Performance evaluation of the UASB sewage treatment plant at James Town (Mudor), Accra

The UASB Sewage Treatment Plant at James Town, Accra, is used for domestic sewage treatment to remove organic material from the wastewater. To achieve higher removal efficiencies, Trickling Filters, Settling Tanks and other treatment units were used as post treatment. This study analysed the physical, chemical and biological parameters of the influent (raw sewage) as well as the effluent from the plant. The result indicated that the total removal efficiencies were 94.4%, 98.1%, 68.8%, 17.4%, 78.3% and 99.97% for COD, BOD, TS, TKN, PO4-P and Faecal coliform respectively. The overall performance of the plant was generally satisfactory. The study further revealed that Turbidity, Ammonia-nitrogen and Nitrate-nitrogen of the effluents exceeded the EPA guidelines however; the total nitrogen and phosphate-phosphorus of the final effluent could be discharged into the Korle-Lagoon without causing eutrophication or health risk. On the other hand, the current management practices may cause the plant to work inefficiently

Urban Agriculture Practices and Health Problems among Farmers Operating on a University Campus in Kumasi, Ghana

Urban agriculture, a world-wide practice, faces both environmental and health challenges. Farmers are susceptible to occupational and other water-related health risks. The research identified health problems related to urban agricultural farming through farmers’ social characteristics and agricultural practices. Thorough interviews, using structured questionnaires, were carried out. Sixty three farmers responded to questions ranging from agricultural practices to health problems encountered. The findings showed that farmers apply both organic and inorganic fertilisers while 97% used pesticides of varying active ingredients at different application rates. Only 10% used personal protective clothing during the application of pesticides. Overhead irrigation was carried out using a watering can. Eighty four percent and 13% of the respondents utilised water from shallow wells and shallow wells mixed with contaminated stream, respectively. Besides schistosomiasis and cholera, other bacterial diseases, nematode infections, malaria, headaches, dermatological, visual, cardiac, and respiratory problems were common health complaints. Headache complaints were the most common (75%).L’agriculture urbaine, une pratique qui a cours dans le monde entier, est confrontée à des défis d’ordre environnemental et sanitaire. Les agriculteurs sont exposés à divers risques professionnels, et notamment à ceux que l'eau peut poser pour leur santé. Cette étude a identifié les problèmes de santé liés à l’agriculture urbaine en fonction des caractéristiques sociales et des pratiques des agriculteurs. Des entretiens approfondis ont été conduits en suivant des questionnaires structurés. Soixante-trois fermiers ont répondu aux questions, qui abordaient leurs pratiques agricoles ainsi que leurs problèmes de santé. Les résultats montrent que les fermiers emploient aussi bien des engrais organiques que non organiques, et que 97 % utilisent des pesticides basés sur différents composants actifs, à différents taux d’application. Seulement 10 % des agriculteurs utilisent des vêtements de protection lors de l’application des pesticides. L’arrosage par aspersion est réalisé à l’aide d’arrosoirs. 84 % des personnes interrogées utilisent de l’eau provenant de puits de surface, et 13 % utilisent de l’eau provenant de puits de surface mélangée à l’eau d’une source polluée. Outre la schistosomiase et le choléra, d’autres maladies bactériennes, les infestations de nématodes, la malaria, les maux de tête et les problèmes de vue, dermatologiques, cardiaques et respiratoires font partie des problèmes de santé rencontrés couramment. Les maux de tête sont le problème le plus répandu (75 %).La agricultura urbana, una práctica mundial, enfrenta problemas medioambientales y de salud. Los agropecuarios son sensibles a los riesgos laborales y aquellos relacionados con el clima. La investigación identificó problemas de salud vinculados con la agricultura urbana a través de las características sociales y las prácticas agrícolas de los productores. Se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad, utilizando cuestionarios estructurados. Sesenta y tres productores contestaron a preguntas sobre temas que iban de las prácticas agrícolas a los problemas de salud sufridos. Los resultados muestran que los productores aplican pesticidas tanto orgánicos como inorgánicos, mientras que 97 % utilizan pesticidas con variados ingredientes activos y con distintas frecuencias de aplicación. Sólo el 10 % utilizó ropa de protección durante la aplicación de pesticidas. Se realizó riego por aspersión utilizando una regadera. Ochenta y cuatro por ciento y 13 % de los interrogados utilizaron agua de pozos poco profundos y de pozos poco profundos mezclados con arroyos contaminados, respectivamente. Además de esquistosomiasis y cólera, otras enfermedades bacterianas, infecciones de nematodos, malaria, cefaleas, y problemas dermatológicos, visuales, cardíacos y respiratorios fueron inconvenientes de salud comunes. El problema más común fueron las cefaleas (75 %)

Self supply schemes for community water supply in Ghana

Jachie and Esereso are communities in the Bosomtwi-Atwima Kwanwoma District in Ashanti Region located on the outskirts of Kumasi with poor access to improved water supply services. The acute water supply situation in the communities has led many individuals described in this study as ‘Self Suppliers’ to provide water to serve their families and other members of the community for free or for a fee. This study examined who the Self Suppliers are, how they operate, the quality of water supplied, their market share and coverage through a survey carried out with these service providers and consumers in both communities. The Self Suppliers are the main water service providers in the two communities. However, water quality from these providers did not meet the Ghana Standards Board’s required quality levels. This paper highlights the role of these self-supply schemes in community water supply delivery in Ghana

Wastewater Management in Third World Cities: Case Study of Cotonou, Benin

Poor wastewater management coupled with lack of sanitation facilities has aggravated the sanitation challenges in developing countries. This study was aimed at providing information on the current state of sanitation in Cotonou City through surveys. The most common sanitation facilities in the city were septic tanks, latrines and soakaway pits. Mechanical desulging was mainly used (94%) for desludging latrines and septic tanks with a frequency of less than once a year for 73% of the houses; manual desludging was most common for soakaway pits. 84% of sullage generated is disposed without treatment. The only existing stabilization pond plant, managed by a private company SIBEAU, is overloaded; the effluent is poor (up to 2250mg/l BOD5) and does not meet any quality standards. 96% of survey respondents recognise that the sanitation situation in the city is not good; it has to be improved by providing an appropriate and sustainable sanitation management system

Livestock ownership is associated with higher odds of anaemia among preschool‐aged children, but not women of reproductive age in Ghana

Livestock ownership may influence anaemia through complex and possibly contradictory mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to determine the association of household livestock ownership with anaemia among women aged 15–49 years and children aged 6–59 months in Ghana and to examine the contribution of animal source foods (ASFs) to consumption patterns as a potential mechanism mediating this association. We analysed data on 4,441 women and 2,735 children from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey and 16,772 households from the Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 6. Haemoglobin measurements were used to define anaemia (non‐pregnant women: <120 g/L; children: <110 g/L). Child‐ and household‐level ASF consumption data were collected from 24‐hour food group intake and food consumption and expenditure surveys, respectively. In multiple logistic regression models, household livestock ownership was associated with anaemia among children (OR, 95% CI: 1.5 [1.1, 2.0]), but not women (1.0 [0.83, 1.2]). Household ownership of chickens was associated with higher odds of anaemia among children (1.6 [1.2, 2.2]), but ownership of other animal species was not associated with anaemia among women or children. In path analyses, we observed no evidence of mediation of the association of household livestock ownership with child anaemia by ASF consumption. Ownership of livestock likely has limited importance for consumption of ASFs among young children in Ghana and may in fact place children at an increased risk of anaemia. Further research is needed to elucidate if and how pathogen exposure associated with livestock rearing may underlie this increased risk of anaemia.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144629/1/mcn12604_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/144629/2/mcn12604.pd

Smallholder farmers’ perception of climatic and socio-economic factors influencing livelihoods in the transition zone of Ghana

Background: The study analyzed smallholder farmers’ perception with regards to climatic and socio-economic changes influencing their agriculture livelihoods and coping strategies thereof in the transition zone of Ghana. Methods: We used semi-structured questionnaires for household survey involving 59 households and focus group discussions (n=60) for data collection in three communities. Results: Farming systems are influenced by high and extreme temperatures, delayed onsets of rain, short raining season as well as unpredictable raining seasons. Similarly, socioeconomic factors affecting the communities and their households’ livelihood included i) bad road network; ii) high prices of farm inputs; iii) prevalent crop pests and diseases and iv) absence of irrigation facilities. It was ascertained that though most farmers have not made conscious efforts to adapt strategies in their farming system to climate change and the social stressors, as expressed in ‘doing nothing or bearing losses’ and we are at the ‘mercy’ of the weather, there are hidden resilience mechanisms that can be harnessed to strengthen their adaptation capabilities. Women in the study area have adapted to the changes in the weather and safeguarded against post-harvest loss of cassava more effectively as compared to their male counterparts. Similarly, the prevailing group farming and maintenance structure (locally known as ‘Noboa’) strengthen the shared responsibility and reciprocity among migrant’ farmers. Conclusions: Though these agrarian communities have some coping strategies to overcome some climatic and socioeconomic challenges, their general adaptive capacity in terms of physical, financial and human assets are limited. This, therefore, calls for the capacity building of both men and women on best farming practices, adaptation strategies and piloting of irrigation systems to enhance their major livelihood but these must be complemented with good road network for ease of access to the market centres