Assessment of Environmental Health Impacts of Open Burning of Waste in Minna, Niger State

This study assesses the environmental health impacts of open waste burning on ambient air quality and public health in residential and commercial areas of Minna, Niger State, North Central Nigeria. Open burning of household and market waste is a prevalent informal waste disposal practice in Minna, driven by the inadequacy of municipal waste collection services and the limited awareness of health consequences. Air quality monitoring was conducted at fifteen sites across three zones characterised by high, medium, and low burning frequency in the late afternoon hours when burning activity peaks. Parameters monitored include PM2.5, carbon monoxide, and dioxin precursor markers using indicator compound analysis. Health surveys were administered to 300 residents in surveyed zones, documenting respiratory symptoms, eye irritation, and headache prevalence in the preceding month. Waste burning frequency and type were documented through direct observation over four weeks. Results show that PM2.5 concentrations at high-burning sites average 210 micrograms per cubic metre during active burning periods, exceeding the WHO twenty-four-hour guideline by fourteen times. Carbon monoxide reaches 15 milligrams per cubic metre near burning piles. Dioxin precursor concentrations at high-burning sites indicate potential for toxic chlorinated compound formation, particularly when plastic waste is included in burned material. Respiratory symptom prevalence in high-burning areas is 2.4 times greater than in low-burning areas. The study recommends strengthening Minna's municipal waste collection coverage and a community education programme on the health hazards of open burning. Keywords: open waste burning, air pollution, PM2.5, environmental health, Minna.