Cement Dust Spread as Influenced by Wind and Its Impacts on Settlement Patterns and the Biophysical Environment

Distance between cement factories and human settlements is key to determining the extent to which neighbourhoods are affected by cement dust. A key influencer of settlement patterns is zoned development and physical planning for healthy living. Wind patterns are also a factor in determining the proximity of settlements, an aspect requiring zoned development. This study focuses on cement factories in Athi River Township, established as early as 1933 when there was barely any settlement. They include East African Portland Cement Company (1933), Bamburi (1951), Athi River Mining (1974) and Mombasa (2007). Zoning development failure and unclear guidelines on the appropriate distance away from cement factories are major threats to human health. This study uses Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing Techniques for proximity analysis of the spatial relations between cement factories and homes. Study results show that residential homes are built on the wind shadow side of factories, thus affected by dust blown by easterly flowing winds. More than 1,888 residential homes in Athi River are within the 3.5 km buffer protection area. 47% of interviewed respondents consider cement factories as the main pollution source. Key Informant Interviews were administered to health officials from the nearby hospital. They reported, from hospital records, that 29.42% (n = 5084) were upper respiratory infections (URI), 17.20% skin infections (n = 2972), 7.72% (n = 1335) eye irritations, 16.32% pneumonia (n = 2821) and 11.49 % (n =1985) asthma, all traced to cement dust. Vegetation mapping using Landsat imagery classification showed a variance in the area under pasture (0.54%) and cropland (4.42%). These impacts point to a need for the implementation of zoned development to safeguard communities against cement dust impacts