Institute for Systems Science, Innovation and Sustainability Science, Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Department of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (BEOHS), University of Ghana School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana.
Waste Manag. 2021 Mar 15;123:15-22. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2021.01.005. Epub 2021 Feb 3.
Despite the clear link between air pollution and health, research to investigate the relationship between municipal solid waste management and air pollution and health has not been prioritized. Such research may generate scientific information that would help reduce population exposure to air pollutants. This paper examines the case study of Accra in Ghana, a city dealing with serious waste management problems. The paper proposes a methodology to estimate the impact of waste management on urban air pollution and health. The analysis is described in the following four steps: (1) collecting data on the waste sector; (2) modeling the emissions arising from waste management; (3) transforming emissions to concentration values and (4) estimating the burdens on health. The assessment has been conducted using the CCAC SWEET tool and WHO AirQ+. The method presented can be used in different locations, depending on data availability, when analyzing the impact of and potential changes to waste sector policies. The results of this health impact assessment indicate that, based on the emissions of PM from the waste sector in Accra, a change from the business-as-usual to more sustainable options would reduce air pollutants emissions and avert 120 premature deaths in 2030. Levels of air pollution in Accra are significant and interventions to reduce PM exposure should be promoted. The detailed analysis of the current situation provides suggestions for waste management policies in terms of impacts on health and ideas to reconsider the waste policies in Accra.
尽管空气污染与健康之间存在明显关联，但针对城市固体废物管理与空气污染和健康之间的关系开展的研究并未得到重视。此类研究可能会产生有助于减少人口接触空气污染物的科学信息。本文以加纳阿克拉市为例，研究了一个面临严重废物管理问题的城市。本文提出了一种估算废物管理对城市空气污染和健康影响的方法。分析分为以下四个步骤：（1）收集废物部门数据；（2）模拟废物管理产生的排放；（3）将排放转化为浓度值；（4）估算对健康的负担。评估使用 CCAC SWEET 工具和世卫组织 AirQ+ 进行。该方法可在不同地点使用，具体取决于数据可用性，以便在分析废物部门政策的影响和潜在变化时使用。这项健康影响评估的结果表明，根据阿克拉废物部门 PM 的排放量，如果从现行做法转变为更可持续的选择，到 2030 年将减少空气污染物排放并避免 120 人过早死亡。阿克拉的空气污染水平很高，应提倡采取减少 PM 暴露的干预措施。对当前情况的详细分析为废物管理政策在健康影响方面提供了建议，并为重新考虑阿克拉的废物政策提供了思路。
