A study conducted by Olusola Ogunseye and his team from the University of Ibadan revealed alarming levels of carboxyhemoglobin (% COHb) among traders in three major motor parks in Ibadan, Nigeria.
This study, according to him, highlights the severe impact of vehicular emissions on public health in urban motor parks. The findings were published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health.
The research assessed the percentage of COHb, a biomarker of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure, among 93 motor park traders from Akinyele Motor Park (AMP), Iwo Road Motor Park (IMP), and New Garage Motor Park (NMP), comparing them to 93 non-motor park traders.
Using a noninvasive pulse CO-dosimeter, the study found that motor park traders had significantly higher mean %COHb levels than their counterparts.
“Traders in motor parks showed a mean COHb of 11.7, which was notably higher than 4.1 observed in other traders,” stated Olusola Ogunseye, the lead researcher.
“These levels far exceed the World Health Organisation’s guideline of 2.5%, indicating a severe risk to their health.”
Motor park traders at AMP, IMP, and NMP recorded mean COHb levels of 11.2, 11.6, and 12.2, respectively. In contrast, non-motor park traders had a mean COHb of just 4.1. The study underscores the heightened vulnerability of motor park traders to adverse health effects due to prolonged exposure to CO from vehicular emissions.
“Carbon monoxide is a silent but deadly pollutant,” Ogunseye explained. “It is colourless, odourless, and binds with haemoglobin more readily than oxygen, forming carboxyhaemoglobin, which severely restricts oxygen transport in the body.”
The study, spanning major motor parks that serve as key transit points in Ibadan, also highlighted the lack of comprehensive data on traffic-related CO exposure in Nigeria.
Ogunseye emphasised the urgent need for regulatory measures to control CO levels in these environments to safeguard public health.
“Motor park traders spend about 6–8 hours daily in these environments, exposing them to constant vehicular emissions,” Ogunseye added.
“Our findings call for immediate interventions to reduce CO exposure and protect these vulnerable populations.”
This groundbreaking research involved collaboration with experts from Rutgers School of Public Health and leveraged advanced, noninvasive technology for measuring blood CO levels, setting a new standard for future studies in this domain.
“The pulse CO-dosimeter used in this study is a significant improvement over previous invasive methods, providing a more humane and efficient way to assess CO exposure,” Ogunseye noted. “Our study not only sheds light on the plight of motor park traders but also sets a precedent for further research in similar high-risk environments.”
Ogunseye’s team urges policymakers to prioritise air quality regulations in urban areas and to implement stringent measures to monitor and control vehicular emissions.
These steps are essential to mitigating the health risks faced by motor park traders and other at-risk groups in densely populated urban centres.
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