Assessment of Noise Levels and Perceptions of Its Health Impact at Kejetia Market in Ghana

Noise pollution in developing countries such as Nigeria and Ghana is causing adverse effects on citizens, including hearing impairment, sleep disturbances, adverse social behavior, and cardiovascular diseases. This study assessed noise levels at the Kejetia Market in Ghana and the perceptions of health impact. A sound level meter (JD-801A) was used to measure the noise levels at the various points in the market. Results showed that noise exposure levels were not within Ghana Environmental Protection Agency standards 2008, with sources including loud music, advertisements, human congestion, and vehicles. Respondents perceived noise pollution sources as annoyance, mental stress, sleep disturbances, lack of concentration, hearing, and cardiovascular effects. The study suggests that stakeholders and authorities should educate the public on the health effects of noise pollution.


Introduction
Noise pollution is a signifcant environmental issue in urban and rural communities in developing countries such as Nigeria and Ghana [1].Industrialization and urbanization have increased human activities, resulting in noise pollution.Periodic markets, where buyers and vendors gather for commercial transactions, create noise pollution [2].Large crowds and loudspeakers contribute to noise pollution.Herbal medicine vendors also contribute to noise pollution.Small power generators and trafc create noise hazards.Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) warns that prolonged noise exposure can lead to physical, physiological, and psychological issues such as hearing loss, speech interference, productivity reduction, increased blood pressure, and concentration loss [3].
Noise pollution is a signifcant issue in urban areas worldwide, with the World Health Organization (WHO) identifying it as the third most hazardous pollutant after air and water pollution [4].Te European Union estimates that over 40% of the population is exposed to a Day-Night of 55 dB or higher noise level, while 30% of the population is exposed to the same noise level during nighttime [5].Recent studies show that 5 dB roadside noise increases hypertension risk by 3.4%, leading to hormonal dysfunction and blood pressure issues, afecting the cardiovascular system [6,7].
Te WHO identifed seven categories of noise-related health impacts in 2011, including sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease, learning impairment, and speech interference.Natural and manmade sources contribute to higher-level noise exposure, including trafc, industry, construction work, volcano eruptions, and thunder [8].Te Noise Observation and Information Service for Europe (NOISE) reports that road vehicle trafc generates the most noise exposure, with urban road trafc near infrastructures such as schools, ofces, and residential buildings having the highest exposure levels [5,9].
Te Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a public education campaign to raise awareness about the harmful efects of noise pollution.Te agency has set ambient noise level guidelines for residential areas with negligible transportation, stating that levels above 45 dB can impair sleep, those above 70 dB can cause emotional upset, and those above 90 dB can cause ear damage.Noise can also afect the circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems and vision.Tere are three broad categories of noise: transport noise, occupational noise, and neighborhood noise [10].
Civilization has increased sound levels, causing noise pollution to become a major concern for both the public and policymakers [11].Te EPA has set ambient noise levels to control its impact on human health, but the health efects of hazardous noise exposure are now considered an increasingly important public health problem.In Ghana, noise pollution is on the rise, with cities like Kumasi being the worst afected.Research has been conducted on noise pollution from religious establishments, as the building of religious meeting places in residential neighborhoods is widespread.Markets in big cities are overshadowed by various noise-generating activities, polluting the environment and afecting people at the market.
Noise is a signifcant environmental pollutant, causing health hazards and communication issues in the human environment.It is increasingly recognized as a public health issue, with marketplaces being no exception.Market noise is a major environmental pollutant that directly afects human performance and quality of exposure [12].Persistent exposure to high noise levels can have serious health efects on customers and traders.Tis research aims to determine the noise levels at the market and ascertain the people's perceptions of noise generated at the Kejetia Market in Ghana.Tis will assist decision makers and policymakers in putting in measures to reduce or prevent noise pollution.Also, it could help in creating awareness of the health impact of noise pollution on human beings.

Study Area.
Te study focused on Kumasi Central Market, also known as Kejetia Market, the largest single market in West Africa [13].Te market has three foors, with most facilities on the ground foor, including banks, clinics, transport systems, butcher's yards, police stations, and administration.Te frst and second foors have similar features, including restaurants, stores, and tailor's yards.Te market covers 172,197 m 2 with over 10,000 stores and stalls, with an average temperature of 24 °C and humidity of 85% [13] (Figure 1).

Research Design.
Tis study used a mixed research method, collecting quantitative data through noise level measurement using a sound level meter (JD-801A) and conducting qualitative interviews with market stakeholders.

Quantitative Data Collection methods Survey Design.
Sampling stations were chosen based on noise pollution levels on the ground, frst, and second foors, as depicted in Table 1.Te study focused on various areas in the building; the ground foor included the common areas, banks, butcher's yards, tailor yards, parking lots, mosque area, transport areas, and police stations.Te frst foor also included a restaurant, utility area, and common areas, while the second foor included walkways, tailor's yards, common areas, and a restaurant.Noise levels were measured for two weeks.
Te noise level readings were taken using sound level meters (JD-801A).Calibration was done before sampling.Noise levels were measured at 30 locations, and the measurements were also recorded at 60-second intervals for 3 min.at 1.2 meters above the ground level.Temperature and humidity data were measured.

Qualitative Data Collection Method.
Te study used open-ended questionnaires to gather qualitative data on noise pollution in the markets.Respondents were chosen from shops and ofces in the markets and other stakeholders.Observation methods were employed to assess the situation, focusing on market settings, congested roads, religious activities, shops, and buildings using an observation checklist.
Te questionnaire was structured to assess the general knowledge of noise, perception of noise sources, awareness of noise's impact on health, and mitigation action.Te sample size for the research was 100, and this was determined by using the Slovin formula as shown in the following equation: where n � number of samples, N � total population and e � error level confdence level of 95%, alpha level of 0.05.

Sampling Technique and Data
Processing.Te study utilized a sound level device (JD-801A) to measure the various sound levels at diferent locations of the market and the noise level compared with Ghana EPA guidelines, computing average noise levels for each location.Questionnaires were checked and sorted before data were entered into Special Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software (version 27), considering humidity and temperature.Results represent exposure values at the same site.Te sound levels were measured in triplicates.

Statistical Analysis.
Te study used SPSS version 27 for analyzing interview responses and Microsoft Excel 2010 for gathering and analyzing recorded noise levels.Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to calculate variance in the market noise levels.

Results
Te Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Ghana has established guidelines for ambient noise levels, categorized into seven zones with specifc day and night noise reception conditions, as shown in Table 2.
2 Te Scientifc World Journal  Te Scientifc World Journal 3.1.Sampling Sites.Te study analyzed the ambient sound levels at various points in the market as shown in Table 1, to provide a comprehensive view of the sound levels within the market enclave.3, 4, 5, and 6 display average noise levels for diferent foors over two weeks, including weekly and overall averages.

Noise Levels at the Market. Tables
Table 6 shows the descriptive analysis of the mean and standard deviation for the overall average noise levels for the two weeks for morning, afternoon, and evening.

Assessment of Noise Levels.
Noise levels obtained from the ground foor, frst foor, and second foor for the two weeks are presented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

Source of Noise Pollution.
A survey study was conducted to gather feedback on major sources of market noise pollution, with the results presented in Table 7.

Assessment of the Perception of the Market People on
Noise Pollution Impact on People in the Market.A survey study was conducted to assess the efects of noise pollution on market residents, with 100 respondents completing the questionnaires in Table 8.

Discussion
Noise exposure in 23 locations in the Kejetia Market showed variations in noise levels at diferent sampling positions, increasing or decreasing based on location.Tis indicates that the noise level cannot be the same at diferent locations because of factors such as weather, temperature, density of people, the wind direction, and the period of the day.Te average noise levels during the frst and second weeks were 68-70 dBA in the morning, 71-77 dBA in the afternoon, and 58-69 dBA in the evening.Tis implies that high levels of noise are produced in the market during the afternoon because usually that is when we have a lot of customers, movement of vehicles, and other peculiar activities of a market which generate a lot of noise.Te average noise levels varied based on the sampling position.Te study found that the second foor had the lowest noise levels during the day, while the ground foor recorded the highest noise levels during the day and night.Te ground foor was generally higher than the other foors due to its signifcant market activities, mostly from mid-morning to afternoon.Te ground foor is always congested with people, leading to increased temperature and humidity, potentially causing higher average noise levels [14].However, daytime noise exposure is longer than nighttime exposure, with the average duration being higher.Te sellers and customers who frequent the market stand a chance of becoming afected by diferent health issues.Long-term noise exposure is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), including acute cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke [15].
Te second foor's average noise exposure levels for day and night were below the EPA 2008 guidelines in Ghana, indicating less congested areas and fewer speakers used for product advertising.Te frst foor recorded higher noise levels than the permissible limit set by EPA (2008) during the day but within the limit during the night, possibly due to its proximity to the ground foor.However, the ground foor recorded higher noise levels than the EPA 2008 maximum permissible limit for day and night.Te ground foor is primarily used for market activities due to high trafc and loud music used for product advertising.Tis study also found high variability in noise levels at diferent times of the day, with a standard deviation of 2.000, 3.000, and 6.350, respectively.Te p value was less than 0.05 indicating a signifcant diference in average noise exposure levels during the day and night.Terefore, the noise generated at each foor infuences the other foors.Hence, fnding a way to reduce the noise pollution at the market must be done holistically and not just focusing on a foor or location in the market.
Te study found that the main sources of noise in the market are loudspeakers used for product advertisement, human congestion, and vehicles, with the most prominent source being these speakers (82%), primarily used by vendors on the ground foor for advertisement (Table 6).Assessment of noise pollution in selected locations in Ota, Nigeria, reported similar sources of noise pollution originating from the market [16].4 Te Scientifc World Journal Te study found that 82% of respondents noise a nuisance, with many annoyed by market activities while 5% of the people were indiferent.Te noise levels were higher than the recommended standards and had been found to have unhealthy efects, as acknowledged by the respondents during the interview [1].Te ground foor produced the highest level of noise during the day (77 dB), causing high levels of annoyance.80% agreed that noise can cause mental stress, 62% stated that it can afect sleep, 83% stated that it can afect concentration at work, and 37% stated that it can cause cardiovascular diseases.Gwanshak et al. [17] reported that noise has been identifed to be a silent killer, yet not much has been done to control its impact, particularly in commercial centres of developing countries.Te Scientifc World Journal Te study highlights the importance of addressing noise pollution in urban areas.It was from the data collected that hearing efects were over 90%, primarily due to persistent noise from loudspeakers in the market, and a lack of concentration (83%), due to long-term exposure to noise [17].Tese health impacts are attributed to the long duration of noise exposure at the market (Table 7).According to Chen et al. [18], a review reported that a long duration of noise exposure can cause adverse cardiovascular disease and mortality, diabetes, hearing impairment, neurological disorders, and adverse reproductive outcomes with environmental noise exposure in humans, especially occupational         Te Scientifc World Journal noise.Passchier-Vermeer and Passchier [19] reported that exposure to noise constitutes a health risk.Tere is sufcient scientifc evidence that noise exposure can induce hearing impairment, hypertension and ischemic heart annoyance, and sleep disturbance.Tis indicates that customers and vendors must be protected from excess noise pollution during their stay at the market to prevent any health impact.Te frst and second foors had the lowest nightly noise level (58 dB), but most residents found it annoying due to its prolonged duration.Berglund et al. [20] and Lercher et al.
[21] also reported that noise's ability to annoy depends on its physical characteristics, including sound pressure and spectral characteristics, and variations over time.Noise reactions are sensitive to social, psychological, and economic factors, and individual reactions vary signifcantly [22,23].Peak noise levels are recorded during the day, while lower levels occur at night.78% of respondents believe loudspeaker noise should be stopped or minimized, while 20% believe it is unnecessary.A further 2% were noncommittal.Generally, the sources of noise pollution at the market must be managed to prevent any health impact on patrons of the     Group 1 represents traders and hawkers randomly selected on the ground foor; Group 2 represents people on the frst and second foors; Group 3 represents people at the management ofce of the market.
Te Scientifc World Journal market and the vendors.A noise pollution campaign can be embarked upon by the municipalities and other responsible agencies and authorities to educate the people on the health impact of noise pollution.

Conclusion and Future Perspective
conclusion, the noise levels were generally high during the day and low at night at the market.Te highest noise exposure levels were recorded in the afternoon (71 dB-77 dB), followed by noise levels in the morning (60 dB-70 dB) and the lowest noise levels in the evening (58 dB-66 dB).Also, the average noise exposure levels were found to be above the EPA permissible limit for the ground foor (day and night) and the frst foor for the day.Te second foor recorded the lowest for the two weeks.Overall noise levels were within the EPA permissible limits for day and night.Tere was variability in the levels of noise at various times of the day, which were high (afternoon-74 dB, morning-65 dB, and evening-62 dB).Noise generated by loud music and loudspeakers used to advertise products, human congestion, and vehicles were the major sources of noise pollution at the market.Respondents' perceptions of noise impact were annoyance, mental stress, efect on sleep, lack of concentration, efect on hearing, and cardiovascular efects.Market management should institute control measures to manage noise levels in the market.Safety sensitization programs should be organized to educate the populace on the health efects of noise pollution.Task forces should be organized to enforce the laws and monitor noise levels at the market.

Figure 1 :
Figure 1: Map of Kumasi central market.

Figure 5 :
Figure 5: Te average noise levels in the morning (6:00am-7:00am) of the second week for the ground foor, frst foor, and second foor.

Figure 7 :
Figure7: Te average noise levels in the evening (6:00pm-7:00pm) of the second week for the ground foor, frst foor, and second foor.

Table 1 :
Respective sampling areas at the Kejetia Market.

Table 2 :
Ambient noise level guidelines for Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Ghana.

Table 3 :
Average noise exposure levels for the frst week.

Table 4 :
Average noise exposure for the second week.

Table 5 :
Overall average noise levels for the two weeks.

Table 6 :
Descriptive analysis of the mean and standard deviation (SD) for the overall average noise levels for the two weeks.

Table 7 :
Perception of people on the source of noise pollution at the market (n (%)).