The Importance of Developing Exposure Factors Handbook in Nigeria

Abstract

As environmental conditions continue to change and deteriorate, the residents in African Countries such as Nigeria have become increasingly threatened by continuous exposure to contaminants in gradient concentrations but with little or no adherence to environmental regulations by the government. Nigeria is also facing with great increase in number of potential health risk associated with environmental contamination with the UN projection on increase in population. It is now imperative that the government, regulatory bodies, scientist, industrialist and general public are aware of the dangers that contaminated soil, water, air, foodstuffs, and consumer products pose to humans and the ecosystem and how to manage these risks to protect human and ecological health. However, as of the time of writing the paper, no Environmental regulatory agency in Nigeria has a complied data or handbook will serve as a national index for demonstrating the physiological, food ingestion, and behavioral characteristics of the Nigerian people so as to provide basic information for health risk assessment and risk management. Since African people have unique exposure patterns and specific time-activity owing to the geological, social and economic difference, the existing Exposure Factors Handbooks in North American, Europe and other countries as USA, Canada and China cannot be used in evaluating the risks of Nigerian population.It is thus imperative to develop Exposure Factor Handbook to provide basic information for health risk assessment and to enlighten and sensitize Nigerians on the risks of environmental and health hazards. The paper highlights the significance of exposure factor handbook, the need for Nigeria to join list of countries with exposure factor handbook.