The absorption and scavenging ability of a bacillus in heavy metal contaminated soils (Pb, Zn and Cr)
August 2014
A bacterial strain, which was able survive Pb, Zn and Cr -heavy metal compound culture was isolated from the soils of Shanjia Villiage, Qufu City, Shandong Province. An observation of the morphological and biochemical characteristics of the compound and the analysis of 16SrDNA sequence revealed that it was Bacillus. Standing liquid culture was used to study the tolerance of Pb Zn Cr -heavy metals compound and the...
Spatial distribution, chemistry and subsurface temperatures of geothermal springs in Nkhata bay, Malawi
August 2014
This study investigated the spatial distribution, chemistry and subsurface temperatures of geothermal springs in Nkhata Bay, Malawi, which lies in the Western Branch of the East African Rift System. Seventeen geothermal springs were identified and mapped in the District. Eleven of these geothermal springs were purposively sampled for chemistry study on the basis of their spatial distribution representativeness and...
Heavy metals accumulation in edible part of vegetables irrigated with untreated municipal wastewater in tropical savannah zone, Nigeria
August 2014
In this present study, the quality of municipal wastewater used for irrigation of spinach was investigated for its heavy metal build-up. The municipal wastewater used for irrigation and the irrigated spinach samples were collected and analyzed for their heavy metal concentrations. The results indicate that the municipal wastewater used was contaminated with copper (1.90 mg/l), lead (0.09 mg/l) and iron (25 mg/l) and the...
Characterization of Dabagi clay deposit for its ceramics potential
August 2014
A clay deposit in Gwandu Town of Kebbi State, Nigeria has been evaluated for its potential as industrial raw material. The chemical analysis was carried out using X-ray florescence spectrometery while physical property tests such as porosity, bulk density, linear shrinkage, thermal shock resistance, cold crushing strength and refractoriness were done using standard techniques. The result of chemical analysis indicated...
Leaching behaviour of azoxystrobin in sandy loam soil
August 2014
The mobility of azoxystrobin in sandy loam soil was studied under continuous and discontinuous flow conditions in soil columns under laboratory conditions at two application rates (50 and 100 μg), with simulated rainfall of 300 mm. Residues of azoxystrobin in soil and leachate were estimated by gas-liquid chromatography and confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Though maximum concentration of...
An appraisal of the handler awareness of electrical and electronic equipment toxicity in Nigeria
July 2014
Some developing countries in Africa are waking up to the broadband race by providing public access to information communications technologies (ICTs) to instigate social and economic development and to narrow the digital divide. One of such countries is Nigeria, which ranked 60th in 2006 in e-readiness report by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Consequently, the market, marketers and repairers of electrical electronic...
Bacteriological physicochemical quality of recreational water bodies: Case studies from Addis Ababa and Oromiya region Ethiopia
July 2014
Waterborne diseases are common and major problem in developing countries. Considering the great importance of the safety of recreational waters, a cross-sectional study at Addis Ababa and Oromiya regional state was carried out over a three month period of time from May-July, 2008. A total of 72 water samples from two natural bathing lakes and six outdoor swimming pools were collected and analyzed for total and fecal...
Assessment of heavy metals in vegetables irrigated with Awash River in selected farms around Adama town, Ethiopia
July 2014
A study was conducted at Melka Hida and Wonji Gefersa farms where Awash River was used for cultivation of vegetable crops to assess heavy metal contamination of vegetables. To what extent these vegetables are contaminated is not known. Three leafy vegetable samples, namely, cabbage (Brassica oleracea Linn.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and spinach (Spinacea oleracea) from Melka Hida and Wonji Gefersa farms were...
Heavy metal concentration in selected fish species from Eleyele reservoir Ibadan Oyo State South-western Nigeria
July 2014
Heavy metal concentrations (lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, chromium and manganese) in selected fish species from Eleyele reservoir Ibadan Oyo State South-Western Nigeria were investigated. A sample each of catfish (Clarias gariepinus), Africa pike (Hepsetus odoe) and tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) from Eleyele lake Ibadan Oyo state were collected from fish farmers at the landing site early in the morning using...
Levels of heavy metals in fish obtained from two fishing sites in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
July 2014
Akwa Ibom State is located in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and a substantial amount of the fishes consumed in the area are bought at Ifiayong and Ibaka beaches. This study was carried out to analyze heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr and As) in kidney, heart, gills and liver of silver catfish (Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus) from these locations. Analysis was performed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry...
Fish distribution in relation to environmental characteristics in the Aby-Tendo-Ehy lagoon system (Southeastern Côte d’Ivoire)
July 2014
Although West African lagoons are known to provide significant fishery resources to populations, few studies have been done on processes responsible for their fish composition, abundance and spatial distribution. The aim of this study was to assess fish species distribution along the Aby-Tendo-Ehy lagoon system in Côte d’Ivoire. Sampling sites were distributed in the lagoon and grouped into three zones from...
Culture-dependent characterization of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria in selected crude oil-impacted sites in Bodo, Ogoniland, Nigeria
June 2014
This investigation was carried out to characterize microbial communities in selected crude oil polluted sites in Bodo community, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Total heterotrophic bacterial counts ranged from 0.7 to 1.37x107 cfu/g and 0.2 to 5.9x106 cfu/ml while counts of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria ranged from 0.1 to 8.0 x 106 and 0.2 to 7.5 x 105 cfu/ml for soil, sediment and water,...
Impacts of climate change on invasive Lantana camara L. distribution in South Africa
June 2014
Climate change and invasive species are now seen as two major contributors to global biodiversity change. The combined effects of these two factors have serious implications for biodiversity and agriculture. Lantana camara L. (sensu lato) (lantana) is a woody shrub that is highly invasive in many countries of the world including South Africa where it has a profound impact on biodiversity, water resources and...
Assessment of environmental degradation of soil and groundwater: A case study of waste disposal in Benin West Moat - Ekenwan gully Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
June 2014
The ancient Benin moat of 2.00 to 5.00 m width, and 10 to 30 m depth almost concentrically dug round the City, is supposed to be an important socio-cultural artifact if well preserved. It has served its good purpose of defense and protection of the ancient Bini civilization. Now, modern urbanization pressure has defaced and is degrading the moat and its environs through house development, soil quarrying, gullying, flood...
Effect of heat build-up on carbon emissions in chimato compost piles
June 2014
A study was conducted to determine impacts of heat build-up of chimato compost piles TD0, TD20, TD40, TD50, TD60, TD80 and TD100, made by blending maize stalks with 0, 20, 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100% Tithonia diversifolia, respectively, on carbon losses and emissions during composting. Compost piles temperatures that determined heat built-up were obtained from previous studies. Organic carbon and total carbon of chimato...
A precision nutrient variability study of an experimental plot in Mukono Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Mukono, Uganda
June 2014
The spatial soil fertility status of a 2.5 ha experimental plot was generated by mapping the soil nutrient concentration and fertility status using GIS kriging technique. The research was conducted in Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Mukono, Uganda in October 2013. Soil samples across the experimental plot were randomly taken for laboratory analysis of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium...
Marine biotoxins and its detection
June 2014
The incidences of intoxication due to the consumption of marine foods have been increasing in recent years. This is due to the presence of biotoxins in foods of marine origin. The biotoxins will be accumulated in the marine foods due to the consumption of toxic biota of marine origin. When this contaminated food is taken by the humans or animals, those toxins will be transferred to them causing intoxication and...
Determination of optimum growth conditions and biodiesel production from filamentous algae
June 2014
Petroleum diesel combustion is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG). It is also a major source of other air contaminants including NOx, SOx, CO and volatile organic compounds. Algae have emerged as one of the most promising sources for biodiesel production. In this study, a higher algae growth rate was observed in the experiments with excess Na2SiO4, trace metals, Na2EDTA and excess vitamin solution, the increase was...
Air quality assessment of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide levels in Blantyre, Malawi: A statistical approach to a stationary environmental monitoring station
June 2014
Air quality in urban areas is a cause of concern because of increased industrial activities that contribute to large quantities of emissions. The study assess levels and variations of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Blantyre, Malawi using a stationary environmental monitoring station (EMS). Results show that CO level (2.47 ± 1.23 mg m-3) were below the Malawian...
Recovery and characterization of poly(3-Hydroxybutyric acid) synthesized in Staphylococcus epidermidis
June 2014
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable polyesters accumulated intracellularly as energy resources by bacterial species. In this study, fermentation process for production of PHA is carried out using sesame oil as carbon source. We studied recovery of poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) (PHB) from Staphylococcus epidermidis by sodium hypochlorite digestion method. Recovered PHB sample was estimated by UV...
Bahir Dar tannery effluent characterization and its impact on the head of Blue Nile River
June 2014
A study was conducted to characterize Bahir Dar tannery effluent and determine its impact on the head of Blue Nile River using selected physicochemical parameters. Samples were taken from the direct effluent stream and four sampling sites (one upstream and three downstream) were selected along the river to determine its impact on the river. Samples were collected from October to March, 2010/11. Temperature, pH,...
The comparative insecticidal and residual efficacy of sniper and alpha cypermethrin in the control of Blattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) infestation
May 2014
Blattella germanica (German cockroach) is an urban insect pest in Nigeria due to an increase in strains that are resistant to the commonly used insecticides. The purpose of this study was to determine which of the insecticides used by pest control professionals are still effective. The insecticidal efficacies of dichlorvos (organophosphate-called sniper©) and alpha cypermethrin (a pyrethroid called alpha action...
Assessment of pond effluent effect on water quality of the Asuofia Stream, Ghana
May 2014
The study was done to assess the effects of potential pond effluent on the physico-chemical parameters of the receiving streams. Forty two (42) samples were collected from five ponds, upstream and downstream stations of the receiving stream for a period of six months. In situ measurement was conducted for physical parameters using a portable multi-parameter water quality meter (HANNA, HI9828). Samples were collected and...
Land degradation in Northern Nigeria: The impacts and implications of human-related and climatic factors
May 2014
Northern Nigeria despite its promising agricultural potential, is currently not enjoying economic bloom like its Southern counterpart as a result of political, religious, ethnic and socio-economic factors. The degradation of land and its resulting impact on other agricultural resources may have further exacerbated the economic and social conditions of the region. The perceived encroachment of Nigeria’s Savannah...
Variations in abiotic conditions of water quality of River Osun, Osun State, Nigeria
May 2014
Seasonal variations in physicochemical properties of the surface water of River Osun in Osogbo, Nigeria, were investigated from May to August 2012 and November to February, 2012/2013. The water body of the mentioned river received water and wastes from the other effluences. Physicochemical parameters were determined in triplicate at three different points of the river, across the two seasons of the year. The points were...
Assessment of the energy recovery potentials of solid waste generated in Akosombo, Ghana
May 2014
The main attributes of waste as a fuel are water content, calorific value, and burnable content. The study was conducted to evaluate the energy recovery potential of solid waste generated in Akosombo. A total of twelve (12) samples were collected from the township in December, 2012 (dry month) and May, 2013 (Wet month). Samples were weighed and segregated into organic and inorganic components. The organic component was...
The next generation feedstock of biofuel: Jatropha or Chlorella as assessed by their life-cycle inventories
May 2014
Promising energy crops such as Jatropha curcas Linnaeus (JCL), which are planted on marginal lands, or microalgae such as Chlorella, which are cultivated in ponds located on mudflats or deserts, have been regarded with high hopes to solve the shortage of food crops and increase the amount of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester, FAME) production. However, the annual yields of biomass and transport fuels (t/ha) of both are...
Determinants of domestic water consumption in a growing urban centre in Osun State, Nigeria
April 2014
Household access to potable water is required for sanitation and general well-being. This challenge is under the influence of variables that play both temporal and spatial roles. This research examines the determinants of domestic water use in Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria. Ten households each were randomly selected from ten of the fifteen political wards in the town for the administration of 100 copies of questionnaire....
Assessment of heavy metals concentration in soils around oil filling and service stations in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana
April 2014
This study was conducted to assess the level of heavy metals contamination of soil around oil filling and service stations in the Tamale Metropolis. Soil samples were collected from various oil filling and service stations. Elemental analysis of samples was conducted using atomic absorption spectrometer at Atomic Energy Laboratory, Accra. The metals concentrations ranged from 2.37 to 15.00 mg/kg for Cr; 0.01 to 0.03...
Batch adsorption of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Fe, Cr and Cd) from aqueous solutions using coconut husk
April 2014
This study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of metals (Cu, Fe, Pb, Cr and Cd) removal from mixed metal ions solution using coconut husk as adsorbent. The effects of varying contact time, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dose and pH on adsorption process of these metals were studied using synthetically prepared wastewater. The percentage removal of metals increased with increasing weight (0.4-1.2 g)...
Benthic macroinvertebrate community of a fourth order stream in Kashmir Himalaya, India
April 2014
The study was conducted in order to determine the abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates in Doodhganga stream passing through Brenwar forest (Yousmarg) Kashmir. Altogether 6 orders under 2 phyla namely: Arthropoda and Annelida were recorded from the stream. Inspite of the torrential flow of the stream, the hard substrata like boulders and cobbles provided a stable habitat for diverse number of macroinvertebrates. The...
Household-scale environmental health in the Ezulwini Valley, Swaziland
April 2014
An environmental health assessment of 210 households located in four communities in the Ezulwini Valley, Swaziland, is summarized. The assessment focused on household-scale environmental health in the context of four key resource sectors: drinking water, energy, solid waste and human waste, with availability and perceived adequacy considered for each sector. The survey was administered in the field by small teams of...
Determination of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with airborne particulate matter by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method
April 2014
In this study, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with airborne particulate pollutants of aerodynamic size 10 μm (PM10) were studied for three months, from October to December 2010 in the Vanderbijlpark area. Some PAHs are highly carcinogenic and could be more harmful when combined with inhalable PM10. A dual E-Sampler which combines the light scatter and the gravimetric filter methods was used. A 10...
Molecular characterization of intestinal protozoan parasites from children facing diarrheal disease and associated risk factors in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire
March 2014
Diarrheal diseases are very common in children under 5 years and may lead to a delay of physical and mental development. Despite this knowledge, data on diarrheal diseases and socioeconomic determinants are still scarce in Côte d’Ivoire. This study is then conducted with the objective to fill part of this gap and specifically assess link between infant diarrhea occurrence and some major socio-environmental...
Histopathological and biochemical disrupting effects of Escravos crude oil on the liver and heart in Chinchilla rabbits
March 2014
The benefit of exploration and exploitation of crude oil to the Nigerian economy is not without its negative consequences. Apart from the indirect exposure to crude oil due to spillage, the consumption of this crude oil by the rural populace living in oil rich regions as traditional medicine for illnesses have evoked local and international concerns. The aim of this study was to investigate the histological and...
Basement and alluvial aquifers of Malawi: An overview of groundwater quality and policies
March 2014
This paper highlights the quality of groundwater in basement and alluvial aquifers of Malawi through literature assessment. Groundwater in these aquifers serves about 60% of Malawian population. Alluvial aquifers yield high groundwater in excess of 10 L/s and more mineralized than basement aquifers. The values from literature are presented as ranges. The geochemical quality of both aquifer types are classified as good....
Prospects and challenges of vermiculture practices in southwest Nigeria
March 2014
The prospect of vermiculture in the south-western coast of Nigeria was studied. One hundred and two respondents were interviewed in the three coastal towns of Badagry, Epe and Igbokoda. The results show that 94% of respondents made use of earthworms as fish bait, 37% buy their worms and 57% collected by themselves. The respondents, who buy, however, noted that their suppliers do not breed the worms but search for them...
A new model of dynamic of plant biodiversity in changing farmlands: Implications for the management of plant biodiversity along differential environmental gradient in the Yellow River of Henan Province in the spring
March 2014
The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) is often used as a model or investigating the linkages between disturbance intensity and biodiversity. However, the relationship between plant diversity and disturbance gradient makes it difficult to compare data from different researches and draw general models. It is importance to assess the relationship between disturbance gradients and herbaceous species diversity in the...
Heavy metals concentration in various tissues of two freshwater fishes, Labeo rohita and Channa striatus
February 2014
Heavy metals like cadmium, zinc, copper, chromium, lead and mercury were measured in the various tissues of Labeo rohita and Channa striatus and in the water samples collected from the Kolleru Lake, Andhra Pradesh during 2009-2010. The concentrations of heavy metals in the different organs of fishes varied. In L. rohita, the concentrations of heavy metals were in the order of liver > kidney > gills > muscles...
Promoting a low cost energy future in Africa
February 2014
With a large part of the population not having access to modern energy services in their daily life, energy poverty remains one of the most pressing development challenges on the African continent. Africa’s fossil fuel resources as well as its renewable energy potential can serve as the means to achieve this. For Africa’s social and economic development in the 21st century, however, the benchmark for these...
Performance evaluation of constructed wetlands: A review of arid and semi arid climatic region
February 2014
Aiming at environmental pollution control through the use of constructed wetlands systems (CWs) in arid and semi arid climatic region, a detailed review of CWs was undertaken. Given the practical application and simplicity of the technology, principles for building phytotechnology-ecohydrology environment used for wastewater remediation is appropriate. The ability of wetlands to filter, absorb and metabolize suspended...
The relationship between landscape planting patterns and perceived safety in urban parks in Tabriz, Iran
February 2014
The relationship between plants and perceived safety in residential areas has been argued by landscape researchers, but there is inadequate or no relevant literature available on the effect of plants in urban parks’ safety. Therefore, a photo-questionnaire survey was conducted among urban park users in Tabriz, Iran to gauge the perceived safety of landscape scene with diverse types of texture to discover its...
Characterization of groundwater quality in Oran Sebkha basin
February 2014
Growing populations and increasing industrialization causes increase in living standard, which result in decrease in the quality of water and may put stresses on natural waters by impairing both the quality of the water and the hydrological budget. This research aimed at determining the origin of the chemical elements of groundwater from the Oran Sebkha basin. It applied the inverse geochemical modeling to derive the...
A multi-method analysis of forest fragmentation and loss: The case of ward 11, Chiredzi District of Zimbabwe
February 2014
Forest fragmentation and loss seriously affect biodiversity. There is need to monitor and assess forest fragmentation and loss in communal areas for effective biodiversity management. In this study, we analysed the extent of forest fragmentation and loss in ward 11, Chiredzi district of Zimbabwe over a 14 year period (1989 to 2003). A multi-method design was adopted for triangulation and verification purposes. This...
Monitoring the land-use and vegetation cover changes in the Kainji Lake Basin, Nigeria (1975-2006)
February 2014
This paper demonstrates the use of remotely sensed data and geographic information system (GIS) techniques for monitoring the land-use and vegetation cover changes in the Kainji Lake Basin between 1975 and 2006- a period of thirty one (31) years. Since 1968 when Kainji Lake was constructed, various activities such as agriculture, deforestation, irrigation, fishing and construction of roads and bridges have taken place....
Histopathological changes induced by copepoda parasites infections on the gills of economically important fish mugilidae (Liza falcipinnis and Mugil cephalus) from Ganvie area of Lac Nokoue, Republic of Benin
February 2014
Histopathological changes induced by copepods parasitic infection on the gills of economically important fish, Mugil cephalus and Liza falcipinnis from Ganvie area of Lac Nokoue were examined from December 2011 to July 2012. Histopathological changes shows that the nature of damage observed in the gill of both M. cephalus and L. falcipinnis remained the same. Histopathological observation reveals serious damage of...
Assessment of environmental responses to land use/land cover dynamics in the Lower Ogun River Basin, Southwestern Nigeria
February 2014
This study investigates the pattern of land use/land cover change in the Lower Ogun River Basin between 1984 and 2012. Two sets of topographical maps, a Landsat-5 TM image of 1984, Landsat-7 ETM+ of 2000 and a Google Earth image of 2012 were used for the study. The topographical maps and satellite images were digitally processed using ILWIS 3.2™ software and exported to ArcGIS 9.3™ for further processing and...
Comparison of plant nutrient levels between compost from Sky loo and Fossa alterna toilets
February 2014
Recent scholars have highlighted the benefit of harvesting compost from eco-san toilets for application as plant nutrients. However, levels of nutrients in eco-san compost may vary depending on the type of toilet and also the type of top soil in a particular geographical region. This study compared levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium and sodium between compost from Sky loo and Fossa alterna toilets....
Geographic information system planning and monitoring best practices for West Africa
January 2014
Phenomenal increases in the number and sizes of urban settlements across the West African coastal region are leading to massive reclamation of swamps and destruction of natural ecosystems. Poor urbanization policies, inefficient planning and monitoring technologies are evident. The consequences include some of the worst types of environmental hazards. Best urbanization practices require integrated planning...
Geophysical study of saline water intrusion in Lagos municipality
January 2014
Saline water intrusion presently constitutes serious concerns in the Lagos municipality just like many other coastal cities, thus necessitating its intervallic study. The present study involving 52 borehole logs (consisting of natural gamma and electrical resistivity components) was aimed at delineating intruded and vulnerable zones. Saline water columns defined by low resistivity values in the range of 0.1 and 20...
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