Plastic Wastes Disposal In Urban Areas: A Review Of The Implications On Water Resources

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was mandated to monitor the plastic wastes disposal in water bodies and to provide a periodical reassessment of the scientific basis of plastic wastes for public health and environment. Despite that Nigeria has been widely reported as a good destination where hazardous wastes is predominant due to uncontrolled and indiscriminate disposal, the knowledge, attitude and practices of the extent of the hazards are yet to be ascertained to arrive at an effective preventive measures by the government. This study thus aims to investigate the level of knowledge, attitude and practices of plastic wastes disposal in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This involves administration of 100 questionnaires to Physicians, Nurses and Scavengers across the National Hospital, Garki Hospital and Wuse Hospital, respectively. The result shows that 66.67% were knowledgeable of the adverse effects of plastic wastes, 53.67% show a positive attitude to proper disposal, however, 54.33% accept that the existing plastic wastes disposal practices fall short of the best management practices. The study concludes that the existing plastic wastes disposal techniques are inadequate. There is therefore the need to provide a more eco-friendly alternative to plastic use for human health and environment.