Pharmaceutical Affluence and Pesticide Waste in Nigeria: A Review

Abstract

Technological advancement among emerging countries of the world has become a platform for industrialization, therefore both government and private individuals have directed their efforts towards establishing industries, consequently industrial wastes depend on the type of industry. Industrial discharge of active pharmaceutical and pesticide effluence in to the environment in middle and low income countries is not sufficiently regulated. Acute and chronic pharmaceutical poisoning usually results from consumption of foods as a result of phytotoxicity, chemical incidence in the industries and occupational exposures in agriculture. About 15000 metric tons of pesticides comprising about 135 pesticides chemicals are imported into the country. About 79.4% of the pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria were found not to treat their pharmaceutical affluence before its discharge as reported in a research conducted using questionnaire to ascertain waste management practice among the pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria. Typical among the effects are the cause of neurological disorder, cardiovascular disease, dermatitis, birth defects, cancer among others. There is a need to enforce treatment of effluence from pharmaceutical and pesticide manufacturing companies before discharge into the environment.