Port harcourt popularly known as the "oil city" is the largest city in Rivers state, Nigeria. The estimated population is 1.8million as far back as 2016. A whole lot of industrial activities are carried out in the city on a daily basis. The activities of the oil and gas industry contribute largely to the economy of the state, but these activities also contribute to the depletion of the environment . In recent times, these activities have led to the occurrence of soot in the air around the city.
You may then ask '' what is soot ?'' Soot results from the incomplete combustion of carbon based materials or substances such as coal, oils, wood etc. It may seem harmless, but believe me when i say soot is everything but harmless. Studies have shown that the size of soot is two times smaller than the size of dust particle. Soot poses a whole lot of health of health hazards such as premature death, clogged lungs, acute bronchitis, aggravated asthma, heart attack.

In this whole scenario, the oil industry is not the only culprit. Ileegal refineries sited all around the sate is also to blame. The activities of these illegal refining centers are not controlled , therefore all the waste from their activities are released into the environment without check.

The activities of law enforcement agencies who monitor illegal refineries situated around the state also contribute to the soot plague looming over Rivers state. These enforcement agencies set these illegal refineries ablaze when they find them, thereby causing the release of incompletely burnt carbon substances into the atmosphere.

In the nearest future, if proper modalities are not put in place, the atmosphere in Port harcourt may become too toxic for habitation.