Global Plastic Pollution and the Nigerian Dimensions
OSENI SHAMUSIDEEN O.
*
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China and UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, 1239, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
NIYOKWEZIRA FELIX
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China and UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, 1239, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
DE-SOUZA RAPHAEL
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China and UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, 1239, Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Plastic pollution has surged from 1.5 million tons produced in the 1950s to 335 million tons in 2016, with 9–23 million metric tons entering aquatic systems annually. This review examines plastic pollution’s characteristics—diversity, persistence, and combined effects with other contaminants—and its geophysical and biological impacts globally, complemented by a case study on Nigeria. Plastics disrupt carbon and nutrient cycles and threaten over 900 marine species via ingestion and entanglement. In Nigeria, sachet water and poor waste management contribute 0.13–0.34 million tons to oceans yearly, ranking it ninth globally, undermining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like health (SDG 3), water quality (SDG 6), and marine life (SDG 14). Solutions include legislation, education, and improved infrastructure, tailored to Nigeria’s context. This paper fills gaps by addressing macro- and nanoplastics, terrestrial systems, and Nigeria’s unique challenges, urging region-specific strategies for this poorly reversible pollutant.
Keywords: Plastic pollution, macroplastics, microplastics, nanoplastics, Nigeria, sachet water, waste management, environmental impacts