ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Wagner or Keynes for Ghana Government Expenditure and Economic Growth Dynamics. A ‘VAR’ Approach

This paper analysed empirically the causal relationship between government expenditure growth and GDP growth in Ghana from 1980 – 2010. The study employed vector autoregressive (VAR)/Granger causality analysis developed by Sims (1980) and Granger (1969). The cointegration results provided evidence of a unique cointegrating vector. Granger causality test conducted revealed that causality exist only from GDP growth to government expenditure growth and not the vice versa. This implication supports Wagner’s law of expanding state activities for Ghana. This result means that in estimating government expenditure, GDP growth must be taken into account so as to avoid the problem of misspecification and biasness of estimates generated. The findings also suggest that government must focus on policies that would create the enabling environment for growth to thrive rather than increasing its expenditure with the aim of increasing GDP growth.

Source: KNUST
Waste management facilities in Kumasi: a case study of the Dompoase landfill and septage treatment facility.

Effluent from Waste Stabilisation Ponds can pose a serious challenge to the stability of the ecosystem. Proper management of Landfills and Waste Stabilisation Ponds can lead to reduction of pollutants to permissible concentrations for the protection of the environment It is therefore necessary that effluent from the Stabilization Ponds and the streams receiving the treated effluent be fully characterized with thorough chemical analysis of possible waste constituents and some water quality parameters. The research was carried out at the Dompoase Landfill and Septage Treatment Facility. The objectives were to identify the characteristics of Septage effluent before treatment and after treatment, to find out the effectiveness of the Stabilisation Ponds in treating the effluent to meet the maximum permissible effluent limits by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to determine significant changes between the Upstream and Downstream of Oda which receives the treated effluent. Septage effluent was sampled before treatment and after treatment from the Anaerobic, Facultative and Maturation ponds. These were characterised and the results of the final effluent compared with the EPA maximum permissible effluent standards. The following results were obtained after six months of monitoring: Ammonia (74.5 mg/1), Phosphorous(l 1.7 mg/1), Temperature (40°C), Suspended Solids (191 mg/1), Nitrate (0.4 mg/1), pH (8.6), BOD (52.6 mg/1), COD (171.4 mg/1), Feacal Coliforms (1,758,333.33 counts per 100 mg). With the exception of Temperature and COD, all the parameters failed to meet the maximum permissible EPA standards. The receiving stream (Oda) was also sampled upstream and downstream to find out if there were significant changes in water quality after discharge of treated effluent from the ponds. Characterisation showed pollution downstream. With the exception of Temperature and Nitrate, all the changes were statistically significant (P< 0.05). It is recommended that the quality of effluent from the Waste Stabilisation pond be further improved to prevent pollution of the Oda stream which serves as drinking water and for irrigating vegetables by Communities downstream.

Source: KNUST
Waste disposable methods and challenges among households in selected communities within the Kumasi Metropolis

Background: Poor waste management remains a major obstacle to many developing countries including Ghana. One of the major environmental problems in Kumasi Metropolis is poor waste management which impede one‟s health. Waste management Department of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and Zoomlion Ghana Limited are usually responsible for waste management in the Metropolis but have challenges to provide an effective and efficient services to the households due insufficient funding and with this, households face many challenges when disposal of waste. It is therefore indisputable the fact that for households to safeguard, control and promote the environment there must be some facilities responsible for waste management. Objectives: To assess waste disposable methods and challenges among households in selected communities within the Kumasi Metropolis. Methods: Case study design and Cross-sectional design was adopted for this study. The sample size of 308 households was estimated for collection of quantitative and qualitative data for this study. Results: All respondents in the three selected communities used house-to-house solid waste collection as their major method of waste disposal as compare to the use of central communal containers. It was recorded that over 70% of the households used house-to-house method of waste collection with less than 30% of the households using central communal containers as a means of disposing their waste due to limited disposing facilities. Households in the selected communities revealed the challenges they faced which includes delay in waste collection, absence of sensitization of the public on issues of management of solid waste, inadequate refuse containers, lack of households‟ awareness on reducing, recycling and sorting of waste, poor attitude of households towards waste handling and ineffective waste management laws. Also over 50% of the respondents bemoaned that the fees charge for disposal of waste was high. Conclusion: The preference of house-to-house solid waste collection to the use of central communal containers as a means of disposing waste was attributed to the fact that house-tohouse waste collectors are experts and therefore there are some consistency in their waste collection services. Again the patronage of house-to-house service to central communal containers waste collection by households was due to the same amount charge for disposing of waste on daily basis. Moreover, there was a lot of pressure on the central communal containers as two communal containers severs about 560 households in Kotei, 426 in Oduom and 345 in Bomso. This confirms the difficulties households face in attempt to dispose of waste.

Source: KNUST
Waste management practices of real estate firms

Waste management remain a serious challenge globally, with huge sums of money spent towards managing waste across the globe. Available statistics indicate that local governments in Africa are currently spending about US$15 billion per year on urban solid waste management. This substantiate the need for effective waste management practices among the real estate firms, since it is anticipated that, by 2025 the spending on solid waste management activities would have increased by 200 per cent. The study specifically looked at the significant waste management practices adopted by real estate firms and the challenges and problems local real estate firms face on construction waste management practices. To achieve these objectives, the researcher adopted the mixed method survey design approach and research questionnaire as data collection instrument. A sample of thirty (30) respondents were sampled across thirty (30) real estate development firms in the greater Accra region using non-probability (Judgmental sampling) sampling technique. Findings from the study revealed that, Waste Re-use is the significant waste management practice among real estate developers ranked first (1st) with a mean score of 4.38, this followed by Waste recycling with a mean score of 4.22. The least ranked waste management practice was however, Waste disposal with a mean score of 3.12. On the waste management practice used locally by real estate firms, findings revealed that most of the real estate developers in the Greater Accra region uses Waste Re-use, followed by waste recycling, and waste disposal with waste minimization being the least waste management practice used among real estate developers. Finally, on the challenges and problems of waste management practices, findings revealed that, the major challenges faced in waste management practice is inability of EPA to fully discharge their supervisory role to ensure that certain principles are adhered to in waste management and to provide waste management policy. It was followed by high cost of waste management and inadequate skilled labor on waste management which attained 60% endorsement from the respondents leaving lack of commitment on the part of project management to be last with 53.3% of agreement level by respondents. Based on these findings the researcher recommends, it is recommended that the EPA provides a Waste Management Plan or policy and to monitor to ensure that construction industry players adhered to best practices

Source: KNUST
Waste disposable methods and challenges among households in selected communities within the Kumasi metropolis

Background: Poor waste management remains a major obstacle to many developing countries including Ghana. One of the major environmental problems in Kumasi Metropolis is poor waste management which impede one‟s health. Waste management Department of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and Zoomlion Ghana Limited are usually responsible for waste management in the Metropolis but have challenges to provide an effective and efficient services to the households due insufficient funding and with this, households face many challenges when disposal of waste. It is therefore indisputable the fact that for households to safeguard, control and promote the environment there must be some facilities responsible for waste management. Objectives: To assess waste disposable methods and challenges among households in selected communities within the Kumasi Metropolis. Methods: Case study design and Cross-sectional design was adopted for this study. The sample size of 308 households was estimated for collection of quantitative and qualitative data for this study. Results: All respondents in the three selected communities used house-to-house solid waste collection as their major method of waste disposal as compare to the use of central communal containers. It was recorded that over 70% of the households used house-to-house method of waste collection with less than 30% of the households using central communal containers as a means of disposing their waste due to limited disposing facilities. 78% Households in the selected communities revealed the challenges they faced which includes delay in waste collection, absence of sensitization of the public on issues of management of solid waste, inadequate refuse containers, lack of households‟ awareness on reducing, recycling and sorting of waste, poor attitude of households towards waste handling and ineffective waste management laws. Also over 50% of the respondents bemoaned that the fees charge for disposal of waste was high. Conclusion: The preference of house-to-house solid waste collection to the use of central communal containers as a means of disposing waste was attributed to the fact that house-tohouse waste collectors are experts. Again the patronage of house-to-house service to central communal containers waste collection by households was due to the same amount charge for disposing of waste on daily basis. Moreover, there was a lot of pressure on the central communal containers whidh has lead to improper waste disposal. This confirms the difficulties households face in attempt to dispose of waste.

Source: KNUST
Waste control and management in production (a case study on Juapong Textiles Limited)

1 .1 The Problem Statement Waste has from time immemorial been a problem to many manufacturing concerns all over the world, and African Industries are no exception. Since waste in production only increases cost but does not add value to the product, it affects the profitability of manufacturing firms. In this modern world that people are coming out with improved and more sophisticated machinery of which that in the textile industry is not in an isolation; even though the initial cost of obtaining such a machinery may be a bit costly, in the long run costs are greatly reduced, productivity and quality are greatly improved or enhanced and waste are reduced drastically. Inevitably, a firm with modern sophisticated machinery and has the above attributes may sell at a relatively good price than firms using obsolete machinery due to the different forms of wastes being created by the two machines. Since the objective of most firms is to maximize profits and profits could be simply interpreted as Revenue minus cost i.e.: (Rev. - Cost = Profit1) it is therefore very important to critically study waste that occur in our production process because it is a contributory factor to the upward or downward movement of profits which in turn affects the survival of the firm or company. Unfortunately, Juapong Textiles limited which is being used as a case study still rely on old machinery for its production particularly, at the weaving section and since it is in competition with the outside world, the company need to look carefully at areas that affect cost of production.

Source: KNUST
Waste water use in Agriculture (A Public Health Threat) - a Case Study of Kumasi

The study aimed at determining the health hazards posed by water from streams and shallow wells used for irrigation of vegetable crops in some parts of Kumasi. Streams and shallow well water samples were collected twice a week over a period of six weeks in each of wet (March-April) and dry (December-January) seasons of 2002- 2003. The water samples were analysed for helminth eggs using the sedimentation procedure of Bouhoum and Schwartzbrod (1989). Wet and dry season streams and shallow well water used for vegetable irrigation contained helminths eggs such as Ascaris lumbricoides, Hookworm, Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis diminuta, Trichuris trichiura, Schistosoma haematohium, Clonorchis sinensis, Stongyloides stercoralis and Taenia with their concentrations above the WHO guidelines of one egg per litre. There was higher helminth egg concentration in the wet season than dry season even though the dry season recorded more species. The variations in helminth eggs were statistically significant (p 0.05) in respect of the seasons and sampling sites. Ascaris lumbricoides occurred most with the highest egg concentration in all the sampling sites for both seasons. The shallow wells recorded higher helminth egg concentration though there were more helminth species in the streams. Pathogenic helminths that reach agricultural fields and crops through streams and shallow well water used for irrigation are potential health threats to vegetable farmers, consumers and the public resulting in morbidity, death and in man-hour losses.

Source: KNUST
Waste to Energy: Comparison of the Quantity and Quality of Biogas Produced From Fruit Waste and Slurries Prepared with Slaughter and Human Wastes

Waste management has become one of the major challenges facing today’s world cities. The waste management problem is more pronounced in the cities of developing countries especially those of the Sub-Saharan Africa including Ghana. The high rate of rural-urban migration coupled with weak enforcement of settlement laws have led to the springing up of slums in most parts of these cities. However, the low commitment of city authorities to enforce environmental laws coupled with lack of funds has worsened the waste management challenges which are more pronounced in slums. Meanwhile, the current technologies (open-dumping and disposal into the ocean) employed in managing the wastes generated in these cities are non-sustainable and highly detrimental to the environment. Also, the high organic fraction content of wastes generated in the developing countries coupled with high capital cost make it difficult to treat wastes with the technologies used by the developed countries. There is therefore the need to search for and employ organic waste treatment technology that is sustainable and thus best fitting for developing countries. This is the anaerobic digestion process in which waste is converted to energy (in the form of biogas) and bio-fertilizer. This study was conducted to determine the amount of biogas (digester-specific and substrate-specific biogas production) and quality of biogas that will be produced by fruit wastes and slurries prepared with slaughter waste and human waste.The study was also to determine the slurry that will be suitable for optimum commercial biogas production. A composite of mango, pineapple and papaw wastes was digested in a 450 m3 digester at Adeiso while four different slurries (S1 to S4) prepared with varying proportions of slaughter and human wastes were digested anaerobically in two 8 m3 fixed-dome (WASAZA design) digesters built at GIDA site in Ashaiman. The data obtained were analyzed with the 2007 version of Microsoft Excel. Results obtained showedthatthe digester-specific biogas production of slurries S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5 produced are0.167, 0.120, 0.278, 0.325 and 0.723 m3 biogas/m3 digester volume/dayrespectively while the substrate-specific biogas production was 0.121, 0.344, 0.432, 0.327 and 0.270 m3 biogas/kg ODM/day respectively. The daily average methane (CH4) produced by the slurries range from 52 to 66 % biogas by volume while their carbon dioxide (CO2) production was from an average value of 32 to 38 % biogas by volume. Also, hydrogen sulphide (H2S) produced by the slurries was from an average value of 216 ppm to 625 ppm. Slurry prepared with about 50%HW and 50%SW was found to be the most suitable for optimum commercial biogas production.

Source: KNUST
Wastewater Management in the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industries: a Case Study of Phyto- Riker (GIHOC) Pharmaceuticals Limited, Ghana

Wastewater from industries is creating diverse challenges to the stability of the natural environment. Reduction of pollutants in the wastewater to permissible concentrations is necessary for the protection of the environment. Wastewater to be treated must be fully characterized, particularly with a thorough chemical analysis of possible waste constituents and some water quality parameters. The study was carried out using Phyto- Riker (GIHOC) Pharmaceuticals Limited (PRP), which produces pharmaceutical preparations as a case study. The aim of the study was to identify the characteristics- of the wastewater produced at PRP and to find out the effectiveness of the current wastewater treatment methods being employed in PRP and how the wastewater treatment methods help to meet the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (GEPA) maximum permissible effluent standards for the Pharmaceutical industry. Wastewater sampled at three different locations (raw wastewater from the industry, wastewater after Activated Sludge System and the Final Effluent after Chlorination) were then characterized and the results of the final effluent compared with GEPA maximum permissible effluent standards. Characterization yielded the following average results for the final effluent after chlorination. Temperature - 30.06°C pH - 7 Dissolved Oxygen -4.0mg/L Colour - 6.67Hz Units Total Suspended Solids (TSS) - 64mg/L Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) - 1291.67mg/L Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) - 46.33mg/L Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) - 151.33mg/L Phosphate - 7.71mg/L Total Coliform -3.533 x 1O3 Counts /100 ml Faecal Coliform -1.128 xlO3 Count/100 ml Evaluation of the results for the final effluent revealed that the average values for TSS, TDS, Phosphate, Total and faecal coliform were above the GEPA standards whilst the rest within the standard limits set by GEPA.

Source: KNUST
Water Activity Profile and Microbial Safety of Hot Pepper Sauce “Shito”

Hot pepper sauce “shito” is one of the commonly used products in most Ghanaian homes, schools, restaurants etc, which sometimes serves as condiments. This study therefore seeks to determine the water activity profile and microbial safety of hot pepper sauce ‘shito’. “Shito” samples were purchased in the Kumasi Metropolis from Food and Drugs Authority registered and non-registered manufacturers. Water Activity and microbial contamination were determined using standard methods. Water Activity (aw) for the results for FDA registered products were between 0.51 and 0.88 while those for product not registered with the FDA were between 0.52 and 0.95. FDA Registered shito samples recorded a significant difference lower total aerobic count (23%) as compared to unregistered samples (46%). The morphological characterization on the agar plates indicated the presence of Escherichia coli. and some suspected Enterococci faecalis spp. However, no Salmonellaspp. was detected in the samples. A direct correlation was found between total aerobic count and coliform assay for samples, which failed the TAC assay. The presence of E.coli indicated the poor personal hygiene of the some of the shito manufacturers. “Shito” produced by FDA registered caterers are safer and might have longer shelf life due to their lower aw and microbial load as compared to non-FDA registered caterers.

Source: KNUST
Waste reduction strategies on construction projects: the case of Accra metropolis

According to Ghana Statistics Service (GSS), the Ghanaian construction industry has contributed significantly to the gross domestic product of the country with it being the highest contributor in 2011 and therefore it can be said that the country’s construction industry is directly linked to our economy. Unfortunately, the local contractors cannot compete effectively with foreign operatives due to the lack or inadequacies of vital capabilities like capital, plants and managerial know-how which are required for reduction of wastage (effective use of materials, labour and plant). In view of the above, this project was conducted with the main aim of exploring strategies adopted by construction firms in reducing waste generation on construction sites within the Accra metropolis. Three (3) distinct but related objectives were set in order to achieve this aim which where to identify the causes of material wastage on construction sites; to identify materials predominantly wasted on construction sites; and to identify strategic ways to reduce the generation of excessive waste on construction sites in the Accra metropolis. In achieving these objectives, pre-existing theories were used as a means of building an evidence of the importance of the construction industry on the economy and challenges it faces with regards to construction waste and the distribution of questionnaires. The Kish formulae was used to calculate the sample size of fifty-six (56) from a population of one hundred and thirty-two (132) construction firms in the Accra metropolis. Fifty-Six (56) questionnaires were distributed and fifty (50) were retrieved representing a response rate of 89.29%. The data was analyzed using the Relative Importance Index formulae and mean score ranking method. The results demonstrated that, poor site management is a major cause of waste generation on-site. Also, the results demonstrated that concrete is the most wasted construction material on-site. Lastly, it was identified that, proper supervision of works on site is the best strategy to adopt in order to reduce waste generation on site. With regards to the findings, it was recommended that, there should be proper supervision on construction sites to expedite operatives work execution on construction site. Also, the project manager should pay more attention in planning his/her construction process so as to reduce or eliminate any wasteful activity on-site and bidders should submit their methods of minimizing waste as part of bid requirements and any bidder who fails to do so can be deemed not responsive.

Source: KNUST