FUTA-led researchers unveil new method of cleaning petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater

A team of researchers and experts from the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), University of Osun and Afe Babalola University has successfully devised a system of cleaning underground water contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbon caused by seepage from oil pipeline.

Unveiling the method,whose pilot project was undertaken to clean water wells contaminated by oil spillage from pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Baruwa Community, Lagos, at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel during a one day workshop held on Tuesday March 27, 2018, the leader of the team, Samuel Ola, a professor of geotechnical and Geo-environmental Engineering at FUTA, said the four-year research was undertaken under the aegis of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) with the principal aim of remediating ground water polluted by oil spillage using 21st century technology.

A former vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Olufemi Bamiro, chaired the occasion, which was attended by representatives of the Baruwa Community, officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources, NNPC, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and other stakeholders.

The team leader, Professor Ola said at the commencement of the study, hydrocarbon product was found on top of the groundwater in wells in the community isolated for the research.

He said through a combination of modern technology and oil grabber skimmer model, the remediation process by the team of experts was largely successful as it led to the extraction of petroleum hydrocarbon from the groundwater of wells used for the study.

“In-site chemical oxidation was also used, and after about 30 weeks of monitoring there were dramatic reduction in the hydrocarbon content of the groundwater with some of the pilot wells recording zero contamination,” he noted.

He, however, said the decontamination could not be sustained because the source of the contamination of the ground water, which is the oil spills from ruptured NNPC pipelines, remained unfixed.

The team also alerted the authorities that groundwater pollution problem discovered in Baruwa is already extending to other areas of Lagos such as Diamond Estate, Isheri Road and Gowon Estate.

Speaking at the occasion, a member of the Baruwa community, Professor Joseph Ogungbamigbe, said the contamination had brought untold hardship despite several promises by NNPC to remedy the situation.

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He said the corporation had done little to tackle the problem and fuel had continued to leak into the groundwater from 1996 till date, making life unbearable for the people and killing businesses in some instances.

He lauded Professor Ola’s TETFund National Research Group for the dogged pursuit of its mandate over four years, describing its research and outcome as transparent for everyone to see.

He counselled that the work of remediation of polluted groundwater in the community should be done under the supervision of the FUTA professor-led team.

“The entire Baruwa Community is grateful to this research team that laboured tirelessly on the community without any cost from our part,” he said.

Dr Musa Zagi, Director Environment of DPR, called for the sustenance of such a platform saying sincere engagement between government, national oil corporations, IOCs and host communities to tackle oil spill and environmental exploration remained the best way out.

He said the DPR would continue to bring about a total commitment by all stakeholders to set agenda which would guarantee clean, safe and suitable environment for all.

The chairman of the occasion, Professor Olufemi Bamiro lauded the approach of the research team. He said they demonstrated the application of knowledge to solve real-life situation and adapted inter-disciplinary approach.

He appealed to the Federal Government and other relevant agencies to leverage on the result of the study to solve the problem of Baruwa community and other areas whose environments would continue to bear the brunt of oil exploration and exploitation.

TETFund which funded the research project said through Mrs Mary Israel-Cookey, who represented Dr Abdulahi Baffa, the Executive Secretary, that it would continue to fund researches that could solve real life problems and advance the course of academic development.