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Background. Nurse turnover intention, defined as a measure of nurses' desire to leave their positions, is a global public health issue with a grave impact on the healthcare workforce. However, literature on it is limited in sub-Saharan Africa, an at-risk region. This study aimed to determine the predictors of turnover intention among nursing staff at a tertiary hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. Methods. This was an institution-basedcross-sectional study conducted among 226 randomly selected nurses and midwives working at a tertiary healthcare center in Kumasi, Ghana. Data were collected by using a structured questionnaire. Significant predictors of turnover intention were analyzed by using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and p value <0.05 was used. Results. The prevalence of turnover intention among study participants was 87.2% (197/226). About two-thirds (61.5%, 139/226) of the participants were exposed to a high level of workplace hazards. Management support (AOR = 3.09, 95% CI = 1.09–8.75), salary (AOR = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.01–0.46), inadequate number of staff on duty per shift (AOR = 3.36, 95% CI = 1.08–10.47) and participants' rank (AOR = 6.81, 95% CI = 1.18–39.16) were significantly associated with turnover intention. Conclusion. Overall, the turnover intention was high. Hence, there is a need for policymakers, health administrators, and nurse managers to implement strategies such as increasing staff strength, providing adequate support, incentives, and other forms of motivation for nurses and midwives to help reduce the rate of turnover intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigated the effects of temperature on the development of the immature stages of Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) mosquitoes. Methods: Mosquito eggs were obtained from laboratory established colonies and reared under eight temperature regimes (25, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40°C), and 80 ± 10% relative humidity. Larvae were checked daily for development to the next stage and for mortality. Pupation success, number of adults produced and sex ratio of the newly emerged adults were recorded. Larval survival was monitored every 24 h, and data were analysed using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Analysis of variance was used where data followed normal distribution, and a Kruskal–Wallis test where data were not normally distributed. Larval and pupal measurements were log‐transformed and analysed using ordinary least square regression with robust standard errors. Results: Increasing the temperature from 25 to 36°C decreased the development time by 10.57 days. Larval survival (X2(6) = 5353.12, p < 0.001) and the number of adults produced (X2(5) = 28.16, p < 0.001) decreased with increasing temperature. Increasing temperatures also resulted in significantly smaller larvae and pupae (p < 0.001). At higher temperatures, disproportionately more male than female mosquitoes were produced. Conclusions: Increased temperature affected different developmental stages in the life cycle of An. gambiae (s.l.) mosquitoes, from larval to adult emergence. This study contributes to the knowledge on the relationship between temperature and Anopheles mosquitoes and provides useful information for modelling vector population dynamics in the light of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human health risk assessments of exposures to non-carcinogenic occupational and environmental toxicants have mostly been undertaken using the Hazard Quotient (HQ) approach, which largely ignores variabilities in both exposures and associated adverse health outcomes, unlike probabilistic approaches. Chlorpyrifos is a neurotoxic insecticide that is commonly applied by farmers in Ghana with limited research on associated health risks among applicators. The objective of this study was to assess health risks associated with chlorpyrifos exposure among applicators on rice farms in Ghana, using advanced probabilistic approaches that incorporate variability in both exposure doses and adverse response doses obtained from human epidemiological studies. Urine samples obtained from the applicators were analyzed for 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP)from which Absorbed Daily Dose (ADD) and Lifetime Average Daily Dose (LADD) levels of chlorpyrifos were estimated. The scientific literature was searched to identify human epidemiological data from studies that have reported chlorpyrifos adverse effects and their corresponding exposure levels. Equivalent ADD and LADD of chlorpyrifos were estimated from the human epidemiological data to obtain chlorpyrifos Toxicant Sensitivity Distributions (TSDs). Using the applicators' chlorpyrifos dose distribution and TSDs, adverse health risks among the applicators were characterized using the probabilistic approaches, Overall Risk Probability (ORP) and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). The probabilities of chlorpyrifos adverse health effects occurring under the chronic exposure scenarios ranged from 1 to 8%, while those for acute exposure scenarios ranged from 31 to 34%. This study indicates that while the risks of chronic adverse health effects from chlorpyrifos exposure among the applicators were low, acute health risks were high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health of the lower basin of the Volta River in Ghana was evaluated in January–February and May–June 2016 using physicochemical parameters and benthic macroinvertebrates sampled at 10 locations. Selected environmental variables were compared to accepted environmental water quality standard values where applicable. Principal component analysis (PCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) were used to analyse the association between the benthic macroinvertebrates distribution and physicochemical variables. Pesticide concentrations were generally below the limit of detection 0.01 and 0.005 µg/L for organophosphate/synthetic pyrethroid and organochlorines respectively. Nutrient levels were also generally low; however, significant differences existed between the values of physicochemical parameters at the different sampling sites and seasons (Monte Carlo permutation test; p = 0.002), as well as between the abundance of macroinvertebrates at the different sites and seasons (p = 0.002). The environmental variables dissolved oxygen (DO), phosphate, pH, substratum (p < 0.05), turbidity, conductivity, total dissolved solids, total solids and nitrate (0.05 < p < 0.10) significantly explained the variation in macroinvertebrate composition between sampling stations in the Volta River. Polypedilum fuscipenne, was positively correlated with turbidity and DO concentrations; Physa sp., Centroptilum sp., Centroptiloides sp., Phaon iridipennis and juvenile fish were positively correlated with nitrate concentration and pH and negatively correlated with turbidity and DO. Polluted sites were dominated by the snail Lymnaea glabra. This demonstrates that physicochemical parameters and macroinvertebrates could be applied to describe the water quality and improve the biomonitoring for water resources management and the environmental protection in the Lower Volta River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical reservoirs are important for numerous socioeconomic and ecological reasons, including water supply, fishing and flood control. These functions are easily compromised, however, when reservoirs undergo accelerated sedimentation with increased inputs of chemical contaminants. The present study applied the concept of sediment core analysis to evaluate the sedimentation rate in Owabi Reservoir, which has served as a source of drinking water supply in Kumasi, Ghana, for nearly a century. The temporal variation of contamination from heavy metals was also assessed over this period. The sedimentation rate for Owabi Reservoir was estimated to be 6.82 mm/year, suggesting a relatively low rate of sedimentation, which is ecologically healthy in preventing a rapid loss of reservoir water volume. Heavy metal concentrations in the sediment cores taken from the reservoir reflected varying degree of contamination from the 1930s to 2010s. The concentration of iron (Fe) (1,560–1,770 mg/kg) was found to be the highest among the metals in the sediment core, while mercury (Hg) concentration (0.01–0.04 mg/kg) was the lowest. Lead (Pb) contamination peaked in the 1980s. Arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) contamination exhibited more recent peaks in the 2000s, coinciding with recent widespread issues of artisanal and small‐scale gold mining (ASGM) in Ghana. Thus, even though ASGM activities are known to occur in remote districts, releases from such activities might eventually contaminate reservoirs designated as urban drinking water supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most African countries have ratified the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and are expected to reduce emissions of POPs such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) to the atmosphere. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that there are contemporary sources of OCPs in African countries despite the global ban on these products. This study investigated the atmospheric contamination from OCPs in four West African countries—Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon—to ascertain the emission levels of OCPs and the characteristic signatures of contamination. Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed in each country for ca. 55 days in 2012 and analyzed for 25 OCPs. Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and DDTs constituted the highest burden of atmospheric OCPs in the target countries, at average concentrations of 441 pg m−3 (range 23-2718) and 403 pg m−3 (range 91-1880), respectively. Mirex had the lowest concentration, ranged between 0.1 and 3.3 pg m−3. The concentration of OCPs in rainy season was higher than in dry season in Cameroon, and presupposed inputs from agriculture during the rainy season. The concentrations of ∑25 OCPs in each country were in the following order: Cameroon > Nigeria > Benin > Togo. There was significant evidence, based on chemical signatures of the contamination that DDT, aldrin, chlordane, and endosulfan were recently applied at certain sites in the respective countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorpyrifos is a neurotoxic insecticide that is widely used in the agricultural sector of Ghana. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the levels of chlorpyrifos exposure and health risk among applicators (n = 21) on irrigated rice farms in Ghana, based on a typical application event. Pre- and post-application urine samples (24-h) were collected from the applicators and analysed for 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), using LC-MS/MS. The levels of chlorpyrifos-absorbed dose with the applicators were estimated from the urinary TCP levels. Prior to application, the median absorbed dose of chlorpyrifos (background exposure) with the applicators was 0.2 μg/kg/day (range 0.05 to 2 μg/kg/day). Following application, the median absorbed dose of chlorpyrifos (application exposure) increased 30-fold to 6 μg/kg/day (range 0.7 to 74 μg/kg/day). The mean elimination half-life (t1/2) of chlorpyrifos was calculated to be 50 h. Hazard quotient (HQ) values (HQ > 1) obtained with the chronic (10 μg/kg/day) and acute (100 μg/kg/day) guideline values of the WHO suggested no risk of chronic or acute health effects, respectively, among both the median and 5% highly exposed groups. However, HQ values (HQ > 1) obtained with the chronic (0.3 μg/kg/day) and acute (5 μg/kg/day) guideline values of the USEPA suggested risk of chronic and acute health effects, respectively, among both the median and 5% highly exposed groups. The quantity of chlorpyrifos formulation applied, spraying duration, and the number of spray tanks applied significantly correlated with the absorbed dose levels of chlorpyrifos from application exposure. Therefore, these factors suggest means to reduce exposure and consequent health risk among the applicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With recent evidence that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are emerging in environmental media in some developing countries that otherwise have sparing production and usage history, it has become important to identify such contemporary source factors of PCBs and the risks this may pose, in line with the global consensus on POP management and elimination. The present study investigated contaminations from atmospheric PCBs in Ghana, deciphered source factors, and accessed risk of exposure to dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs). Atmospheric PCBs were monitored by deployment of PUF-disk passive air samplers (PAS) at several sites across Ghana for 56 days. Atmospheric ∑190PCB concentration in Ghana ranged from 0.28 ng/m3 in Kumasi to 4.64 ng/m3 at Agbogbloshie, a suburb in Accra noted for informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling activities. As high as 11.10 ng/m3 of PCB concentration was measured in plumes from uncontrolled open burning of e-wastes at Agbogbloshie. Applying statistical source characterization tools, it emerged that e-wastes were a major contributor to the environmental burden of atmospheric PCBs in Ghana. The risk of DL-PCB toxicity via inhalation in the Agbogbloshie area was 4.2 pg TEQ/day, within similar order of magnitude of an estimated risk of 3.85 pg TEQ/day faced by e-waste workers working averagely for 8 h per day. It is suggested that elimination of e-waste sites would help to significantly reduce PCB-related toxicity issues in Ghana.ᅟ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmentally detrimental input (water turbidity) and conventional production inputs were considered within the framework of stochastic frontier analysis to estimate technical and environmental efficiencies of fishermen in sand dredging and non-dredging areas. Environmental efficiency was low among fishermen in the sand dredging areas. Educational status and experience in fishing and sand dredging were the factors influencing environmental efficiency in the sand dredging areas. Average quantity of fish caught per labour-hour was higher among fishermen in the non-dredging areas. Fishermen in the fishing community around the dredging areas travelled long distance in order to reduce the negative effect of sand dredging on their fishing activity. The study affirmed large household size among fishermen. The need to regulate the activities of sand dredgers by restricting license for sand dredging to non-fishing communities as well as intensifying family planning campaign in fishing communities to reduce the negative effect of high household size on fishing is imperative for the sustainability of artisanal fishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of mosquito coils has gained widespread patronage in malaria-endemic countries, even though it is not a recommended preventive measure for avoiding mosquitoes. Mosquito coils contain insecticides, which are expected to vaporize slowly once the coil is lit, to provide protection against the mosquito. The mosquito coil base material contains a variety of compounds capable of burning slowly to gradually release the insecticide. The mosquito coil smoke, however, is potentially a source of indoor air pollution with implications for acute respiratory infections (ARI) and other illnesses. The present study investigated the application of mosquito coils and associated self-reported health issues in Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in which questionnaires were randomly administered to 480 households across four districts in Ghana. Respondents who exclusively applied mosquito coils were grouped as test cohort, while those who did not apply any mosquito repellency method constituted a control cohort. Results: The test group that applied mosquito coils reported malaria incidence rate of 86.3 %. The control group that did not apply any mosquito repellency method reported an incidence rate of malaria at 72.4 %. Chi square analysis suggested that the observed difference was statistically significant (x² = 4.25; p = 0.04). The number of respondents who reported symptoms of cough from mosquito coil application (52.6 % incidence rate) was marginally greater than their counterparts who did not apply coils (46.1 % incidence rate). It was also found that respondents with shortage of breath, which was used as a proxy for ARI, were more likely to have applied mosquito coil. Conclusions: The application of mosquito coils did not necessarily reduce the incidence of malaria in the study communities. It however presented a potential respiratory risk factor, which should be further investigated by critically examining exposure to particulate matter emissions from burning coils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria play an important role in soil ecosystems and their activities are crucial in nutrient composition and recycling. Pesticides are extensively used in agriculture to control pests and improve yield. However, increased use of pesticides on agricultural lands results in soil contamination, which could have adverse effect on its bacterial communities. Here, we investigated the effect of pesticides commonly used on irrigated rice fields on bacterial abundance and diversity. Irrigated soil samples collected from unexposed, pesticide-exposed, and residual exposure areas were cultured under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. DNA was extracted and analysed by 16S rRNA sequencing. The results showed overall decrease in bacterial abundance and diversity in areas exposed to pesticides. Operational taxonomic units of the genera Enterobacter, Aeromonas, Comamonas, Stenotrophomonas, Bordetella, and Staphylococcus decreased in areas exposed to pesticides. Conversely, Domibacillus, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Bacillus increased in abundance in pesticide-exposed areas. Simpson and Shannon diversity indices and canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated a decrease in bacterial diversity and composition in areas exposed to pesticides. These results suggest bacteria genera unaffected by pesticides that could be further evaluated to identify species for bioremediation. Moreover, there is a need for alternative ways of improving agricultural productivity and to educate farmers to adopt innovative integrated pest management strategies to reduce deleterious impacts of pesticides on soil ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir catchments in Ghana have undergone significant changes in recent years with major implications for socio-economic development and local livelihoods. We studied land use and land cover changes and their impacts on livelihoods in the Owabi reservoir catchment from 1970 to 2014 using Landsat, ERDAS Imagine and Arc Geographic Information System (ArcGIS 10.2) software supplemented with participatory approaches including focus group discussions, key informant interviews and questionnaire surveys with 400 households. Our results showed that, since 1970, 24.6% of high-density forests and 15.8% of sparse forests have disappeared, while the built-up area has increased from 9.8% to 56.6%. Additionally, the proportion of bare soil (areas that do not have vegetation cover due to forest clearing and other anthropogenic activities) has increased, while the areas of waterbodies have declined. We identified urbanisation and lack of community involvement in catchment management as the key factors driving the land cover changes that have adversely affected the livelihoods of the local fringe communities. This study highlights the threats from urbanisation to land cover changes and identifies the key drivers of land use change. For effective and sustainable management of natural resources, the local communities should be more actively involved in the decision-making process regarding the management of their individual catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The economic growth and social interaction of many developing countries have been enhanced by vehicular transportation. However, this has come with considerable environmental cost. The vehicular emissions of gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC's) among others are associated with vehicular transportation. The resultant effect can lead to respiratory infections in humans, as well as growth inhibition and death of animals and plants. An investigation was conducted to evaluate the impact of vehicular air pollutants on some selected roadside tree species in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Ficus platyphylla, Mangifera indica, Polyalthia longifolia and Terminalia catappa, which were abundant and well distributed along the road sides, were selected for the study. Three arterial roads in the Kumasi Metropolis, namely Accra Road (Arterial I), Offinso Road (Arterial II) and Mampong Road (Arterial III), were considered as different traffic volumes experimental sites. The KNUST campus was selected as a control site. Diurnal analysis of CO, NO2, SO2 and VOC was monitored in the sample sites. Three replicates of each tree species were defined at a distance 10 m away from the edge of the road. Physiologically active leaves (20 to 25) from each tree species replicate were harvested for physiological and biochemical determination. Results: The ambient air quality data showed higher levels at the arterial road sites, which were severely polluted based on air quality index. The biochemical studies revealed reductions in leaf total chlorophyll and leaf extract pH whilst leaf ascorbic acid and relative water contents increased at the arterial road sites. Conclusion: It was found that the plants' tolerant response level to vehicular air pollution was in the order T. catappa > F. platyphylla > M. indica and P. longifolia. Based on anticipated performance index, it was revealed that M. indica, F. platyphylla and T. catappa might be performing some level of air cleaning functions along the arterial roads. Whilst P. longifolia was poor and unsuitable as a pollution sink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria is an infectious disease that causes many deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. In resource-poor malaria endemic communities, mosquito coils are commonly applied in households to repel the vector mosquito that transmits malaria parasites. In applying these coils, users have mainly been interested in the environmental health benefits potentially derived from repelling the mosquito, while oblivious of the environmental health risks that may be associated with exposure to emissions from the use of mosquito coil. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the mosquito coil, ascertained and/or estimated the toxic emissions that may emanate from the coil, and determined its overall appropriateness by conducting a risk–benefit analysis of the use of this strategy in malaria prevention at household levels. Methods: The repellent ability of mosquito coils was tested by conducting a mosquito knockdown/mortality test in experimental chambers synonymous of local room spaces and conditions. The gaseous and particulate emissions from the mosquito coil were also analysed. Additional scenarios were generated with the Monte Carlo technique and a risk–benefit analysis was conducted applying @Risk software. Results: Mosquito mortality arising from the application of various mosquito coils averagely ranged between 24 and 64%, which might not provide adequate repellency effect. Emissions from the mosquito coil were also found to contain CO, VOCs, SO2, NO2, PM2.5 and PM10. The Hazard Index of the respective pollutants characterized over a lifetime exposure scenario was low (< 1 for each pollutant), which suggests that the concentrations of the specific chemicals and particulate matter emitted from the mosquito coil may not constitute adverse environmental health risk. Conclusion: Although the risk of morbidity from the use of the mosquito coil was low, the coil yielded limited protection as a mosquito avoidance method. It may, therefore, have a reduced benefit in controlling malaria and should be applied sparingly in a highly regulated manner only when traditionally proven effective vector control strategies are not available or too expensive for resource-poor malaria endemic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]