Solid Waste in Lagos: Aspects of Effects, and Recyclable Potentials

Field surveys were undertaken in five (5) government-operated landfills in Lagos. Areas of Badagry with marginal human activities and at a theoretical distance of infinity from waste-streams were also sampled as control. Sampling of the transfer loading station (TLS) areas at Oshodi was done to estimate contributions extraneous to municipal solid wastes (MSW) activities. The geology of the sampled areas is essentially that of the Oligocene to Pleistocene Coastal Plain Sands except for those of Epe and Badagry which are Recent Deposits. landfill related groundwater from some of the boreholes are unfit for drinking given imbuement with pollutants above prescribed limits. Based on juxtapositions with various scholarly postulations & empirical models, the electrical & economic indices from the landfill gas (LFG) were attempted and standardized using series of devised equations. A mean achievable electrical power of 121.69 MW was derived at engine efficiency of 30% and methane recovery of 50% for the Lagos area with a generation per capita (GPC) of 0.63 kg. The yearly electrical energy was placed at 1,066,004.4 MWh with a tariff revenue in excess of about US$ 106.6 million/yr.