Poultry Abattoir Health Risk on the Adjoining Landuses of Muda Lawal and Nursing Quarters of Bauchi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study is motivated by the spread of waste from poultry abattoir in the Muda Lawan Market in Bauchi Municipal Area and its attendance consequences on the environment and its health impact on the local population. Mixed research method was used to collect data for the study. One hundred questionnaire were administered to elicit information from the poultry butchers, market users and market neighborhood. The distance between the abattoir and the adjoining land uses was determined using GPS. The abattoir air quality was assessed using Aeroqual series potable gas measuring device twice daily Morning and evening. Data obtained were analyzed using inferential statistical in SPSS version 25. Chi-square was used to determine the relationship between the dump site location and reported health issues. Air pollutant value obtained was compared with WHO and NIOSH threshold. The result revealed that the poultry abattoir is located very closed to the waste dump site 43.84m and 112 meters away from the market center, ATBU medical college, Aliko Dangote college of Nursing and Urban College Secondary School. Air pollutant dictated in the dump site include; Methane (CH4), Hydrogen Sulfide (H¬¬2S¬¬), Oxygen (O2) and Carbon Monoxide (CO). All the four (4) gasses revealed constant emission during morning (6.30am) and Evening (6.30 pm) except oxygen. CH4 had the ratio value of 2,000ppm (0.1%), H¬¬2S had the ratio 1,000 ppm (0.1%), CO had the ratio 3,000 ppm (0.3%) and O2 has the ratio of 16,000 ppm (16.0%) morning and 19,000 ppm (19.0%) evening. The four (4) gasses dectated does not exceed the threshold limit of WHO/NIOSH. The study found that people living near the poultry abattoir and its dump site are at risk of respiratory, skin and gastrointestinal diseases. Respondents expressed concerned on gastrointestinal (12.2%) and skin disease (13.3%) as the most prevailing disease among butchers and residence than skin diseases (1.0%). Market users and Resident respondents expressed concern on foul odor (72%) and filthy environment full of animal tissues (64%). The study also showed that people were unhappy (74.5%) with how waste is currently being managed in the market. The Chi-Square value confirmed significant relationship (P > 0.05) between distance to abattoir waste dumpsite and reported health issues. The study concluded that the continuous emission of Hydrogen sulfide, methane, Carbon monoxide and associated gasses in the abattoir waste dumpsite is below the threshold limit of national institute for occupational safety and health (NIOSH) therefore, it does not portrayed any serious environmental risk to human but to the environment contributing to greenhouse gas emission. The study recommended among others that the Bauchi Local government Authority (LGA), BASEPA and relevant NGO’s should formulate policy that will specifically control the continuous proliferation of poultry abattoir waste and its attendance consequences to human health and the environment.