Project – Effect of Poor Waste Disposal Practices on Environmental Health among Residents of Selected Communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Environmental health is concerned with the conditions in the physical, chemical and biological environment that can influence human health and wellbeing. One of the major environmental health concerns in rapidly urbanizing communities is the generation and disposal of solid waste. Waste is produced through household activities, commercial operations, institutions, markets and other human activities, and when it is not properly collected, transported, treated or disposed of, it can become a source of environmental contamination and disease risk. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2022) notes that poorly managed solid waste can contaminate water, soil and air, block drainage channels, encourage stagnant water and create conditions that support disease vectors. The WHO (2025) further emphasizes that solid waste can create multiple exposure pathways affecting communities when waste is improperly managed. Therefore, appropriate waste management is not only an environmental responsibility but also an important component of public health protection. The connection between waste management and health is particularly important in densely populated urban communities where large quantities of waste are generated daily and where inadequate disposal practices can expose large numbers of residents to environmental hazards.

Poor waste disposal practices refer to inappropriate methods of discarding waste, including indiscriminate dumping on roadsides, drainage channels, vacant plots, waterways and other unauthorized locations, as well as uncontrolled burning and disposal in open spaces. Such practices can produce environmental conditions that directly or indirectly threaten human health. Aluko et al. (2022), in a study of communities around open dumpsites in Southwest Nigeria, found that a substantial proportion of respondents disposed of solid waste in open dumpsites despite having knowledge of associated health hazards. The study also identified malaria and breathing difficulties among the perceived health outcomes associated with living around open dumpsites. Similarly, Chukwuone, Amaechina and Ifelunini (2022) found that illegal waste disposal was widespread among households in Lagos and that factors such as availability of dumpsters, waste-management information and payment for waste-management services were associated with disposal behaviour. These findings demonstrate that waste disposal is not simply a matter of environmental appearance but a behavioural and public-health issue that can expose residents to disease vectors, air pollution, contaminated water and other environmental hazards.

The relationship between poor waste disposal and environmental health becomes particularly important in urban areas experiencing rapid population growth, housing expansion and increased consumption. Lagos State is one of Nigeria’s most densely populated and economically active urban environments, and the scale of economic and residential activity generates substantial quantities of household and commercial waste. Kofoworola (2007) identified inadequate collection facilities and poor disposal practices as important challenges in Lagos, noting that where formal collection systems are inadequate, residents may dispose of waste on streets, around infrastructure and other unauthorized locations. More recently, Chukwuone et al. (2022) reported that 67.42% of households surveyed in coastal Lagos engaged in illegal waste disposal and found that the availability of waste-management facilities and information influenced disposal behaviour. Similarly, Ichipi and Senekane (2023) identified urbanization, inadequate waste-disposal education, negative public perceptions and poor disposal practices among the factors contributing to illegal dumping in Lagos State. These findings suggest that the environmental health implications of poor waste disposal may be particularly serious in Lagos because high population density and extensive human activity can increase both the amount of waste generated and the number of people exposed to its consequences.

Poorly disposed waste can affect environmental health through several pathways, including the contamination of surface and groundwater, proliferation of disease vectors, air pollution from open burning and physical obstruction of drainage systems. Waste dumped in gutters and drainage channels can prevent the free movement of stormwater and increase the risk of stagnant water and flooding. The WHO (2022) identifies blocked drains and stagnant water associated with poor waste collection as conditions that can favour the transmission of vector-borne diseases and other health problems. In Nigeria, Aluko et al. (2022) found that residents living around open dumpsites perceived several health hazards, while Aliu (2021), in a study specifically conducted in the Igando-Alimoso area of Lagos, found that residents associated waste dumpsites with flooding, groundwater pollution, unpleasant odours and diseases such as typhoid, malaria, dysentery and cholera. Aliu’s findings are particularly relevant to the present study because Igando-Alimoso falls within the geographical environment of Alimosho Local Government Area. Thus, the presence of poorly managed waste within residential communities may have consequences extending beyond visual pollution to drainage, water quality, disease exposure and general environmental wellbeing.

Air pollution is another important environmental health consequence of poor waste disposal, particularly where residents resort to open burning as an alternative to formal waste collection. Burning mixed household waste can release smoke and potentially harmful pollutants into the surrounding environment, thereby exposing residents to respiratory irritants and other health risks. Aluko et al. (2022) reported that half of the respondents in their Southwest Nigerian study considered burning as an alternative to open dumping, while breathing difficulties were among the perceived health outcomes associated with living near open dumpsites. The WHO (2022) also recognizes uncontrolled waste burning as an unsafe waste-treatment practice capable of directly harming people who burn waste and neighbouring communities. In addition to air pollution, decomposing waste can produce unpleasant odours and create breeding grounds for flies, rodents and other disease vectors. Aliu (2021) reported that residents around waste dumpsites in Igando-Alimoso experienced discomfort from persistent odours and perceived the dumpsites as a social nuisance. Consequently, poor disposal practices can simultaneously affect air quality, community comfort and disease prevention, thereby making waste disposal a significant environmental-health concern.

Another important dimension of the problem is that knowledge of the health risks associated with poor waste disposal does not necessarily translate into appropriate disposal behaviour. Aluko et al. (2022) found that 95% of respondents had good knowledge of perceived health hazards and 85% had positive attitudes towards the hazards, yet 72% still reported disposing of solid waste in open dumpsites. This suggests that factors beyond knowledge may influence waste disposal behaviour, including convenience, availability and accessibility of collection services, cost of waste collection, enforcement of environmental regulations, community norms and the physical availability of waste-disposal infrastructure. Chukwuone et al. (2022) similarly found that the availability of dumpsters, receipt of waste-management information and payment of waste-management fees were associated with household waste-disposal behaviour in Lagos. Xu (2024) also found evidence that environmental regulation can have different effects depending on whether appropriate waste-disposal facilities are available, suggesting that regulation alone may be insufficient when residents lack accessible infrastructure. Therefore, improving environmental health in Alimosho may require an understanding of both residents’ disposal practices and the environmental and institutional conditions that influence those practices.

The issue is especially significant in Alimosho Local Government Area because of the area’s extensive residential development and the documented environmental implications of waste disposal in the Igando-Alimoso axis. Aliu (2021) found statistically significant evidence linking waste dumpsites in the Igando-Alimoso area with illnesses perceived by residents, while Hassan et al. (2026) reported contamination of soils around a solid-waste dumpsite at Igando in Alimosho LGA, including elevated concentrations and accumulation of several potentially hazardous elements. These findings demonstrate that waste disposal within the area can have consequences for both human environmental conditions and the physical environment. Furthermore, the broader Lagos literature indicates that illegal dumping remains a persistent challenge despite waste-management policies and public awareness campaigns (Ichipi & Senekane, 2023; Etim, Choedron, & Ajai, 2024). The relevance of the present study therefore lies in determining how poor waste disposal practices are associated with environmental-health conditions among residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA. A localized assessment can provide evidence concerning residents’ waste-disposal behaviours, environmental conditions and perceived health outcomes and can assist stakeholders in developing interventions appropriate to the realities of communities within the LGA.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Poor waste disposal has become a significant environmental and public-health concern in many Nigerian urban communities, particularly in areas experiencing rapid population growth and inadequate waste-management infrastructure. Although formal waste-management systems exist, some residents continue to dispose of waste in unauthorized locations such as roadsides, gutters, vacant plots, waterways and open spaces. Chukwuone et al. (2022) found that 67.42% of households surveyed in coastal Lagos engaged in illegal waste disposal, demonstrating the persistence of inappropriate disposal behaviour within Lagos communities. Ichipi and Senekane (2023) similarly identified poor waste-disposal practices, inadequate disposal education, urbanization and illegal disposal sites as important contributors to the waste-management problem in Lagos State. The persistence of such practices raises concern because accumulated waste can contaminate the environment, attract disease vectors, obstruct drainage channels and create conditions that may negatively affect the health and wellbeing of residents. The problem is therefore not simply the physical accumulation of refuse but the potential environmental-health consequences associated with continued exposure to poorly managed waste.

A second problem concerns the direct environmental-health hazards associated with waste dumpsites and indiscriminate disposal within communities. Waste that is improperly discarded can contribute to unpleasant odours, air pollution, contaminated water and soil, blocked drainage systems and the proliferation of insects and rodents. Aliu (2021), in the Igando-Alimoso area of Lagos, found that residents associated waste dumpsites with flooding, groundwater pollution, unpleasant odours and illnesses including typhoid, malaria, dysentery and cholera, and the study established a statistically significant relationship between the dumpsites and reported illnesses. Aluko et al. (2022) also found that residents around open dumpsites in Southwest Nigeria reported health hazards including malaria and breathing difficulties. More recently, Hassan et al. (2026) identified substantial contamination of soil around the Igando dumpsite in Alimosho LGA, including elevated levels of several heavy metals and other indicators of ecological contamination. These findings suggest that residents of communities where poor waste disposal occurs may face multiple environmental exposures, but the specific extent to which these practices affect environmental health among residents of selected Alimosho communities requires further investigation.

A third problem is the persistence of inappropriate waste disposal despite awareness of its potential consequences. Evidence from Southwest Nigeria suggests that knowledge alone may not be sufficient to produce appropriate waste-management behaviour. Aluko et al. (2022) reported that most respondents around open dumpsites had good knowledge of health hazards, yet a large proportion still used open dumpsites for waste disposal. In Lagos, Chukwuone et al. (2022) found that the provision of dumpsters, receipt of waste-management information and payment for waste-management services were important factors associated with disposal behaviour. Etim et al. (2024) also emphasized the importance of public awareness in achieving sustainable municipal solid waste management in Lagos and identified cost, public perception and institutional factors as challenges to waste-management campaigns. This suggests that residents’ disposal practices may be influenced by a combination of individual behaviour, environmental infrastructure, economic considerations and institutional arrangements. Without understanding these factors within specific communities in Alimosho LGA, interventions designed to improve waste disposal and environmental health may not adequately address the actual causes of the problem.

A fourth problem is the need for localized empirical evidence concerning the effect of poor waste disposal practices on environmental health among residents of Alimosho LGA. Although previous studies have examined waste disposal and health hazards in Southwest Nigeria and Lagos State, many have focused on broad geographical areas, specific dumpsites or particular aspects of waste management. Aliu (2021) specifically examined the Igando-Alimoso area, while Chukwuone et al. (2022) examined household disposal practices in coastal Lagos and Aluko et al. (2022) investigated residents around open dumpsites in heterogeneous settlements in Southwest Nigeria. These studies provide valuable evidence, but there remains a need to examine selected residential communities in Alimosho LGA from the perspective of the relationship between residents’ poor waste-disposal practices and environmental-health outcomes. Such evidence is necessary for environmental-health practitioners, local authorities, community leaders and residents to better understand the consequences of indiscriminate dumping, open burning, disposal in drainage channels and other inappropriate practices. It is against this background that this study seeks to investigate the effect of poor waste disposal practices on environmental health among residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to examine the effect of poor waste disposal practices on environmental health among residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. examine the major poor waste disposal practices adopted by residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State;
2. assess the level of environmental health conditions associated with poor waste disposal practices among residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State;
3. determine the effect of poor waste disposal practices on the environmental health of residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State; and
4. identify the major health and environmental problems associated with poor waste disposal practices among residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. What are the major poor waste disposal practices adopted by residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State?
2. What is the level of environmental health conditions associated with poor waste disposal practices among residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State?
3. What effect do poor waste disposal practices have on the environmental health of residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State?
4. What are the major health and environmental problems associated with poor waste disposal practices among residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant effect of poor waste disposal practices on environmental health among residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to residents of Alimosho LGA because it will increase awareness of the environmental-health consequences of inappropriate waste disposal. The findings may help residents understand how practices such as indiscriminate dumping, disposal in drainage channels and open burning can contribute to environmental degradation and health risks.

The study will be useful to environmental health officers and public health practitioners because it will provide evidence concerning the relationship between residents’ waste-disposal behaviours and environmental-health conditions. Such information may assist practitioners in designing targeted environmental-health education and community intervention programmes.

The study will also be beneficial to Alimosho Local Government authorities and other relevant environmental agencies. Findings from the study may provide information that can support decisions concerning waste-collection facilities, environmental sanitation programmes, enforcement, community education and monitoring of illegal dumping sites.

The study will be useful to Lagos State waste-management authorities because it may provide localized evidence about the behaviours and environmental-health problems experienced by residents. The findings could contribute to improved waste-collection strategies and community-based waste-management programmes.

The study will also benefit community leaders and community development associations. The findings may help community leaders organize sanitation campaigns, encourage appropriate waste disposal and mobilize residents to participate in environmental-cleanup activities.

Finally, the study will contribute to academic knowledge in Environmental Health, Public Health, Community Health, Environmental Management and related disciplines. It will provide empirical evidence on waste-disposal practices and environmental health within selected communities in Alimosho LGA and may serve as a reference for future researchers investigating solid waste, environmental sanitation, disease prevention and urban environmental health in Lagos State.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the effect of poor waste disposal practices on environmental health among residents of selected communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State.

The content scope covers poor waste-disposal practices such as indiscriminate dumping, disposal in drainage channels, open dumping, open burning and disposal in unauthorized locations. It also covers environmental-health outcomes including unpleasant odours, air pollution, drainage obstruction, flooding, contamination of the environment, proliferation of flies and rodents, and selected health conditions associated with poor environmental sanitation.

The geographical scope is limited to selected communities within Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State. The study will not cover all communities in Lagos State because of the geographical size of the state and the practical limitations associated with conducting a study across the entire state.

The population scope will comprise residents of the selected communities who are capable of providing relevant information about waste-disposal practices and environmental-health conditions within their communities.

The study is concerned primarily with household and community solid waste disposal practices. It does not focus specifically on specialized categories such as hospital waste, radioactive waste or industrial hazardous waste except where such waste forms part of the general environmental conditions experienced by residents.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Environmental Health: The branch of public health concerned with environmental conditions and factors that can affect human health, wellbeing and quality of life.

Waste: Unwanted or discarded materials generated from household, commercial, institutional and other human activities.

Solid Waste: Discarded solid materials such as food remnants, plastics, paper, bottles, cans, packaging materials, household refuse and other unwanted materials generated through human activities.

Waste Disposal: The process through which unwanted materials are discarded, deposited, treated or otherwise removed from the place where they are generated.

Poor Waste Disposal Practices: Inappropriate methods of discarding waste, including indiscriminate dumping, open dumping, disposal in drainage channels, disposal in unauthorized locations and uncontrolled burning.

Indiscriminate Dumping: The disposal of waste in places that are not legally or environmentally designated for waste disposal.

Open Dumping: The uncontrolled placement of waste on exposed land without appropriate containment, treatment or environmental safeguards.

Open Burning: The uncontrolled burning of waste in open spaces without appropriate pollution-control measures.

Environmental Pollution: The introduction of harmful substances or contaminants into the air, water or soil in ways that may negatively affect humans, animals, plants or the wider environment.

Environmental Health Problems: Health-related conditions or risks arising from harmful environmental conditions, including exposure to contaminated water, polluted air, disease vectors, accumulated refuse and other environmental hazards.

Residents: People who live permanently or temporarily within the selected communities in Alimosho Local Government Area.

Disease Vectors: Living organisms such as mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and rodents that can carry and transmit disease-causing organisms.

Waste Management: The organized processes involved in waste generation control, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, recycling and final disposal in ways that minimize environmental and health risks.

1.9 Organisation of the Study

The study will be organized into five chapters. Chapter One presents the introduction, background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, research hypothesis, significance of the study, scope of the study and operational definition of terms. Chapter Two will review relevant literature on waste, solid waste management, waste-disposal practices, environmental health, health effects of poor waste disposal and related empirical studies. The chapter will also present the theoretical framework relevant to the study. Chapter Three will discuss the research methodology, including the research design, population of the study, sample size, sampling technique, research instrument, validity and reliability of the instrument, procedure for data collection and method of data analysis. Chapter Four will present, analyse and interpret the data collected from respondents and test the stated hypothesis. Chapter Five will present the summary of findings, conclusion, recommendations and suggestions for further studies.

Project – Effect of Poor Waste Disposal Practices on Environmental Health among Residents of Selected Communities in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State.