*As Rivers mark World Cancer Day
Mkpoikana Udoma
04 February 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — As Nigeria joins the rest of the world today to mark World Cancer Day, a medical doctor has raised the alarm that more than six million residents of Rivers State and its environs are at risk of developing lung cancer and other respiratory problems following prolonged exposure to black soot caused by hydrocarbon processing.
The black soot which has been in the atmosphere for more than a year now in Rivers State is suspected to have been caused by the activities of illegal refineries, multinationals and security agencies while destroying illegally acquired petroleum products seized from oil thieves.
But a Consultant Surgeon at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Port Harcourt, Dr. Furo Green, has charged the Federal Government to monitor the activities of multinational oil and gas companies that are into hydrocarbon processing in the state.
Dr. Green who is a former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association in the state, told our correspondent that there are spectrum of diseases that the hydrocarbon pollution can cause, and if it is not checked over a period of time, it can progress to cancer and even death.
Apart from cancer, the medical doctor also listed other ailment that would arise from prolonged inhaling of the black soot to include; asthma, chronic bronchitis, asphyxia and even infertility, warning that the health implication of inhaling the black soot is even more dangerous on children.
According to him, “The implication of inhaling these hydrocarbon particles is that it can lead to acute inflammation of the airways which can precipitate to hyper stimulation of the airway and actually precipitate asthmatic attack in individuals who are predisposed to asthma, and over a long period of time it can precipitate chronic obstruction of the airways which we refers to chronic bronchitis.
“So when this condition goes on for a long time, it results to chronic respiratory conditions that can end up as malignancy or even kill the individual. The figure of people affected by this might even be larger than six million because other neighbouring states are also experiencing the soot, an even recently parts of Lagos State have been reported to also experience it.
“Hydrocarbons after prolong exposure can predispose to cancer, especially of the lung, because that is the area where it is settled but there are other long lasting conditions that may arise from hydrocarbon poison such as infertility as demonstrated by Prof. Georgewill of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, where he was able to demonstrate that fertility is significantly affected by hydrocarbon poisoning.”
“But in children the effect can be unpredictable, a child that is very normal now could actually develop an acute respiratory problem, meaning that that a child who has never had asthma can actually precipitate to one, and if care is not taken the child could die from asphyxia. So the effect of these particles are more pronounce in children right now but over a period of time, it will led to lung condition.“
The former NMA helmsman in the state disclosed that it was important that the Federal Government, the Ministry of Environment and the special task force set up by the Rivers State Governor on black soot, identifies the actual source of the pollutants.
“I will advice that the Ministry of Environment at the federal level should devise a way of monitoring the international oil companies and oil processing companies to actually know how much pollution they are emitting into the environment, if we have had such audit before now it would have been easy to know what is happening in these companies. It is time the federal government and its related agencies look more closely at what is happening at these mega hydrocarbon industries that are operating in the Niger Delta.”
Asked about how people can keep safe from the health complication that may arise from the black soot, Dr. Green advised members of the public to practice simple hygienic measures of washing of hands, covering of the nose and protecting of children from the hydrocarbon pollution.
“Wash your hands as often as possible because even when washing your hands you will see that the lather of the soap itself is black. Children should be protected, close your windows, wash your fruits and cover your food to reduce the loads of these hydrocarbons.
“Clean your floor and furniture with moist towels to reduce the accumulation of the soot; and when you are exposed outside wear a nose-mask or cover your nose with handkerchief to minimize the volume that is inhaled,” he advised.