Environmental Health Assessment of Informal Fuel Retailing in Motorcycle-Dependent Communities in Kano State, North West Nigeria

Informal fuel retailing, commonly known as black market fuel vending, is widespread in Nigerian cities and poses environmental and health risks including fuel vapor exposure, fire hazards, and soil and water contamination. This study assessed the environmental health implications of informal fuel retailing in motorcycle-dependent communities in Kano Metropolitan Area, North West Nigeria. Environmental assessments were conducted at sixty identified informal fuel vending points, including ambient air benzene measurements, soil sampling for total petroleum hydrocarbons, and fire safety assessments. Structured interviews were administered to 120 fuel vendors and 200 residents of affected communities. Health outcomes, including respiratory and dermal complaints, were documented through health facility record reviews. Results showed that benzene concentrations at vending points exceeded 5 micrograms per cubic metre in seventy-one percent of measured sites. Soil contamination from fuel spillage was detected at all assessed vending sites, with petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations ranging from 850 to 4,200 mg/kg. Fire safety assessments rated sixty-eight percent of vending points as high-risk. Vendors reported working an average of eleven hours per day with no respiratory protection. Skin conditions and chronic headaches were the most frequently cited health complaints among vendors. The study recommends formalization of fuel retail networks, provision of safety training to vendors, soil remediation at chronically contaminated sites, and enforcement of fire safety regulations. Keywords: informal fuel retailing, benzene, petroleum hydrocarbons, Kano, occupational health.