The substantial lead deposits in the communities of Enyigba in the Abakaliki Local Government Area and Ameka in the Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State ought to normally provide joy, happiness, and prosperity to the local populace.
However, according to all the evidence, this is not the case because of the negative impacts the mineral has on people’s life.
Because of the associated environmental risks and deterioration, the mineral’s presence is actually a mixed blessing and a curse.
Thousands of residents in the Enyigba and Ameka communities have suffered from lead-related illnesses as a result of consuming crops, vegetables, fruits, cereals, and tubers, as well as drinking water tainted by the mineral deposit.
Residents of the communities stated that they have no choice but to consume their food and drink the water from their soil, which is typically contaminated, in spite of these health risks.
Some of them have had odd illnesses brought on by tainted food.
Chief Ewa Nworie, a village leader, claimed that because the soil is poisonous, the lead deposit stops crops from growing.
He claimed that because of lead pollution, the water from the rivers and streams surrounding the mining zones is unsafe to drink.
“Living in this community is not simple for us. Farm products and our health are both being impacted by lead poisoning. We use well water and boreholes, which dry up during the dry season, because our water is contaminated and unfit for human consumption,”Nworie bemoaned.
Mrs. Amauche Nwogha, a member of one of the settlements, bemoaned their surroundings, claiming that lead-related health issues make them unsuitable for living. She claimed that lead contamination causes a variety of skin diseases and other illnesses in their kids.
We are harmed by lead poisoning and pollution from the dusty surroundings and water we consume. Some of us are afflicted with one condition or another, as are our kids. We lack a good hospital to treat us; the one we do have is located far away, and when you go there, they send you to the city for additional care and medical testing.
“We are discussing more than just our farms and crops. First, we are discussing our health. The government ought to assist us by supplying high-quality piped water and medical services here.
Yes, the lead is the reason why our land is not fertile. Our farms don’t provide good harvests. Some of us cultivate here and manage what we have, while others have farms far from here and no land elsewhere. Lead is contaminating our vegetables, yam, cassava, and other grain tubers.
Mr. Chike Nweke, another local, expressed dissatisfaction over the fact that the lead miners in the area do not support the villagers who have led-related issues.
He claimed that the majority of the indigenous people are ignorant and unaware of the negative health effects of lead.
“Our folks in the lead mining zones need to be seriously educated. Some individuals are aware that lead reduces yield, but others are unaware of how harmful it is to their health.
In addition to forcing the major mining firms to provide the essential facilities outlined in the contract they signed; we want the government to assist us in establishing farmlands away from mining areas. Everywhere, this is how things are done; ours shouldn’t be any different,” Nweke stated.
Prof. Wilberforce Oti, a lecturer in the Department of Industrial Chemistry at Ebonyi State University, noted the consequences of lead mining and emphasized the necessity for the state government to work toward educating the public—particularly those in the impacted communities—about the risks of consuming tainted agricultural products and water from the mining regions.
According to him, lead contamination has been found in 90% of the crops grown in the mining sites, including fruits, vegetables, and tubers.
The poisoning, according to Prof. Oti, is caused by mining operations in places like Enyigba, where lead from the mines seeps into the ground and is absorbed by the crops.
Based on the responses to our questionnaires, my research indicates that 20% of the population in places like Enyigba is already impacted by lead-related problems.
“Secondly, 90% of the plants that come from these polluted places are already polluted because the plants will absorb the lead as soon as it is present in the soil,” Prof. Oti said.
He went on to say that although certain places free of lead pollution are safer to farm in, many crops grown in the contaminated areas are sold beyond the area, which causes the tainted produce to spread.
Prof. Oti pointed out that eating tainted crops has major health hazards, especially for expectant mothers, since lead accumulated in bones can be passed on to developing fetuses and cause catastrophic birth problems.
In order to rehabilitate the land for safe farming, he advised the use of “phytoremediation,” a technique that employs particular plants to extract harmful metals from the soil.
“The government should intervene, prohibit plants that are already impacted by metal pollutants, and encourage farmers to plant their crops on unpolluted land because, eventually, many people will suffer from illnesses linked to lead and other harmful metals.
Oti added, “They need also be informed and taught to understand that some of the plants they are currently consuming will someday impact them.”
The university also emphasized the need for extra financing and research to find other plants that can be used for “phytoremediation” and to investigate nanotechnology to increase process efficiency.
Additionally, Dr. Charles Akuma, a physician at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, stated that the local population has been exposed to environmental heavy metals.
He claims that metallic poisoning typically happens in places where food and water are heavily contaminated with lead and zinc.
H stated that these poisonings were caused in part by metals that leached from cooking utensils and kitchenware.
Lead is a heavy metal that can enter the body through the skin, respiratory, and digestive systems. It can then build up in the body’s organs, saliva, hair, nails, and teeth, according to Dr. Akuma.
“Young children are particularly prone to the toxic effects of lead and can experience persistent unfavorable health repercussions, particularly in the development of the central nervous system,” Akuma stated, highlighting the negative effects of lead.
Adults who are exposed to lead have a higher chance of developing high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues, and kidney impairment.
Lead poisoning from lead mining can result in a number of illnesses, including respiratory conditions, lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and abnormalities of the nervous system. Lead can also cause headaches, nerve damage, and issues with memory and attention.
Peripheral artery disease, coronary heart disease, excessive blood pressure, and stroke can all be brought on by lead. Abdominal pain and digestive issues can be brought on by lead. Both kidney cancer and disability may result from it. Both men and women may experience reproductive issues as a result of lead exposure. Additionally, anemia, convulsions, coma, paralysis, and infertility can all be brought on by lead.
Dr. Nnaemeka Eze, a lecturer in Ebonyi State University’s Department of Crop Science, claimed that crops in lead mining regions are unable to produce nutritious farm products because of the acidic quality of the lead.
He added that the earth’s crust continues to be a significant component of soil and that natural lead sulfide components were the most stable solid form found in the soil.
Eze emphasized that some heavy metal trades in plants and animals originate from the absorption processes of naturally occurring soil components, noting that not all of these traces are the consequence of human activities.
More recently, animals that graze on the grasses surrounding lead mining sites or plants cultivated in lead settings have exposed humans to lead through the food chain.
Large-scale mining and the advent of the industrial period brought with it occupational illnesses brought on by different hazardous metals. Due to the fibrous seed coat’s ability to absorb minerals, whole grains have a higher lead content than other foods.
Meats and vegetables are additional food sources of lead. Contaminated soil and lead dust that builds up on plants are the two ways that lead enters the food chain. Animals consume the lead that plants absorb, making them indirect sources of lead exposure for people.
When atmospheric lead falls on soil, it has little mobility and usually remains in the top inch of the soil. Thus, plants with shallow roots, including common vegetables and grasses, are especially susceptible to atmospheric lead pollution.
“In developing countries such as Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and China, the need to maximize food production is very essential. Therefore, factors such as metal deficiency or toxicity that can prevent crops from attaining their growth should be restored and minimized”, Eze explained.
The state government is making significant efforts to guarantee the comfort and well-being of the lead mining villages, according to Chidi Onyia, the commissioner for solid mineral development in Ebonyi State.
Despite being the host, he said that the state had no influence or input and that the federal Ministry of Solid Minerals controls the mining license.
“Under the agreement with the state and the host towns, the mining corporations were required to offer basic services like hospitals, schools, electricity, and water to the host communities,” Onyia added. He felt bad about their not keeping their end of the bargain.
He pointed out that before mining companies begin operations in the state, the state government, led by Governor Francis Nwifuru, has urged that they follow the agreement to provide facilities to the host communities.
Onyia did not refute the notion that crops in the mining zones were contaminated, but he pointed out that Prof. Oti had not disclosed the results of his scientific study to back up his conclusions before estimating that 90 percent of the crops were contaminated.
As you well aware, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals oversees mining development. The federal government has given them the authority to grant mining corporations licenses. Therefore, even if the state hosts the mine sites, the state government lacks the authority to investigate or punish the mining businesses.
”The state’s miners’ operations are not even routinely observed by the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development to make sure they adhere to the agreements made with the host communities. Additionally, they don’t carry out needs and impact analyses in the regions where they provide mining licenses.
Not just in Nigeria or Ebonyi State, but all throughout the world, mining degrades the ecosystem.
Therefore, miners must be monitored to ensure they follow the rules, laws, and agreement for the provision of essential facilities such as schools, hospitals, pipe-borne water, power, etc. These will support healthy living in the host communities.
As the host state, our governor required that before beginning operations, any mining corporation entering the state must first furnish those facilities. This is because they did not offer those conveniences when they first opened for business.
” Therefore, we are ensuring that all mining companies operating in the state must provide the amenities outlined in the host communities’ agreement and the mining legislation.
We are aware that the state’s mining regions are located distant from residential neighborhoods and agricultural areas. Because of the known negative effects of lead and zinc on crops, as well as other health risks associated with mining, the Enyigba mining site is located far from the community fields.
“The instructor may be correct that mining contaminates agriculture, but I disagree with the assertion that Enyigba is the only region where 90% of the crops are affected.
This is a result of the farmland’s distance from the mining regions. I concur that there might be further mining-related health problems that are widespread throughout Nigeria and the entire world, Onyia said.