ISSN: 2474-9222
Authors: Mustafa EA*
Stratified random sampling was adopted for this study to detect and interprets the impacts of three slaughter slabs’ waste on the public and environmental health. While hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) prerequisite programs (PRPs) in the investigated slaughter slabs were assessed by administering structured checklist. Verification for these PRPs by microbiological quality of meat was determined using both Aerobic Plate Count (APC) and Total Coliform Count (TCC). In addition, the assessment of the awareness of neighborhood residence pertaining public health and environmental hazards implications of the slaughter slabs waste was done by administering two semi-structured questionnaires; the first of which targeted 50 respondents of neighborhood residence and the other targeted 10 hospitals located at the vicinity of the slaughter slabs and contained questions pertaining to medical staff perceptions and medical records of cases diagnosed as public health diseases. The result revealed that the three slaughter slabs failed to attain compliance with FAO requirements. This was reflected in the higher microbial content of meat samples with mean total bacteria count (TBC) 16. 7× 10 5; 16. 6 × 105 and 13.9 × 105 in slaughter slabs A, B and C, respectively. A highly statistically significant difference was found in the TBC between the three slaughter slabs with P < 0.05. These values were higher than the standard permissible limit (1× 105). Moreover, the mean total coliform count using (MPN) in the three slabs were 263, 418 and 361 in slaughter slab A, B and C, respectively with a higher significant difference in the TCC compared to the standard permissible limit (1×102) of MPN. The results also showed that 90% of the respondents agreed that there were public and environmental hazards of slaughter slab waste to residential neighborhoods. The findings also disclosed that 100% of the investigated physicians in charge of hospitals in the vicinity of slaughter slabs confirmed that there was association between slaughter slab waste and infectious diseases, gastro-intestinal infections as well as spread of respiratory infection. It could be concluded that slaughter slabs’ waste had negatively impacted both public and environmental health of the residential neighborhoods.
Keywords: Environment; Public Health; Slaughter Slabs; Waste Management
