Environmental Health Commons^™

A Qualitative Study Of Nimbyism For Waste In Smaller Urban Areas Of A Low-Income Country, Mzuzu, Malawi, Rochelle H. Holm, Brighton A. Chunga, Adrian Mallory, Paul Hutchings, Alison Parker

Faculty Scholarship

When waste management infrastructure is built, there can be resistance from the local affected populations, often termed the Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) phenomenon. This study aims to understand the forms of resistance that may develop in such contexts, focusing on 2 solid waste and 1 liquid waste management site within Mzuzu City, Malawi. At the newest solid waste site, community resistance had grown to the extent that the site was reportedly destroyed by the local community. Interviews and observations of the sites are complemented by examining historic and recent satellite images. It was found that, at the new solid …

Agent-Based Modelling For Simulation-Based Design Of Sustainable Faecal Sludge Management Systems, Adrian Mallory, Martin Crapper, Rochelle H. Holm

Faculty Scholarship

Re-using faecal sludge (FS) to generate value has the potential to contribute towards solving the issue of long term sanitation solutions in growing urban areas across sub-Saharan Africa; however, hitherto, no design tools have been available that are capable of simulating a system involving economic factors, complex social issues and environmental circumstances. We hypothesized that Agent-Based Modelling (ABM), when deployed with appropriate rigour, can provide such a tool. Extensive field work was carried out in a Malawian city, investigating the adoption of Skyloo above-ground composting toilets by households, and the operation of the municipal FS site. 65 semi-structured interviews and …

Hiv And Hepatocellular And Esophageal Carcinomas Related To Consumption Of Mycotoxin-Prone Foods In Sub-Saharan Africa, Jonathan H. Williams, Jessica A. Grubbs, Jerry W. Davis, Jia-Sheng Wang, Pauline E. Jolly, Nii-Ayi Ankrah, William O. Ellis, Evans Afriyie-Gyawu, Natalie M. Johnson, Abraham G. Robinson, Timothy D. Phillips

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Promotion of the HIV epidemic by aflatoxin is postulated but not yet established. Sub-Saharan populations commonly consume food contaminated by mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxins (predominantly found in peanut, maize, rice, and cassava) and fumonisins, which occur primarily in maize. Aflatoxin promotes hepatocellular cancer, and fumonisin may promote esophageal cancer.

Objectives: This analysis was undertaken to test the hypotheses that consumption of mycotoxin-prone staple foods is 1) related to the incidence of HIV infection in Africa and 2) related to “signature” cancer rates confirming exposure to aflatoxins and fumonisins.

Design: World Health Organization data for causes of death and the Food …