Institute of Environmental Management and Quality Control

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    Prevalence of Acute Respiratory Infections in Women and Children in Western Sierra Leone due to Smoke from Wood and Charcoal Stoves
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2012-06-19) Taylor, Eldred Tunde
    Combustion of biomass fuels (wood and charcoal) for cooking releases smoke that contains health damaging pollutants. Women and children are the most affected. Exposure to biomass smoke is associated with acute respiratory infections (ARI). This study investigated the prevalence of ARI potentially caused by smoke from wood and charcoal stoves in Western Sierra Leone, as these two fuels are the predominant fuel types used for cooking. A cross sectional study was conducted for 520 women age 15-45 years; and 520 children under 5 years of age in homes that burn wood and charcoal. A questionnaire assessing demographic, household and exposure characteristics and ARI was administered to every woman who further gave information for the child. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) was continuously monitored in fifteen homes. ARI prevalence revealed 32% and 24% for women, 64% and 44% for children in homes with wood and charcoal stoves, respectively. After adjusting for potential confounders for each group, the odds ratio of having suffered from ARI was similar for women, but remained large for children in homes with wood stoves relative to charcoal stoves (OR = 1.14, 95%CI: 0.71-1.82) and (OR = 2.03, 95%CI: 1.31-3.13), respectively. ARI prevalence was higher for children in homes with wood stoves compared with homes with charcoal stoves, but ARI prevalence for both types of fuels is higher compared with reported prevalence elsewhere. To achieve a reduction in ARI would require switching from wood and charcoal to cleaner fuels.
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    Considerations in the selection of healthcare providers for mothers and children in Bo, Sierra Leone: reputation, cost and location
    (Oxford University Press, 2012-10-30) Jacobsen, Kathryn H.
    The factors that influence the selection of a healthcare provider once the decision to seek care has been made can be summarized using a triad of cost, location and reputation. The goal of this study was to identify which of these factors is the primary consideration when women in urban Bo, Sierra Leone, select a healthcare provider for themselves or their children. We interviewed 1091 mothers during a household census of two neighbourhoods of Bo in April 2010. Reputation was the top consideration for about half of the women, cost was the second most common priority, and the location of the healthcare facility was the primary consideration for less than 7% of the participants. The majority of women said they would select a new provider if cost was not a barrier. Socioeconomic characteristics were not significant predictors of whether cost, location or reputation was selected as the highest-ranked consideration. This evidence for the importance of reputation in healthcare decision-making even in low-resource areas highlights the need for health systems to address issues of quality and responsiveness, and not just cost, in order to increase access to and utilization of health services.
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    Identification of bla OXA-51-like , bla OXA-58 , bla DIM-1 , and bla VIM Carbapenemase Genes in Hospital Enterobacteriaceae Isolates from Sierra Leone
    (American Society for Microbiology, 2013-05-09) Łęski, Tomasz A.
    We describe the results of a molecular epidemiological survey of 15 carbapenemase-encoding genes from a recent collection of clinical isolates from Mercy Hospital in Bo, Sierra Leone. The most salient findings revealed that (i) 60% of the isolates harbored multiple carbapenemase genes; (ii) the blaDIM-1 gene, which has previously only been reported in The Netherlands, is also circulating in this environment; and (iii) blaOXA-51-like and blaOXA-58 genes, which were thought to reside exclusively in Acinetobacter species, can also be found in members of the Enterobacteriaceae.
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    Characterization and Determination of PM2.5 Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHS) in Indoor and Outdoor Air in Western Sierra Leone
    (OMICS Publishing Group, 2015) MJ, Taylor ET Wirmvem
    Eleven airborne PM2.5 PAH concentrations were characterized in the kitchen, outdoor and living room environments in households that burn wood and charcoal fuels in Western Sierra Leone, during a survey that was conducted in September 2011. The average concentration of total PAHs (Σ11PAHs) was 1279.7 ng/m3 in kitchen, 41.2 ng/m3 in outdoor, 19.8 ng/m3 in living room for households burning wood while those burning charcoal was 96.5 ng/m3, 13.1 ng/ m3 and 8.9 ng/m3 in the kitchen, outdoor and living room, respectively. The percentage contribution of higher molecular weight PAHs to Σ11PAHs was about 25% higher compared to medium molecular weight PAHs for either household category in all three locations, with a somewhat different scenario for kitchens with wood stove. The ratio of indoor/ outdoor air of Σ11PAHs showed considerable variation among households burning charcoal (p=0.0021; t-test) relative to those burning wood, attributed to non-prolonged equilibrium between the two environments. Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) equivalency results revealed that BaP and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene were the two most dominant compounds that contributed to more than 90% of the total carcinogenicity in all three environments for households burning wood and charcoal. The results suggest that kitchens, where biomass fuels are burnt continue to be a hazardous place for people of developing countries to spend their time.
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    Prevalence of Quinolone Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae from Sierra Leone and the Detection of qnrB Pseudogenes and Modified LexA Binding Sites
    (American Society for Microbiology, 2016-08-30) Łęski, Tomasz A.
    A collection of 74 Enterobacteriaceae isolates found in Bo, Sierra Leone, were tested for quinolone antibiotic susceptibility and resistance mechanisms. The majority of isolates (62%) were resistant to quinolones, and 61% harbored chromosomal gyrA and/or parC mutations. Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes were ubiquitous, with qnrB and aac(6')-Ib-cr being the most prevalent. Mutated LexA binding sites were found in all qnrB1 genes, and truncated qnrB pseudogenes were found in the majority of Citrobacter isolates.
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    Lease of Noxious Gases During Burning of Mosquito Coils: A Pilot Study
    (2016) Beah, Joe Milton
    Indoor air pollution due to combusting biomass fuels is a serious problem in developing countries and the impact to a greater extent is less known from burning mosquito coils. As malaria is a major killer in developing countries, the use of mosquito repellants would continue to be used in millions of homes across the continent of Africa. Hence this pilot study was conducted to assess emission levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2); sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) during the burning of six different products of mosquito coils that are sold in Sierra Leone. One hour emission value was recorded for each product during the burning period. Result revealed that one hour SO2 concentrations range from not detected to 47 ppb and that for CO range from 16 ppm to 19 ppm for the different products. Evidence of high peak values was observed for both SO2 and CO for the different products which is clearly a public health concern. This pilot study demonstrated that burning mosquito coils in less ventilated rooms where the primary focus is to eliminate mosquitoes is an environmental health risk in Sierra Leone.
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    Wastewater Effluents at Sierra Leone Bottling Company Limited: Composition, Assessment and Removal Efficiency of Physico-chemical Parameters
    (Science Publishing Group, 2017) Beah, Joe Milton
    The analyses of industrial effluents at Sierra Leone Bottling Company Limited (SLBC) in Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone were conducted to assess its composition, and removal efficiency of physico-chemical parameters. Fifteen (15) samples were collected from the drain water (influent), pre treatment effluent and treated effluent (effluent) for five days. There were significantly higher concentrations of influents parameters relative to those of the corresponding effluents. The influent levels for pH, electrical conductivity and chloride were higher than permissible threshold. 80% of the samples at the influent point were within permissible guideline for TDS but all were in total agreement with the effluent samples for the same parameter. Comparative analyses showed significant reduction in values for pH, temperature, iron and chromium in the effluent samples relative to the influent samples and all of the other parameters did not show any statistically significant differences. The treatment plant was noted to be highly efficient in removing iron and chromium but least efficient for total dissolved solids and water temperature. Huge variances with respect to removing contaminants for chloride, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids were observed. The average overall removal efficiency of contaminants in industrial effluents was low but the practice of treating industrial wastewater by SLBC was plausible. Considering the pollution load of certain parameters being investigated, it is imperative for the SLBC to initiate the process of setting up waste stabilization ponds (WSP) so as to contain industrial effluents for further examination before they are discharged into the environment.
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    Gaseous Air Quality Indicators along Traffic Routes in Greater Freetown, Sierra Leone
    (Conscientia Beam, 2017) Taylor, Eldred Tunde
    Urban air pollution is increasingly getting attention in developing countries in recent years. It was against this backdrop that this piece of work examined three indices of air pollution along a single carriage road (Kissy Road) and dual carriage road (Wilkinson Road) on either direction. Brief monitoring spell of nitrogen dioxide (NO2); sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) were made between August 2015 and September 2015 using the Drager X am 5000 realtime monitor for the different gases. Diurnal monitoring was made in the morning, afternoon and evening periods representing peak and off peak periods. Results indicated higher levels of pollution at Kissy Road relative to Wilkinson Road. Considerable variation were also observed among the pollutants for the two sites and the hourly average values revealed levels that are within ambient air quality standards except for SO2. Field observations revealed poorly maintained vehicles, human behavioral pattern, frequent traffic jams were attributed to the observed values.
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    Impact of Tailings on Surrounding Streams at a Mining Area in Sierra Leone
    (Science Publishing Group, 2018) Sheriff, Ishmail
    Access to clean water and sanitation is the centerpiece of Africa water vision 2025 and Goal six (6) of the 2030 UN agenda for Sustainable Development. Considering the current national WASH regulatory structures in Sierra Leone, meeting these targets enshrined in the policy documents would be a critical challenge for the government. The overarching objectives sought by the study were to determine the available composition of physio-chemical parameters and evaluate impact of mine tailings on nearby water bodies within the operational areas of Sierra Rutile Mining Company Limited. Twenty-four (24) water samples obtained from six (6) streams were tested for seventeen (17) physical and chemical parameters. About 30% of the indicators were noted to be above the permissible limit of water quality standard in almost all of the sampling sites. A pattern of decrease concentration downstream for Zn, Pb and Cu was observed but those at the tailing points were noted otherwise. The results revealed that mining activities have to an extent negative impact on the local water sources. Consequently, certain indicators were considered to be of public health concern considering their baseline levels. It would be necessary for the company to examine the mechanism of discharge of tailings and strengthen the environmental surveillance within its concessionary areas to enhance sustainability with the ultimate goal to improve environmental performance.
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    Occurrences, distribution of PCBs in urban soil and management of old transformers dumpsite in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
    (Elsevier BV, 2020-02-24) Debela, Sisay Abebe
    Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are Persistent toxic substances with a high potential to accumulate in soil as organic pollutant and bioaccumulate in human tissues. In the current study, conducted in 2019, 45 composites (0–20 cm) soil samples were collected from 9 sampling sites that are situated in an area that is being used as a maintenance workshop and dump site of transformers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The extraction and cleanup of samples was done using Accelerated Solvent Extraction (ASE) with Pressurized Liquid extraction (PLE). The analysis was done using GC/MS to determine levels and distribution of PCBs, and a checklist was used to assess existing management practice of the site. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 20 and Origin pro 9.1. The result of the 18∑PCBs concentration is 17.16 mg kg−1. The range (in dry weight) of 18∑PCBs, Dioxin-Like (DL) 12∑PCBs, and Non Dioxin-Like (NDL) 6∑PCBs, is 1.027 to 4.862; 0.561 to 1.603; and 0.166 – 4.5 mg kg−1 respectively. The most dominant congeners are lower chlorinated PCBs. The distribution of total PCBs concentrations was found to be different in the entire sample tested but with a similar congener's pattern. Transformers and capacitors were observed to be improperly dumped in open fields, a condition that directly exposed them to the severity of rain and sunlight. The Soil surface around the transformer area had cracks, and literally burnt which is an indication of the degree of pollution of the soil. There is poor management in handling of oil and equipment containing PCBs. It was observed oil was leaking from transformers and barrel, and oil tankers to the open space which may cause leachate. It is important that projects are initiated to remediate the soil in the area to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for all. It will be necessary to organize training programmes for workers at the sites on the safe handling and disposal of PCB related materials.