Deleterious impacts of tank farms on Delta neighbourhoods: mitigation and environmental matrices

The magnitude of the identified impacts of the ongoing activities of tank farms on climate, air, water, soils, vegetation, waste management, socio-economic and health were rated and the results indicated that the facilities have minimal negative impacts on the recipient environment. Results display that SPM levels in the study range from 69.8–85.4 μg/m³ for PM₁₀, while CO and H₂S were both 100% not within regulatory limits, consequently leading to asthma, coughing and breathing difficulties. Besides, H₂S is corrosive gas, which is rapidly oxidized to sulphur dioxide (SO₂) in the atmosphere, whereas sulphur oxides have been observed to cause a wide variety of health and environmental impacts as they react with other substances in the atmosphere to form acid rain, then affect cardio respiratory system, causing respiratory irritation, broncho-constriction and several cardiovascular abnormalities. Based on age, the greatest impact (53%) was seen in ages varying from 0 to 16 while that of the age set 16 to 60 was 47%. Curb of oil and gas particulate pollutants and requesting a buffer region between the tank farms and neighborhood complemented with regulatory enforcement and persistent monitoring, should be top precedence for the regulatory authority.