Assessment of physico-chemical characteristics of groundwater among different farm sizes in Ainabkoi sub-county, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya
November 2018
Access to quality drinking water is of major concern for sustainable development in developing countries with regard to physico-chemical properties. Groundwater from shallow wells is the main source of domestic water supply for the community of Ainabkoi Sub-County of Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. Seasonal agricultural production activities expose the water to possible pollution. In this regard the study aimed to assess...
Environmental governance and employment effects: An empirical research based on mediating effect model
November 2018
In recent years, the problem of large-scale production suspension of domestic enterprises and unemployment of laborers brought about by environmental governance is becoming increasingly serious. How to reduce the negative externalities of environmental governance has become an urgent practical problem that needs to be solved. Based on the Cobb-Douglas production function model, this paper introduced the mediating effect...
Effects of Changes in Use of Indigenous Knowledge Systems on Land Cover in Teso Busia County, Kenya
October 2018
This paper introduces indigenous land knowledge conservation systems as a significant resource which would contribute to the increased efficiency and effectiveness in the management of land and land based resources among rural communities. Despite their critical role in the conservation of the land based resources, these knowledge systems and technologies are being marginalized or even forgotten among rural communities....
Phytoplankton species diversity and biomass and its impact on the sustainable management of Lake Bosomtwe in the Ashanti Region of Ghana
October 2018
Lake Bosomtwe is a closed, stratified, natural freshwater body located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Recently residents along the Lake shore complain of foul smells emanating from the Lake and also there have been occasional fish deaths there. This led to the study of the composition of phytoplankton community dominating the lake. Sampling was done during the rainy and dry seasons. Samples were collected from twelve...
Use of integrated pollution indices in assessing heavy metals pollution in soils of three auto mechanic villages in Abuja
October 2018
This research work targeted at the use of integrated pollution indices models of Pollution Index (PI), Average of Pollution Index (PIAvg), Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Nemerow Pollution Index (NIPINemerow) in assessing heavy metals pollution in soils of three auto mechanic villages of Abuja. Soil samples were randomly collected with a stainless hand auger to a depth range of 0 to 15 cm and were analyzed with atomic...
Performance enhancement of Nalgonda technique and pilot testing electrolytic defluoridation system for removing fluoride from drinking water in East Africa
October 2018
High fluoride concentrations in groundwater pose a health risk to people living in the Rift valley of Ethiopia and beyond. The Nalgonda and electrolytic defluoridation (EDF) fluoride treatment systems were developed and adapted in India for fluoride removal. A recent study evaluated twenty Nalgonda techniques that were implemented in the Rift valley of Ethiopia. A number of these systems were found to be non-functional...
Equilibrium, kinetic and thermodynamic studies of biosorption of zinc ions from industrial wastewater using derived composite biosorbents from walnut shell
September 2018
The biosorption process of Zn (II) ions in industrial wastewater was investigated using derived composite biosorbents from walnut and snail shells. Composite adsorbents were produced by activating walnut shell carbon (WSC) with phosphoric acid to obtain acid-treated walnut shell carbon (AWSC) and WSC and AWSC were independently impregnated on chitosan to produce walnut shell carbon impregnated on chitosan (WSCC) and...
The impacts of climate change and variability on crop farming systems in Semi-Arid Central Tanzania: The case of Manyoni District in Singida Region
September 2018
This paper focuses on the impacts of climate change and variability on crop farming. The main objective of this paper is to assess the impacts of climate change and variability on crop farming systems in Manyoni district, Tanzania. This paper used mixed research design with both quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The research used different methods in collecting information concerning the impacts of...
Seasonal variation of heavy metal speciation in soil and stream sediments from hospital waste dumpsite in Ilesa, Southwestern Nigeria
September 2018
A speciation study of selected heavy metals in soil and stream sediments around a hospital waste dumpsite was investigated. Sequential extraction procedure was used to fractionate the metals into 4 fractions: Exchangeable and bound to carbonate, oxyhydroxide of Fe and Mn, organic matter and the residual fraction. Speciation analysis of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cd and Pb in soil revealed that a major portion of the metals were...
Healthcare waste management practices and risk perception of healthcare workers in private healthcare facilities in an urban community in Nigeria
September 2018
Medical waste, despite the relatively small amounts in which it is generated, is a major concern for healthcare professionals and the government mainly because it poses risks to humans and the environment. Previous studies have shown that there is poor management of medical waste in developing nations, and Nigeria is not an exception. Some have surveyed the associated risks but few have studied the risk perceptions...
Analysis of spatial variability in rainfall trends in Baringo County, Kenya
September 2018
This study assessed actual rainfall trends and variability in Baringo County. The objective of the study was to determine whether there were variations in rainfall trends by agro ecological zones. Meteorological rainfall data for the period 1981 to 2010 from three distinct agro-ecological zones covering highland (LH 2), low land (IL 6) and midland (LM 5) was used. The choice of rainfall stations was informed by...
Optimization of bio gas production from slaughterhouse wastes
August 2018
This study focuses on the production of biogas from slaughter house waste to generate optimal methane yield which has high calorific value under optimum temperature, pH and substrate proportion (blood, manure and undigested food material). In this study, two different kinds of experiment were done. The first experiment was carried out to determine the pH, total solid, volatile solid and ash content of each type of waste...
Management status and perception of post quarried sites in Ndarugu Kiambu, Kenya
August 2018
In recent times, rapid changes in buildings and infrastructural development have increased demand for construction materials. Ndarugu quarries located about 35 km north of Nairobi CBD are among the main sources of building materials in Kenya. The visible evidence of stone mining are the post-quarried sites scarred along the Ndarugu ridge, which has altered the original land condition and continues to affect people who...
Outlier based selection and accuracy updating of digital elevation models for urban area projects
August 2018
Continuing degradation of urban environments of developing economies results from failure to make decisions based on scientific methods that employ accurate digital elevation models (DEM) in modelling environmental phenomena such as flooding and erosion. Data dumping and wastage occur if fresh DEM are required for every new project ignoring existing data. Every DEM to be used for modelling may be accepted as is, updated...
Perception and mitigation preferences on climate change among residents of Nairobi City County
July 2018
As result of compounding factors related to environmental, social, economic and political pressures, it is feared that the impacts of climate change and variability may overwhelm resilience of urban systems in developing countries if adaptation and mitigation strategies are not strengthened. Understanding how the urban residents perceive and respond to climate change is necessary for the purpose of formulating informed...
Influence of land use practices on water physicochemical parameters and nutrients loading along the Mara River of East Africa
July 2018
Mara River originates from the Mau Forest and traverses through landscapes with varying activities. Over the years, Mara River Basin has witnessed population increase, accompanied with conversion of forestlands into agricultural farms, human settlements, industrial and tourist activities and development of urban centres. Land uses along riverine areas have influence on water quality and may affect health of surrounding...
Influence of anthropogenic activities and seasons on heavy metals in spring water along Amala and Nyangores tributaries of the Mara River Basin
July 2018
Anthropogenic activities, including replacing natural forests with human settlements and increased agricultural activities have environmental impacts. The activities can contaminate aquatic ecosystems including spring waters that are sources of major rivers like the Amala and Nyangores, tributaries of Mara River in Mau Complex. In the complex, forestlands have been converted to human settlements and agricultural lands....
Bacterial community changes during composting of municipal crop waste using low technology methods as revealed by 16S rRNA
June 2018
Bacterial communities are actively involved in composting process but the environment within the compost influences their diversity, abundance and succession. In this study, the authors investigated the bacterial communities in tropical crop waste compost using pyrosequencing. Municipal crop wastes from the tropics (Uganda) were composted under four different low-technology methods. Samples were collected from the early...
Assessment of water quality in the lower Nyong estuary (Cameroon, Atlantic Coast) from environmental variables and phytoplankton communities’ composition
June 2018
The aim of this study was to provide a first-hand water quality assessment of the River Nyong estuary, Southern Atlantic coast of Cameroon. Environmental variables and phytoplankton communities were monitored at four surface stations in the estuary for 2 season cycles from 2014 to 2015. A total of 208 species of phytoplankton, belonging to five (5) groups of microalgae, were identified. The Shannon-Weaver diversity...
Heavy metals pollution index of surface water from Commodore channel, Lagos, Nigeria
June 2018
Surface water pollution poses a major risk to all biotic entities dependent on the water body. This study assessed the surface water quality of commodore channel, Lagos lagoon with respect to its heavy metals pollution level using indexing approach to determine the sources of heavy metal and its associated pollution risk. Samples were collected at a depth of 10-15 cm within a distance of 4 km from the shore line. Metal...
Determination of cadmium, chromium and lead in four brands of herbal bitters preparation sold in Benin- city, Southern Nigeria
May 2018
This study evaluated the level of three toxic heavy metals (cadmium, chromium and lead) in four selected brands of herbal bitter preparations sold in Benin City, Southern Nigeria purchased from chemists' shops, using the flame atomic absorption spectrophotometric technique. The result of the atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analysis showed that Chromium (Cr) was not detected in any of the four brands. Lead (Pb)...
Technical evaluation of soil and water conservation measures in Maego Watershed, North Ethiopia
May 2018
Soil and water conservation (SWC) practices have been carried out to solve land degradation problems in Ethiopia since the last 3 decades. Technical evaluation of the implemented SWC structures is essential for effectiveness and sustainability of the measures. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify and evaluate the technical quality of constructed physical SWC structures in Maego watershed, Ethiopia. The...
Screening of hydrocarbon degrading fungi in crude oil polluted soil isolated in the Niger Delta
May 2018
Bioremediation has been argued to be cheaper and more environmental friendly when compared to other remediation technology. Bioremediation make use of the ability of bacteria and fungi to biodegrade organic compound to cleanup hydrocarbon pollution. Many fungi have been shown to biodegrade simple and complex polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. In this study, petroleum hydrocarbon degrading fungi have been isolated and...
Biotransformation and detoxification of reactive black dye by Ganoderma tsugae
May 2018
In this study, the decolourization potential of the white-rot fungus Ganoderma tsugae, which is capable of producing laccase was investigated to degrade reactive black dye. Biodegradation of reactive black dye was analyzed by using spectrophotometer at an absorbance of 585 nm. Laccase, manganese peroxidase and pH were served as biodegradation indices. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and gas chromatography mass...
Comparative risk of pit latrine sludge from unplanned settlements and wastewater in Mzuzu City, Malawi
April 2018
Most developing countries use existing knowledge and infrastructure for wastewater in the treatment, reuse and disposal of faecal sludge. There is need to have a clear picture of the risk faecal sludge poses in relation to wastewater if effective treatment, disposal and reuse systems are to be implemented. Little work has been done to quantify the risk faecal sludge poses in relation to wastewater in a localized...
Land-use/cover change analysis using Remote Sensing techniques in the landscape of Majang Zone of Gambella Region, Ethiopia
April 2018
Recently, forest land grant for investment which is often misquoted as bare land is posing a challenge to biodiversity conservation efforts in the Majang Zone of Gambella Region, Ethiopia. On the other hand, Majang zone has always been known for dense forest cover and rich biodiversity; but recently threatened due to plantation investment. In order to tackle such prevailing problems, timely information about past and...
Microbiological and physico-chemical analyses of hand dug well-water near pit latrine in a rural Area of Western Nigeria
April 2018
Contamination of water from feacal sources can lead to major outbreaks of water-borne diseases when such water is consumed without proper treatment. The microbiological and physicochemical analyses of well-water sample collected near pit latrines in Oko, Oyo State, Nigeria were carried out during rainy and dry seasons. Microbiological analysis was carried out by using Most Probable Number (MPN) technique while...
Distribution and level of arsenic in selected environmental indicators
April 2018
In this study, total arsenic was determined in soil, common grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), plant leaf (Dogwood; Cornus florida) and an invertebrate (Stag beetle; Rhinotia hemistictus). This was with a view of investigating its distribution and level in the environment. Samples were randomly collected from stratified sections of the study area, processed and analysed using validated acid extraction technique. Detection of...
Genotoxicity assessment of three industrial effluents using the Allium cepa bioassay
March 2018
The Allium cepa assay was employed, in conjunction with physico-chemical analysis, to investigate the potential cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of three industrial effluents (soap, beverage and paint) from the southeast of Nigeria. For in situ monitoring of cytotoxicity level, inhibition of mitotic division was investigated and for genotoxicity evaluation, chromosomal aberration assay was carried out. The results showed...
Analysis of physical and chemical parameters in ground water consumed within Konso area, Southwestern Ethiopia
March 2018
To improve water quality, there should be a mechanism of keeping safe water source from chemical contaminants in an effective and protective way through the application of regular checkup and with interventions by taking exact measure periodically before it is supplied for usage. The intention of this research is aimed at determining the level of common cations, anions, heavy metals and physical parameters in drinking...
The contribution of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) on food security in Mbokomu ward, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania
March 2018
This paper focuses on the contribution of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) on food security in Mbokomu ward. The main objective of this paper is to ascertain the use and application of IKS on food security and document methods used in food preservation. Various ethnic groups have different methods of preserving food and use it during the food shortage. Thus, people in Mbokomu ward used several methods in preserving...
Production of biogas by the co-digestion of cow dung and crop residue at University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
February 2018
Anaerobic co-digestion is one of the most promising auxiliaries for treating waste because of the high energy redemption. Bio-digester is designed and apparatus installed for anaerobic co-digestion of cow waste with crop residue in order to manufacture biogas. Gas production is measured by using water displacement method. The experimental results show that 1 kg of cow dung can produce about 15 to 30 L of biogas per day....
Recycling of oil sludge together with construction and demolition waste into building materials in Tanzania
February 2018
The disposal of oil sludge together with construction and demolition waste in Tanzania is still a challenge in both space and technology. In order to reduce the space requirement for oil sludge together with construction and demolition waste disposal, the recycling of these waste becomes a vital option. This paper is mainly concerned with the determination on the possibility of recycling the oil sludge together with...
Foraminiferal analysis and palaeoenvironmental interpretation of borehole ET (BH-ET) in the Calabar Flank, South-eastern Nigeria
February 2018
Foraminiferal biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental interpretation was carried out on core samples (5 samples between intervals 5-55 m) recovered from borehole ET (BH-ET) located in Etankpini area of the Calabar Flank, south eastern Nigeria. Lithologic description of the borehole samples were carried out and the borehole was sampled at 5 m interval. The samples were later composited at 10 m interval and a total of six...
Plankton abundance in ecosystem of Tebing Tinggi Island, District Meranti Island, Riau, Indonesia
February 2018
Research on the abundance of plankton in Tebing Tinggi Island waters ecosystem, Meranti Island District, Riau Province was conducted in March 2017. The observations focused on the phytoplankton and zooplankton communities at ten stations. The variations in the abundance of plankton on average between the location groups were 4428 to 1716224 cells/m3 and 23938 individuals/m3 (67.73%), respectively for phytoplankton and...
Effect of noise pollution on hearing capacity of workers in Jute Mills of Chittagong City
January 2018
A survey and assessment of noise level with its impact on mill workers were conducted in two Jute Mills of Chittagong city. These industries are highly noise producers; the workers of such mills are highly prone to noise pollution effect, especially hearing problems. Higher noise level in different working sections of the Jute Mill was recorded which includes the siren played, noise from the main entrance, mill’s...
Groundwater recharge and flow processes as revealed by stable isotopes and geochemistry in fractured Hornblende-biotite-gneiss, Rivirivi Catchment, Malawi
January 2018
To enable sustainable management of groundwater resources, knowledge of dominant hydrogeological processes is fundamental. In this study, stable isotopes of water [δ18O and δD] and major inorganic ions were used to investigate recharge and groundwater flow processes in a catchment underlain by fractured and faulted hornblende-biotite-gneiss. Spatial and temporal geochemical distributions consistently...
The Uttarakhand 2013 and Jammu-Kashmir 2014 disasters: Upstream effects of water piracy
January 2018
Countries lack the infrastructure to deal with the drainage following flashfloods from localized downpours which may originate from localized evaporation or its combination with that from surroundings or from hurricanes. The natural distribution of water is the best and optimum for the globe. Among the world’s riparian countries, India makes her territory both the sources and the sinks of river discharges by...
Impact of human activities on groundwater vulnerability in hombolo catchment: Dodoma, Tanzania
December 2017
Groundwater is an important freshwater resource in Tanzania. However, rapid urbanization, informal/unplanned settlements and agricultural intensification in major basins threaten its sustainability. Most groundwater aquifers in the country are not monitored or managed, thus exposing them to potential contamination and overexploitation. This paper is based on a research conducted in the months of February and March,...
Banana pests and diseases spread to higher altitudes due to increasing temperature over the last 20 years
December 2017
In this study, we established changes in minimum and maximum temperature over the past 20 years, and how these changes are likely to affect the status of key banana pests and black Sigatoka disease in main banana cropping systems. A survey was conducted at elevations of 1200, 1400, 1600 and 1800 m above sea level in 13 sites previously used in 1992/1993. Mean monthly minimum and maximum temperatures at different...
Estimating forest above-ground carbon using object-based analysis of very high spatial resolution satellite images
December 2017
The potentials and limitations of very high spatial resolution images for aboveground carbon (AGC) estimation are unknown and the methods are not developed. This research was designed to develop a method that predicts AGC at the individual tree level using object-based analysis of very high resolution QuickBird satellite images and in situ diameter at breast height (DBH) measurements. This study was based on the fact...
Two-stage anaerobic sequence batch digestion of composite tannery wastewater
November 2017
Most of the leather industries in Ethiopia discharge their effluent partially or without any treatment to the nearby water bodies. This creates a serious effect on aquatic biota and surrounding environment due to its high organic loading and chromium content. To minimize the effect, tannery wastewater should be treated before the effluent is discharged to the environment. Therefore, the main objective of the study was...
Spatial and temporal water quality dynamics of Awash River using multivariate statistical techniques
November 2017
Awash River has important socio-economic and ecological values in Ethiopia. On the contrary, it is prone to serious water pollution. This study aims to assess the spatial and temporal variation of water quality of the river. Means of the 9 years’ (2005-2013) water quality dataset of 19 parameters from 10 stations in the basin were considered. After validating, normalizing and checking the sampling adequacy and...
Vulnerability of agro-pastoral farms to climate change in Dakoro
November 2017
In Niger, climate change affects the majority of the population, especially the rural communities. The present study intends to contribute to the understanding of the actual perception of climate changes by the population along with the degree of apprehensiveness of the population regarding the climatic manifestations described by scientists. To this end, two communities have been targeted in the Department of Dakoro....
Evidence for a gas-flaring source of alkanes leading to elevated ozone in air above West Africa
October 2017
As part of the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) project, the FAAM BAe-146 research aircraft sampled the lower and mid-troposphere around the West Africa sub-region. Back trajectory analysis of the air parcels sampled on-board during the entire duration of the flights showed the history and fate of the air parcels. Data from flights B228 and B231 showed strongly enhanced carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone...
Pig faeces digestion as compared to anaerobic co-digestion using waste waters sludge or bovine ruminal gastric content treatments
October 2017
Anaerobic co-digestion improves the pig faeces digestion process. This work presents anaerobic digestion of pig faeces (C) as compared to 2 co-substrates: Sludge (L) from waste waters and bovine ruminal gastric content (R). Pig faeces used were generated in a local farm at the Juarez Autonomous University of Tabasco (UJAT), with a total population of 148 animals. Analytical determinations were made on the substrate and...
Effects of soil bund on soil physical and chemical properties in Arsi Negelle woreda, Central Ethiopia
October 2017
This study was conducted in Arsi Negelle woreda of West Arsi Zone, Oromia regional state. The main objective of the study was to investigate the impacts of soil bund on soil physical and chemical properties in Arsi Negelle woreda. The soil data was collected from sites namely: lowland, midland and highland and from soil bunds aged >4 years, <4 years and control of farmland. Three representative sites were selected...
Correlation and mapping of geothermal and radioactive heat production from the Anambra Basin, Nigeria
October 2017
Twelve sheets of aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric data covered the study area. The data was used to investigate heat sources. The aeromagnetic data were combined to form a composite map- total magnetic intensity (TMI) anomaly map and aeroradiometric data of each radio-element were combined to produce the radioelements maps. Regional-residual separation of the total magnetic intensity data was performed using polynomial...
Increased streamflow dynamics and implications for flooding in the Lower River Benue Basin
October 2017
The paper dealt with increased streamflow dynamics and implications for flooding in the Lower River Benue Basin. The study utilised data collected over a period of more than fifty years (1955-2012) from three hydrological stations operated by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA). The average discharge at Umaisha was 4,919.47 cubic metres per second (m3/s). Average discharge at Makurdi hydrological station...
A review of heavy metals in soil and aquatic systems of urban and semi-urban areas in Malawi with comparisons to other selected countries
September 2017
Growth of cities in developing countries comes with increasing transportation and industrial activities which may contribute to accumulation of heavy metals in the environment. This paper provides a review of studies on heavy metals in Malawi`s environment, their potential environmental impacts and possible removal methods with comparisons to other selected countries. The reviewed data from Malawi showed that in water...
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