Assessment of Community Risk Perception, and Physicochemical Dynamics of Acid Rain Contamination in Bonny Island, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Acid precipitation presents a profound threat to environmental sustainability and public health in gas-flaring industrial hubs across sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates community awareness, health perception, and the physical-chemical dynamics of harvested rainwater in Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria. Utilizing Yamane’s formula based on a population projected at an annual growth rate of 3.2%, a structured sample size of 384 respondents was surveyed alongside seasonal physicochemical analyses across four stations (SS1–SS4). Socio-demographic findings indicated that 31.5% of respondents were aged 46–55, 36.5% held secondary education, and 41.7% were civil/public servants, with 38.0% residing in Bonny Island for over 20 years. Although rainwater harvesting is widely practiced (85.6%), respondents reported notable physical impairment, with 26.8% observing visible particulates and 24.5% identifying unusual smells or tastes. About 79.6% expressed awareness of potential rainwater contamination, local perception attributed contamination primarily to oil and gas production/ emissions (52.6%), revealing significant public knowledge regarding atmospheric pollution pathways. Seasonal empirical testing demonstrated severe atmospheric acidification, with mean rainwater pH dropping from 4.31 ± 0.39 in the dry season to 3.62 ± 0.99 in the wet season (reaching a critical minimum of 2.42 at SS4), consistently breaching WHO permissible drinking standards (6.5–8.5). Heavy metal correlation matrices highlighted strong associations between toxic species, particularly mercury and lead (r = 0.86 dry; r = 0.87 wet). The study underscores an urgent imperative for targeted environmental education, continuous atmospheric monitoring, and structured rainwater treatment intervention policies in industrial coastal communities.

Acid rain, Bonny Island, Community awareness, Rainwater harvesting, Environmental perception, Yamane formula, Niger Delta, Heavy metals.

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