Gas Flaring and its Effects on the Physicochemical Parameters of Soils in Ebedei, Delta State

Abstract

The practice of burning off the natural gas released during petroleum extraction, known as gas flaring, has recently drawn criticism from the public due to concerns about the environmental harm and public health risks associated with its frequent occurrence in populated areas. The majority of Nigeria's oil exploration operations take place in the Niger Delta region, with a significant level of gas flaring. This study investigated changes in the physicochemical parameters of soils around the Ebedei flow station facility. The soil samples used for the investigation were collected from two different locations (50m and 100m) at the test site and 70km as control sites, at depths (Topsoil, 10 cm, and 30cm), respectively. The results revealed a noticeable trend, as some parameters considered showed a gradient away from the flare site. The soil physicochemical properties from the polluted area were significantly lower (p<0.05) for moisture, pH, organic carbon, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Na²⁺, SO₄^2-s, PO₄^2-, NO₃^- and total nitrogen in comparison with samples from the unpolluted area. The soil temperature was higher in the test site compared to the control areas. The data obtained suggest that gas flaring had a negative impact on soil physicochemical properties.