Research
Assessment of Land use and Land Cover Change in Kwale, Ndokwa-East Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria
The study examines land use and land cover change in Kwale Ndokwa-East Local Government area Delta State, Nigeria between 1975 and 2008 using GIS and remote sensing technique. The satellite data that were employed included LandSat (MSS) 1975, LandSat (TM) 1987, LandSat (ETM+) 2001, downloaded from Global Landcover Resources Website (http:www.glcf.com), while images from NigSat1 2008 were obtained from the National Centre for Remote Sensing, Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria. The software used for the processing and analysis for this study includes ARCGIS 9, ERDAS 8.1 and ILWIS 3.2a. Results of the study revealed that on the average, between 1975 and 2008, bare surfaces decreased to by 93.51%: forest vegetation by 30.98%: settlement by 25.61% and woodlands by 37.19. Marshlands, cultivated lands;, shrublands and water bodies increased respectively by 54.45%, 24.42%;, 3.21% and 319.91%. This showed that bare surfaces, forest vegetation, settlements and woodlands were gradually being replaced by marshlands, cultivated lands, shrublands as well as water bodies. Settlements were found to be aggregating within specific geographic regions, over time. It is therefore recommended that concerted efforts be made to reclaim the areas occupied by bare surface and marshlands into arable agricultural lands. And finally, further efforts should be devoted towards reducing gas flaring, increasing afforestation strategies while discouraging lumbering, oil spillage as well as gas flaring within the region.
Effects of Gas Flaring and Oil Spillage on Rainwater Collected for Drinking in Okpai and Beneku, Delta State, Nigeria
This paper evaluates the effects of gas flaring and oil spillage on rainwater quality for domestic use in Okpai and Beneku areas of Delta State, Nigeria. Both field and laboratory techniques were employed in the analyses of rainwater quality. Rain water samples were collected in the dry (December, January and February) and wet (June, July and August) seasons from Okpai (experimental site) and Benekuku (controlled site). The water samples were analyzed for chemical, physical and biological parameters using the methods of Radojevic and Bashkin, 1976; USEPA ,2007; and Kolo, 2007.The results showed that gas flaring and oil spillage have significantly changed some physic-chemical and biological properties of drinking water in the study area. For instance, there were changes in the taste, color, temperature, conductivity, alkalinity and total dissolved salts. These could have serious health implications on the ihabitants of the area. Apart from these, other parameters analyzed corresponded to the approved maximum permissible limits for drinking water set by NAFDAC, USEPA and WHO.
Physico-Chemical and Bacterialogical Analysis of the Surface Water Used for Domestic Purposes in Okpai and Beneku, Delta State, Nigeria
The main focus of this study is to analyze the effects of gas flaring and oil spillage on surface water used for domestic purpose in Okpai and Beneku area, Delta State Nigeria. Surface water samples were collected in the dry (December, January and February) and wet (June, July and August) seasons from Okpai (experimental site) and Beneku (control site). The water samples were analyzed for chemical, physical and biological parameters using standard procedures. The results for all the parameters analyzed showed higher variation between samples obtained from the experimental site and those of the control site which indicate possible pollution in the experimental site for instance, the pH values were 5.33 and 5.586 in the dry and wet seasons respectively for Okpa. For Beneku, the pH values were 6.82 and 6.91 in the dry and wet seasons respectively. Magnesium (2.437mg/l in the dry and 2.063mg/l in the wet recorded in samples obtained from Okpai were higher than those obtained Beneku. The presence of coliform (<2 colonies in the dry and approximately <1.67 colonies in the wet were recorded in Okpai samples.
