Rivers State government, through its Commissioner for Environment, Professor Roseline Konya, has reacted to the sudden appearance of strange black soot deposit noticeably seen on cars and rooftops in the state, especially in Port Harcourt and its environs.
In a statement signed by the commissioner, the ministry urged the residents of the state to reamin calm while it monitors and locates the source of the black soot for prompt action.
“It has come to the notice of the state government of the sudden appearance of strange black soot deposit noticeably seen on cars and rooftops in our environment especially in Port Harcourt and its environs. The public is hereby advised not to panic as the Ministry of Environment has duly dispatched its officials to different locations in the state to monitor and locate the source of the black soot for prompt action.
“It is apparently obvious that the state government cannot decontaminate the airspace, but it can put a stop to this pollution if the source of the soot is located. Consequently, the public is hereby urged to complement the effort of the state government by assisting to look for the source of this strange soot.”
The ministry had since then gave out dedicated telephone lines for this.
Soot as an airborne contaminant in the environment has many different sources, all of which are results of some form of pyrolysis. It causes cancer and lung disease, and is theorized to be the second-biggest human cause of global warming.
