BROWN FROM CREATION, DARK AT DEGREDATION.

 

 SPILLED VEHICULAR OIL.

AUTHOR: SARAH NAA MERLEY ATTOH.

Over the years, Automobile Repair Garages have contributed woefully to land degradation, depleting the soil of its appearance and nutrients.

Formed from organic compounds and mineral ions clumped together to form aggregates, the beautiful brownish red soil steadily looses its naturality to the pollution of operations by Automotive Engineers and associates of the engineering field.

Potential wastes generated as a result of vehicle maintenance and repair activities, including, used oils, spent fluids, spent batteries, asbestos brake pads and linings, metal machining wastes, spent organic solvents, and tyres, play key role in environmental and human contamination. 

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A study conducted by a former student of the Mechanical Engineering Department of Accra Polytechnic, (now Accra Technical University) revealed, used vehicular oil contains numerous toxic substances, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are known to cause cancer.

Again, the toxic components of the oil leaches into groundwater, posing risks to human health if the contaminated water is consumed.

Additionally, tiny pieces of metal from engine wear and tear, such as lead, zinc and arsenic ,make their way into lubricants, further contributing to the polluting potentials of used vehicular oil.

The simple maintenance technique called "servicing," which involves draining out old oil from an engine in exchange of a new one, when not done properly leads to oil spillage.

The practice in Ghana involves the use of a head-pan and change of filter. In situations where spent oil is drained into the wrong sized head-pan, overflow is bound to occur and thus, spillage. With the oil sinking deep into the earth, the soil gets coated, preventing oxygen and water from reaching plant roots and soil organisms. The result being, death of plants and microorganisms in the affected area.

While some components of the oil may break down over time through natural processes like microbial degradation, others may persist for years or even decades.

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A tour to the hubs of vehicular oil operation centres in Accra, showed, larger part the grounds at Adabraka Odornaa, Kokompe and Abossey Okai are dark in colour. Because used engiene oil is heavy and sticky, and contains an extensive concentrated cocktail of toxic compounds, it can build up and persist in the environment.

The time it takes for it to degrade in the environment depends on various factors, including, temperature, moisture, microbial activity and the type of soil. But the amount of oil spilled shows the intensity of soil degradation. The more the oil, the darker the ground and the higher the degradation.

In combating oil pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, was designated as the National Authority for the National Oil Spill Contigency Plan (NOSCP), adopted in December, 2020.

This plan, since 1986, has focused on shipping and oil exploration and production companies, to provide a level of preparedness to the threat posed to the environment by oil spills, mainly from tankers and the marines.

A similar stringent measure can be enforced by the agency on the automotive industry to ensure cleaner garages, keeping the soil intact in its natural form.