Impact of Air Pollution from the Libreville Landfill on Children Aged 3 to 11 Years. Comparative Study of Children Living in the Vicinity Versus Children Living Far

Abstract

Introduction: According to the WHO, environmental health is estimated to cause 12.6 million yearly deaths. The main objective was to determine the impact of airborne pollutants from this landfill on the health of children aged 3 to 11 years living in the area.
 Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study: case-controls. Air pollutants were measured at the landfill site and the control sites. We compared the clinical status and health history of the children living near the river with that of the control children. 
 Results: A total of 160 subjects were included: 80 cases and 80 controls, 70 girls and 90 boys, with a median age of 7 years. The Mindoubé landfill produces the annual dose of particulate matter (PM) PM10 more than 4000 times daily: PM2.5 and PM1. It also produces CO and hydrogen sulfide above the thresholds set by the WHO. Children living on or near the site were more likely to develop ENT pathology (OR=40.1; p<0.001), dermatosis (OR =9.8; p<0.001), and pneumonitis (OR=5.8; p<0.001). Multivariate analysis found that living at the landfill site was a determining factor of OR = 4.7 95% CI [3, 6.1]; p<0.001.
 Conclusion: The air pollution highlights the danger of this landfill for residents and other neighborhoods in Libreville. Without the need to carry out a prospective study, this type of site needs to be taken care of urgently, at the risk of constituting time bombs.