Vehicular Emission Levels and Risk Associated with Street Hawkers and Traffic Wardens in Some Selected Areas of Accra, Ghana

Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey; Nana Tanoa  Dougan; Linda Aurelia  Ofori

doi:10.4314/just.v41i3.1509

Dr. Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5314-2908
Mr. Nana Tanoa Dougan Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana
Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Aurelia Ofori Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/just.v41i3.1509

Keywords: Vehicle, Air pollution, Workers, Traffic supervisor

Abstract

Fifty street workers on three main routes in Accra, Achimota- Neoplan, Dzorwulu-N1 and Legon-Shiashie were identified and questionnaires were administered to obtain information for risk assessment on motor vehicle emissions. A study on CO and Hydrocarbon emissions from petrol- based vehicles and opacity emissions from diesel-fueled vehicles were measured using Emission Combi Tester 6.3, Maha-Luxembourg, from vehicles that came for testing at the Drivers and Vehicles License Authority (DVLA) garage. The cars were categorized into two, based on their ages; cars manufactured before and during 1995 (old-aged) and those manufactured after 1995. The mean concentration determined for CO was 2.8% and 1.9%, hydrocarbon was 467 ppm and 215 ppm and the opacity was 49.2% and 27.8% for old aged cars and cars manufactured after 1995, respectively. The study showed that emissions from old-aged cars were generally higher than those manufactured after 1995. The average daily dose was also higher for street vendors than for traffic wardens. The hazard quotient revealed extreme risks for these workers due to exposure to the emissions. Therefore, regulating vehicle emissions and increasing air pollution awareness is crucial.

Author Biographies

Dr. Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey, Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana

A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana. My expertise is in Microbiology (Molecular Bacteriology and infection), focusing on bacteria associated with food, water, animals, human infections, antimicrobial susceptibility, and resistance mechanisms. Also interested in zoonotic diseases, food safety, and infection control.

Mr. Nana Tanoa Dougan, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana

Nana Ama Tanoa Dougan holds an MSc Environmental Science degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and a BSc Chemistry degree from the University of Ghana. She has strong interests in environmental pollution, management, sustainability and climate change.

She has over five years of experience in standardization work, particularly in developing environmental and chemistry National and international standards. She is also involved in the activities of the World trade organization.

Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Aurelia Ofori, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi, Ghana

Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey has a Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry and Technology from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague-Czech Republic. A lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Currently, my area of research is in aquatic ecotoxicology, waste management, bioremediation and pollution control. I have done some work on the effect of tropical wood leachates on aquatic organisms and the toxicity of aged landfill leachates to Lemna minor and Daphnia magna. Some of these works have been published in high-impact factor journals. I have been part of some international projects and contributed to conferences.