Impact of Gas Flaring on Forced Vital Capacity, Body Mass Index and Biochemical Parameters: Evidence from a Nigerian Oil-Bearing Community

The Nigerian economy experienced a leap with oil exploitation as oil accounted for over 70% of the country’s foreign exchange earnings. However, oil exploitation precipitated the problem of gas flaring. Consequently, this study seeks to evaluate the aftermath of gas flaring on the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Body Mass Index (BMI) and biochemical parameters of residents of Ibeno, an oil-bearing community in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Afaha Udoe, another community in AkwaIbom State which is over 60km away from Ibeno, was used as control. Lung function was assessed using a spirometer while weight and height were measured with a weighing balance and a stadiometer. Determination of serum Aspartate Aminotransferase, Alanine Aminotransferase and Alkaline Phosphatase was done using Kinetic Ultraviolet Test Optimised International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (Kinetic UV Test Optimised IFCC) method while serum Bilirubin, Albumin and Total Protein was done using Jendrassik and Gróf, Bromocresol Green and Biuret methods respectively. Both groups are in the same BMI categorisation band, therefore gas flaring has no impact on people’s BMI. There is no significant difference in baseline FVC; nevertheless, Control population presented a better FVC after stress (2.755L) compared to Test population (2.385L). The average aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, conjugate bilirubin, total bilirubin, albumin and total protein values were 6.420iu/L, 5.280 iu/L, 15.340 iu/L, 4.100 µmol/L, 7.500 µmol/L, 47.74 g/L, 74.040g/L for control subjects as against 14.500iu/L, 8.442iu/L, 21.096iu/L, 4.363 µmol/L, 8.790 µmol/L,42.314g/L, 69.712g/L for test subjects. All biochemical parameters tested were statistically significant against control at p