Exposure to Dioxins and Furans at the Bormeh Kingtom Dumpsite in the Western Area of Sierra Leone
Author(s)
Abubakarr S. Mansaray1,
Abu-Bakarr Massaquoi Senior2,
Ibrahim Joe Samai3,
Bashiru M. Koroma4
Affiliation(s)
1 Chemistry Department, Njala University, Njala, Sierra Leone. 2 Former National Coordinator UNDP’s GEF/SGP Program, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 3 Action for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 4 School of Community Health Sciences, Njala University, Bo, Sierra Leone.
1 Chemistry Department, Njala University, Njala, Sierra Leone. 2 Former National Coordinator UNDP’s GEF/SGP Program, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 3 Action for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 4 School of Community Health Sciences, Njala University, Bo, Sierra Leone.
ABSTRACT
Humans and animals can be exposed to Dioxins and Furans through ingestion of fatty food, skin contact, and breathing contaminated air. Resulting health problems include skin disease, immune problems, and cancers. Managing the release of these chemicals is therefore important. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants requires parties to adopt measures that reduce sources of these chemicals. Sierra Leone developed its National Implementation Plan (NIP) in 2008, in compliance with this requirement. However, no known further steps have been taken, particularly at community level. In 2013, the UNDP’s GEF/SGP funded a pilot project to manage the release of Dioxins and Furans from two dumpsites in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This work was sponsored with funds from that project. The work sought to delineate the exposure of communities within and around the Bormeh-Kingtom dumpsite (Kingtom, Kolleh town, Ascension town, Crab town, and Congo town) to the chemicals. The study considered sources of exposure, relative quantities generated per year, and the routes of exposure. This exposure study is a first step in managing the release from those sources. Enumerators deployed at the dumpsite every day, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, for three months, quantifying and recording source materials. The amount of source materials dumped per day informed calculation of Dioxin/Furan releases in grams toxicity equivalence per year. The results revealed a release of 128.914 g TEQ/year in air and residue. This implies that the communities are at high risk of inhalation and dermal exposure. Livestock, mainly pigs, are also exposed as they feed on the waste deposited in the dumpsite. Humans in turn feed on the livestock, a recipe for biomagnification. The project team has been working on developing Best Management Practices to suppress the release of the chemicals.
Humans and animals can be exposed to Dioxins and Furans through ingestion of fatty food, skin contact, and breathing contaminated air. Resulting health problems include skin disease, immune problems, and cancers. Managing the release of these chemicals is therefore important. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants requires parties to adopt measures that reduce sources of these chemicals. Sierra Leone developed its National Implementation Plan (NIP) in 2008, in compliance with this requirement. However, no known further steps have been taken, particularly at community level. In 2013, the UNDP’s GEF/SGP funded a pilot project to manage the release of Dioxins and Furans from two dumpsites in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This work was sponsored with funds from that project. The work sought to delineate the exposure of communities within and around the Bormeh-Kingtom dumpsite (Kingtom, Kolleh town, Ascension town, Crab town, and Congo town) to the chemicals. The study considered sources of exposure, relative quantities generated per year, and the routes of exposure. This exposure study is a first step in managing the release from those sources. Enumerators deployed at the dumpsite every day, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, for three months, quantifying and recording source materials. The amount of source materials dumped per day informed calculation of Dioxin/Furan releases in grams toxicity equivalence per year. The results revealed a release of 128.914 g TEQ/year in air and residue. This implies that the communities are at high risk of inhalation and dermal exposure. Livestock, mainly pigs, are also exposed as they feed on the waste deposited in the dumpsite. Humans in turn feed on the livestock, a recipe for biomagnification. The project team has been working on developing Best Management Practices to suppress the release of the chemicals.
Cite this paper
Mansaray, A. , Senior, A. , Samai, I. and Koroma, B. (2015) Exposure to Dioxins and Furans at the Bormeh Kingtom Dumpsite in the Western Area of Sierra Leone. Natural Resources, 6, 491-501. doi: 10.4236/nr.2015.69047.
Mansaray, A. , Senior, A. , Samai, I. and Koroma, B. (2015) Exposure to Dioxins and Furans at the Bormeh Kingtom Dumpsite in the Western Area of Sierra Leone. Natural Resources, 6, 491-501. doi: 10.4236/nr.2015.69047.
References
[1] CDC (2009) Dioxins, Furans and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls. Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention. [2] Koroma, B.M. and Mansaray, A.S. (2008) Inventory of Unintentional Persistent Organic Pollutants (UPOPs). National Commission on Environment and Forestry, Freetown. [3] WHO Media Centre (2014) Dioxins and Their Effects on Human Health. WHO. [4] Schecter, A., Birnbaum, L., Ryanc, J.J. and Constable, J.D. (2006) Dioxins: An Overview. Environmental Research, 101, 419-428.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2005.12.003 [5] Manuwald, U., Garrido, V.M., Berger, J., Manz, A. and Baur, X. (2012) Mortality Study of Chemical Workers Exposed to Dioxins: Follow-Up 23 Years after Chemical Plant Closure. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 69, 636-642. [6] Sankoh, S.K., Redwood-Sawyer, J.A.S., Karim, A.B. and Ndomahina, E.T. (2009) Report Prepared for the Waste Management in Sierra Leone. ACP-EU Cooperation Program in Higher Education, Freetown. [7] UNEP Chemicals (2001) Standardized Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Dioxin and Furan Releases. United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva. [8] U.S. EPA (2011) Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) Chemical Program: Dioxins and Furans. U.S. EPA, Washington DC. [9] Gascon, M., Morales, E., Sunyer, J. and Vrijheid, M. (2013) Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants on the Developing Respiratory and Immune Systems: A Systematic Review. Environment International, 52, 51-65.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2012.11.005 [10] Awareness Times Newspaper (2013) In Sierra Leone, “Garbage Dump Sites Emit Smoke Dangerous to Humans” Says AESPD Program Manager. Local News, 22 November 2013. [11] Ruzzin, J. (2012) Public Health Concern behind the Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Risk of Metabolic Diseases. BMC Public Health, 12, 298.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-298 [12] Wang, T.Y., Lu, Y.L., Zhang, H. and Shi, Y.J. (2005) Contamination of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Relevant Management in China. Environment International, 6, 813-821.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2005.05.043 [13] Awoko Newspaper (2015) Sierra Leone News: EPA Discourse National Implementation Plan on POP. Awoko, 6 September 2015.
[1] CDC (2009) Dioxins, Furans and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls. Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention. [2] Koroma, B.M. and Mansaray, A.S. (2008) Inventory of Unintentional Persistent Organic Pollutants (UPOPs). National Commission on Environment and Forestry, Freetown. [3] WHO Media Centre (2014) Dioxins and Their Effects on Human Health. WHO. [4] Schecter, A., Birnbaum, L., Ryanc, J.J. and Constable, J.D. (2006) Dioxins: An Overview. Environmental Research, 101, 419-428.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2005.12.003 [5] Manuwald, U., Garrido, V.M., Berger, J., Manz, A. and Baur, X. (2012) Mortality Study of Chemical Workers Exposed to Dioxins: Follow-Up 23 Years after Chemical Plant Closure. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 69, 636-642. [6] Sankoh, S.K., Redwood-Sawyer, J.A.S., Karim, A.B. and Ndomahina, E.T. (2009) Report Prepared for the Waste Management in Sierra Leone. ACP-EU Cooperation Program in Higher Education, Freetown. [7] UNEP Chemicals (2001) Standardized Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Dioxin and Furan Releases. United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva. [8] U.S. EPA (2011) Persistent Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) Chemical Program: Dioxins and Furans. U.S. EPA, Washington DC. [9] Gascon, M., Morales, E., Sunyer, J. and Vrijheid, M. (2013) Effects of Persistent Organic Pollutants on the Developing Respiratory and Immune Systems: A Systematic Review. Environment International, 52, 51-65.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2012.11.005 [10] Awareness Times Newspaper (2013) In Sierra Leone, “Garbage Dump Sites Emit Smoke Dangerous to Humans” Says AESPD Program Manager. Local News, 22 November 2013. [11] Ruzzin, J. (2012) Public Health Concern behind the Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Risk of Metabolic Diseases. BMC Public Health, 12, 298.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-298 [12] Wang, T.Y., Lu, Y.L., Zhang, H. and Shi, Y.J. (2005) Contamination of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Relevant Management in China. Environment International, 6, 813-821.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2005.05.043 [13] Awoko Newspaper (2015) Sierra Leone News: EPA Discourse National Implementation Plan on POP. Awoko, 6 September 2015.