Abstract
Background:The health of communities living around industrial areas has been a cause for concern. Effluents and emissions produced in these areas have been shown to affect health of these communities adversely. Across the world, industrial disasters have affected host communities. Cement manufacture causes environmental impacts at all stages of its production. These include emissions of airborne pollutants in the form of dust, gases, noise and vibration when operating machinery and during blasting in quarries. Many of these air pollutants have been associated with increased respiratory morbidity and mortality across all age groups.
Objective:This study investigated the effect of cement dust exposure on lung function among residents of Kalambaina community in Sokoto State, Nigeria.
Methodology:A total of 514 respondents participated in the study; 244 residents of Kalambaina, the host community of the cement factory and 270 in the non exposed group, residents of Gidan Madi, a community that has neither cement nor any other dust generating factory. Gidan Madi is 70km away from the cement factory. Both communities are rural and socio-culturally similar.
The study employed a comparative cross- sectional analytical design. An interviewer - administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic parameters, and exposure to cement dust. It also inquired about habits like cigarette smoking and history of exposure to dusty jobs. Physical examination of the subjects included measurements of weight, height, blood pressure and pulse rate. Spirometry was used to assess lung functions. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS 15.0 for windows (Inc., Chicago, USA, 2001). The results were recorded as mean ± standard deviation (SD). The P- value was taken as statistically significant at P< 0.05.
Results: The FVC, FEV1 and FEV1% were significantly lower in the exposed subjects (P = 0.0001, P= 0.024 and P= 0.0002 respectively). There was however, no statistically significant difference in the PEFR (P = 0.095). Linear regression of the lung function parameters and the duration of exposure or stay in Kalambaina community showed negative correlation. The pattern of obstructive lung function among respondents in both exposed and non exposed communities showed significantly higher prevalence in the exposed community than in the non exposed community (P = 0.0215).
Conclusion:The result of this study suggests that the health of residents of Kalambaina the host community of the cement factory was adversely affected by the chronic exposure to cement dust. The lung functions of residents of Kalambaina were adversely affected as shown by the depressed indices of their lung functions compared to those of residents of Gidan Madi the non exposed community. The results of the present study suggest that chronic exposure to cement dust has adverse health effects on the respiratory system.
Key-words:Silica, Cement dust, lung function, air pollution, Nigeria.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v3i8.41
