Harmful Effects of Carbon Monoxide to Street Hawkers in Ghana: Hidden Health Risks Every Hawker Should Know
Introduction
Harmful Effects of Carbon Monoxide to Street Hawkers in Ghana is a real threat that goes on unnoticed. Street hawking plays an important role in Ghana’s informal economy. Every day, thousands of people sell food, drinks, fruits, clothing, electronics, and household items along busy roads and intersections in cities such as Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi, and Cape Coast. For many households, street hawking is the primary source of income, helping families pay for food, rent, healthcare, and children’s education.
Despite its economic importance, street hawking exposes workers to numerous occupational hazards in Ghana, many of which are often overlooked. Among the most dangerous is prolonged exposure to traffic-related air pollution, particularly carbon monoxide (CO). Because hawkers spend several hours each day standing close to moving and idling vehicles, they continuously inhale polluted air containing invisible toxic gases.
The harmful effects of carbon monoxide to street hawkers in Ghana deserve urgent public attention. Unlike dust or smoke that can easily be seen, carbon monoxide is an invisible gas with no colour, smell, or taste. This makes it especially dangerous because people can inhale harmful amounts without realizing it. Long-term exposure may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illnesses, neurological disorders, pregnancy complications, and reduced work productivity.
As Ghana’s urban population continues to grow and vehicle numbers increase, improving occupational health and urban air quality should become a national priority. Raising awareness about carbon monoxide exposure can help protect the health of thousands of street hawkers who contribute significantly to the country’s economy.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas produced whenever fuels such as petrol, diesel, charcoal, wood, natural gas, or kerosene burn without enough oxygen. Because it cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted, it is often called the “Silent Killer.”
Unlike many air pollutants that produce visible smoke or irritating odours, carbon monoxide provides no warning signs. People may continue breathing it for hours before experiencing symptoms, making it one of the most dangerous forms of invisible air pollution.
Chemical Formula
Carbon monoxide consists of:
- One carbon atom (C)
- One oxygen atom (O)
Its chemical formula is:
CO
It should not be confused with carbon dioxide (CO₂), another gas naturally present in the atmosphere. While carbon dioxide contributes mainly to climate change, carbon monoxide directly interferes with the body’s ability to transport oxygen.
Properties of Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide has several characteristics that make it hazardous:
- Colourless
- Odourless
- Tasteless
- Non-irritating to the eyes
- Slightly lighter than air
- Produced through incomplete combustion
- Highly toxic even at relatively low concentrations
Because people cannot detect it with their senses, they may unknowingly inhale it throughout the day.
Why Carbon Monoxide is Called the “Silent Killer”
Carbon monoxide has earned the nickname “Silent Killer” because exposure often occurs without obvious warning.
Many people initially experience symptoms such as:
- Mild headache
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Difficulty concentrating
These symptoms are commonly mistaken for dehydration, stress, hunger, malaria, or simple tiredness. As exposure continues, more serious complications can develop, including loss of consciousness and, in severe cases, death.
For street hawkers who spend 8–12 hours each day near busy roads, repeated low-level exposure may not cause immediate collapse but can gradually damage important organs over months or years.
Why People Cannot Detect Carbon Monoxide
Humans rely on their senses to recognize many dangers. Smoke irritates the eyes. Rotten food has an unpleasant smell. Excessive heat can be felt immediately.
Carbon monoxide behaves differently.
It has:
- No smell
- No colour
- No taste
- No visible smoke
As a result, people often breathe dangerous amounts without realizing it. This makes public education essential, especially for workers who spend prolonged periods near heavy traffic.
Sources of Carbon Monoxide in Ghana
Carbon monoxide is produced from several everyday activities in Ghana. In busy urban centres, road transport remains the largest source of exposure for many street hawkers.
1. Vehicle Exhaust Emissions
Motor vehicles are the primary contributors to carbon monoxide in cities.
These include:
- Private cars
- Commercial taxis
- Ride-hailing vehicles
- Delivery vans
- Government vehicles
Whenever petrol or diesel burns inside an engine, carbon monoxide is produced. Older engines or poorly maintained vehicles generally release higher levels of CO than newer, well-maintained ones.
2. Commercial Buses (Trotro)
“Trotros” are an essential mode of transportation in Ghana, carrying millions of passengers every day.
However, many trotro vehicles:
- Are older models
- Experience engine wear
- Produce incomplete fuel combustion
- Emit higher concentrations of exhaust gases
Street hawkers often sell directly through the windows of these buses while passengers wait in traffic, placing them very close to exhaust pipes.
3. Diesel Trucks and Heavy-Duty Vehicles
Large trucks transporting goods across Ghana burn significant amounts of diesel fuel.
Although diesel engines are often associated with particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, they also emit carbon monoxide, particularly when:
- Engines idle for long periods
- Maintenance is poor
- Fuel combustion is inefficient
Busy transport corridors in Accra and Kumasi frequently experience heavy truck traffic.
4. Motorcycles and Tricycles
Motorcycles and commercial tricycles (“Aboboyaa” and similar transport vehicles) contribute to roadside pollution, especially in congested areas where engines repeatedly stop and start.
5. Old Imported Vehicles
Many vehicles imported into Ghana are second-hand and may lack modern emission-control technologies.
Older vehicles often have:
- Inefficient engines
- Damaged catalytic converters
- Poor fuel efficiency
- Higher carbon monoxide emissions
Their widespread use increases urban air pollution.
6. Poor Vehicle Maintenance
Vehicles that are not regularly serviced produce more harmful emissions.
Common maintenance issues include:
- Dirty air filters
- Faulty spark plugs
- Engine misfires
- Worn injectors
- Damaged exhaust systems
Regular servicing can significantly reduce carbon monoxide emissions.
7. Traffic Congestion
Traffic congestion is a daily reality in many Ghanaian cities.
Locations such as:
- Kwame Nkrumah Circle (Accra)
- Kaneshie
- Madina
- Kejetia (Kumasi)
- Suame Roundabout
- Asafo Interchange
often experience long traffic queues. Vehicles remain idling for extended periods, releasing carbon monoxide into the surrounding air while street hawkers continue working nearby.
8. Fuel-Powered Generators
Frequent power interruptions encourage the use of petrol and diesel generators.
Generators installed:
- Outside shops
- At roadside businesses
- In markets
- Near food vendors
can emit significant amounts of carbon monoxide, particularly in poorly ventilated areas.
9. Charcoal and Biomass Burning
Many food vendors prepare meals using:
- Charcoal
- Firewood
- Biomass fuels
Incomplete combustion during cooking releases carbon monoxide into the surrounding environment.
10. Industrial Activities
Factories, metal workshops, welding operations, and small manufacturing industries may also release carbon monoxide when fuels are burned inefficiently.
Industrial areas near residential communities can contribute to poorer urban air quality.
11. Open Burning of Waste
Open burning of:
- Household waste
- Plastic
- Rubber
- Agricultural residues
remains common in some communities. These fires generate a mixture of toxic gases, including carbon monoxide, worsening air pollution in Ghana.
Why Street Hawkers Are at High Risk
Street hawkers represent one of the occupational groups most exposed to roadside pollution in Ghana.
Unlike office workers who spend most of their day indoors, hawkers remain directly beside busy roads where exhaust emissions are highest.
Long Working Hours
Many hawkers work between 8 and 12 hours daily, often starting early in the morning and continuing until late evening.
This prolonged exposure means they inhale polluted air continuously throughout the day.
Working at Busy Traffic Intersections
Traffic lights create ideal selling opportunities because vehicles remain stationary for several minutes.
Popular selling points include:
- Roundabouts
- Traffic lights
- Bus terminals
- Major highways
- Market entrances
Unfortunately, these same locations also have the highest concentrations of vehicle emissions.
Standing Directly Behind Exhaust Pipes
Many hawkers walk between rows of vehicles, placing them only a few feet behind exhaust pipes.
Every acceleration releases a fresh burst of carbon monoxide and other pollutants directly into their breathing zone.
Continuous Daily Exposure
Unlike occasional commuters, hawkers experience repeated exposure every working day.
Weeks become months, and months become years, increasing the likelihood of cumulative health effects.
Limited Protective Equipment
Most street hawkers do not wear protective respiratory equipment.
Even when face masks are used, ordinary surgical or cloth masks provide little protection against carbon monoxide because CO is a gas that passes through them easily.
Economic Necessity
For many families, street hawking is not a choice but a necessity.
Poverty, unemployment, and limited educational opportunities compel many people to continue working in hazardous roadside environments despite the health risks.
Children Who Hawk
Some school-age children assist their families by selling goods before or after school or during holidays.
Their developing lungs and brains make them particularly vulnerable to carbon monoxide exposure and other traffic-related pollutants.
Pregnant Women Who Hawk
Pregnant women who spend long hours near busy roads may face additional health concerns.
Carbon monoxide can reduce the oxygen available to both the mother and the unborn baby, increasing the risk of pregnancy complications. Protecting this vulnerable group should be a public health priority.
The combination of prolonged exposure, heavy traffic, limited protection, and economic pressures makes street hawkers in Ghana one of the populations most at risk from the harmful effects of carbon monoxide. Understanding these risks is the first step toward promoting healthier working conditions and preventing avoidable illness.
This ends Part I of this piece. And it is a wake up call to all who care about enviromental health. Young people and old people alike are at risk of lung and cardio vascular conditions as they hawk. In all major cities in Ghana, from the national capital Accra, to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region to Tamale in Northern Ghana.
In Part 2, I’ll explain how carbon monoxide affects the body, the immediate symptoms, long-term health effects, effects on children who hawk, and who is most vulnerable, using evidence-based yet easy-to-understand language.
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