FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (FEPA)

Rapid industrial development in developed and developing countries have

increased hazardous wastes generation several fold. High level of environmental
awareness and existence of regulatory environmental protection measures in the
developed countries have discouraged indiscriminate disposal of those wastes in
conflict with environmental laid down principles. "Not in my backyard" syndrome
made burying of wastes or dumping in surface waters or open land increasingly
difficult. Ironically, the available technologies in developed countries are inadequate
to cope with the volume and complex nature of wastes generated. Furthermore, the
cost of waste disposal was becoming highly prohibitive and unaffordable by most
industries.
Realizing the low-level of environmental awareness in developing countries,
coupled with the non-existence of environmental protection laws, and the abject
poverty of these nations, the developed countries have, within the last decade,
embarked upon "Toxic Wastes Trade" or "Illegal Dumping of Toxic Wastes" in poor,
debt-strapped developing countries. Nigeria has been a victim of this illegal act,
when in 1988 about 3,880 tons of toxic and hazardous wastes were dumped in Koko,
Bendel State by an Italian Company.
In order to stem the tide of toxic wastes dumping in third world countries, the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), passed the resolutions on the
Transboundary Movement of Toxic and Hazardous Wastes at the 1989 Basel
Convention, a document to which Nigeria is a signatory. The Federal Military
Government places high premium on the environment. It established the Federal
Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) by Decree 58 of 30th December, 1988
with the statutory responsibility for overall protection of the environment. The
National Environmental Policy was put together and launched by the President in
Abuja on 27th November, 1989. Logically, implementation of the policy should
follow. Introducing these guidelines and standards is part of the implementation of
the policy and environmental pollution abatement strategy contained therein.
These guidelines and standards relate to six (6) areas of environmental
pollution control:

(i) Effluent limitations

(ii) Water quality for industrial water uses at point of in-take
(iii) Industrial emission limitations
 (iv) Noise exposure limitations
(v) Management of solid and hazardous wastes
(vi) Pollution abatement in industries.

EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS
Ideally, each pollution source should be detoxified with the installation of
anti-pollution equipment based on the Best Practical Technology (BPT) and/or Best
Available Technology (BAT). In cognisance of the high cost of imported BPT and
BAT, and the non-availability of local environmental pollution technology, Uniform
Effluent Standards (UES) is normally based on the pollution potential of effluent
and/or the effectiveness of current treatment technology. This approach, is easy to
administer, but it can result in over-protection in some areas and under-protection
in others. To overcome this problem, uniform effluent limitations based on the
assimilative capacity of the receiving water have been drawn up for all categories
of industrial effluents in Nigeria (Table 1), while additional sectoral effluent
limitations have been provided for individual industries with certain peculiarities.

Table 1: Interim Effluent Limitation Guidelines in Nigeria for All

Categories or Industries
Units in milligram per little (mg/l)
less otherwise stated.
Parameters Limit for discharge Limit for Land
into application
surface water
Temperature Less than 400C within Less than 40 0C
15 meter of outfall
Colour (Lovibond Units) 7 -
pH 6-9 6-9
BOD5 at 200C 50 500
Total suspended solids 30 -
Total dissolved solids 2,000 2,000
Chloride (as CL) 600 600
Sulphate (as SO42) 500 1,000
Sulphide (as S2) 0.2 -
Cyanide (as CN-) 0.1 -
Detergents (linear 15 15
alkylate sulphonate as
methylene blue active
substance)
Oil and grease 10 30
 Nitrate (as NO3) NO3 20 -
Phosphate (as PO43-) 5 10
Arsenic (as AS) 0.1 -
Barium (as Ba) 5
Tin (as Sn) 10
Iron (as Fe) 20 -
Manganese (as Mn) 5 -
Phenolic compounds (as 0.2 -
phenol)
Chlorine (free) 1.0 -
Cadmium, Cd Less than 1 -
Chromium (trivalent and Less than 1 -
hexavalent)
Copper Less than 1 -

Water and Waste Water Quality Monitoring

It is important that industries monitor their effluents in-house while FEPA will
also cross-check the effluent characteristics to ascertain the degree of compliance
with the proposed guidelines. Analytical methods are conventionally prescribed for
all parties to be involved in the monitoring exercises. Any of the well tested
standard methods for water and waste waters analysis by United States
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Department of Environment (DOE) U.K.,
American Public Health Association (APHA) or American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) are hereby adopted for monitoring purposes pending the
development of standard methods by FPA. For reporting purposes, the analytical
method(s) used shall be specified.

Table 2: WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES AT IN-TAKE FOR THE PETROLEUM

INDUSTRY

Parameter Concentration(mg/l)
pH 6.0-9.0 (No Unit)
Calcium <75
Magnesium <25
Iron <1
Chloride <200
Hardness (as CaCo3) <350
Total dissolved solids <750
Total suspended solids <10

…
Table 3: WATER QUALITY GUIDELINES FOR CHEMICAL AND ALLIED
INDUSTRIES CONCENTRATION (mg.l)

Parameter Alkalines Organic Clear Synthetic Drugs and Pharma-

and Chemical Plastics Rubber ceuticals
 Chlorine s
pH NS 6.5-8.7 6.2-8.3 NS NS
Colour units NS NS NS <20 <5
Turbidity units - - <2 - <1
Taste and odour NS NS <2 NS -
(threshold) <2 <68 NS <80 NS
<2 <19 NS <35 -
<0.1 <0.1 <0.2 <0.1 -
Calcium <0.1 <0.1 <0.02 <0.1 -
NS <128 NS - -
NS NS NS NS NS
Magnesium NS NS NS NS NS
Iron NS NS NS NS -
Manganese NS NS NS NS -
Bicarbonate low <250 NS <350 -
Sulphate NS <125 NS <150 -
NS NS <200 NS -
NS NS NS <5 <10
NS NS NS NS -
Chloride NS NS NS NS c
Nitrate NS NS NS NS NS
Silica
NS = No Specification

Table 4: Iron and Steel Industry Concentration (Mg/L) Rinse Water

Hot-rolling Cold-rolling Softened Demineralise

quenching gas d
cleaning
pH 5.0-9.0 5.0-9.0 6.0-9.0 NS
Total suspended solids <25 <10 NS NS
Total dissolved solids <1000 <1000 NS NS
Settleable solids <100 <5.0 NS
Temperature (0C) <38 <38 38 <38
Hardness NSb NSb 100 <0.1
Alkalinity NS NS NS <8.5
Sulphate <200 <200 200 NS
Chloride <150 <150 150 NS
Oil NS NS NS
Floating material NS NS NS

Gaseous Emission Limitations

Guidelines for emission limits from stationary sources represent maximum
allowable levels of pollutants from a site, process, stack, vent, etc. with the
objective of achieving a desired air quality. The prescribed emission limits depend
on socio-economic and political considerations. Sources and types of pollutants are
given in Table 5
Based on available data in literature, the proposed guidelines for emission
limits for particulates in stationary sources

Substance Limits (mg/m3)

COMBUSTION OF FUELS
Dark burning (pulp mills) 250
Blast furnace gas burning 50
Central Stations 200-500
Coal burning 100-500
Oil burning 50-250
Heavy oil burning 50-300
Solid oil burning 100-500
Incineration of refuse 150-1,000
Asphalt plants 70-5,000
Carbon black manufacture 40-60
Cement production 150-500
Coal processing 150
Coke Manufacture (metallurgical) 40-60
Electrode manufacture (metallurgical) 150
Furnaces 75-600
Kilns (cement) 75-600
Kilns (ceramics) 150-600
Kilns (lime) 300-600

Table 6: EMISSION LIMITS FOR SPECIFIC POLLUTANTS FROM

STATIONARY SOURCES

source Limits
Acid gases 200-9,000
Aldehydes 20
Ammonia. 3 kg/hour
Antimony 20-100
Arsenic 20-100
Asbestos NS
fibre 24.0 kg/hour
Benzene 0.1
Beryllium 1.0-40
Cadmium 50-250
Carbon 10% by volume
Carbon dioxide 100-500
Carbon disulphide 3.0-200
 Chlorine 20
Copper 0.5 kg/hour
Formaldehyde 1.0-100
Fluorine 20-50
Fluorine compounds 10.0
Heavy metals (Total) 50
Hydrocarbon 100
Hydrochloric acid 100
Hydrofluoric acid 1.0230
Hydrogen fluoride 5-1,500
Hydrogen sulphide 10-100
Lead 0.1 kg/hour
Manganese 1.0-230
Mercury 20
Nickel 0.5
Nickel carbonyl 500-4,000
Nitric acid 350-100
Nitrogen oxides 50
Organic compounds 30-3,000
Sulphur dioxide 5.0-1,000
Sulphur acid 100-200
Sulphur trioxide 0.8 kg/ton acid
Sulphur trioxide and sulphuric acid mist 10-200 PPm
Vinyl chloride

Ambient Air Standards

Since emissions from industries and other sources have impact on ambient
air it is of utmost importance to prescribe guidelines for safe levels of air pollutants
tolerable to humans, aquatic organisms and vegetation.

Table 7: Nigerian Ambient Air Quality Standard

Pollutants Time of Average Limit
Particulates Daily average of daily 250 ug/m3
values 1 hour. *600 ug/m3
Sulphur oxides Daily average of 0.01 ppm (26 ug/m3)
(Sulphur dioxide) hourly 0.1 ppm (26 ug/m3
values 1 hour
Non-methane Daily average of 3- 160 ug/m3
Hydrocarbon hourly values
Carbon monoxide Daily average of 10 ppm (11.4 ug/m3)
hourly 20 ppm (22.8 ug/m3)
values 8-hourly
average
Nitrogen oxides Daily average of 0.04 ppm-0.06 ppm
(Nitrogen dioxide) hourly (75.0 ug/m3-113
values (range) ug/m3)
Photochemical oxidant Hourly values 0.06 ppm
 NOISE EXPOSURE LIMITS FOR NIGERIA
Industrial or workplace noise arises from occupational exposure of workers to
noise from industrial machines or exposure of neighbourhood population to noise
from factories nearby. This is quite important in the country as most industrial
estates exist alongside or close to residential areas. Other sources of noise include,
aircrafts, loud music and public address systems. Exposure to industrial and other
forms of noise can induce hearing loss and other pathological changes in the
affected population. Hence, it is recommended that daily noise exposure for
workers should not exceed 90 decibels, dB(A) daily for an 8-hour working period.

Duration Permissible Exposure

Day, Hour Limit dB (A)
8 90
6 92
4 95
3 97
8 90
6 92
4 95
3 97
2 100

1.5 102
1 105

0.5 110
0.25 or less 115

Note:
Exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed 140 dB (A) peak
sound pressure level.

MANAGEMENT OF SOLID AND HAZARDOUS WASTES

The objectives of solid and hazardous waste management shall be to:
(a) designate those solid wastes which are dangerous or extremely
hazardous to the public health and environment;
 (b) provide for surveillance and monitoring of dangerous and extremely
hazardous wastes and substances, until they are detoxified, reclaimed,
neutralised, or disposed of safely;
(c) provide the form and rules necessary to establish a system for
manifesting, tracking, reporting, monitoring, record keeping, sampling, and
labelling dangerous and extremely hazardous wastes;
(d) establish the siting, design, operation, closure, post-closure, and
monitoring requirements for managing hazardous waste disposal facilities;
(e) encourage recycling, reuse, reclamation and recovery to the
maximum extent possible.

Designation of Dangerous (Hazardous) Waste

In the context of this document, dangerous waste is synonymous to
hazardous waste. The two expressions are used interchangeably. Code numbers
have been assigned to the various categories of dangerous wastes for easy
identification. Each code number has a prefix FAC (FEPA Action Committee)

i. The procedure for determining whether or not a solid waste is dangerous

waste (D.W.) or extremely hazardous waste (EHW) is described below, and
are applicable to any person who must determine whether or not his solid
waste is so designated.
ii. Any person who determines by these procedures that his waste (or
substances) is (are) designated DW or EHW shall be subject to all
applicable requirement in these guidelines.
iii. Once a material has been determined to be a dangerous waste, any solid
waste generated from the recycling, treatment, storage, or disposal of that
dangerous waste is dangerous waste unless and until;

(a) It does not exhibit any of the characteristics of dangerous waste.

(b) Such solid waste shall include but not be limited to any sludge, spill
residue, ash emissions, control dust, leachate, or precipitation run-off. Precipitation
run-off will not be considered a dangerous waste if it can be shown that the run off
has not been contaminated with the dangerous waste or that the run off is
adequately addressed under any other FEPA guidelines.

Dangerous Waste Mixtures

A dangerous waste mixture shall be any waste about which some or all of its
constituents and concentration are known and which have not been designated
as:
 (a)a discarded chemical product;
(b)an infectious dangerous waste;
(c) a dangerous waste source.
A person who has a waste mixture shall use data which is available to him, and
when such data is inadequate for the purpose of this section, shall refer to FEPA
Exclusive List of Registered Dangerous Substances in order to determine:

(a)toxicity data or category for each known constituent in his waste;

(b)whether or not each known constituent in his waste is a halogenated
hydrocarbon or a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with greater than three
rings and less than seven rings; and
(c) whether or not each known constituent of his waste is an International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) human or animal positive or suspected
carcinogen.