Health Risk Implication among Solid Waste Workers in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State
Cookey A. Tammy *
Department of Geography and Natural Resources Management, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
Tombari Bodo
Department of Geography and Natural Resources Management, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
Perri T. Owunari
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Iwofe, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine the Health Risk implication among solid waste workers in Obio Akpor LGA of Rivers state. The study was carried out at the Rivers State Waste Management Agency in Obio-Akpor Local government area of Rivers State between January 2019-March 2019. The survey method was employed and the simple random technique was adopted whilst 265 copies of the questionnaire were used to elicit information from the number of employee. The result finding showed that the major health implication that was identified was Typhoid, malaria, Diarrhea and other form of disease, this was as a result that respondents had a pre requisite knowledge of the effect of poor waste management to human health Furthermore it was revealed from the findings that the major source of solid waste is from the residential area and plastics are a major composition of the solid waste. It was discovered that majority of the respondents in Obio akpor local government area prefer to dump their waste at authorized dump site and this is normally done within 1-5 days and this is done daily. it was concluded that solid waste workers should be provided with vaccination programs on typhoid and malaria , pre-employment and periodic health surveillance in order to detect early signs of disease and monitor their ability to work.
Keywords: Health and solid waste, health risk implication, waste management.