Environmental and Health Impacts of Solid Waste Open Disposal in Gonin-Gora and Environs in Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

For many developing countries, solid waste disposal and management remain a serious, albeit, an under-researched, problem. A case study of environmental and the health impact of open dumps was under-taken in Gonin-Gora, Sabon Tasha and Kakau in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State. Major dump sites were identified, marked and divided into two, based on distance of 0-100metre and 100-200metres, from the dumps. 203 households were administered with a questionnaire. Three soil samples were collected; 1 from each of the study areas. The presence of bacteria, viruses and parasites in the soil samples was analyzed. Health records were obtained from the Comprehensive Health Center at Gonin-Gora, which augmented the data collected from the field. Results from laboratory analysis showed that solid wastes contained disease vectors that are harmful to humans and the environment. Surface is that when the environment is not healthy, the people become vulnerable. Therefore, people living close to waste dumps are more vulnerable to diseases like malaria, typhoid and foul odor, than those living a distance away. It is recommended that to safeguard the environment and community health, the authority saddled with responsibility of waste management should improve on instant of refuse evacuation, while government should provide funds for waste management programs. At the household level, the study recommends the adoption of the 4R; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover, as well as to reduce/control the consumption of food items that generate large amounts of waste. Thus, there should be more funding by government and research by scholars to mitigate urban deterioration to create liveable cities.