By Femi Akinola
A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, at the Federal University of Technology Akure, (FUTA), Dr. Gideon Idowu, has said the Osun River in Osogbo, Osun State capital, recorded the highest figures across the world for microplastics in a river sample.
This, according to the research led by the lecturer on the river, the level of plastic pollution in Osun River indicates extreme level of river pollution and unravelled the impact of widespread plastic pollution in Africa.
It will be recall that in 2021, Dr. Idowu was awarded the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer (JWO) grant to lead research project, which involves over 20 Scientists in nine African universities.
The JWO research project commenced about two years ago, investigated microplastics and related endocrine-disrupting contaminants in 19 marine and fresh water environment across the African continent.
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The reserachers shared specific results from their work on Osun River in the maiden article from the research published by Elsevier’s journal of Harzadous Materials Advances. The article report thus: ”Abundance of microplastics in the river water samples, at a maximum of 22,079 particles per litre, represents the highest reported so far for river water globally.”
Microplastics found in the river water ranged from 407 to 1691.7 particles in the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) of six fish species analysed, with silver catfish (Chrysichthys Nigrodigitatus) having the highest concentration.
Levels in the fishes are higher than those reported for fishes in Asia and Europe, but similar to some other plastc pollution hotspots in Africa.
Speaking about the findings through research conducted, Dr. Idowu explained that Osun River is highly important for many reasons such as religious worship, domestic water supply, provision of fish resources and many other needs for the people.
”Our findings implied that people using water sourced from the river may be exposed to high level of microplastics , just as people using other polluted rivers across Nigeria. The fishes cught in Osun River are also sold directly by fishermen to members of the public, which implies another route of human exposure to microplastics,” Dr. Idowu said.
He called on the people to rethink how they use and manage plastic wastes noting that majorityof the plastics responsible for extreme plastic pollution of many rivers and body of water across Nigeria are single -use plastics which people throw away indiscriminately.
