Kenya and Denmark have partnered in a research initiative that is set to investigate the hidden health risks posed by dumpsites, focusing on heavy metals, antimicrobial resistance, harmful bacteria, and their movement through food systems, water sources, and communities living nearby.
The project brings together a consortium of Kenyan and Danish institutions under a “One Health” approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health.
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) Deputy Institute Director at the Veterinary Science Research Institute Dr. Moses Olum explained that the consortium includes the Technical University of Denmark and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), alongside Kenyan partners such as the University of Nairobi and other collaborating institutions.
Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday during a stakeholder engagement meeting and project launch, Dr. Olum highlighted that the research will focus on major urban centers, including Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu.
“This project brings together multidisciplinary experts who are able to work across human health, animal health, and environmental health,” Dr. Olum said. “That is what we call a One Health project.”
According to Dr. Olum, dumpsites receive waste from a wide range of human activities, including industrial, commercial, and household sources. As waste accumulates, bacteria break it down, while toxic heavy metals such as lead from paints, construction debris, and improperly disposed industrial waste remain in the environment.
“These dumpsites often become economic zones of their own,” he explained. “People sort waste for recycling, animals scavenge there, and communities live very close to these sites and depend on them for their livelihoods.”
The project will examine how animals feeding on dumpsites accumulate heavy metals and bacteria and how these hazards are transferred to humans through meat, vegetables, and water. Unlike bacteria, which can be destroyed by proper cooking, heavy metals persist even after food is cooked.
“If animals graze on garbage and people later consume that meat, cooking may kill bacteria, but it will not destroy heavy metals,” Dr. Olum warned.
The research will also track how contaminants move from dumpsites into surface water and groundwater, potentially exposing communities far from the original waste sites.
“Someone many kilometers away from a dumpsite may still be exposed through water used for drinking, domestic use, or irrigation,” said Anker Høiberg, a senior researcher at GEUS. His role focuses on mapping how pollutants travel through rivers, groundwater, and soils depending on local geology and topography.
“What has not been studied in depth is how these different pathways are connected and which ones pose the greatest risk to humans and animals,” Høiberg noted.
The project will quantify levels of heavy metals in waste, livestock, and humans and assess bacterial contamination and antibiotic resistance. Preliminary findings are expected within the coming months, largely driven by master’s and PhD students embedded in the research.
Eric Ogalo, a program officer at the Royal Danish Embassy in Nairobi, said the study is funded through Denmark’s Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) program, a government-to-government partnership with Kenya.
“The research is important because we want programs and policies that are backed by facts,” Ogalo said. “Waste pickers and nearby communities may be exposed to health risks they cannot see, such as antimicrobial resistance and toxic metals.”
The project is funded with approximately 10 million Danish kroner (approximately Sh200 million) over five years, supporting research, training, fieldwork, and policy engagement.
The findings are expected to support Kenya’s Sustainable Waste Management Act of 2022 and the shift from a linear to a circular economy. Data generated will help institutions such as the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) refine regulations on waste disposal and industrial responsibility.
Researchers also emphasize practical solutions, including separating food production from dumpsites, using protective gear for waste workers, and better zoning of livestock and agriculture.
“Our goal is to promote a circular economy while protecting communities who live and work around dumpsites,” Dr. Olum said. “People must earn a livelihood, but they must also be kept safe.”
As Kenya grapples with rapid urbanization and growing waste challenges, the project aims to provide scientific evidence to guide safer waste management, protect food systems, and reduce long-term health risks for vulnerable communities.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
