Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice and the Prevalence of Eye Conditions Among Commercial Fish Smokers in Abuesi, Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study Frank Adusei‐Mensah, Charity Owusu, Albert Ofori, Samuel Kyei, Carl Halladay Abraham, et al. Health Science Reports, 2026 Introduction Traditional fish smoking in Abuesi, Ghana, exposes workers, primarily women, to significant health risks due to prolonged smoke inhalation. This study evaluates the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) concerning safe smoking methods. It examines the prevalence of eye conditions among these fish smokers to assess their awareness of health risks and document the impact of extended exposure to smoke. Methods A cross‐sectional design was employed involving 320 fish smokers from Abuesi. Data collection was conducted through structured interviews and detailed eye examinations. Statistical analysis included chi‐square tests and logistic regression models, were used to explore relationships between exposure duration and health outcomes. Results Most participants were women, mostly between the ages of 30 and 65. While nearly 90% were aware of the health risks linked to smoke exposure, fewer than 30% followed recommended safety practices, which shows a significant gap between what they knew and what they did. Many self‐reported health concerns, including mild vision problems (about 22%), moderate impairments (just under 2%), and even cases of blindness (around 3%) were reported. Other frequently mentioned symptoms included breathing difficulties (66%), persistent headaches (58%), and eye irritation (49%). Importantly, the analysis showed that participants with greater awareness were 21% more likely to take safety precautions and 13% less likely to suffer from eye conditions, suggesting that knowledge does have a protective effect when it is acted upon. Conclusion The study highlights a critical disparity between knowledge and the implementation of safety measures among fish smokers in Abuesi. The results underscore the need for targeted educational programs and intervention strategies to reduce health risks among traditional fish smokers.
The Association Between Occupational Smoke Exposures and the Prevalence of Eye and Respiratory Health Conditions Among Commercial Fish Smokers in Abuesi, Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Self-Reported Study Charity Owusu, Albert Ofori, Frank Adusei-Mensah, Carl Halladay Abraham, Samuel Kyei, et al. Environmental Health Insights, 2025 Biomass smoke exposure represents a critical health concern, especially for those in occupational settings such as fish smoking. While substantial research has addressed indoor air pollution from domestic cooking, the specific risks faced by fish smokers have received insufficient attention. This study sheds light on the alarming relationship between smoke exposure and health issues among commercial fish smokers in Abuesi, Ghana. Through a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis involving 302 participants, we utilized structured questionnaires and expert eye assessments to gather vital data. Our statistical evaluation, including descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and chi-square tests, revealed a troubling prevalence of respiratory symptoms such as cough, asthma, and breathlessness, all significantly linked to prolonged smoke exposure. Eye health findings were equally concerning, with distant vision impairment affecting 26.37%, eye discomfort reported at 53.02%, and notable rates of cataracts (28.6%) and refractive errors (17.9%). For those suffering from breathlessness, asthma, and pneumonia, the data indicated that longer exposure durations correlated with more severe health outcomes. Specifically, subjects without breathlessness had an average smoking duration of 14.84 years (SD = 12.29) compared to just 10.26 years (SD = 11.15) for those with the symptom—a statistically significant P-value of .014. Asthma and pneumonia exhibited similar trends, highlighting a distressing reality: shorter smoking histories align with more severe health conditions, suggesting that such symptoms might drive smokers to abandon their practices prematurely. Given the serious health risks tied to traditional fish smoking practices, this study strongly advocates for the implementation of improved smoking technologies, better ventilation systems, and comprehensive health education initiatives. These measures are essential to safeguard the health of those involved in this vital industry and reduce exposure to hazardous smoke.
Isomerism in Phenyl 2-Pyridyl Ketoxime Metal Complexes Pipsa Hirva, Sirpa Jääskeläinen, Meeri Ollikainen, Albert Ofori, Igor O. Koshevoy European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2024 The octahedral complex [RhCl2(ppkoH)(ppko)] (1) was obtained from the reaction between RhCl3 and phenyl 2‐pyridyl ketoxime (ppkoH). Attempts to prepare the corresponding octahedral platinum compound from K2PtCl6 gave instead the square planar [Pt2+(ppko)2] (2), but when the halogen was changed to bromine, the octahedral [Pt4+Br2(ppko)2] (3) was formed. The crystal structures were determined by X‐Ray crystallography. All the compounds have two N,N‐chelating oxime ligands. In 1, one of them is deprotonated, while in 2 and 3 both ligands are deprotonated. Compounds 1 and 3 have two halogen ligands in trans position. In 1 the oxime groups are situated mutually in cis position with an intramolecular hydrogen bond between the two N−O(H) groups. The formation of 2 involves reduction of the platinum metal and the complex has oximes in trans position to each other. Compound 3 has an all‐trans geometry. Since octahedral and square planar compounds have a possibility to isomerism, we studied the relative stability of different geometries by DFT calculations. A mixture of isomers is likely to be formed in the reactions, but the most stable form was found to crystallize. The properties of the electron density in the preferred isomers were also investigated via QTAIM methods.
Health Risk Assessment of Occupational Exposures of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Phthalates, and Semi-Volatile Chlorinated Organic Compounds in Urine of Commercial Fish Smokers, Ghana Charity Owusu, Albert Ofori, Frank Adusei-Mensah, Joseph Kweku Adjei, George Yaw Hadzi, et al. Environmental Health Insights, 2024 Occupational exposure to smoke and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) poses significant health risks, especially for commercial fish smokers who are regularly exposed to high levels of smoke and particulate matter. This study aimed to evaluate the exposure levels and assess the health risks associated with PAHs, phenols, phthalates, and substituted benzenes among 155 fish smokers in Ghana. A total of 155 urine samples from fish smokers across selected coastal regions in Ghana were collected and analyzed. The sample preparation was conducted using the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERs) method, as standardized by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (A.O.A.C.). Analysis was performed utilizing the Shimadzu GC-MS QP 2020. The type of firewood used by fish smokers significantly influenced the levels of PAHs detected in the urine samples. Hardwoods such as odum, acacia, and cocoa, with their dense structures and combustion characteristics, were found to produce higher levels of PAHs. In contrast, softer woods like sugar cane and palm kernel released lower PAH levels during combustion. The findings indicate that fish smokers utilizing various wood types and unfiltered ovens, specifically the “Chorkor Oven,” are exposed to elevated levels of PAHs, phenols, phthalates, and substituted benzenes through inhalation during work hours. Cancer risk assessments revealed risk levels for PAHs ranging from 6.00E−04 to 4.14E−01, phenols from 0.00E+00 to 3.70E−01, substituted benzenes from 9.04E−08 to 1.99E−01, and phthalates from 3E−04 to 2.09E+04. These values exceed the limits by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.E.P.A.) of 10E−06. Furthermore, the estimated non-cancer hazard quotient values for hydrocarbons ranged from 8.42E+00 to 1.99E+01, all exceeding the threshold of 1, as outlined by both the U.S.E.P.A. and the World Health Organization (WHO), indicating substantial potential health risks for commercial fish smokers.
Modification of kaolinite/muscovite clay for the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous media Samuel Tetteh, A. Ofori, A. Quashie, S. Jääskeläinen, S. Suvanto Physical Sciences Reviews, 2023 Natural clay extracted from the Central Region of Ghana was used for this study. Energy dispersive X-ray and powder X-ray diffraction analysis showed the composition of the clay to be 67.5% kaolinite and 32.5% muscovite. The samples were successfully modified by H2SO4 and NaOH activation. They were also characterized by scanning electron microscopic and Fourier transformed-infrared spectrophotometric techniques. Batch adsorption studies revealed that the samples are effective adsorbents for the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous media. Factors studied include contact time, pH, effect of ionic strength and the mass of adsorbent. Generally, the alkali activated samples had the highest adsorptive capacity followed by the acid activated clay. The kinetics of the adsorption process fitted the pseudo-second order model and the adsorption isotherm conformed to the Langmuir as well as the Freundlich models. All the experiments were carried out at room temperature (303 K).
Effect of delocalization of nonbonding electron density on the stability of the M-Ccarbenebond in main group metal-imidazol-2-ylidene complexes: a computational and structural database study Samuel Tetteh, A. Ofori Physical Sciences Reviews, 2022 The M–Ccarbene bond in metal (M) complexes involving the imidazol-2-ylidene (Im) ligand has largely been described using the σ-donor only model with donation of σ electrons from the sp-hybridized orbital of the carbene carbon into vacant orbitals on the metal centre. Analyses of the M–Ccarbene bond in a series of group IA, IIA and IIIA main group metal complexes show that the M-Im interactions are mostly electrostatic with the M–Ccarbene bond distances greater than the sum of the respective covalent radii. Estimation of the binding energies of a series of metal hydride/fluoride/chloride imidazol-2-ylidene complexes revealed that the stability of the M–Ccarbene bond in these complexes is not always commensurate with the σ-only electrostatic model. Further natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses at the DFT/B3LYP level of theory revealed substantial covalency in the M–Ccarbene bond with minor delocalization of electron density from the lone pair electrons on the halide ligands into antibonding molecular orbitals on the Im ligand. Calculation of the thermodynamic stability of the M–Ccarbene bond showed that these interactions are mostly endothermic in the gas phase with reduced entropies giving an overall ΔG > 0.
Comparison of computational and experimental outcomes in the degradation approaches of PFAS: A review study A Ofori, M Aboah, I Benkyi, C Owusu, AE Kojo, DK Essumang Next Sustainability 7, 100256 , 2026 2026.0
Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice and the Prevalence of Eye Conditions Among Commercial Fish Smokers in Abuesi, Ghana: A Cross‐Sectional Study F Adusei‐Mensah, C Owusu, A Ofori, S Kyei, CH Abraham, S Olaleye, ... Health Science Reports 9 (5), e72493 , 2026 2026.0
Indoor Air Pollution in Traditional Fish Smokehouses in Abuesi, Ghana: Health and Environmental Implications C Owusu, A Ofori, F Adusei-Mensah, M Asare, R Quansah, DK Essumang Journal of Industrial Safety , 2025 2025.0
Assessment of the Water Quality and Toxicological Effects of Toxic Metals in Selected Water Bodies around Gold Mining Areas in Ghana GY Hadzi, IT Henneh, JK Adjei, A Ofori, DB Asante 2025.0 Citations: 1
The Association Between Occupational Smoke Exposures and the Prevalence of Eye and Respiratory Health Conditions Among Commercial Fish Smokers in Abuesi, Ghana: A Cross … C Owusu, A Ofori, F Adusei-Mensah, CH Abraham, S Kyei, R Quansah, ... Environmental health insights 19, 11786302251317056 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 3
Isomerism in Phenyl 2‐Pyridyl Ketoxime Metal Complexes P Hirva, S Jääskeläinen, M Ollikainen, A Ofori, IO Koshevoy European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 27 (36), e202400523 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 1
Health risk assessment of occupational exposures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, and semi-volatile chlorinated organic compounds in urine of commercial fish … C Owusu, A Ofori, F Adusei-Mensah, JK Adjei, GY Hadzi, JK Bentum, ... Environmental Health Insights 18, 11786302241306932 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 9
Water quality, physicochemical, heavy metal content, and health risk assessment of borehole-water from selected mining communities in Ghana C Owusu, A Ofori, F Adusei-Mensah, DK Dodoo, DK Essumang Groundwater for Sustainable Development 26, 101230 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 29
Modification of kaolinite/muscovite clay for the removal of Pb (II) ions from aqueous media S Tetteh, A Ofori, A Quashie, S Jääskeläinen, S Suvanto Physical Sciences Reviews 8 (10), 3577-3593 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 9
Effect of delocalization of nonbonding electron density on the stability of the M–C carbene bond in main group metal-imidazol-2-ylidene complexes: a computational … S Tetteh, A Ofori Physical Sciences Reviews 7 (7), 727-739 , 2022 2022.0
Health risk and source assessment of semi-volatile phenols, p-chloroaniline and plasticizers in plastic packaged (sachet) drinking water JK Adjei, A Ofori, HK Megbenu, T Ahenguah, AK Boateng, GA Adjei, ... Science of the Total Environment 797, 149008 , 2021 2021.0 Citations: 34
Kinetics and equilibrium thermodynamic studies of the adsorption of phenolphthalein and methyl orange onto muscovite clay S Tetteh, R Zugle, A Ofori, JPK Adotey Frontiers in Chemical Research 2 (1), 33-37 , 2020 2020.0 Citations: 10
Deciphering the role of the cation in anionic cobaltabisdicarbollide clusters A Zaulet, F Teixidor, P Bauduin, O Diat, P Hirva, A Ofori, C Vinas Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 865, 214-225 , 2018 2018.0 Citations: 50
Inter-and intramolecular interactions in the stabilization and coordination of palladium and silver complexes: DFT and QTAIM studies A Ofori Itä-Suomen yliopisto , 2016 2016.0
Pyrazole and pyrazolate as ligands in the synthesis and stabilization of new palladium (ii) and (iii) compounds F Estevan, P Hirva, A Ofori, M Sanau, T Spec, MA Úbeda Inorganic Chemistry 55 (5), 2101-2113 , 2016 2016.0 Citations: 23
Versatile coordination modes in silver-imidazolecarbaldehyde oxime complexes: structural and computational analysis A Ofori, S Suvanto, S Jaaskelainen, L Koskinen, IO Koshevoy, P Hirva Crystal Growth & Design 16 (1), 255-264 , 2016 2016.0 Citations: 14
Benzoato and Thiobenzoato Ligands in the Synthesis of Dinuclear Palladium (III) and‐(II) Compounds: Stability and Catalytic Applications F Estevan, S Ibáñez, A Ofori, P Hirva, M Sanaú, MA Úbeda European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2015 (17), 2822-2832 , 2015 2015.0 Citations: 12
Tricapped triangular cobalt carbonyl clusters with chiral sulphur ligands A Ofori Itä-Suomen yliopisto , 2013 2013.0
The development of Pentecostalism in Ghana and its effect on Churches of Christ AD Ofori 2009.0 Citations: 1
Next Sustainability A Ofori, M Aboah, I Benkyi, C Owusu, AE Kojo, DK Essumang
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Deciphering the role of the cation in anionic cobaltabisdicarbollide clusters A Zaulet, F Teixidor, P Bauduin, O Diat, P Hirva, A Ofori, C Vinas Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 865, 214-225 , 2018 2018.0 Citations: 50
Health risk and source assessment of semi-volatile phenols, p-chloroaniline and plasticizers in plastic packaged (sachet) drinking water JK Adjei, A Ofori, HK Megbenu, T Ahenguah, AK Boateng, GA Adjei, ... Science of the Total Environment 797, 149008 , 2021 2021.0 Citations: 34
Water quality, physicochemical, heavy metal content, and health risk assessment of borehole-water from selected mining communities in Ghana C Owusu, A Ofori, F Adusei-Mensah, DK Dodoo, DK Essumang Groundwater for Sustainable Development 26, 101230 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 29
Pyrazole and pyrazolate as ligands in the synthesis and stabilization of new palladium (ii) and (iii) compounds F Estevan, P Hirva, A Ofori, M Sanau, T Spec, MA Úbeda Inorganic Chemistry 55 (5), 2101-2113 , 2016 2016.0 Citations: 23
Versatile coordination modes in silver-imidazolecarbaldehyde oxime complexes: structural and computational analysis A Ofori, S Suvanto, S Jaaskelainen, L Koskinen, IO Koshevoy, P Hirva Crystal Growth & Design 16 (1), 255-264 , 2016 2016.0 Citations: 14
Benzoato and Thiobenzoato Ligands in the Synthesis of Dinuclear Palladium (III) and‐(II) Compounds: Stability and Catalytic Applications F Estevan, S Ibáñez, A Ofori, P Hirva, M Sanaú, MA Úbeda European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 2015 (17), 2822-2832 , 2015 2015.0 Citations: 12
Kinetics and equilibrium thermodynamic studies of the adsorption of phenolphthalein and methyl orange onto muscovite clay S Tetteh, R Zugle, A Ofori, JPK Adotey Frontiers in Chemical Research 2 (1), 33-37 , 2020 2020.0 Citations: 10
Health risk assessment of occupational exposures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, and semi-volatile chlorinated organic compounds in urine of commercial fish … C Owusu, A Ofori, F Adusei-Mensah, JK Adjei, GY Hadzi, JK Bentum, ... Environmental Health Insights 18, 11786302241306932 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 9
Modification of kaolinite/muscovite clay for the removal of Pb (II) ions from aqueous media S Tetteh, A Ofori, A Quashie, S Jääskeläinen, S Suvanto Physical Sciences Reviews 8 (10), 3577-3593 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 9
The Association Between Occupational Smoke Exposures and the Prevalence of Eye and Respiratory Health Conditions Among Commercial Fish Smokers in Abuesi, Ghana: A Cross … C Owusu, A Ofori, F Adusei-Mensah, CH Abraham, S Kyei, R Quansah, ... Environmental health insights 19, 11786302251317056 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 3
Assessment of the Water Quality and Toxicological Effects of Toxic Metals in Selected Water Bodies around Gold Mining Areas in Ghana GY Hadzi, IT Henneh, JK Adjei, A Ofori, DB Asante 2025.0 Citations: 1
Isomerism in Phenyl 2‐Pyridyl Ketoxime Metal Complexes P Hirva, S Jääskeläinen, M Ollikainen, A Ofori, IO Koshevoy European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry 27 (36), e202400523 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 1
The development of Pentecostalism in Ghana and its effect on Churches of Christ AD Ofori 2009.0 Citations: 1
Comparison of computational and experimental outcomes in the degradation approaches of PFAS: A review study A Ofori, M Aboah, I Benkyi, C Owusu, AE Kojo, DK Essumang Next Sustainability 7, 100256 , 2026 2026.0
Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice and the Prevalence of Eye Conditions Among Commercial Fish Smokers in Abuesi, Ghana: A Cross‐Sectional Study F Adusei‐Mensah, C Owusu, A Ofori, S Kyei, CH Abraham, S Olaleye, ... Health Science Reports 9 (5), e72493 , 2026 2026.0
Indoor Air Pollution in Traditional Fish Smokehouses in Abuesi, Ghana: Health and Environmental Implications C Owusu, A Ofori, F Adusei-Mensah, M Asare, R Quansah, DK Essumang Journal of Industrial Safety , 2025 2025.0
Effect of delocalization of nonbonding electron density on the stability of the M–C carbene bond in main group metal-imidazol-2-ylidene complexes: a computational … S Tetteh, A Ofori Physical Sciences Reviews 7 (7), 727-739 , 2022 2022.0
Inter-and intramolecular interactions in the stabilization and coordination of palladium and silver complexes: DFT and QTAIM studies A Ofori Itä-Suomen yliopisto , 2016 2016.0
Tricapped triangular cobalt carbonyl clusters with chiral sulphur ligands A Ofori Itä-Suomen yliopisto , 2013 2013.0
Next Sustainability A Ofori, M Aboah, I Benkyi, C Owusu, AE Kojo, DK Essumang
