Environmental Implications of Increased Discharge of Pollutants into Nigeria’s Fresh Water Resources

Abstract

The paper has appraised the implications of abuse of water in Nigeria. Through critical review of related works the paper has discovered that Nigeria’s water resources are getting polluted daily as a result of such increased anthropogenic activities like modern agriculture, mining, fishing, livestock farming, manufacturing and household rubbish which release organic and inorganic pollutants into aquatic environment. The paper noted such adverse consequences of water pollution to include increased debilitating water–borne diseases which affect human health, fauna and flora negatively. Human health risk assessment of water quality from different parts of the country has shown that both surface and shallow groundwater are not safe for human consumption hence, some treatments are urgently required before ingestion. The paper therefore, recommended reduction in the discharge of pollutants into water bodies by reutilization and recycling of waste water, removal of pollutants before discharging waste into the environment, creation of public awareness and enforcement of environmental laws in order to safeguard this life-supporting resource from degradation.