Household waste burning techniques and correlated respiratory indicators in Northern Nigeria: Case study of Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja Nigeria

Abstract

The household waste burning practice and impacts of the waste burning emission on respiratory health of the populace in the Gwagwalada Local Council Area happens frequently, though not well recorded. The goal of this study was to quantify the waste burning occurrence as well as scrutinize the correlation between waste burning practice and respiratory problem in Northern Nigeria with Gwagwalada as case study because is an example of rural settlement growing to urbanites. Questionnaire was utilized to accumulate information from houses in Gwagwalada Area Council Community, Abuja. Total of 150 participants were enrolled and their retorts on household waste burning besides respiratory symptoms were investigated. The participants indicated that their neighbors burn waste frequently, with 67 (44.7%) of them from Gwagwalada Local government (rural zone). The local waste experts collected refuse from 97.0% of these participants at least once per week in the enlightened zone and central but rural is once monthly or not at all. The prevalent lower respiratory sign connected with waste burning was dehydrated cough (31.4%). For Lower and Upper health signs, the participants who participated in the practice of waste burning had a faintly higher commonness of breath shortness (56%) and Water itchy eyes (49%) respectively. For each of lower and upper health signs, the trend is such that 6 month above is greater than immediately, which is greater than those of a month after. These results imply that waste or bush burning effect on health is on the long - term basis.