The Impact of Urban Livestock Waste on the Environment in Potiskum Town Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Livestock provide essential commodities and services to the majority of the world's population. With an increasing number of people, livestock are increasingly held responsible for many adverse effects on human health. The aim of the study is to examine the management strategies applied by urban and pre-urban livestock producers and their resultant consequences on the land, water, and health of the general public, emanating basically from small land holdings in Potiskum. The objectives of the study are to identify the locations of major dumpsites close to water points and to assess pollution incidence as it relates to public health. Ten-five water samples and/or soil samples were tested in an analytical chemistry laboratory. To assess the level of toxicity, a microbial test was also conducted in Biological laboratory. In addition to this approach, a 200-meter buffer radius was created around each water point, and 6 livestock keepers (household heads) within it were randomly selected for interview using a questionnaire survey. Descriptive statistics were used with SPSS/PASW version 18.0, and the results were presented using statistical tools such as percentage computation, frequency distribution table, line, and bar graph, respectively. Findings revealed heavy metals were found above the recommended water drinking level of WHO and Nigeria's standards. These include Magnesium (0.98), Iron (4.900), Chromium (3.30), Copper (1.520), Cadmium (0.84), Sulphate (15.30), Nitrite (2.25), Lead (2.20) as opposed to the acceptable levels of 0.1, 0.1, 0.05, 0.2, 0.003, 100, 0.2 and 0.01. More than 60% of the respondent's views revealed that the sizes of their residential buildings where livestock were raised are less than ¼ plots with limited space for both humans and animals. The distance estimate between human habitat and that of livestock animals of 70% of the farmers is less than four meters (<4m) as opposed to the world standard of 50m. Findings also show that direct animal and human interaction has become a serious health issue as some effects of zoonotic diseases, which include cholera 7%, abortion 15%, diarrhea 31%, and typhoid 50%, have been mentioned among urban livestock farmers. Some of the effects were 37% land degradation, 22% deterioration of structures and 29% contamination of water, 40% noise pollution, and destruction of properties, among others. Therefore, the research recommends that livestock farmers should constitute part of the negotiation at the planning stage. Sitting and constructing sanitary landfills, monitoring the quality and nature of the groundwater reservoirs, and medical research on both the health of the animals and their owners are to be conducted by taking blood, urine, and stool samples to medical laboratories.