Health and Environmental Hazard of Plastic Waste in The Communities of Niger Delta

The purpose of this research was to investigate the possible adverse effects on human health that are caused by the presence of plastic rubbish in the villages that are situated in the Niger Delta area. The samples of water, fish, sediment, and human blood that were collected and analysed for their physico-chemical characteristics included temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and phosphate. Sulphate, nitrate, and sulphate were also determined to be present in the samples. In addition, the samples were analysed to determine whether or not they included any trace elements of metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, and zinc. The samples were analysed for heavy metals using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). These techniques were used to determine the composition of the samples. Further research was conducted to develop ecological and human health risk indicators in order to evaluate the presence of heavy metals in water and fish. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Version 25.0, was used for the analysis of the data that was obtained. In order to evaluate the nature of the connections between the various variables, descriptive statistical measures such as percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used. In addition, inferential statistical approaches such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Turkey's Test were applied in order to ascertain the existence of this link within a confidence interval of 0.05. According to the results of the research, heavy metals were found in water, fish, and human blood, respectively. The degrees of contamination, cancer risk, hazard quotient, prospective contamination index, degree of contamination, and contamination factor were all significantly increased due to the presence of heavy metals in the fish and the water. As a result, it is very necessary to carry out regular monitoring in order to evaluate the impact that waste plastic is having on the aquatic resources and the human population in the vicinity of the Niger Delta. This will assist assess the current state of these environmental dangers and their impact on the health of the general people.