An Assessment of Scavenging for Livelihood and its Health Implication at Gosa Dumpsite, Abuja, Nigeria
Keywords:
Dumpsite, human health, poverty, scavenging, socio-demographic characteristics, solid waste, toxic waste, unemploymentAbstract
This study investigated the activities and socio-economic drivers as well as health implications of solid waste on scavenging at the Gosa dumpsite, Abuja. Out of the total of 520 registered scavengers with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, 487 consented and each was administered a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire elicited information such as demographic (gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, nationality and level of education), socio-economic variables (years spent scavenging and quantity and type of waste scavenge per day) and the health implication from waste scavenging. The study revealed that all the scavengers were male, young and adults and live within the vicinity of the Gosa dumpsite scavenging waste materials such as bottles, papers, cartons, irons, plastics, aluminium cans and electronic wastes. More than 50% of the waste pickers scavenged as much as 20 kg of solid wastes per day and over 90% of them sell the scavenged solid materials to recyclers. Most of the scavengers (93%) do not use protective gears as they claimed not to know the adverse effects of toxic materials on human health. Symptoms such as headache, sore throat and eye irritation were reported by these waste pickers. The study concluded that awareness and monitoring programmes on the risk related to scavenging activities should be organised for the scavengers at the dumpsite. It was recommended that poverty and unemployment were the two major drivers of waste scavenging in the Gosa dumpsite, Abuja.
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