Health Effects of Limestone Quarrying in Yilo Krobo and Lower Manya Krobo Municipalities

Abstract

The investigation conducted the health effects of limestone quarrying in the Yilo Krobo municipality at Klo-Begro and Manya Krobo municipality at Odugblase. The objectives were to assess possible clustering of respiratory disease cases around a putative pollution source, model possible correlation between exposure and respiratory disease cases and relative risk surface of upper respiratory disease cases in the two communities. Secondary data was collected from Oborpah, Obenyemi and Oterkpolu in Yilo Krobo and Manya Krobo health facilities on people who reported upper respiratory and water related diseases. A total of 351 reported to the three health facilities in 2015.Those sampled were 329.The inclusion criteria were health records of people who lived in Klo-Begro and Odugblase and reported to the health facilities in 2015.The exclusion criteria were people who attended the three health facilities in 2015 and were not from those two communities. A response rate of 93% and no respondents of 7% were lost to follow up. It revealed that 72 % had upper respiratory diseases and 28% water related diseases. Clustering of upper respiratory diseases termed cases were found around the dusty haul roads of the quarrying communities. Test of clustering after thousand simulations based on Monte Carlo relabeling hypothesis produced a p-values less than 0.05. Water related diseases were reported more in 2003 when quarrying activities was not in operation but more people reported on upper respiratory tract infection from 2005 and beyond when quarrying activities started. The investigation supports other established findings on limestone quarry in other parts of the world and in line with the sustainable development goals.