Impacts of food processing industry on some environmental health and safety factors

In developing countries, it is common to site (or locate) industries without environmental impact assessment. In this study the impacts of two food processing industries on land use and land capability, noise and vibration, environmentally sensitive areas and visual quality as environmental elements were investigated. The research method adopted was the investigative survey research approach (ISRA) which included the collection of baseline and screening data. Noise level was determined using the decibel scale. The impacts of the industries on land use and land capability, noise and vibration, environmentally sensitive areas and visual quality included: displacement of agricultural production, quarrying activity and fishermen; loss of forestry and pasture lands; cracks on buildings near or adjacent to the industries due to vibrations from heavy machines; noise pollution from processing machines leading to hearing loss/impairment; reduced shell-fish yield; increased commercial and social activities; and distortion of visual content and coherence. The need for environmental impact auditing and the importance of impact auditing as a project management tool were highlighted. It was concluded that the food processing industries do have positive and negative impacts on the environment and recommendations towards alleviating negative impacts were made.   REFERENCES Ajisegiri, E.S.A., Chukwu, O., Odigure, J.O., Jimoh, O.D., Adeniyi, O.D. and Olagunju, R.O. (۲۰۰۲) Environmental impacts from industrial operations: case study of food processing industries in Nigeria. Proceedings of the ۱۵th Annual Conference of Nigerian Association of Teachers of Technology, Minna, Nigeria, ۱۸th – ۲۲nd November ۲۰۰۲, pp. ۳۶۸ - ۳۷۱, ISBN: ۱۱۱۹ - ۴۲۷۸. Anazodo, U.G.N. (۱۹۷۵) Systems Approach to Farm Mechanization in Nigeria. Nig. J. Techn. ۱, ۷ - ۱۰. Anikwe, M.A.N. and Nwobodo, K.C.A. (۲۰۰۲) Long term effect of municipal waste disposal on soil properties and produ ctivity of sites used for urban agriculture. J. Biores. Techn. ۸۳, ۲۴۱ - ۲۵۰. Chukwu, O., Ajisegiri, E.S.A., Onifade, K.R. and Jimoh, O.D. (۲۰۰۷) Environmental impact auditing of food processing industry in Nigeria: the case of climate and air quality. AU J. Techn. ۱۱, ۷۷- ۸۵. Chukwu, O. (۲۰۰۸) Performance Evaluation of Locally Manufactured Rice Threshers in Niger State. J. Eng. Appl. Sci. ۳, ۶۰۲ – ۶۰۶. Dalzell, J.M. (۲۰۰۰) Food Industry and the Environment in the European Union: Practical Issues and Cost Implications. Springer, Netherlands. ۲nd Ed. ۳۴۸ p. Hauschild, M. and Wenzel, H. (۱۹۹۸) Environmental Assessment of Products, Vol. ۲, Scientific Background. Chapman and Hall Publishers, London. ۹۵۰ p. Kupchella, C.E. and Hyland, M.C. (۱۹۹۳) Environmental Science: Living within the System of Nature. Kentucky, USA: Prentice-Hall International Inc. ۳rd Edn., ۵۷۹ p. Olesen, J.; Wenzel, H.; Hein, L. and Andreasen, M. M. (۱۹۹۶) Design for Environment. Danish Environmental Protection Agency and Confederation of Danish Industries. Copenhagen, Denmark. Partidario, M. (۱۹۹۶) Strategic environmental assessment: key issues emerging from recent practice. Environ. Impact Assess. Review. ۱۶, ۳۱ - ۵۷. Sadler, B.V. (۱۹۹۶) Strategic Environmental Assessment: Status, Challenges and Future Directions. Report ۵۳: Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and International Association for Impact Assessment, Hull, Quebec, Canada.

کلیدواژه ها:

Baseline data ، Ecosystem ، Environmental auditing ، Environmental impact assessment ، Food processing industry ، ISRA