So the rain is upon us in Port Harcourt…
We are happy and excited that the rain is washing away the scorching heat that has been driving us crazy since late 2017 into the first quarter of 2018.
We are happy because the rain is washing away the black substance that has enveloped our city.
We are happy that we do not have to wash out toilets and mop our floors daily….our feet and hands won’t be so black anymore.
But have we asked ourselves: “has the rain washed away the effects of breathing in the soot into our bodies for the past 2 years?”
What effect does inhaling soot on a daily have on us? Most importantly how has the soot affected the health of our children who are the future of our great nation?
The dark mist otherwise known as the black soot enveloping our city consists mainly of particulate matter and chemicals such as Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide, and volatile organic compounds. It is very dangerous to inhale as short-term exposure leads to asthma, cough, skin and eyes irritation while long-term exposure leads to the development of rare disease because it can enter into the bloodstream or react directly with our DNA.
Long-term exposure also causes cancer. The demography mostly at risk are children and the elderly because of their weak immune systems; to reduce exposure, residents were urged to stay indoors at all times and close doors and windows.
But how realistic is that especially with the epileptic power supply we have in Nigeria?
How would we cool ourselves without opening our doors and windows?
How about people whose jobs or source of income requires them to work outdoors? How about people who are ignorant and do not know the health effects of breathing in the soot?
Is the government not supposed to ensure that all its citizens are safe from hazardous environmental pollution like this?
The black soot was first noticed by residents sometime in January 2016. There was an uproar! Environmental bodies and organizations set about crying out to the government. Peaceful protests and rallies to speak against the soot were organized.
The #stopthesoot campaign was in full force on social media with celebrities like Hilda Dokubo speaking up against the soot and urged the government to do something about it to save the citizens of Port Harcourt. Environmental activists also spoke up about the dangers of inhaling the soot.
Initially, new Chinese factories that just opened shop in Port Harcourt were pointed at and quickly closed down for emitting the dangerous black soot into the atmosphere, but this move did nothing to reduce or stop the environmental pollution the soot was causing. Illegal refineries, around the creeks surrounding the city and illegal burning of waste tyres, were finally identified as the main culprits. A task force was set up by the State government to tackle the illegal refineries and they set about by throwing bombs on any illegal refineries discovered to destroy them. This further aggravated the environmental pollution that the government had set out to combat. Last week the Rivers State Governor stated in an interview with Channels television that they would look for more environmentally friendly ways to destroy the illegal refineries as burning them worsened the soot menace. 2 years later after the soot was first noticed we are still here inhaling this environmental hazard day in day out!
When the black dusty substance enveloped our city, as a parent I was very worried about the effects of inhaling the soot. Gradually I noticed that my visits to the hospital became more frequent.
My kids were always coughing and sneezing. Their nose was always running and the catarrh coming out of their nostrils would be black, sweats running down their bodies was also very black, they needed baths (sometimes up to 4 times) to remain clean throughout the day.
They would be treated for tonsillitis especially my toddlers who loved playing on the floor. Different antibiotics were always prescribed to soothe the inflammation of the tonsils. The main job of the tonsils is to help fight germs and help prevent throat and lung infections. When the infection gets worse, the tonsils become swollen and causes fever, difficulty to swallow and serious discomfort to the child. This was what I was treating every other week! There were scattered reports of children hospitalized for upper respiratory infections but because there is no concrete evidence to tie the soot inhalation to these illnesses, these cases have been swept under the rug.
I noticed that so many parents were also visiting the hospital frequently as well. Every time I visited the hospital, I would ask the pediatrician if there was a connection between the soot and my frequent visits to the hospital. Her response would be “there is a high probability but we cannot tell for sure”. Most times I would chat with other parents wanting to know if any of them felt there was a connection between the soot and our frequent hospital visits. Majority of the parents felt there was a connection but felt hopeless. Nothing could be done about it. “We would leave everything to God” or “God will protect us” was always the response. Some very concerned parents were nurturing plans of relocating their families out of the city because they knew that exposing kids to this menace for a long time would be bad for their future. A few parents laughed and said I was overreacting and that the soot could not harm us. I tried to lecture them but I guess they were ignorant and still wanted to be.
My first son who is six years old went on a school excursion in an open-air park sometime in December. He spent a lot of time outdoors playing for about 7 hours. I picked him up and he was fine until the next day when I notice a big swelling on his neck. I took him to the hospital and after a series of tests, He has been diagnosed with a rare blood condition which affects 1 In 200000 people.
In my research on the condition, environmental factors were fingered as one of the factors that may trigger the blood disorder. In a county where we do not collate data, I would often wonder if my son’s case was an isolated case or if there were other illnesses like this popping up in other parts of Port Harcourt.
So while I go about looking for a cure for my son’s rare disease, there will always be a nagging question at the back of my mind: did the soot have anything to do with my son developing a rare blood condition?
I need answers.