Lung Function and Respiratory Health of Populations Living Close to Quarry Sites in Palestine: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Environmental exposure to dust from quarrying activities could pose health dangers to the population living nearby. This study aimed to investigate the health effects of dust exposure on people living close to quarry sites and compared them with those who live far from the quarry sites. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 79 exposed participants, who lived less than 500 m away from the quarry sites, and 79 control participants who lived more than 500 m away. All participants answered a questionnaire on dust exposure at home and health effects, as well as performed a lung function test in which both reported and measured health effects were investigated. People who live in close proximity to the quarry sites reported exposure to dust at home (98%), land destruction (85%), plant leaves covered with dust (97%), and an inability to grow crops (92%). The exposed group reported significantly higher eye and nasal allergy (22% vs. 3%), eye soreness (18% vs. 1%), and dryness (17% vs. 3%), chest tightness (9% vs. 1%), and chronic cough (11% vs. 0%) compared to the control group. Lung function parameters were significantly lower among the exposed group compared to the control group; mean forced vital capacity (FVC) was 3.35 L vs. 3.71 L (p = 0.001), mean forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) was 2.78 L vs. 3.17 L (p = 0.001). Higher levels of airway restriction were found among the exposed group. Among the exposed group, lung function parameters worsened with the increasing closeness of home to the quarry site. This study demonstrates the negative health effects of environmental dust exposure among two communities living near quarry sites in Palestine. The results highlight the importance of developing and strictly enforcing rules and regulations in Palestine to protect population health.

WITHDRAWN: Factors Influencing Residents' Satisfaction Under Multiple Sources of Environmental Pollution: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

“…Li et al, 2016). Higher levels of airway restriction were found among the exposed group living less than 500 m from the quarry sites in Palestine, expressed by worsened lung function parameters with the increasing proximity (Nemer et al, 2020). Regarding land ll operation, it is recommended that the affected areas of the land ll are classi ed to be within 2 km (Forastiere et al, 2011), or is even classi ed as hazardous to the health of the residents in the vicinity of 100-500 m (Njoku et al, 2019) or 1 km (Norsa'adah et al, 2020).…”

“…Quarry is one type of pollution source that produces a vast amount of noise, dust, and vibration, which causes adverse health effects such as hearing loss, asthma, and housing damages (Baah-Ennumh et al, 2021; Langer & Arbogast, 2002). Also, stone mining can worsen lung functions and causes various respiratory and skin allergies (Nemer et al, 2020), catarrh, asthma, and headaches for nearby residents (Nartey et al, 2012). In the meantime, even various MSW management practices include collection, recycling, composting, incineration and land lling (Wiedinmyer et al, 2014), land ll is still the most common form of waste disposal where tonnage of garbage is buried in "dumping cells" and covered with soil or blanket daily in developing countries (Norsa'adah et al, 2020;Schaub & Bertrand, 2018).…”

Prevalencia de enfermedades y síntomas respiratorios en colonias anfitrionas de mineras pétreas en San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México

“…En este trabajo se revisaron antecedentes de diversos países con énfasis en los resultados obtenidos de trabajadores y extrabajadores de las mineras de países desarrollados y no desarrollados; sin embargo, otros estudios epidemiológicos que se revisaron, realizaron mediciones de capacidad respiratoria como prueba de flujo del aire por espirometría, y mediciones de saturación de oxígeno en circulación sanguine por oximetría (Isara et al, 2016;Nemer et al, 2020), pero pocos son las investigaciones en torno a las poblaciones anfitrionas también perjudicadas por las partículas de polvo y las emisiones de gases.…”

“…Respecto a lo anterior, Nemer et al (2020) trabajaron un estudio comparativo transversal, con 79 personas para cada grupo, sobre la función pulmonar y la salud respiratoria de las poblaciones cercanas a las canteras en Palestina. El grupo expuesto vivía a una distancia menor de 500 m y el de control a más de 500 m. Encontraron que los participantes con exposición cercana mostraron mayor número de alergias oculares y nasales, dolor de ojos, tos crónica y opresión en el pecho, asimismo, la función pulmonar fue significativamente más baja.…”

“…Con base en la revisión de publicaciones sobre el tema y según demostraron estudios en lugares como Pakistán, Bogotá y Palestina, la minería pétrea de material de construcción a cielo abierto perjudica la salud humana, por cuanto la presencia de polvos y arenas que impactan el aire afecta directamente a los trabajadores mineros y de forma indirecta a las personas de asentamientos vecinos, causando padecimientos respiratorios, alergias en los ojos y la piel, daños de la función pulmonar y efectos auditivos, entre otros (Ugbogu et al, 2009;Narkhede et al, 2012;Khan et al, 2016;Isara et al, 2016;La Rotta Latorre y Torres Tovar, 2017;Nemer et al, 2020). Además, este tipo de actividades daña el ecosistema, la flora, la fauna, el agua, las viviendas, los alimentos y la posibilidad de cultivar (Nemer et al, 2020;Ávila Romero et al, 2020;Bendixen et al, 2021).…”