Nigerian Scientist Leads Global Charge Against Toxic Soil Contamination

Tosin Clegg

Nigeria’s fight against environmental pollution is gaining fresh momentum as an environmental Nigerian scientist, Dr. Chukwukwe Eucharia Uju is pushing a research on phytoremediation and heavy-metal contamination back into the global spotlight.

According to findings pieced together, her work, spanning over a decade, is reshaping how communities understand toxic risks and how governments respond to rising pollution challenges. From her beginnings in southeastern Nigeria, Dr. Uju has built a career focused on the intersection of chemistry, public health, and sustainable environmental management. Her recent multi-season study on indigenous plants in Abia State is now attracting attention for its promise in cleaning up contaminated farmlands across Nigeria.

‎In her landmark publication, Phytoremediation Potential of Indigenous Plants in Abia State, Dr. Uju and her co-researchers reveal how decades of unregulated mining, industrial discharge, and agricultural misuse have left soils dangerously polluted with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and zinc. These findings underscore a growing crisis in rural communities where farmers unknowingly cultivate crops on toxic lands.

‎The study highlights the long shadow of colonial-era mining activities across southeastern Nigeria, particularly regions in Abia State where Pb-Zn extraction has continued with minimal oversight. Combined with industrial waste from cement factories and metal processing plants, the result is a contamination hotspot threatening both food security and public health.
‎Dr. Uju’s work emphasizes that the consequences are not just environmental but deeply human. Families dependent on subsistence farming now face risks ranging from reduced crop yield to chronic health problems caused by toxic metal exposure. Her research calls attention to the hidden dangers embedded in the soil beneath everyday life.

‎But her findings also offer hope. The study identifies specific indigenous plants capable of absorbing and reducing heavy-metal concentrations in polluted soils. This discovery positions phytoremediation as a low-cost, practical, and environmentally friendly solution for rural communities and local governments.

‎Beyond research, Dr. Uju has spent years applying environmental science in real-world settings. As an Environmental Officer at the Abia State Ministry of Environment, she has led state efforts in pollution monitoring, toxicological risk assessment, and community sensitization on sustainability practices. Her academic journey is equally notable. With a Ph.D. in Environmental and Toxicological Chemistry, she currently lectures at the Abia State University, where she teaches environmental chemistry, toxicology, and pollution management while mentoring the next generation of scientists.
‎Her classroom contributions include supervising undergraduate and postgraduate theses and helping refine curriculum standards for environmental science programs. Students describe her as a mentor who blends scientific rigor with real-world awareness.
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‎Dr. Uju’s research footprint extends across international conferences, including presentations in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, and Port Harcourt, where she has spoken on heavy-metal contamination, industrial effluent toxicity, and innovations in green chemistry. Her views consistently push for policies grounded in scientific evidence.
‎ Her goal is to merge environmental health science with frontline public-health practice, strengthening her ability to tackle toxic exposure issues affecting vulnerable communities.
‎Her growing list of professional certifications from environmental, public health, and international memberships with SETAC and the American Chemical Society reflects a career marked by continuous learning and global engagement.