ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACT OF AUTOMOBILE WASTES IN ILORIN KWARA STATE

Abstract

Due to poverty and the awful need to own vehicles for ease of movement, aging vehicles still attract customers from Ilorin’s middle class and those at the lower tread of the economy. Large numbers are taken to automobile workshop for repair and refurbishing. Thus, waste from the production and use of these vehicles can greatly impact public health. This leads to the assessment of environmental and public health impact of automobile wastes in Ilorin Kwara state. This study adopts the survey design approach. The study collected primary data with the use of online questionnaires. A sample of 74 people living in Ilorin was purposively selected for the purpose of the study. Data collected include socio-economic information of respondents, types, sources, environmental and health risks associated with automobile wastes in Ilorin, potential solutions and technologies for managing automobile waste (disposal practices). Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used to analyze data from field work. Charts, Weighted Mean Score (WMS) and relative importance index RII were used to represent and analyze data. Analysis of the study was done with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The results of the study indicate that the active population in the youth age group is mostly educated to tertiary level and has a low level of experience in automobile usage. In regards to the types of automobile waste in Kwara state, most respondents were undecided, however they were certain that used oil, fuel, and other hazardous materials were disposed of improperly. Additionally, scrap yards were observed to be a major source of automobile wastes in Ilorin. Most respondents were aware of the environmental and health risks posed by these materials and agreed that measures should be taken to address them. Recycling and automation were the most preferred solutions for managing these wastes, while the donation of automotive waste to charities and local workshops, as well as the introduction of eco-friendly vehicles, were also considered viable options