📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
Industrial chemical waste disposal practices at manufacturing clusters in South East Nigeria reflect persistent gaps between regulatory requirements and actual operational behaviour, with implications for groundwater quality, community health, and environmental liability for corporate operators. This study assesses chemical waste disposal practices at ten small and medium manufacturing firms within the Nnewi industrial cluster in Anambra State, South East Nigeria, which hosts battery, automotive parts, cosmetics, and metal fabrication industries. Data are collected through structured facility audits, waste stream inventory documentation, and interviews with production managers and environmental officers. The audit evaluates chemical waste generation rates, segregation practices, on-site storage conditions, manifest documentation, disposal contractor accreditation, and evidence of waste minimisation programmes. Waste samples from on-site disposal areas are collected and analysed for pH, heavy metals (lead, chromium, cadmium, zinc), and total petroleum hydrocarbon content to assess contamination severity. Regulatory compliance is evaluated against the Harmful Waste Special Criminal Provisions Act and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency hazardous waste management guidelines. A risk-ranking matrix categorises firms by compliance level and environmental exposure severity. A professional chemical waste management improvement plan is developed with cost-tiered implementation recommendations tailored to the financial capacity of small industrial operators in the Nnewi cluster. Keywords: chemical waste disposal, industrial cluster, Nnewi, hazardous waste, Anambra State
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