Houses with zinc roofs that are close to the location of the flare stacks do not last for two years before they become corroded. This is different from other areas where zinc roofs last for at least ten years. This is a common trend that is also observed in other parts of the Niger Delta where oil extraction is presently taking place
This zinc corrosion has added another dimension to the increasing socio-economic costs to the burden of the Ogoni people. It is a common knowledge that acid rain oxidizes zinc through the process of oxidation to form zinc oxides. This oxidation process is responsible for the corrosion. This has led Ogoni homeowners to resort to purchase of the expensive asbestos with its obvious potential health hazards.