International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue IX, September 2022|ISSN 2454-6186
Oil Palm Industries and Its Environmental Influence in Akpo, South-Eastern Nigeria
Innocent Chukwukalo Ezeomedo* and Ngozi Vera Ogbogu
Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment Sciences, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author
Abstract: Palm oil is the most important product and one of the key economies of the agricultural sector in the developing countries. However, the growing of oil palm plantation and its subsequent activities of palm oil processing is threatening environmental quality. This study analyses the palm oil industries and its influence on the environment of Akpo town with a view to ensure environmental sustainability. This was achieved by conducting analysis of soil samples within the oil industrial sites to determine the level of Palm Oil Mill Effluents (POME) contamination on the environment, assessing the respondents’ environmental perceptions and socio economic impacts of this oil industry. Laboratory analysis was used to determination of the physicochemical composition of Mg, pH, COD, BOD, P, Ca, organic carbon and nitrogen. The results showed that the concentration of Mg in POME contaminated soil is significantly higher compared to the non-POME contaminated soil (p<0.05). Similarly, the organic carbon content of POME contaminated soil has a higher concentration compared to that of non-POME contaminated soil (p<0.05). On the other hand, analyzed parameters (K, pH, COD, BOD, P, Ca and T.N) do not differ significantly between POME contaminated and non-POME contaminated soil. Comparing the POME contaminated soil with acceptable soil standard for agriculture showed that content were significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to the acceptable standard. From the questionnaire and field observation conducted, it was further observed that oil palm development has degenerated to loss of farm land, increased food insecurity, human right violation and sudden rise in price of land.
Keywords: Environmental degradation, Palm Oil Mill Effluent, Environmental quality, Contaminated Soil, Environmental Sustainability.
I. INTRODUCTION
Palm oil is the most important product and one of the key economies of the agricultural sector in the developing countries. However, the growing of oil palm plantation and its subsequent activities of palm oil processing is threatening environmental quality. On the aspect of environmental concern, it has been witnessed on several occasions that Palm Oil processing gives rise to waste-water, known as Oil Mill Effluent (POME) that produced huge amount of methane gas from its anaerobic process and has 21 times Global Warming Potential (GWP) compared to the other gasses.
In the study area, the waste-water is often discarded in disposal ponds. This will result in the leaching of contaminants that pollute the groundwater and soil, and in the