article · Journal of applied science and environmental management
Heavy metal contamination represents a severe threat to ecological balance and public health across Nigeria. While an established legislative framework exists to govern pollution, practical progress is consistently undermined by weak enforcement, limited institutional capacity, and shortages of funding. Effective pollution control is further hindered by inadequate coordination between regulatory authorities and industrial sectors. Biological remediation techniques, including bioremediation and phytoremediation, present promising options for treating contaminated land and water, yet significant research gaps remain regarding their long-term ecological and health outcomes. Managing this widespread environmental risk requires not only periodic regulatory reviews and increased financial resources, but also targeted education and community-based monitoring programmes to foster local engagement and sustainable industrial practices.
Heavy metal contamination damages ecosystems, threatens clean water supplies, and creates long-term hazards for human health. Understanding the administrative and technical barriers that hinder existing regulations helps policymakers, civic organisations, and industries design better enforcement mechanisms. Identifying practical intervention points, including biological cleanup techniques and community-level monitoring, supports more effective and sustainable approaches to protecting vulnerable populations from industrial toxins.
Biological cleanup approaches, specifically bioremediation and phytoremediation, offer prospective commercial applications for environmental remediation contractors and industrial site managers. However, the abstract indicates these approaches are at an early research stage, requiring extensive long-term monitoring, ecological impact evaluations, and comprehensive health risk assessments before they can be reliably deployed as standardised, market-ready remediation services.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Heavy metal pollution is a significant environmental concern in Nigeria, posing risks to ecological integrity and public health. This study aims to evaluate the existing policies and regulations addressing heavy metal pollution, assess their effectiveness, and propose recommendations for improvement. The analysis reveals that while Nigeria has established a robust legislative framework, challenges in implementation, enforcement, and funding persist. The impact of reducing heavy metal pollution is influenced by resource constraints, limited capacity, and the need for stronger collaboration between regulatory bodies and industries. Community involvement and education play a crucial role in managing heavy metal pollution, emphasizing the importance of awareness, sustainable practices, and local engagement. Remediation strategies, such as bioremediation and phytoremediation, offer potential solutions. However, gaps in knowledge and research exist, calling for long-term monitoring, ecological impact assessments, and comprehensive health risk assessments. To enhance the effectiveness of current policies, periodic reviews, increased funding, and community-based monitoring programs are recommended. By addressing these gaps and implementing the proposed recommendations, Nigeria can make significant strides towards mitigating heavy metal pollution and achieving environmental sustainability.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.4314/jasem.v28i4.5
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
