average, majority of the abattoir in Nigeria are sited near a stream, natural pond or river, like the one present in Agbarho, Ugheli north, Delta state.

Environmental issues resulting from improper management practices responsible for the pollution of the aquatic environment with various forms of contaminant has increased in geometric proportion over the last four decades with concomitant increase in water borne diseases especially typhoid, diarrhea and dysentery. Abattoirs are generally known all over the world to pollute the environment either directly or indirectly from their various processes. It is observed that in Nigeria, many abattoirs dispose their effluents directly into streams and rivers without any form of pre-treatment and the slaughtered meat is washed by the same water (Adelegan, 2002).

The Agbarho abattoir on daily basis produces several gallons of blood, and intestinal contents and tissues introducing them into the environment including the Agbarho River. On a visit to the Agbarho abattoir, during a quick survey around the abattoir, neither holding tank nor waste treatment system/facility was observed which is obviously an indication that effluent and other solid wastes generated from the abattoir are been dumped/discharged indiscriminately into the surrounding. The abattoir was said to have been existence for years now, which implies that the water body has been receiving abattoir effluent for years.

 

Note: to avoid ambiguity, abattoir may be used interchangeably with slaughter house, also wastewater may also be used instead of effluent.

1.2.    STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

 

Abattoirs are generally known all over the world to pollute the environment either directly or indirectly from their various processes hence  water quality assessment is essential to the Agbarho River so as to ascertain the level of impact of the abattoir effluent periodically discharged to it. As it receives discharged waste water from the Agbarho abattoir. considering implicated certain bacteria species in abattoir effluent pollution, not ignoring other processes involved in meet and hide processing, the analysis will deal with certain physiochemical and biological parameter of the river water.

Cases of water borne diseases especially typhoid, diarrhea and dysentery has resulted as a result of contact with polluted water. It is therefore expedient to carry out such analysis on the river for awareness purpose, as the users of the river exploit it for economic and recreational purpose without the full knowledge of the danger it may pose to human health.

Until now in Nigeria, many abattoirs (Agbarho Slaughterhouse included) dispose their effluents indiscriminately into streams and river body and without any form of treatment and mismanage various their waste. Assumption is being made that publications on effect of abattoir on water quality would pilot the awakening of effective and sound regulation on wastewater treatment and abattoir waste management.

In overview, water quality usually degenerate as a result of indiscriminate and uncontrolled effluent discharge from abattoirs, accompanied with water borne diseases with no sign of governmental mitigation plan. However there has not been any study on the relevance of the abattoir activities on Agbarho River.

 

1.3.    PURPOSE OF STUDY

 

The study seeks to ascertain the effect of Agbarho slaughterhouse effluent on the Agbarho river water with specific objectives which include:

1. To check the effect of the abattoir effluent/waste on the River water quality (if it influences any change in the BOD, DO, COD, pH, Turbidity, Alkalinity, Total solids and some other physiochemical and biological properties of the river water).
2. To check for the level of impact if there is any.
3. To establish that there is a significant relationship between abattoir effluent and river water quality.
4. To create awareness on various adverse impacts that may result from the discharge of untreated abattoir effluent.

Aligning with the objectives stated above the below questions are made:

1. What possible effect does abattoir effluent has on water quality?
2. To what extent has the release of the abattoir effluent into the Agbarho River impacted it?

• What relationship does the effluent has with the water quality?

1. What information is needed in the discharge of effluent?

 

• SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

1. The study will be of great benefit to a number of groups in Nigeria. Government agencies especially the Delta State Environmental Protection Agency, rank amongst the top beneficiary of this study
2. Another set of interest group that will benefit from the findings of this research will be the community and society where the abattoir is located, as the study stands to keep them informed.
3. The last set of beneficiary of this study is the international community, particularly in the area of urgent significance in the uniformity and standardization of the reporting formats for entities involved in regulation of abattoir industries or the likes.

 

• SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS.

The area of this study covers a section of the Agbarho River around the effluent discharge point. The study is specifically focused on analysis of water quality around the discharge point as defined by some physiochemical and biological parameters.

The research is not without limitation as there are bound to be variation in water quality over time due to the continuous flow of the river and other activities.

 

 

1.6   STUDY AREA

The Agbarho river serves as the case study with respect to the abattoir effluent. Agbarho is one of the major town in Delta State in Southern Nigeria. It lies between latitude N5^o 35’ 00’’ and longitude E5^o 52’ 00’’. Agbarho is one of the populated towns in Delta state with an estimated value of 145,000 people.

Agbarho River is an important economic river in Delta state as various socio-economic activities including vehicle washing and fishing are possible through the river. The river also serve for the purpose of sand resources as it accommodates several dredging activities at various points. People living within the vicinity draw water from the river and even swim in it. The river originates from Orho a hinterland in Warri and stretches down westward to Uvwie Local Government Area of the state where it empties with its creeks into the Atlantic Ocean. The river receives wastes from municipal dumps and from   abattoir sited along its course. Although, there are more than one abattoirs in Agbarho, Oghara abattoir is implicated in this study due to its strategic location right by the course of the Agbarho River and also because it is the major abattoir which supplies about 65% of the meat for the town residence and other nearby communities.