Research Scientist
Mobile: +233 242761800
Office: +233-302-779514
DEGREES
BSc (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology),
MPhil, PhD (University of Ghana)
Awards and Recognitions
2018: ISEE and NIH Travel Award
Active Affiliations
International Society of Environmental Epidemiology
Dr. Lawrencia Osae-Nyarko is a Research Scientist in the Biomedical and Public Health Research Unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research- Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI). She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 2010, Master of Philosophy in Nuclear and Environmental Protection in 2013 at the University of Ghana and PhD in Public Health in 2020, also at the University of Ghana, Legon. She has a great wealth of knowledge and experience in Public Health but her expertise is in the area of epidemiology, and environmental and occupational health. With her expertise, her research focus on examining health effects of public health importance present in the environmental and occupational settings, including understanding the role of chemicals contaminants and risk factors in the occurrence of non-communicable disease and identifying appropriate and implementable measures to modify behavioural patterns targeted at reducing pollutant emissions and exposures, risk factors and impacts on public health.
She has taught and mentored many under- and post-graduate students in various Ghanaian Universities. She has also served on a few National Technical Committees, including Task Team on Education and Awareness Raising on Persistent Organic for revision of Ghana’s first National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Technical Working Group of the ‘Special Programme Project on Strengthening the National Capacity for Chemicals and Waste in Ghana. She has 13 publications in peer-reviewed journals including Environmental International, GeoHealth, BMC Public Health etc. to her credit and is a member of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology
Research Interests
Understanding the role of chemicals contaminants and risk factor in the occurrence of non-communicable disease and health effects of public health important present in the environmental and occupational settings and also among vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents
Identifying appropriate and implementable measures to modify behavioural patterns to reduce pollutant emissions and exposures, risk factors and impacts on public health.
Current Research
My current research focuses on the socio environmental determinants of human health in epidemiology of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This field study encompasses evaluating the impact of socioeconomic, demographic, environmental and cultural factors on NTD and NCDs outcomes. Findings of the study will inform the development and implementation of programs and policies targeted at controlling and elimination of NCDs and NTDs.
Current ongoing projects involving me:
Assessment of risk factors for COVID reinfection
Implementation of Circular Economy for the medical wastes
End_schisto project
Breeding site assessment (Oncho project)
Publications
Peer review journal articles
Kwarteng L, Devasurendra AM, Laskaris Z, Arko-Mensah J, Amoabeng Nti AA, Takyi S, Acquah AA, Dwomoh D, Basu N, Robins T, Fobil JN, Batterman S (2021). Occupational exposures to particulate matter and PM2.5-associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at the Agbogbloshie waste recycling site in Ghana. Environ Int. 158(2022).
Lin N, Kwarteng L, Godwin C, Warner S, Robins T, Arko-Mensah J, Fobil JN, Batterman S. Airborne volatile organic compounds at an e-waste site in Ghana: Source apportionment, exposure and health risks. J Hazard Mater. 2021 Oct 5;419:126353. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126353.
Lawrencia Kwarteng, Emmanuel Acquah Baiden, Julius Fobil, John Arko-Mensah, Thomas Robins, Stuart Batterman (2020). Air Quality Impacts at an E-Waste Site in Ghana using Flexible, Moderate-Cost and Quality-Assured Measurements. GeoHealth. 10.1029/2020GH000247.
Amoabeng Nti, A.A., Robins, T.G., Mensah, J. A. Dwomoh, D., Kwarteng L., Takyi, S.A.; Acquah, A.A, Basu, N.; Batterman, S.; Fobil, J.N. (2021). Personal exposure to particulate matter and heart rate variability among informal electronic waste workers at Agbogbloshie: a longitudinal study. BMC Public Health 21, 2161 (2021).
Amoabeng Nti, A.A.; Arko-Mensah, J.; Botwe, P.K.; Dwomoh, D.; Kwarteng, L.; Takyi, S.A.; Acquah, A.A.; Tettey, P.; Basu, N.; Batterman, S.; Robins, T.G.; Fobil, J.N. (2020). Effect of Particulate Matter Exposure on Respiratory Health of e-Waste Workers at Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 3042.
Sylvia A Takyi, Niladri Basu, John Arko-Mensah, Duah Dwomoh, Afua Asabea Amoabeng Nti, Lawrencia Kwarteng, Augustine A Acquah, Thomas G Robins, Julius N Fobil (2020). Micronutrient Status of Electronic Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Healthhttps://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249575
Sylvia A Takyi, Niladri Basu, John Arko-Mensah, Paul Botwe, Afua Asabea Amoabeng Nti, Lawrencia Kwarteng, Augustine Acquah, Prudence Tettey, Duah Dwomoh, Stuart Batterman, Thomas Robins, Julius N Fobil (2020). Micronutrient-rich dietary intake is associated with a reduction in the effects of particulate matter on blood pressure among electronic waste recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09173-8
Sylvia Akpene Takyi, Niladri Basu, John Arko-Mensah, Duah Dwomoh, Afua Asabea Amoabeng Nti, Lawrencia Kwarteng, Augustine A Acquah, Thomas Robins, Julius N Fobil (2020). Assessment of Micronutrient Status of Electronic Waste (Ewaste) Recyclers at Agbogbloshie (Ghana) Using Dietary Information and Biomarker Data DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-70898/v1
Augustine A Acquah, Clive D’Souza, Bernard Martin, John Arko-Mensah, Afua Asabea Nti, Lawrencia Kwarteng, Sylvia Takyi, Paul K Botwe, Prudence Tettey, Duah Dwomoh, Isabella A Quakyi, Thomas G Robins, Julius N Fobil (2020). Development of an observation-based tool for ergonomic exposure assessment in informal electronic waste recycling and other unregulated non-repetitive work. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting. 2020;64(1):905-909. doi:10.1177/1071181320641216
Augustine A Acquah, Clive D’Souza, Bernard J Martin, John Arko-Mensah, Paul K Botwe, Prudence Tettey, Duah Dwomoh, Afua Amoabeng Nti, Lawrencia Kwarteng, Sylvia Takyi, Isabella A Quakyi, Thomas G Robins, Julius N Fobil (2021). A preliminary assessment of physical work exposures among electronic waste workers at Agbogbloshie, Accra Ghana International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics Volume 82, March 2021, 103096 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ergon.2021.103096
Adusei, A., Arko-Mensah, J., mdzodzomenyo, M., Stephens, J., Amoabeng, A., Waldschmidt, S., Löhndorf, K., Agbeko, K., Takyi, S., Kwarteng, L., Acquah, A., Botwe, P., Tettey, P., Kaifie, A., Felten, M., Kraus, T., Küpper, T. and Fobil, J., 2020. Spatiality in Health: The Distribution of Health Conditions Associated with Electronic Waste Processing Activities at Agbogbloshie, Accra. Annals of Global Health, 86(1), p.31. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.2630
Acquah, A. A., D’Souza, C., Martin, B., Arko-Mensah, J., Nti, A. A., Kwarteng, L. … Fobil, J. N. (2019). Processes and challenges associated with informal electronic waste recycling at Agbogbloshie, a suburb of Accra, Ghana. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 63(1), 938–942. https://doi.org/10.1177/1071181319631219
Afua Asabea Amoabeng Nti Sylvia Akpene Takyi Lawrencia Kwarteng Augustine Appah Acquah John Arko-Mensah Julius N. Fobil (2019). Climate Change and Health In Ghana: A Systematic Review. Chapter 2 in book: Climate Change in Ghana The Human Dimension. Editors: Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe Delali Benjamin Dovie https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin-Dovie/publication/343306535_Climate_Change_in_Ghana_The_Human_Dimension/links/5f2321b992851cd302cb2a27/Climate-Change-in-Ghana-The-Human-Dimension.pdf#page=15