Health Hazards, Safety Risks and Security Threats Posed by Olusosun Dumpsite on Olusosun Community at Ojota, Lagos, Nigeria

The intensity of man’s activities through rapid urbanization and industrialization contributes largely to increasing discharge of wastes into the environment. Such is the case with the 42 hectare dumpsite situated at Ojota in the heart of Lagos. Olusosun dumpsite is the biggest repository of waste in the most populous city in sub-Saharan Africa, receiving more than 50% of the 9,000 metric tones of solid waste generated daily in the state. The activities at Olusosun dumpsite raise a lot of questions concerning the security and the safety of that community. The spot has attracted criminal activities which security personnel need to look into. On the other hand, there is a high tendency of safety and health impacts on Olusosun community as a result of contamination and environmental pollution at Olusosun dumpsite. With the use of Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), leachate and underground water samples around the dumpsite were analysed for heavy metals such as manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and iron (Fe). Heavy metal concentrations in all the leachate samples were much higher than what was obtained in the underground water samples. In the underground water, the concentrations ranged from 0.050 to 0.485mg/L for Fe, 0.057 to 0.126mg/L for Pb, 0.009 to 0.024 mg/L for Cu, 0.004 to 0.010mg/L for Cr, 0.009 to 0.016mg/L for Ni, 0.074 to 0.128mg/L for Mn, and 0.996 to 2.493mg/L for Zn. Pb and Fe were found to exceed the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality, approved by the standard organization of Nigeria (SON). The state of security and safety of Olusosun community is hereby presented.