Industrial waste pollution can’t cause Lassa fever, Cholera—expert

Industrial waste pollution such as that produced by tanneries could not cause diseases like Lassa Fever, Cholera and Tuberclosis, an expert of environmental pollution, Engineer Mustapha Muhamad has said. Mustapha, who is also the Director of Pollution Control at the Kano State Ministry of Environment was reacting to a recent warning by the ‘Sarkin Tsafta’ […]

Industrial waste pollution such as that produced by tanneries could not cause diseases like Lassa Fever, Cholera and Tuberclosis, an expert of environmental pollution, Engineer Mustapha Muhamad has said.
Mustapha, who is also the Director of Pollution Control at the Kano State Ministry of Environment was reacting to a recent warning by the ‘Sarkin Tsafta’ of Kano Jafaru Ahmad Gwarzo that industrial waste pollution released into public drainages by tanneries and textile companies in Kano may lead to outbreak of diseases.
“The tanneries and textile companies should know that public drainages are built not to accommodate harmful waste products but to provide easy passage of rain water to avoid flooding. Residents are at risk of serious epidemic diseases such as cholera, tuberculosis, lassa fever and other deadly diseases as long as this practice continues,” Gwarzo had said.
But refuting the claims, Mustapha claimed that even though industrial waste pollution was a serious problem, it doesn’t cause cholera, lassa fever and tuberculosis which he said result from contact with biological microorganisms.
He however cautioned that the most dangerous aspect of tanneries was exposure to chromium which is a carcinogenic material likely to cause cancer.
“What happens is that when you inhale chromium it can irritate your lung affecting the upper respiratory tract, increase the cause of developing lung or nasal cancer. Chromium can also increase the rate of asthma (and) bronchitis,” he explained.