An Overview of Pollution in Nigeria and the Impact of Legislated Standards on Its Abatement

Negative Effects of Gas Flaring: The Nigerian Experience  
Anslem O. Ajugwo*
Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Madonna University Elele, Nigeria *Corresponding author: slemjugwo@yahoo.com Received July 01, 2013; Revised July 24, 2013; Accepted July 26, 2013

Abstract
Gas flaring have been condemned severally in different countries of the world. Though the practice is still obtainable in some countries with many calling for a stop. The environmental and health implications were examined with Nigeria as a case study. Data and information were retrieved from pubmed, medline and other search engines. All available data/information depict the negative effects of gas flaring on the environment and humans. Gas flaring have impoverished the communities where it is practiced, with attendant environmental, economic and health challenges. Reluctance on the part of government and policy makers is also a factor. These difficulties faced by local communities from gas flares are a sufficient justification for ending gas flaring practice. Fines by defaulting companies should be so exorbitant so as to deter them while the gas can be processed and produced into cooking/domestic gas. The time to stop is now and the place to stop is here: Nigeria.

Keywords: environment, natural gas, climate change, hematological, pollution, carcinogens,

Nigeria Cite This Article: Ajugwo, Anslem O., “Negative Effects of Gas Flaring: The Nigerian Experience.” Journal of Environment Pollution and Human Health 1, no. 1 (2013): 6-8. doi: 10.12691/jephh-1-1-2


1. Introduction
Gas flaring is the burning of natural gas that is associated with crude oil when it is pumped up from the ground. In petroleum-producing areas where insufficient investment was made in infrastructure to utilize natural gas, flaring is employed to dispose of this associated gas [1]. Also chemical factories, oil refineries, oil wells, rigs and landfills, gaseous waste products and sometimes even...