Heavy Metal Pollution and the Need for Monitoring: Illustratedfor Developing Countries in WestAfrica

Most of the countries within the West African sub-region are emergent nations which, for a long time, have been grouped among the Less Developed Countries of the world. Due to the low level of development, these countries have generally considered economic growth, social and educational development and industrialization as key development priorities, while protection of the environment has not been given the same importance. However, in recent years, a few of these countries, such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast have achieved significant strides in their quest for rapid economic growth through industrialization. Thus, a number of factories, usually sited haphazardly, have developed, and with increased affluence generated by income from the export of natural resources, the problems of urbanization, population explosion and the increased use of automobiles have become very common. It is well known that environmental pollution is a product of urbanization and technology, and other attendant factors of population density, industrialization and mechanization that serve to provide the necessities of the population. For example, in cities like Lagos (Nigeria) and Abidjan (Ivory Coast), the rural-urban migration activated by the search for increased incomes has resulted in the concentration of large populations in relatively small areas under poor conditions of sanitation. Traffic jams and the legendary 'go-slow' of automobiles are everyday occurrences in these cities.