Effects of poor sanitation on public health: Case of Yopougon town (Abidjan)
March 2013
Effects of poor environmental hygiene on population health were studied in the precarious living quarters of Doukoure, the village of Niangon-adjame and the viable living quarters of millionaire’s in Yopougon town. This study included sanitation, water sources, as well as, population health. It appears that excreta management is from self-purification works (WC with septic tank) (60%), collective purification work...
Oral acute toxicity study of selected botanical pesticide plants used by subsistence farmers around the Lake Victoria Basin
March 2013
A survey carried out around the Lake Victoria region showed evidence that people around this region use plant extracts, parts and powders to protect stored food commodities from insect pests. The widely used plants were identified and selected for biosafety assessments namely: Ocimum gratissimum, Tithonia diversifolia, Eucalyptus saligna, Eucalyptus globulus and Cupressus lusitanica. Wistar mice were acclimatized and...
The Urgency of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Africa
February 2013
Logging activities in mangrove forests: A case study of Douala Cameroon
February 2013
The Cameroon mangroves are exploited by local communities through fishing, hunting, and especially logging for fuel-wood and charcoal. The changing demographic patterns in the region has increased the need of citizens in the urban centres, which in turn, has accelerated the pressure on the neighbouring forests. The objective of these studies was to assess the impact of local communities on the...
Dissolved nitrogen in drinking water resources of farming communities in Ghana
February 2013
A water quality study was carried out on streams and boreholes which serve as drinking water sources in farming communities in the Brong Ahafo region of the Republic of Ghana. The objective of this research was to determine concentrations of different forms of nitrogen in drinking water samples. Water samples were collected from these sources every three months (from January – December 2005) and...
Bioremediation of pesticides in surface soil treatment unit using microbial consortia
February 2013
The manufacturing and use of pesticides has been rising tremendously in India. The waste generated by the pesticide industry has become an environmental problem due to the present insufficient and ineffective waste treatment technology involving physico-chemical and biological treatment. The available data indicates that pesticide residues remain in surface soil, leading to toxicity in the soil-water...
Vermiculture bio-technology: An effective tool for economic and environmental sustainability
February 2013
Vermicompost production and use is an ‘environment friendly, protective and restorative’ process as it diverts waste from ending up in landfills and also reduces emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) due to very small amount of energy used in its production process. Application of vermicompost in farm soil acts as soil conditioner and help to improve its physical, biological and chemical properties....
Effect of remediation on growth parameters, grain and dry matter yield of soybean (Glycine max) in crude oil polluted ultisols in Ogoni Land, South Eastern Nigeria
February 2013
The effectiveness of cow dung, poultry manure, NPK (mineral fertilizers) and municipal waste compost which were the easily accessible materials in the remediation of crude oil polluted soils in Ogoni, Rivers state was assessed using soybean as a test crop. A simple factorial field experiment arranged into a randomized complete block design with six treatments was used. Poultry manure gave the highest emergence of 79 and...
Air pollution tolerance indices of plants growing around Umuebulu Gas Flare Station in Rivers State, Nigeria
January 2013
The air pollution tolerance indices of 10 plants growing around the vicinity of Umuebulu Gas flare Station in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria were analyzed. Plant samples were randomly collected from the vicinity of the gas station. A composite sample of eight leaves for each plant was used for laboratory analysis. Four physiological and biochemical parameters: leaf relative water content (RWC),...
The genotoxic effect of lead and zinc on bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean)
January 2013
The effects of lead and zinc treatments on the chromosomes of bambara groundnut was investigated. The seeds of bambara groundnut were placed in Petri dishes in three replicates and allowed to germinate for five days in different concentrations: 25, 50 and 100 mg/L of both lead and zinc nitrates while the control group had distilled water. The total aberrations were examined. The mitotic index was calculated and the...
Evaluation of portable water in five provinces of Zambia using a water pollution index
January 2013
Five provinces with different environmental characteristics were evaluated for water pollution with the aim of identifying the major sources and area(s) most affected. The results indicate that the water in Lusaka Province is significantly high in nitrate and sodium concentration compared to other provinces considered in this study. The results further reveal that ground water is most affected by nitrate and sodium. On...
Changes in woody species composition following establishing exclosures on grazing lands in the lowlands of Northern Ethiopia
January 2013
Restoring vegetation in low rainfall areas is difficult and urges the need to design an effective and low-cost method of vegetation restoration. This study was undertaken in the lowlands of northern Ethiopia to: (1) investigate how exclosure age affects restoration of degraded native plant species richness, diversity and aboveground standing biomass, and (2) identify soil characteristics, which affect...
Isolation of diatom Navicula cryptocephala and characterization of oil extracted for biodiesel production
January 2013
Over the past decade diatoms are screened for high lipid content. Geologists claim that much of crude oil comes from diatoms. In this study diatom Navicula cryptocephala, isolated from fresh water source was grown on suitable media for extracting and characterizing the oil for biodiesel production. Three methods namely, shake flask, polythene bag and photobioreactor were adopted for culturing the diatom. The maximum...
Population status, feeding ecology and activity pattern of helmeted guinea fowl (Numidia meleagris) in Abijata-Shalla Lakes National Park
January 2013
This study documents the population status, feeding ecology and activity pattern of helmeted guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) in Abijata-Shalla Lakes National Park. Data were collected in 2011 during the dry and wet seasons. Direct observation including focal observation and scan sampling methods were used to collect data to study the feeding ecology and activity patterns. Total count method was used to study the...
Agama lizard: A potential biomarker of environmental heavy metal pollution assessment
December 2012
In this study, the suitability of Agama lizard as a biomarker in assessing environmental pollution levels of arsenium (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) was investigated. Samples of top soil and agama lizards were taken from five sites within a university community in Nigeria for the study. Soil samples, livers and kidneys from the lizards were...
Review and assessment of mechanic village potentials for small scale used engine oil recycling business
December 2012
Mechanic village should be adapted in developing countries rather than the city-wide auto mechanic workshop practice. This is suggested because developing countries are yet to enforce environmentally friendly automobile workshops and mechanic practice. If all automobile repair works in different cities are confined to mechanic villages, collection, preservation, recycling and reuse of spent oil will become...
Effects of drying method, storage period and carbon: nitrogen ratio on inorganic nitrogen contents of Vertisols
December 2012
In order to monitor spatial inorganic N concentrations in soils over time, collected soil samples are composited and thoroughly mixed. The sticky characteristic of Vertisol when wet makes it difficult to thoroughly mix wet samples. There is the need for appropriate drying of Vertisol samples to facilitate thorough mixing and storage to retain mineral N content reflective of field status. We determined the...
Assessment of physicochemical qualities, heavy metal concentrations and bacterial pathogens in Shanomi Creek in the Niger Delta, Nigeria
November 2012
The physicochemical and microbial qualities of Shanomi creeks in the Niger Delta of Nigeria were assessed between January and October 2011. The temperature across sampling stations ranged between 26 and 27.7°C, while pH varied from 7.49 to 8.74. Turbidity ranged from 176.62-189.96 NTU and conductivity varied between 360.45 and 454.88 µS/cm. The concentrations of other physicochemical parameters were...
Combined uses of water-table fluctuation (WTF), chloride mass balance (CMB) and environmental isotopes methods to investigate groundwater recharge in the Thiaroye sandy aquifer (Dakar, Senegal)
November 2012
The quaternary sandy sediments which cover most part of the Cap Vert peninsula bear considerable groundwater resources. The aquifer lying beneath a densely populated suburb zone is encountered with major issues such as induced recharge from anthropogenic surface derived pollution and rising water table to ground surface. The present study was aimed at investigating the recharge in the unconfined aquifer of Thiaroye zone...
Toxicity assessment of treated effluents from a textile industry in Lagos, Nigeria
November 2012
Water pollution caused by industrial effluent discharges has become a worrisome phenomenon due to its impact on environmental health and safety. Textile industries contribute immensely to surface water deterioration and are categorized among the most polluting in all industrial sectors. For this reason, the toxicity of treated textile effluent was assessed in Celossia argentea by exposing them to...
Effect of stem - bark of Erythrophleum suaveolens (Guill. & Perri.) saponin on fresh water snail (Lanistes lybicus) tissues
November 2012
The study investigated the activity of saponin from ethanolic extract of Erythrophleum suaveolens stem bark against freshwater snail, Lanistes lybicus. The crude saponin (4 g) was separated by silica gel using gradient elution with dichloromethane in methanol (100:0 to 0:100) followed by thin layer chromatography using precoated silica gel 60 F254. Fractionated saponins(90:10, 80:20 and 70:30)...
Condition, use, and management of water resources among pastoralists in Harshin District of the Jijiga Zone, Ethiopia: A gender perspective
November 2012
A study was conducted in Harshin district, Ethiopia to monitor the condition, use and management of water resources among Harshin pastoralists. For the study, three sub-districts (Kebles), Harshin, Medeweyin and Lanqerta, were selected. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using household surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The study found that water supply in...
A survey on the effects of air pollution on diseases of the people of Rivers State, Nigeria
October 2012
The effect of air pollution on diseases of the people of Rivers State, Nigeria has been studied by analyzing epidemiological data collected from the State Ministry of Health, Nigeria in relation to ambient Air Quality data of the State and National Ambient Air Quality Standard data. It was found that a total number of 30,435 disease cases were reported during 2003 to 2008, out of which 61 patients died. The...
Assessment of pesticide residues and trace element contamination in market gardens of Togo
October 2012
All intensive agriculture, like periurban agriculture, uses massive inputs such as agrochemicals. This study aims to assess the environmental impacts of agrochemical use in periurban agriculture in Togo. It was based on the chemical analyses of soil, water and vegetable samples. These analyses were carried out by gas chromatography on extracts from soil, water and vegetable samples. In soil samples,...
Predicting environmental factors influencing crop raiding by African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the Luangwa Valley, eastern Zambia
October 2012
Elephant crop raiding is pervasive and widespread in elephant-agriculture landscapes. Due to rare investigations on underlying African elephant (Loxodonta africana) crop raiding processes and patterns, neither reliable predictive models nor empirical evidence on elephant crop raiding parameters are available or adequate to support intervening decisions by susceptible farmers and other stakeholders. By...
Determination of selected heavy metals in inland fresh water of lower River Niger drainage in North Central Nigeria
October 2012
The concentrations of some ferruginous ore associated heavy metals were determined in freshwater from River Niger. Water samples were collected from both upstream and downstream along the mainstream drainage channel, traversing past the steel production industry Ajaokuta between 2003 and 2005. The water samples were digested according to standard methods and tested for Cadmium (Cd), Manganese (Mn), Chromium...
Development of an air quality management framework for municipal government
October 2012
Air quality problems have been an inescapable partner of global economic development, and such problems have prevailed since the industrial age. After the democratisation of South Africa in 1994, the government embarked on a law reforming process to bring all the laws of the country in line with the new constitution of South Africa. This process included air quality legislation. Air...
Toxicological evaluation of tannery industry waste water on Oreochromis mossambicus
September 2012
This paper investigates the impact of tannery industry wastewater on O. mossambicus. The histopathological changes observed in gills, liver, kidney and brain of the studied fish have demonstrated the quality status of industrial waste water. In the vital organs, the following marked changes were observed: filament cell proliferation, cellular infiltration, haemorrhage and epithelial lifting in gills,...
Removal of faecal bacteria and nutrients from domestic wastewater in a horizontal surface flow wetland vegetated with Echinochloa pyramidalis
September 2012
The aim of this study was to evaluate the removal of faecal bacteria and nutrients from domestic wastewater, in surface flow wetlands vegetated with Echinochloa pyramidalis. Horizontal surface flow (HSF) wetlands were fed with primarily treated domestic wastewater at organic loading rates varying from 20.74 to 27.15 g BOD/m2/day for two consecutive years. Water samples were collected at two weeks...
Fuel properties of loofah (Luffa cylindrica L.) biofuel blended with diesel
September 2012
Fuel properties of loofah oil and its ethyl ester blended with diesel were experimentally determined. Biodiesel blends (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100%) of loofah oil and its ethyl ester by volume with diesel was used. The fuel properties of the biodiesel blends were determined according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Pure Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) was used as a...
Correlation-regression model for physico-chemical quality of groundwater in the South Indian city of Gulbarga
September 2012
Groundwater is a major source of municipal and private water supply in Gulbarga city. Water samples were collected from spatially referenced bore wells located in various wards of the city. 150 bore well water samples were analyzed for electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, CO32- Clˉ, SO42-,NO3ˉ, F and Fe. All tests were...
Precise estimation of total solar radiation on tilted surface
September 2012
A new correction factor (CF) which depends upon the longitude and altitude of the location, has been used for the estimation of hourly and total solar radiation at different orientation and inclination for Delhi. The estimated values of hourly solar radiation have also been compared with 15 years measured data of Delhi to establish the accuracy of the results. The study reveals that hourly and total solar...
Anaerobic composting of pyrethrum waste with and without effective microorganisms
August 2012
This study investigated the use of effective microorganisms (EM) for enhancement of biogas production through composting of solid pyrethrum remains after extraction of pyrethrins (marc). The laboratory scale experiment involved composting of the waste as substrate mixed with EM at different ratios consisting of a control, substrate with EM at of 1:250, 1:500, and 1:1000 v/v. Results show highest production of biogas at...
Effects of rainwater harvesting and afforestation on soil properties and growth of Emblica officinalis while restoring degraded hills in western India
August 2012
Effect of rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures like Contour trench (CT), gradonie (GD), box trench (BT), V-ditch (VD) and afforestation with Emblica officinalis Gaertn (planted in August, 2005) were studied in <10%, 10-20% and >20% slopes with a view to improve soil status, plant growth, sequester carbon and rehabilitate hills for local benefits. Soil pH and EC decreased and percent soil, SOC, NO3-N and...
A study of chemical speciation of metals in aquatic bottom sediment of Aiba reservoir, Iwo, Nigeria
August 2012
The species and total mean metal concentrations of some potentially environmental toxic metals (manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb)) in the sediments of Aiba reservoir were examined. The total mean value were in the order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Pb. The metal concentrations (mean ± standard deviation (SD) in µg/g dry weight) were Mn, 28 ± 0.88; Fe,...
Assessment of toxic heavy metal loading in topsoil samples within the vicinity of a limestone quarry in South Western Nigeria
August 2012
Loading of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Co, Mn, Ni, Zn, and Fe in topsoil samples (TS) collected from the vicinity of limestone quarry in South Western Nigeria was investigated. Thirty TS weresampled within ½ km radius from exploration area and 5 background samples from undeveloped area 10 km away from the study area. Limestone rock samples (RK) were...
Climate variability; enhancing adaptive utilization of browse trees for improved livestock production among agro-pastoralists communities in Southern Zambia
July 2012
Agro-pastoralists whose sources of livelihood depend on rain-fed agriculture are very vulnerable to ecological disturbance due to increasing climate variability. They are unable to adequately feed their animals in times of extreme weather conditions of floods and droughts thereby causing a disruption in their major source of livelihood. This study analyzed the feeding strategies employed by agro- pastoralists...
Removal of heavy metals from aqueous media using native cassava starch hydrogel
July 2012
Graft copolymers of cassava starch and acrylonitrile were synthesized in aqueous solution using ceric ammonium ion as the initiator. Saponification of grafted copolymer was done by reaction with sodium hydroxide and precipitated with methanol. Grafting was confirmed byFourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The grafted copolymer and the hydrolyzed graft copolymer (hydrogel) were used as sorbent...
Monitoring the levels of toxic air pollutants in the ambient air of Freetown, Sierra Leone
July 2012
The ambient air quality in Freetown, Sierra Leone was investigated for the first time for toxic air pollutants. We investigated the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), suspended particulate matter (SPM) and carbon monoxide (CO) and considered the implication of air quality and health risks. Particulate samples for PM2.5 and PM2.5 to10fractions were collected from four sites, and analyzed...
Phytoplankton diversity and abundance in Ndop wetland plain, Cameroon
June 2012
Phytoplankton is very sensitive to nutrient changes. Very little work has been carried out on the effect of these changes on the phytoplankton community in the Ndop wetland. Four paddy-field sites were studied to evaluate the effect of some abiotic factors on their occurrence and abundance of phytoplankton. Water samples were collected from the paddy-fields sites following age gradient 34, 32, 22...
Ecofriendly application of cellulase and xylanase producing marine Streptomyces clavuligerus as enhancer in biogas production from waste
June 2012
The marine actinomycete strain MAC 9 was used for the production of cellulase and xylanase from wheat bran with inducers oats and soy meal as substrate. Out of 30 actinomycetes screened from sediments of Tiruchendhur coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, India only 8 strains showed both cellulase and xylanase activity. The marine actinomycete exhibited highest enzyme activity at alkaline pH 8-9 with temperature...
Isolation of biosurfactant-producing marine bacteria
June 2012
Biosurfactant-producing marine bacteria were isolated from oil-spilled seawater collected from harbors and docks in Mumbai, India. Haemolytic activity, emulsification activity toward n-hexadecane, emulsion of mixtures of oils, drop collapsing test as well as oil displacement test were used to determine biosurfactant producing activity of marine bacteria. Among 25 strains, 20 different strains showed...
Study on degradation of malathion and phorate in various environmental matrices
May 2012
The degradation of Malathion and Phorate was studied in four soil samples under different laboratory-controlled and environmental conditions. Soil and water samples were collected from different sites. Soil samples, having been contaminated with malathion and phorate and were poured in different water samples like well water, river water and sea water so as to understand the leaching and degradation ability...
Assessing water quality of rural water supply schemes as a measure of service delivery sustainability: A case study of WondoGenet district, Southern Ethiopia
May 2012
This study was conducted in WondoGenet district, Southern Ethiopia to assess the water quality of rural water supply schemes in relation to the sustainability of their service delivery. 28 functional water points were selected randomly, for their assessments. The assessments included sanitary surveillance of water points and water quality analyses. Water samples were analyzed for pH, temperature, total...
Does participatory forest management change household attitudes towards forest conservation and management?
May 2012
The study assessed the impact of participatory forest management (PFM) on household attitudes towards conservation and management of Arabuko–Sokoke Forest. The results obtained show that the impact of the forest on households was positive and higher in households in PFM zones than in those in non-PFM zones. There were higher proportions of households in PFM zones...
Land-use and land-cover analysis of Ilorin Emirate between 1986 and 2006 using landsat imageries
April 2012
This paper examines changes in land-use and land-cover pattern in Ilorin Emirate in Nigeria between 1986 and 2006. Landsat images of Ilorin Emirates at three epochs (1986, 2000 and 2006) were used. An administrative map of local governments in Kwara State and a land-use map of Ilorin were used as base maps. Global Mapper Software was used for the image enhancement; image classification was done with...
An economic valuation of the Kakum National Park: An individual travel cost approach
April 2012
A major problem confronting environmental economists is the difficulty in valuing environmental resources and other public goods such as recreational sites since there are no markets or markets are imperfect in situations where they exist. The Kakum National Park, officially opened in 1994, is one of the most important parks in Ghana that protects a vast rainforest including its bio-diversity, habitats and...
Dissolution of heavy metals from electrostatic precipitator (ESP) dust of a coal based sponge iron plant by fungal leaching
April 2012
Coal based sponge iron industries in India generate considerable quantity of solid waste, 40% of which is flue dust produced from the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) connected to rotary kiln. This paper reports the dissolution of Zn, Cu, Pb, Mn and Fe from the ESP dust using three fungal species, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavusat 5 and 10% pulp densities over a...
Impact of salinity on the production of tomato along the coastal areas of Benin Republic
April 2012
The coast of Benin lies on a wide bay in the Gulf of Guinea called the Bight of Benin, about 125 km between Togo and Nigeria. The coastal areas of Benin cover part of the cultivable lands of the country. A total of 15 tomato varieties were recorded in the areas of study. The characteristics of each variety grown under salinity were also recorded based on the assessment of farmers. Salinity causes unfavorable...
Assessment of ill health behaviors of lime kilns workers at Maihar and Jhukehi region of Madhya Pradesh, India
March 2012
In present study, an extensive health survey of 573 lime kiln workers of Maihar and Jhukehi region of Madhya Pradesh was done for impact assessment of occupational and environmental health hazards’ exposure on their health behavior. Various physical and physiological disorders of workers were screened with the cooperation of physicians and consultants. Among the observed health anomalies, eye disorders...
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