Residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, cried out over black particles which have taken over the air making live unbearable for many. The soot ostensibly carbon emission from an unknown source poses grave health risks to the residents who now  have to cover their nostrils.

“I started noticing this in November but now it is thick in the air, even inside your house one is not safe. Nobody is talking to us, nobody has explained what this is but we all know it is toxic, an obvious agent of cancer and lung diseases. The relevant authorities should act fast because this is just the making of an epidemic if not halted now”, said Mr. Desmond Thankgod, a resident of Rumuigbo community.

Inhaling the soot according to a medical practitioner can cause illness such as Asthma, Pneumonia, Bronchitis and other dangerous respiratory tract infections

Black soot includes black particles composed by carbon produced by incomplete combustion of coals. Soot can consist of acid, chemicals, or soil and dust and the particles are extremely tiny powder form.

At the moment the soot is visible even in the sky as everywhere looks dull and hazy. People wash their hands regularly but even that has done little to dampen the toxic effect of the substance