Various forms of pollution continue to threaten environmental health and human wellbeing in Liberia.

Liberia is faced with immense challenges and growing concerns regarding the inadequacies of waste management activities in the country. One of the major challenges to Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management in Liberia is the absence of sufficient and accurate data regarding the physical and chemical composition of waste and the quantity of waste generated throughout the country. In Monrovia, it is estimated that about 800 tons per day of solid domestic waste is collected, representing roughly 45% of the total waste produced in the city. The remaining (around 55%) remains uncollected or is not covered by the solid waste collection system [1].

The city corporations are responsible for waste collection services in most cities in Liberia, or at times, subcontracted private companies. Generally, the collection of waste is irregular in the absence of a specific weekly schedule for waste collection, and the MSW services (collection up to final disposal) remain largely ineffective. In many urban–rural or rural areas there is a complete absence of waste collection services [1].

In Liberia, the most practiced methods of waste disposal are open dumping, open burning, waste burial, and landfilling. The practices of indiscriminate dumping and open burning and burial of waste serve as a conduit for the spread of disease and pose a serious threat to public health in the country. Landfill disposal sites are limited to very few cities in the country and are not adequately engineered (absence of leachate and gas collection system) which can result in leakage from the landfill and contamination of surrounding areas. Additionally, engineered sanitary landfills are non-existent within the country for the disposal of hazardous waste. The most common form of landfilling practiced is open swamp filling, which is unsustainable [1].

Thus, municipal solid waste management is deficient in all its stages and most existent dumping sites become the source of air, soil, and water pollution, release large amounts of GHG, and pose a threat to public health.

Electronic waste is also an emerging challenge in the country. Liberia is experiencing an increase in the importation of electrical and electronic equipment, which once their lifespan has been diminished, often ends up as waste [2].  

Additionally, in accordance with the World Health Organization's guidelines, the air quality in Liberia is considered moderately unsafe. Though data on air quality in Liberia is limited, most recent data in the country indicates that the country's annual mean concentration of PM2.5 exceeds the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m3 [3]. Air pollution from indoor sources is the single largest contributor to the negative health effects of air pollution in Liberia causing an estimated 3,900 premature deaths every year [4].

Water pollution is a challenge in some areas of the country, due to mining (e.g. iron ore pollutants), farming (e.g. agrochemical runoff) and industrial activities (e.g. discharge from rubber processing) [5]. Studies in Cape Mount County and Bong County recorded mercury levels that were up to 150 times higher than WHO guideline values for drinking water near small-scale gold mining operations. Large-scale gold mining has also been implicated in decreasing pH and higher concentrations of cyanide [6].

Further, most urban areas do not have wastewater treatment plants or extensive sewerage systems. In the capital, Monrovia, a small sewerage system services 30% of the population, but the Fiamah Wastewater Treatment Plant has not been operational for over 20 years. The Marshall Wetlands in the Farmington River Basin and the Mesurado Wetlands in Monrovia (St. Paul River-Farmington River coastal drainage area) have been severely degraded by municipal waste and wastewater [6].