Ambient air pollution exposure and lung function assessment of filling station attendants in Ibadan, Nigeria
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Toluwanimi Mobolade Oni
und
Godson R.E.E. Ana
Abstract
Background
There is an increasing range of adverse health effects associated with air pollution at very low concentrations. Few studies have assessed respiratory parameters among filling station attendants.
Objectives
This study assessed air pollutants; particulate matter (PM10) and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) concentrations at filling stations as well as determined forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) levels among filling station attendants.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess PM10 and TVOC concentrations at 20 systematically selected filling stations in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Ibadan for 2 months using a Thermo Scientific pDR 1500 PM10 monitor and SF2000-TVOC meter. FEV1 and PEFR levels were measured in order to assess the effect of exposure to PM10 and TVOC on lung function of 100 filling station attendants using a PIKO-1 Electronic peakflow/FEV1 meter.
Results
Total mean PM10 concentrations (μg/m3) in the morning (43.7±16.5) and afternoon (27.8±7.9) were significantly lower (p<0.01) than the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline limit (50 μg/m3). Total mean TVOC concentrations (ppm) in the morning (12.0±3.4) and afternoon (5.6±2.4) were however significantly higher (p<0.01) than the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guideline limit (3 ppm). Mean FEV1 for filling station attendants was 1.63±0.39 and PEFR was 171.7±45.9.
Conclusion
Filling stations are hotspots for the emission of VOCs and PM10. However, filling station attendants in this study are at risk of exposure to high concentrations of VOCs but not PM10. FEV1 and PEFR values among filling station attendants were very low which could possibly be attributed to extended exposure to air pollutants. Regular medical examinations should also be conducted on filling station attendants in order to aid early detection of deviations in their health status.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to staff and students in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, who contributed to the successful completion of this research. The technical support from concerned individuals within and outside the University is also gratefully acknowledged.
Research funding: This study was self-funded. No funding was received for this study from any external source or body.
Conflict of interest: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent is not applicable.
Ethical approval: The conducted research is not related to either human or animal use.
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©2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
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Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Review Articles
- Electronic cigarettes in the indoor environment
- Impact of ambient air pollution and wheeze-associated disorders in children in Southeast Asia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- An overview of radioactivity measurement studies in Pakistan
- Obstructive sleep apnea: personal, societal, public health, and legal implications
- Environmental and health impacts of industrial wastewater effluents in Pakistan: a review
- Mini Reviews
- Early life exposure to lead (Pb) and changes in DNA methylation: relevance to Alzheimer’s disease
- Pyrethroid pesticide exposure and hematological cancer: epidemiological, biological and molecular evidence
- Original Article
- Ambient air pollution exposure and lung function assessment of filling station attendants in Ibadan, Nigeria
- Short Communication
- Web medical information produces anxiety in parents of infants with suspected galactosemia
- Letter to the Editor
- Health/nutritional status of immigrant Pakistani laborers working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
