Figure 1
Scrap tyres and de-furring mounds utilized by butchers in meat processing at Dei-Dei abattoir, Abuja. (A) Scrap tyres ready for use in the abattoir. (B) De-furring mound for processing slaughtered animals with scrap tyres. (C) Butchers de-furring goat with F.O.O. inset.
Table 1
Baseline sociodemographic characteristics of workers and adjoining residents of Dei-Dei Abattoir and Livestock Market, Abuja, Nigeria (N = 200).
| Parameter/Variable | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Sex of Respondents | |
| Male | 137 (68.5) |
| Female | 63 (31.5) |
| Age Distribution of Respondents (Years) | |
| 11–20 | 5 (2.5) |
| 21–30 | 112 (56.0) |
| 31–40 | 53 (26.5) |
| 41–50 | 20 (10) |
| >50 | 10 (5.0) |
| Occupation of Respondents | |
| Butchers | 136 (68.0) |
| Students | 10 (5.0) |
| Civil/Public Servants | 38 (19.0) |
| Livestock Dealers/Businessmen | 16 (8.0) |
| Average Income of Respondents/day (Nigerian Naira)* | |
| 0–500 | 36 (18.0) |
| 501–1000 | 74 (37.0) |
| 1001–2000 | 51 (25.5) |
| 2001–3000 | 24 (12.0) |
| >3000 | 15 (7.5) |
| Length of Time in Current Employment | |
| <1 | 21 (10.5) |
| 1 | 30 (15.0) |
| 2 | 37 (18.5) |
| 3 | 38 (19.0) |
| 4 | 29 (14.5) |
| 5 | 14 (7.0) |
| ≥6 | 31 (15.5) |
| Respondents with Safety Training | |
| Yes | 93 (46.5) |
| No | 107 (53.5) |
| Respondents’ Use of PPEs** | |
| Yes | 27 (13.5) |
| No | 173 (86.5) |
| Respondents Smoking for as long as 1 year | |
| Yes | 25 (12.5) |
| No | 175 (87.5) |
| Alcohol use by Respondents | |
| Yes | 33 (16.5) |
| No | 167 (83.5) |
| Common Symptoms Experienced by Respondents in the Preceding 2 weeks | |
| CP + DB + CH + CI + BS | 89 (44.5) |
| CP + DB + BS | 65 (32.5) |
| BS + CI | 32 (16.0) |
| BS | 14 (7.0) |
[i] *Naira is Nigerian local currency and exchanges to the USD @ approx. N370 to $1; **PPEs – Personal Protective Equipment; CP – Chest pain; DB – Difficulty breathing; CH – Cough; CI – Compromised Immunity; BS – Breathlessness.
Table 2
Anthropometric measurements in butchers and administrative staff of Dei-Dei Abattoir, Abuja, Nigeria.
| Parameter | Butchers (N = 156) | Admin Staff (N = 32) | P (2-tailed) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 31.0 ± 6.2 | 42.5 ± 10.13 | 0.017 | * |
| Height (cm) | 171.4 ± 4.6 | 161.8 ± 4.5 | 0.001 | * |
| Weight (kg) | 70.1 ± 16.5 | 77.5 ± 12.7 | 0.369 | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 23.7 ± 1.32 | 29.8 ± 3.5 | 0.016 | * |
| Pulse rate (beats/min) | 75.1 ± 12.1 | 87.3 ± 13.5 | 0.090 | |
| SBP (mm/Hg) | 122.3 ± 17.3 | 145.0 ± 28.8 | 0.090 | |
| DBP (mm/Hg) | 78.2 ± 13.5 | 91.3 ± 19.7 | 0.147 | |
[i] *Statistically significant at p < 0.05. SBP and DBP represent systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, respectively.
Table 3
Particulate matter measured in Dei-Dei Abattoir between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m.
| Location | Time (am) | PM1 (×103 μg/cm3) | PM2.5 (×103 μg/cm3) | PM7 (×103 μg/cm3) | PM10 (×103 μg/cm3) | TSP (×103 μg/cm3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point A | 7:00 | 0.0267 ± 0.02 | 0.0637 ± 0.04 | 0.3537 ± 0.42 | 0.4327 ± 0.55 | 1.2620 ± 0.71 |
| 8:00 | 0.1597 ± 0.09 | 0.3947 ± 0.18 | **4.1247 ± 3.34 | **4.8980 ± 4.05 | **5.7260 ± 4.62 | |
| 8:30 | 0.0697 ± 0.03 | **1.7463 ± 2.59 | **4.7200 ± 4.34 | **5.5387 ± 4.75 | **6.2900 ± 5.00 | |
| 9:00 | 0.0913 ± 0.09 | 0.2490 ± 0.25 | 0.3353 ± 0.29 | 0.3607 ± 0.26 | 0.6440 ± 0.58 | |
| Point B | 7:00 | 0.0373 ± 0.02 | 0.1750 ± 0.18 | 0.3790 ± 0.20 | 0.4720 ± 0.29 | 0.9690 ± 0.99 |
| 8:00 | *0.2370 ± 0.32 | 0.1487 ± 0.07 | 0.2647 ± 0.13 | 0.3150 ± 0.13 | 0.3720 ± 0.14 | |
| 8:30 | 0.0393 ± 0.03 | 0.0853 ± 0.07 | 0.1240 ± 0.09 | 0.1423 ± 0.09 | 0.1717 ± 0.08 | |
| 9:00 | 0.0390 ± 0.03 | 0.0617 ± 0.04 | 0.1990 ± 0.23 | 0.3127 ± 0.41 | 0.5850 ± 0.84 | |
| Point C | 7:00 | 0.2217 ± 0.19 | 0.3817 ± 0.52 | 0.7067 ± 0.76 | 0.7767 ± 0.80 | 1.1923 ± 1.33 |
| 8:00 | 0.0503 ± 0.01 | 0.1227 ± 0.05 | 0.2083 ± 0.07 | 0.2667 ± 0.09 | 0.3843 ± 0.25 | |
| 8:30 | 0.0463 ± 0.03 | 0.4047 ± 0.51 | 0.1740 ± 0.14 | 0.2117 ± 0.12 | 0.3487 ± 0.18 | |
| 9:00 | 0.0353 ± 0.03 | 0.0783 ± 0.06 | 0.2507 ± 0.19 | 0.3160 ± 0.27 | 0.4340 ± 0.43 |
[i] ** = p < 0.01; * = p < 0.05; comparisons are made to values for 7 a.m.
Table 4
Concentrations of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at Dei-Dei Abattoir, Abuja.
| Location | NAPHTH (μg/cm3) | ANTHR (μg/cm3) | FLUOR (μg/cm3) | PYR (μg/cm3) | IND-123 (μg/cm3) | BENZ-b-FL (μg/cm3) | BENZ-A-P (μg/cm3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point A | 0.79 ± 0.02 | 0.05 ± 0.00 | 0.32 ± 0.01 | 0.03 ± 0.00 | 0.03 ± 0.02 | 0.05 ± 0.00 | 0.07 ± 0.01 |
| Point B | **0.56 ± 0.04 | **0.03 ± 0.00 | **0.21 ± 0.01 | *0.03 ± 0.01 | 0.04 ± 0.00 | 0.05 ± 0.00 | **0.06 ± 0.01 |
| Point C | **0.21 ± 0.01 | **0.02 ± 0.00 | **0.16 ± 0.00 | **0.02 ± 0.00 | 0.03 ± 0.00 | **0.04 ± 0.00 | **0.02 ± 0.02 |
[i] ** = p < 0.01; * = p < 0.05; comparisons are made to Point A. NAPHTH – Naphthalene; ANTHR – Anthracene; FLUOR – Fluoranthene; PYR – Pyrene; IND-123 – Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene; BENZ-b-FL – Benzo-b-fluoranthene; BENZ-A-P – Benzo-a-pyrene.
Table 5
Lung function parameters of butchers and administrative staff at Dei-Dei Abattoir, Abuja, measured over four quarters.
| Parameter | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PEV-Butchers | 250.17 ± 26.89 | * | 233.50 ± 40.10 | * | 241.83 ± 31.84 | * | 256.00 ± 23.59 | * |
| PEV- AS | 571.67 ± 54.43 | 571.67 ± 54.43 | 480.00 ± 94.78 | 570.00 ± 54.75 | ||||
| FEV- Butchers | 2.42 ± 0.36 | * | 2.53 ± 0.50 | * | 2.32 ± 0.41 | * | 2.38 ± 0.39 | |
| FEV-AS | 2.05 ± 0.22 | 2.06 ± 0.21 | 2.14 ± 0.30 | 2.08 ± 0.19 | ||||
| FVC-Butchers | 3.13 ± 0.50 | * | 3.30 ± 0.82 | * | 3.13 ± 0.50 | * | 3.17 ± 0.51 | * |
| FVC-AS | 2.33 ± 0.24 | 2.33 ± 0.24 | 2.42 ± 0.23 | 2.36 ± 0.23 | ||||
| FEV/FVC(%) -Butchers | 77.33 ± 10.24 | 76.66 ± 10.50 | 74.12 ± 10.54 | 75.07 ± 10.06 | ||||
| FEV/FVC(%) -AS | 88.25 ± 4.16 | 88.25 ± 4.16 | 88.93 ± 2.58 | 88.25 ± 4.16 | ||||
[i] *Statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) between the butchers and administrative staff (AS). PEV = peak expiratory volume; FEV = forced expired volume; FVC = forced vital capacity.
Table 6
Concentrations of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene, phenol and some heavy metals in butchers and administrative staff at Dei-Dei Abattoir, Abuja.
| Factor | Butchers (n = 156) | Admin. Staff (n = 32) | P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-OHP (μg/molCret) | 0.52 ± 0.13 | 0.20 ± 0.07 | <0.001 |
| Phenol (mg/L) | 14.26 ± 1.19 | 4.44 ± 1.12 | <0.001 |
| Zinc (ppm) | 0.91 ± 0.19 | 0.31 ± 0.28 | <0.001 |
| Arsenic (ppm) | 0.002 ± 0.001 | 0.001 ± 0.001 | 0.356 |
| Cadmium (ppm) | 0.26 ± 0.32 | 0.09 ± 0.12 | 0.112 |
| Nickel (ppm) | 0.11 ± 0.06 | 0.06 ± 0.02 | 0.011 |