An Environmental Neuro-Physiologist and lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Leelee Zitte has called on government to set up research stations to test the level of pollution in the region.
Zitte who spoke to The Tide exclusively last week said the pollution in the Niger Delta had risen to worrisome level, especially with the incidence of soot in the atmosphere.
The environmental expert pointed out that with the rising soot problem, there was need for a scientific study to be carried out to ascertain the level of pollution, especially its health implications.
On what was responsible for the soot, Dr. Zitte was of the view that illegal refinieries, burning of tryes and other industrial wastes could contribute”, even a synergy of one or two sources of pollution can magnify the problem”, he further held.
If the research centres are set up, he believed that they will help to ascertain the level of toxicity of the soot, to the environment and humans.
He further noted that there were prevalence of airborne diseases in the Niger Delta because of rising pollution.
“Oil spillage, gas flaring have negative effects on the body. It scares away wild life, causes diseases such as lung cancer and asthma”, he said.
Dr. Zitte said, “in the Niger Delta there is a prevalence of these disease because these environmental pollution have continued for a long time. It can actually affect the reproductive sysem of the body”.
The neuro physiologist explained that his area of expertise was a branch of environmental study with focus on how pollution and other man-made hazards affect the nervous system and other parts of the body.
If pollution continues for a long time, Zitte warned that it could accumulate in the body through bio-magnification in the environmental, and this could human being and other living things.