Ruslan La Ane

Childhood Acute Respiratory Infections and Household Environment in an Eastern Indonesian Urban Setting

This pilot study evaluated the potential effect of household environmental factors such as income, maternal characteristics, and indoor air pollution on children’s respiratory status in an Eastern Indonesian community. Household data were collected from cross-sectional (n = 461 participants) and preliminary childhood case-control surveys (pneumonia cases = 31 diagnosed within three months at a local health clinic; controls = 30). Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) was measured in living rooms, kitchens, children’s bedrooms, and outside areas in close proximity once during the case-control household interviews (55 homes) and once per hour from 6 a.m. to midnight in 11 homes. The household survey showed that children were 1.98 times (p = 0.02) more likely to have coughing symptoms indicating respiratory infection, if mothers were not the primary caregivers. More children exhibited coughing if they were not exclusively breastfed (OR = 2.18; p = 0.06) or there was a possibility that their mothers were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy (OR = 2.05; p = 0.08). This study suggests that household incomes and mother’s education have an indirect effect on childhood pneumonia and respiratory illness. The concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 ranged from 0.5 to 35.7 µg/m3 and 7.7 to 575.7 µg/m3, respectively, based on grab samples. PM was significantly different between the case and control groups (p < 0.01). The study also suggests that ambient air may dilute indoor pollution, but also introduces pollution into the home from the community environment. Effective intervention programs need to be developed that consider multiple direct and indirect risk factors to protect children.

Life in a landfill slum, children's health, and the Millennium Development Goals.

People living in slums can be considered left behind with regard to national successes in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The objective of this study was to evaluate the living and working conditions of waste pickers and their children in a landfill slum located in the largest city in eastern Indonesia. A total of 113 people from the landfill slum and 1184 people from the general population participated in face-to-face interviews. Municipal solid waste (MSW) was analyzed for metals, metalloids and fecal indicator bacteria. Ambient air quality including particulate matter was measured in the landfill. Households in the landfill slum were 5.73 (p=0.04) times more likely to be below the international poverty line (MDG 1: Poverty) and 15.6 times (p<0.01) more likely to have no one in the household possessing a primary education (MDG 2: Universal Education), and 107 times (p<0.01) more likely not to have improved sanitation facilities (MDG 7: Environmental Sustainability) when compared to the general population. Diarrhea is one of the leading causes of death in children under five in Indonesia. Young children living in the landfill slum were 2.87 times (p=0.02) more likely to develop diarrhea than their general population counterparts. Other survey results and environmental measurements suggest that landfill slum children have additional adverse health effects (e.g. infections and poisoning). Poverty underlies several MDG issues that directly or indirectly affect child health. Therefore, eradicating extreme poverty will continue to be the most critical challenge for the MDGs beyond 2015.

Assessment of lead contamination on aquatic habitat and street snacks in makassar coastal area, Indonesia

Lead can be a poison to the environment which may affects all body systems. Lead can also affect human health especially those who frequently exposed. Lead potentially lowering level of intelligence, growth, loss, causing anemia, and disorder among children as lead is neurotoxin and accumulative. In addition, lead can cause a decrease in the ability of the brain, whereas in adults may cause interference of high blood pressure and other tissue toxicity. Any increase in the levels of lead in the blood of 10 ug/dl led to a decrease in IQ of 2.5 points or 0.975 IQ. The research aims to assess the potential health risk among people who exposed to lead in the coastal area of city of Makassar. We investigate the distribution of toxic lead in Makassar coastal area namely; sea water, sediments, shells and crab. Then investigate lead toxins around coastal such as lead in soil, dust, snacks and air. After create distribution maps lead risks we create analysis of environmental and health risks assessment. Result revealed that the analysis of spatial distribution of Lead in the sediment shows that the high distribution was in station 3 in Mariso districts then coastal Tallo area and the lowest was in Tamalate District. While the analysis of the spatial Pb distribution in mussels seen that the highest distribution Pb was in station 4 of districts Mariso then coastal waters Tallo area and the lowest was in Tamalate District 5.00 to 7.20 mg/g. In conclusion, it revealed the concentration of Lead at all stations of those four districts have exceeded the level of allowed standard and may potentially lead to a hazard both to environment and human being who are living in the surround area.