Environmental and Sanitary Impacts of Waste at Autonomous Port of Cotonou (Benin, West Africa)

Aims: The aim of this study was to analyze the environmental and health impacts of poor waste management at the autonomous port of Cotonou, Benin.

Materials and Methods: The socio-anthropological investigations were carried. The collected data was used, through appropriate analysis, to identify the diseases linked to the environment degradation in Cotonou.

Results: The results of this analysis shows that the port environment is affected by several pollutants. Thus, the chemical substance contain in the discharged pollutants into the port basin are often accumulated in the food chain by some aquatic species (fishes, shrimp, crab...) that enter the population's diet. Pollutants found on soil and in the atmosphere have negative effects on the environment, causing depletion of stratospheric nitrogen, acid precipitation, and amplification of the greenhouse effect. The degradation of the port environment can be involved in several diseases that affect users such as food poisoning, malaria, diarrhea, sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma and other food infections diagnosed among the port worker.

Conclusion: Due to the efforts made by port authorities, the severity of those diseases are in regression since some years.