Household Hazardous Materials Identification and Management Practices Among Residents of Irewole Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Most emerging world contaminants have been linked to improper management of household hazardous materials and are currently receiving global attention due to the threat they pose to public health and the environment. There are guidelines for the entire management of household hazardous materials, but there exist inadequate information on its identification and management practices at household level. Therefore, the present study was conducted to fill the gap. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 346 randomly selected households in Irewole Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. A validated semi-structured questionnaire and observational checklist were used to gather information. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square at p<0.05. Respondents’ mean age was 34.5±12.8 years, 54.3% were female while 66.8% had attained tertiary education. The major hazardous materials observed in most of the houses were laundry and dish washing detergents (94.1%), insecticide (90.7%) and household disinfectants (88.3%). Fifty-nine percent of the participants mentioned open burning as the most preferred method of disposal of household hazardous materials. The mean practice score was 6.4±1.9, 62.0% had inappropriate practices towards household hazardous materials management. Significantly, 78.5% of the respondents with tertiary education had appropriate practice towards managing household hazardous materials than those who had attained secondary (16.9%) and primary education (4.6%). Laundry and dish washing detergents, insecticide and household disinfectants were observed in most of the houses. Also participants were engaged in inappropriate practices for the management of household hazardous waste. Households should have access to hazardous waste management facilities, and educational information and communication materials to improve their management practices.