Abstract:
Industrial pollution is a major hazard of global dimension; it is most serious in
developing countries as a result of the lack of proper regulatory enforcement and
ineffective monitoring mechanisms, which has resulted in massive pollution of soil, water
and air and degradation of planted vegetation. Warri which is the frontline site of
petroleum products processing in Nigeria is the choice for this study.
Data on Air pollution, Soil quality, Land-cover and Land-use were sourced from the
Department of Petroleum Resources, Nigeria. Global Land Cover Facility, Google Earth
and Field survey using Global Positioning System (GPS). Geographic Information
System (GIS) and Remote Sensing techniques were employed to assess industrial
pollution from crude oil exploration and refinery operations in Warri metropolis of Delta
State Nigeria, over a period of five years from 2007 to 2012.
It was discovered that air pollution in the area was under control and within the set
standards, having values varying from 0.01 to 20, noise pollution was at an average about
77dBA at locations closer to the refinery. Soil pollution on the other hand was intense as
Zinc (Zn) was found in very high proportions of over 170ppm. Copper was found in
small quantities of between 2-9ppm within the study area. Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead and
Nickel were found in trace quantities of <0.002 ppm. The vegetation of the area had
experience loss over the past twenty-five years, indicative of both urban growth and loss
of fertile lands as a result of industrial pollution within the area. Remediation practices
through stabilization can be used to mitigate the negative effect of zinc in the soil.
