Assessment of Noise Levels and Perceptions of Its Health Impact at Kejetia Market in Ghana

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3943642/v1

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Assessment of Noise Levels and Perceptions of Its Health Impact at Kejetia Market in Ghana

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3943642/v1

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Noise pollution in developing countries like Nigeria and Ghana is causing adverse effects on citizens, including hearing impairment, sleep disturbances, adverse social behavior, and cardiovascular diseases. This study assessed noise levels at the Kejetia market in Ghana and the perceptions of health impact. The noise levels were measured at various of the amrket using sound level meters (JD-801A). The Results showed noise exposure levels were not within Ghana Environmental Protection Agency standards 2008, with predominantly commercial areas of 75 dB in the night and 60 dB during the day. The sources of noise pollution were from loud music, advertisements, human congestion, and vehicles. Respondents perceived noise pollution sources as an annoyance, mental stress, sleep disturbances, lack of concentration, hearing, and cardiovascular effects. The study suggests stakeholders and authorities should educate the public on the health effects of noise pollution.

Noise pollution

Kejetia market

Ghana

sound levels

health impact

Noise pollution is a significant environmental issue in urban and rural communities in developing countries like Nigeria and Ghana (Aniefiok, 2018). Industrialization and urbanization have led to increased human activities, resulting in noise pollution. Periodic markets, where buyers and vendors gather for commercial transactions, create noise pollution (Osisanya & Obalola, 2015). Large crowds and loudspeakers contribute to noise pollution. Herbal medicine vendors also contribute to noise pollution. Small power generators and traffic create noise hazards. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) warns that prolonged noise exposure can lead to physical, physiological, and psychological issues such as hearing loss, speech interference, productivity reduction, increased blood pressure, and concentration loss (OSHA, 2006).

Noise pollution is a significant issue in urban areas worldwide, with the World Health Organization (WHO) identifying it as the third most hazardous pollutant after air and water pollution (Basu, 2021). The European Union estimates over 40% of the population is exposed to a Day-Evening-Night of 55 dB or higher noise level, while 30% of the population is exposed to the same noise level during night-time (Cai et al., 2015). Recent studies show that 5 dB roadside noise increases hypertension risk by 3.4%, leading to hormonal dysfunction and blood pressure issues, affecting the cardiovascular system (Kim et al., 2019; Thomas et al., 2014 ).

The WHO identified seven categories of noise-related health impacts in 2011, including sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease, learning impairment, and speech interference. Natural and manmade sources contribute to higher-level noise exposure, including traffic, industry, and construction work, volcanoe eruption, thunder (Kalawapudi et al., 2020). The Noise Observation and Information Service for Europe (NOISE) reports that road vehicle traffic generates the most noise exposure, with urban road traffic near infrastructures like schools, offices, and residential buildings having the highest exposure levels (Yuan, et al 2019; Cai, et al., 2019).

The Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a public education campaign to raise awareness about the harmful effects of noise pollution. The agency has set ambient noise level guidelines for residential areas with negligible transportation, stating that levels above 45 dB can impair sleep, 70 dB can cause emotional upset, and 90 dB can cause ear damage. Noise can also affect the circulatory, digestive, nervous systems, and vision. There are three broad categories of noise: transport noise, occupational noise, and neighborhood noise (Kumar De & Kumar De, 2005).

Civilization has increased sound levels, causing noise pollution to become a major concern for both the public and policymakers (Abbaspour et al., 2015). The EPA has set ambient noise levels to control its impact on human health, but the health effects of hazardous noise exposure are now considered an increasingly important public health problem. In Ghana, noise pollution is on the rise, with cities like Kumasi being the worst affected. Research has been conducted on noise pollution from religious establishments, as the building of religious meeting places in residential neighborhoods is widespread. Markets in big cities are overshadowed by various noise-generating activities, polluting the environment and affecting people at the market.

Noise is a significant environmental pollutant, causing health hazards and communication issues in the human environment. It is increasingly recognized as a public health issue, with marketplaces being no exception. Market noise is a major environmental pollutant that directly affects human performance and quality of exposure (Osisanya et al., 2014; Osisanya, 2017). Persistent exposure to high noise levels can have serious health effects on customers and traders. This research aims to determine the noise levels at the market and ascertain the people's perceptions of noise generated at the Kejetia market in Ghana. This will assist decision-makers and policymakers in putting in measures to reduce or prevent noise pollution. Also, it could help in creating awareness of the health impact of noise pollution on human beings.

2.1 Study Area

The study focused on Kumasi Central Market, also known as Kejetia Market, the largest single market in West Africa (Wikipedia, 2016). The market has three floors, with most facilities on the ground floor, including banks, clinics, transport systems, butcher's yards, police stations, and administration. The first and second floors have similar features, including restaurants, stores, and tailor's yards. The market covers 172,197 m² with over 10,000 stores and stalls, with an average temperature of 24°C and humidity of 85% (Wikipedia, 2016) (Fig. 1).

2.2 Research Design

This study used a mixed research method, collecting quantitative data through noise level measurement using a sound level meter (JD-801A) and conducting qualitative interviews with market stakeholders.

2.3 Methods of Data Collection

2.3.1 Quantitative Data Collection Methods Survey Design

Sampling stations were chosen based on noise pollution levels on the ground, first, and second floors, as depicted in Table 2. The study focused on various areas in the building, the ground floor included the common areas, banks, butcher's yards, tailor yards, parking lots, mosque area, transport areas, and police stations. The first floor also included a restaurant, utility area, and common areas, while the second floor included walkways, tailor's yards, common areas, and a restaurant. Noise levels were measured for two weeks.

Field assistants assisted in taking readings of noise levels using sound level meters (JD-801A). Calibration was done before sampling. Noise levels were measured at 30 locations, and the measurements were also recorded at 60-second intervals for 3 min. 1.2 meters above ground level. Temperature and humidity data were measured.

2.3.2 Qualitative Data Collection Method

The study used open ended questionnaires to gather qualitative data on noise pollution in markets. Respondents were chosen from shops and offices in the markets, and other stakeholdersthose. Observation methods were employed to assess the situation, focusing on market settings, congested roads, religious activities, shops, and buildings using an observation checklist.

The questionnaire was structure to assessed general knowledge of noise, perception of noise sources, awareness of noise impact on health, and mitigation action. The sample size for the research was 100 and this was determined by using the slovin formula as shown in eequation 1 below:

Slovin formula (n) = N / (1 + Ne²)……………………. Eq. 1

Where:

n = Number of samples

N = Total population and

e = Error level

confidence level of 95%, alpha level of 0.05

2.5 Sampling technique and data processing

The study utilized a sound level device (JD-801A) to measure the various sound levels at different locations of the market and the noise level compared with Ghana EPA guidelines, computing average noise levels for each location. Questionnaires were checked and sorted before data was entered into Special Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) software (version 27), considering humidity and temperature. Results represent exposure values at the same site. The sound levels were measure in triplicartes.

2.5.1 Statistical Analysis

The study used SPSS version 27 for analyzing interview responses and Microsoft Excel 2010 for gathering and analyzing recorded noise levels. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to calculate variance in the noise levels the market.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Ghana has established guidelines for ambient noise levels, categorized into seven zones with specific day and night noise reception conditions as shown in Table 1.

Table 1

Ambient noise level guidelines for Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Ghana
Zone	Description of Area of Noise Description	Permissible Noise Level in Db (A)
		Day 06600 − 2200	Night 2200 − 0600
A	Residential areas with negligible or infrequent transportation	55	48
B1	Educational (school) and health (hospital) facilities	55	50
B2	Area with some commercial or light industry	60	55
C1	Area with some light industry, place of entertainment or public assembly and place of worship such as churches and mosques	65	60
C2	Predominantly commercial areas	75	65
D	Light industrial areas	70	60
E	Predominantly heavy industrial areas	70	70
Source	Ghana EPA 2008

3.1 Sampling Sites

The study analyzed the ambient sound levels in various point at the market as shown in Table 2, to provide a comprehensive view of the sound levels within the market enclave.

Table 2

Respective sampling areas at the Kejetia market
Sn	Sampling Sites	Area	Category Area
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12	Entrance (Gate 8) Common Area (Local foods, local Forex, Anwiam Clinic) Bank (Fidelity bank, Yaa Asantewaa & UBA) Butcher’s Yard Tailor Yard 1 & 2 Parking Lot Mosque Transport Area (AB & CD) Creche School Rump Area Police Station	Ground floor	Commercial
S13 S14 S15 S16 S17 S18	Restaurant Area Common area (beads & tables) Utility area Common area (F0509–0532) Common area (Clothing north) Common area (Provision south)	First floor	Commercial
S19 S20 S21 S22 S23	Walkway (east & west) Tailor’s yard Common area (Clothing, north & south) Common area (Tables s0211-0224) Restaurant area	Second floor	Commercial

3.2 Noise Levels at the Market

The Tables 3, 4, 5 and 6 display average noise levels for different floors over two weeks, including weekly and overall averages.

Table 3

**Average Noise Exposure Levels for the First Week**.
Area	Morning (dB)	Afternoon (dB)	Evening (dB)
Ground floor	64.6	79.0	70.2
First floor	72.4	75.8	60.2
Second floor	66.0	73.2	60.2

Table 4

Average Noise Exposure for the Second Week
Area	Morning (dB)	Afternoon (dB)	Evening (dB)
Ground floor	72	76	69
First floor	69	73	58
Second floor	68	69	58

Table 5

Overall Average Noise Levels for the Two Weeks.
Area	Morning (dB)	Afternoon (dB)	Evening (dB)
Ground floor	68	77	69
First floor	70	74	58
Second floor	66	71	58

The Table 6 below shows the descriptive analysis of the mean and standard deviation for the overall average noise levels for the two weeks for morning, afternoon, and evening.

Table 6

Descriptive analysis of the Mean and Standard Deviation (SD) for the Overall Average Noise levels for the Two Weeks
Period of the day	Mean	SD
Morning	68	2.000
Afternoon	72	3.000
Evening	62	6.350
Confidence level = 95% p-value = 0.00

3.3 Assessment of Noise Levels

Noise levels obtained from the Ground floor, first floor, and second floor for the two weeks are presented below in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

3.4 Source of Noise Pollution

A survey study was conducted to gather feedback on major sources of market noise pollution, with the results presented in Table 7.

Table 7

Perception of People on the Source of Noise Pollution at the Market [n%]
Group	N	Loud music	Human congestion	Loudspeakers	Vehicle noise
Group 1	50	40(80)	38(76)	28(56)	36(78)
Group 2	40	35(88)	15(38)	30(75)	20(50)
Group 3	10	7(60)	5(50)	8(80)	7(70)
Total	100	82(82)	58(58)	66(66)	63(63)

Group 1 represents traders and hackers on the ground floor randomly selected; Group 2 represents people on the first and second floor; Group 3 represents people at the management office of the market.

3.5 Assessment of Noise Pollution Impact on People in the Market

A survey study was conducted to assess the effects of noise pollution on market residents, with 100 respondents completing questionnaires.

Table 8

Perception of people on the impact of noise pollution on health [n (%)]
Group	n	Annoyance	Effect on mental stress	Effect on sleep	Effect on hearing	Lack of concentration	Cardiovascular effects
Group 1	50	43(86)	40(80)	35(70)	46(92)	45(90)	20(40)
Group 2	40	34(72)	32(80)	20(50)	35(88)	30(75)	10(25)
Group 3	10	5(50)	8(80)	7(70)	9(90)	8(80)	7(70)
Total	100	82(82)	80(80)	62(62)	90(90)	83(83)	37(37)

Noise exposure in 23 locations in the Kejetia market showed significant variation at different sampling positions, increasing or decreasing based on location. This indicates that noise level cannot be the same at different location because of factors like the weather, temperature, density of people, the wind direction, the period of the day. The average noise levels during the first and second week were 68–70 dBA in the morning, 71–77 dBA in the afternoon, and 58–69 dBA in the evening. This mplies that high levels of noise are produced in the market during the afternoon because usually that is when we have a lot of customers, movement of vehicles and other perculair activites of a market which generate a lot of noise. The average noise levels varied based on the sampling position. The study found that the second floor had the lowest noise levels during the day, while the ground floor recorded the highest noise levels during the day and night. The ground floor was generally higher than the other floors due to its significant market activities, mostly from mid-morning to afternoon. The ground floor is always congested with people, leading to increased temperature and humidity, potentially causing higher average noise levels (Felgueiras et al. 2023). However, daytime noise exposure is longer than nighttime exposure, with the average duration being higher. The sellers and customers whi frequent the market stands a chance of becoming affected by different health issue. Long-term noise exposure is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), including acute cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke (Roscoe, 2023).

The second floor's average noise exposure levels for day and night were below the EPA 2008 guidelines in Ghana, indicating less congested areas and fewer speakers used for product advertising. The first floor recorded higher noise levels than the permissible limit EPA (2008) during the day but within the limit during the night, possibly due to its proximity to the ground floor. However, the ground floor recorded higher noise levels than the EPA 2008 maximum permissible limit for day and night. The ground floor is primarily used for market activities due to high traffic and loud music used for product advertising. This study also found high variability in noise levels at different times of the day, with a standard deviation of 2.000, 3.000, and 6.350 respectively. The p-value was less than 0.05 indicating a significant difference in average noise exposure levels during the day and night. Therefore the noise generated at each floor as influence on the other floors. Hence, finding a way to reduce the noise pollution at the market must be done wholistically not concentration on just a floor or location in the market.

The study found that the main sources of noise in the market are loudspeakers used for product advertisement, human congestion, and vehicles, with the most prominent source being these speakers (82%), primarily used by vendors on the ground floor for advertisement (Table 6). Assessment of noise pollution in selected locations in ota, nigeria reported similar sources of noise pollution from the market originate from (Usikalu and Kolawole, 2018).

The study found that 82% of respondents considered noise a nuisance, with many annoyed by market activities whilst 5% of the people were indifferent. The noise levels were higher than its recommended standards and had been found to have unhealthy effect as acknowledged by the respondents during the interview (Aniefiok, 2018). The ground floor produced the highest level of noise during the day (77dB), causing high levels of annoyance. 80% agreed that noise can cause mental stress, 62% affect sleep, 83% affect concentration at work, and 37% cause cardiovascular diseases. Gwanshak et al. (2020), reported that noise has been identified to be a silent killer yet, not much has been done to control its impact particularly in commercial centres of developing countries. The study highlights the importance of addressing noise pollution in urban areas. It was obtained from the data collected that hearing effects was over 90%, primarily due to persistent noise from loud speakers in the market, and a lack of concentration (83%), due to long-term exposure to noise. (Gwanshak et al., 2020).These health impacts are attributed to the long duration of noise exposure at the market (Table 7). Acoording to Chen, et al. (2023) a review on repoted that long duration of noise exposure can causeadverse cardiovascular disease and mortality, diabetes, hearing impairment, neurological disorders and adverse reproductive outcomes with environmental noise exposure in humans, especially occupational noise. Passchier-Vermeer and Passchier (2000) reported that exposure to noise constitutes a health risk. There is sufficient scientific evidence that noise exposure can induce hearing impairment, hypertension and ischemic heart disease, annoyance, sleep disturbance. This indicates that customers and vendors must be protected from excess noise pollution during their stay at the market to prevent any health impact.

The first and second floors had the lowest nightly noise level (58 dB), but most residents found it annoying due to its prolonged duration. Berglund et al. (2000) and Lercher et al. (2007), reported also that noise's ability to annoy depends on its physical characteristics, including sound pressure and spectral characteristics, and variations over time. Noise reactions are sensitive to social, psychological, and economic factors, and individual reactions vary significantly (Pinto and Mardones, 2009; Tsai et al., 2009). Peak noise levels are recorded during the day, while lower levels occur at night. 78% of respondents believe loudspeaker noise should be stopped or minimized, while 20% believe it's unnecessary. A further 2% were non-committal. Generally, the sources of noise pollution at the market must be managed to prevent any health impct on patrons of the market and the vendors. A noise pollution campaign can be embark upon by the municipalities and other responsible agencies and authorities to educate the people on the health impact of noise pollution.

In conclusion, the noise levels were generally found to be high during the day and low during the night at the market. The highest noise exposure levels were recorded in the afternoon (71 dB-77 dB), followed by noise levels in the morning (60 dB – 70 dB) and lowest noise levels in the evening (58 dB – 66 dB). Also, the average noise exposure levels were found to be above the EPA permissible limit for the ground floor (day and night) and the first floor for the day. The second floor recorded the lowest for the two weeks. overall noise levels were within the EPA permissible limits for day and night. There is variability in the levels of noise for the various times of the day, which were high. Noise generated by loud music and loudspeakers used for advertisement of products, human congestion, and vehicles were the major sources of noise pollution at the market. Respondent’s perceptions of noise impact were annoyance, mental stress, effect on sleep, lack of concentration, effect on hearing, and cardiovascular effects. There should be control measures instituted by market management towards noise levels in the market. Safety sensitization programs should be organized to educate the populace on the health effects of noise pollution. Task force should be enforced the laws to monitor noise levels at the market.

Competing interests: the authors declare no competing interests.

Consent to publish Since this study is not attempting to re-publish/ publish any third party or author's previously published material, this section does not apply.

Funding statement: there was no funding for this research work.

Data availability statement: No does not report data generation or analysis

Ethical approval: Ethics approval and consent to participate The experiment was conducted according to established ethical guidelines, and consent was obtained from the participant. The Humanities and Social Sciences (HuSSREC) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology approved of this research. The study complies with all regulations relating to research, experimentation on human subjects via interviews.

Consent to participate: All the authors have agreed to participate in the publication of the manuscript.

Authors’ contributions: LNAS- Conceptualization, supervision and review of manuscript

LSYA- Conceptualization, data collection, data analysis, draft of manuscript

P.E.A- Conceptualization, data collection, data analysis

M.A.O- Conceptualization, data collection, data analysis

J.A- Conceptualization, data collection, data analysis

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Assessment of Noise Levels and Perceptions of Its Health Impact at the Kejetia Market in Ghana
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Assessment of Noise Levels and Perceptions of Its Health Impact at Kejetia Market in Ghana

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Abstract

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1.0 Introduction

2.0 Materials and Methods

2.1 Study Area

2.2 Research Design

2.3 Methods of Data Collection

2.3.1 Quantitative Data Collection Methods Survey Design

2.3.2 Qualitative Data Collection Method

2.5 Sampling technique and data processing

2.5.1 Statistical Analysis

3.0 Results

3.1 Sampling Sites

3.2 Noise Levels at the Market

3.3 Assessment of Noise Levels

3.4 Source of Noise Pollution

3.5 Assessment of Noise Pollution Impact on People in the Market

4.0 Discussion

5.0 Conclusion and future perspective

Declarations

References

Additional Declarations

Supplementary Files

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