Factors Influencing Personal Exposures To Fine Particulate Matter, Carbon Monoxide And Urinary Hydroxy-Pah Levels Among Female Fish Smokers In Southern Ghana
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Date
2022-03
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University Of Ghana
Abstract
Background: Fish smoking is practiced by most households in Ghana but mostly on a large scale by women who live in and around fishing communities as a commercial activity. It is a good source of income for women in most fishing communities. However, this activity poses a great health risk to these women and their entire household due to the smoke emanating from the process. Biomass is the commonest type of fuel used by majority of the fish smokers in Ghana together with the Traditional cook stoves. Biomass as a fuel undergoes incomplete pyrolysis thus leading to the production of smoke rich in Particulate Matter, Carbon monoxide and other harmful air pollutants. Although chronic exposure to smoke has adverse health effects, very few studies have assessed the exposure of smoke produced from Biomass amongst fish smokers. This study seeks to estimate the levels of PM 2.5, CO and urinary PAH as well as factors that influence their levels among female fish smokers in twelve communities in Southern Ghana.
Objective: To determine the levels of fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Carbon Monoxide (CO), and urine Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) and its metabolites among fish smokers in Southern Ghana and the factors that influence the levels of these pollutants in fish smokers.
Methods: This is a Cross-sectional study which made use of the midline data obtained from the Invisible Fishers pilot study. 120 healthy female fish smokers between 15 and 49 years were sampled. The inclusion criteria were; women who were actively involved in fish smoking, not pregnant and women who were willing to remain in the community during the study period. The data used comprises of a background data, urine samples of 119 of the women and data on personal exposures to CO and PM2.5 (air quality data). Structured questionnaires were used to collect data on the socioeconomic characteristics of the women and special monitors were used to take the air quality data. Urine samples were also taken from the participants for laboratory analysis for urinary PAH.Means (SD), T-test, pairwise correlations, appropriate transformation and multiple linear regression were done to determine the level of exposures, correlations between the compounds and factors associated with each compound.
Results: The mean of 48-hr levels of PM2.5 was 156.95 ppm ± 149.81. The mean of 48-hr levels of CO was 9.25ppm± 10.96. The overall mean level of PAH level was 112.16 μg/l ± 219.16. Methylnaphthalene recorded the highest maximum levels of 815.02 μg/l with a mean of 40.85 μg/l ± 150.80. The mean levels of Hydroxypyrene (PAH metabolite) among fish smokers was 0.55 μg/l ± 0.93. There was a strong positive linear association between the levels of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and PM2.5. There was a weak positive correlation between PM2.5 and PAHs. Age, Region of residence, oven type, cooking frequency, time spent smoking fish, person who spends most time cooking at home and wealth index were factors that influenced the levels of compounds in the fish smokers.
Conclusion: Positive correlations were found between harmful compounds that emanate from the use of biomass as the primary source of fuel for fish smoking. Home characteristics such as cooking frequency and time spent cooking as well as Work characteristics such as Oven type were predictors of the levels of PAH and its metabolites like Hydroxypyrene, in the fish smokers. There is the need for a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Gender and fisheries to put in place measures to reduce the exposure levels of harmful smoke products to fish smokers. Steps should be taken to design and provide improved locally made ovens for fish smokers and their households.
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Keywords
Carbon Monoxide, Urinary Hydroxy-Pah, Female Fish Smokers, Southern Ghana