Occurrence of paraquat residues in some Nigerian crops, vegetables and fruits
July 2011
Pesticides constitute the major source of potential environmental hazard to man and animal, as they are present and concentrated in the food chain. Paraquat (1,11-dimethyl-4,41-bipyridylium dichloride) is one of the most highly toxic herbicide to be marketed over the last 60 years. Although, Paraquat (PQ) has been banned or severely restricted in most countries, its use continues in some, especially in...
Analysis of heavy metals found in vegetables from some cultivated irrigated gardens in the Kano metropolis, Nigeria
June 2011
The use of industrial and domestic wastewaters for irrigation on vegetable gardens is a public health concern. Using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), concentrations of Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in four different vegetables, including,spinach, okra, onions and tomatoes, grown in effluent irrigated fields at Sharada, Kwakwachi and Jakara in the Kano metropolis, Nigeria. Similar...
Heavy metal impact on growth and leaf asymmetry of seagrass, Halophila ovalis
June 2011
A major threat to the seagrass ecosystem worldwide, due to the growth of human population along the coastal environment, is pollution or contamination resulting from industrial and urban development. Although seagrass appears to be rather resistant to heavy metal contaminants, these substances may possibly harm some components of the seagrass and such responses have not been examined to a significant...
Evaluation of the levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in water samples of Lagos Lagoon using solid phase extraction method
June 2011
Water samples were collected from 6 different locations of the Lagos lagoon at 0.5 and 2.5 m depths, respectively and from 2 other river bodies in Lagos and analyzed for the presence of 9 OCPs (organochlorine pesticides) residues. Samples were extracted using solid phase extraction method and were analyzed with gas chromatography. The analytes quantified included chlordane (0.006 to 0.950 µg/L),...
Acute toxicity and behavioral response of freshwater fish, Mystus vittatus exposed to pulp mill effluent
June 2011
The present study deals with the acute toxicity (LC50 evaluation) of paper mill effluent to a freshwater fish, Mystus vittatus. A monthly record covering all the spawning season (pre-spawning phase, spawning phase and post-spawning phase) was evaluated at different exposure periods (24-, 48-, 72- and 96-h) using the whole paper mill effluent. Annual variation in LC50 values in relation to...
Heavy metal speciation trends in mine slime dams: A case study of slime dams at a goldmine in Zimbabwe
May 2011
Heavy metal speciation trends in the slime dams at a typical gold mine in Zimbabwe were studied using a six-step sequential extraction technique to give six fractions, namely, the exchangeable, acid soluble, easily reducible, moderately reducible, oxidizable and residual fractions. The elements studied include Cd, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Fe and Mn. Cadmium was found mainly in the acid soluble fraction, and...
Environmental mobility and geochemical partitioning of Fe, Mn, Co, Ni and Mo in sediments of an urban river
May 2011
Environmental mobility and geochemical partitioning of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) and molybdenum (Mo) were examined in sediments collected from the whole old Nakagawa river (NR), Tokyo, Japan. A combined 6- step sequential extraction procedure was employed for the partitioning of the metals and the concentrations were measured in the liquid extracts by atomic absorption...
Health of Brockport creek following removal of contaminated sediment from an upstream tributary
May 2011
After removing contaminated sediments from a toxic waste site’s outlet stream into Brockport creek, PCB concentrations in the outlet stream dropped from 1,730 to 34,900 µg/kg in 2002 to 288 to 432 µg/kg in 2003. Concentrations are now below water quality criteria for aquatic organisms and human health. Concentrations of eight metals (Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Nickel,...
Measurement uncertainty for the determination of the inhibitory effect on Vibrio fischeri: A practical approach
May 2011
The 11348-3:2007 ISO method allows the evaluation of the inhibitory effect of water samples on the light emission of Vibrio fischeri; it is essential to quantify the measurement uncertainty, but there is no available guideline. The aim is to come up with a practical approach to calculate the measurement uncertainty. We propose a test with different 3,5-dichlorophenol dilutions to evaluate if the...
Comparative study of biogas production from chemically-treated powdered and un-powdered rice husks
April 2011
Biogas production was carried out using fresh powdered rice husk (PRH), un-powdered rice husk (U-RH) and a blend of both (CRH) in the ratio 1:1. They were left to degrade for 73 days before pre-decaying in water. The pre-decayed wastes were found to be acidic. Consequently, a concentrated solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH, 50%w/v) in acetic acid (CH3COOH, 99% v/v) was used to treat the wastes to achieve...
Risk assessment of using coated mobile recharge cards in Nigeria
April 2011
The risk assessment of coatings on mobile phone recharge cards on end users has been investigated using mobile phone recharge cards of three major brands (designated as A, B and C) with dominations of N200, N400 and N500 purchased from retail shops in Zaria, Nigeria. To appraise the health risk associated with heavy metal contamination of food by metals from the coatings, Daily Intake...
Evaluation on rare earth elements of Brazilian agricultural supplies
April 2011
This work focuses on the determination of rare earth elements (REE) in Brazilian agricultural supplies by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The results obtained have shown that La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu and Sc are present within a large range of mass fractions in the agricultural supplies analysed. The thermophosphate and single superphosphate showed the highest mass...
Airborne particulate matter (PM10) composition and its genotoxicity at two pilgrimage sites in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
April 2011
Airborne particulate matter (PM10) contains a large number of genotoxic and carcinogenic substances. Ambient air is reported to be mutagenic in many areas worldwide. Particulate matter has been linked to premature mortality, lung cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular health problems. In the present study, we investigated the genotoxicity of the ambient air PM10 extractable organic matter (EOM)...
Monitoring of basic and acid radicals load in main canal, Giza governorate: A risk to health of consumers
March 2011
The main canal (Masraf El-Moheet) is one of the largest canals in Giza governorate (Egypt).Due to the extended domestic activities and urbanization as well as the continuous industrial and agricultural growth of the region, water quality is potentially changing and causes fish floating and death. This study was conducted to measure toxic metals concentrations in water samples along the main channel using ICP...
The role of EDTA on cadmium phytoextraction in a cadmium-hyperaccumulator Rorippa globosa
March 2011
Enhanced phytoextraction technologies have been proposed as an effective approach to the decontamination of heavy metals in soils. In this study, the application of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg EDTA) at preflowering stage depressed Rorippa globosa growth and Cd uptake, the dry biomass, Cd concentration and total metal accumulation (TMC) of shoots at the concentration of 1.0...
Effect of cadmium on germination, growth, redox and oxidative properties in Pisum sativum seeds
March 2011
Pea seeds were treated with 5 mM CdCl2 for 5 days. Experiments carried out in cotyledons and embryonic axes were performed to evaluate the redox and oxidative properties. Germination rate and embryonic axis growth were determined. After five days, Cd treatment caused 60% decrease in germination success, and 50% inhibition in embryo length. The reduction level [NADPH/ (NADP+ + NADPH)] was...
Grass contamination by trace metals from road traffic
March 2011
The increase in the deposition of trace metals as pollutants from vehicle exhausts on plants has raised concerns about the risks for the quality of food and in turn human health. Trace metals emitted by vehicles can enter food chain through deposition on grass growing by the road sides and grazed on by animals. Despite, many investigations knowledge on their spatial distribution near roads is scarce. The...
Inhibition of β-galactosidase and α-glucosidase synthesis in petroleum refinery effluent bacteria by zinc and cadmium
March 2011
Inhibition of α-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.20) and β-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) biosynthesis by zinc and cadmium in Escherichia coli, Bacillus and Pseudomonas species isolated from petroleum refinery wastewater was assessed. At sufficient concentrations, exposure of the cells to zinc and cadmium resulted in repression of α-glucosidase and...
Protective role of curcumin on cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity in rats
February 2011
Cadmium (Cd) is a well-known human carcinogen and a potent nephrotoxin. Curcumin, the yellow bioactive component of turmeric has established its antioxidant activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of curcumin against Cd induced nephrotoxicity. The rats were treated once daily by oral gavage for five days and divided into four groups of 8 rats each: control, Cd acetate 200...
Concentrations of heavy metals in some pharmaceutical effluents in Lagos, Nigeria
February 2011
The concentrations of some heavy metals in the effluents of nine pharmaceutical companies operating in Lagos, Nigeria were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The heavy metals analyzed in this study included Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Nickel, Zinc and Copper. Most of the samples were found to contain the metals in varying concentrations. The highest concentration of heavy metal detected was...
A study on removal characteristics of para-nitrophenol from aqueous solution by fly ash
February 2011
The removal characteristics of para-nitrophenol from aqueous solution by fly ash were investigated under various conditions of contact time, pH and temperature. The influence of pH on the para-nitrophenol uptake by the fly ash was carried out between pH4 and pH 10. The level of uptake of para-nitrophenol by fly ash increased at higher pH values. The effect of temperature on the uptake of para-nitrophenol was...
Influence of pre-oxidation with potassium permanganate on the efficiency of iron and manganese removal from surface water by coagulation-flocculation using aluminium sulphate: Case of the Okpara dam in the Republic of Benin
January 2011
Okpara dam water contained significant amounts of iron and manganese that could create problems for consumers. This study perfected a deferrization and demanganization technique preceded or followed by oxidation with potassium permanganate. The maximum iron and manganese contents varied from 30 to 50 and 1.5 to 4.5 mg/L respectively. Under the best conditions, simple...
A slurry sampling hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometric method for speciation analysis of trace inorganic arsenic in flours
January 2011
A novel hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometric method is developed for speciation analysis of inorganic arsenic in flours. This method is based on the leaching of arsenic from sample slurry through the sonication followed by hydride generation in the slurry and determination of the corresponding hydrides. The content of arsenic (III) [As(III)] was determined under 1% HCl acidity condition using...
Heavy metals in sediments from River Ngada, Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria
December 2010
The objective of this research was to determine the degree of heavy metal contamination in River Ngada and the extent to which the sediment quality of the river had deteriorated. In this study, metals such as Cu, Zn, Co, Mn, Mg, Fe, Cr, Cd As, Ni and Pb in the sediments were determined using Perkin-Elmer Analyst 300 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The extent of sediment quality deterioration was observed...
Modification and validation of a microwave-assisted digestion method for subsequent ICP-MS determination of selected heavy metals in sediment and fish samples in Agusan River, Philippines
December 2010
This study investigated, validated, and applied the optimum conditions for a modified microwave-assisted digestion method for subsequent ICP-MS determination of mercury, cadmium, and lead in two matrices relevant to water quality, that is, sediment and fish. Three different combinations of power, pressure, and time conditions for microwave-assisted digestion were tested, using two certified reference...
Effects of dietary exposure to insecticide Raid® on the survival, growth and inhibition of metabolic processes in Wistar rats
October 2010
This study was aimed at determining the effects of an insecticide, ‘Raid’ contained in feed on the survival, growth and activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, as well as the effects on glutathione content (GSH), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and utilization of basal energy in Wistar rats. The results indicate that...
Heavy metal assessment of some soft plastic toys imported into Nigeria from China
October 2010
Chinese made toys were analyzed to determine the levels of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Co and Mn) in the products. Toy samples were randomly selected from products available in the shops at Zaria, Kano and Kaduna markets in Nigeria. The toy samples were tested for PVC before analysis. After digestion with concentrated acids (HNO3 and H2O2), concentrations of the selected heavy metals were...
Screening six cultivars of cowpea (Vignia unguiculata L.) walp for adaptation to soil contaminated with spent engine oil
September 2010
Field experiments were carried out in 2007 and 2008 growing seasons at the Delta State University, Asaba Campus Teaching and Research Farm to screen six cultivars of cowpea (IT80D- 699, IT82 (e-18), IT84S- 2246- 4, TVx3236, IT90K–277-2 and IT870- 941- 1) for adaptation to soil contaminated with spent engine oil. 0 (control), 25, 50, 75 and 100 ml of the oil served as the...
An assessment of the organic pollution indicator levels of River Benue in Adamawa State, Nigeria
September 2010
The assessment of organic pollution Indicator levels of River Benue in Adamawa State was carried in ten sampling stations. The sampling was done in the months of February, March, and April 2007, representing dry season, while the months of August, September, and October 2007, represent the wet season. The water and sediment samples collected were analysed using standard...
EDXRF analysis of tantalite deposit of Mai-Kabanji, North-western Nigeria
September 2010
The tantalite deposits of Mai-Kabanji area of Zamfara State Nigeria was studied for the elemental compositions by Energy dispersive x-ray fluoresce (EDXRF) spectrophotometry, physical properties and anionic composition by standard methods. The results indicated high concentrations of tantalum oxide, Ta2O5 (31.990%±0.83) and other valuable oxides of niobium, Nb2O5 (0.029%), titanium, TiO2...
Effect of concentration and contact time on heavy metal uptake by three bacterial isolates
August 2010
The effect of heavy metal concentration and contact time (exposure period) on heavy metal up take by pure cultures of three bacteria (Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Aeromonas ) isolated from a crude oil impacted brackish aquatic system in the Niger Delta were investigated. Heavy metals employed included metals found in this Bonny light crude oil (Fe, Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb). Accumulation of...
Evaluation of heavy metals in roadside soils of major streets in Jos metropolis, Nigeria
August 2010
A study of heavy metals in roadside soils is critical in assessing the potential environmental impacts of automobile emission on the soil. The soil samples were collected and analyzed for the levels of Pb, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Co and Fe using AAS. Results indicate the decreasing order of the average total metal content for the studied metals: Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > Cd > Cu. Except for Cd, all...
Effect of Goldcrew and Corexit on selected blood parameter of the African cat-fish Clarias gariepinus following sublethal exposures
June 2010
Sublethal effect of the dispersants Goldcrew and Corexit on selected blood parameters (White blood cell count- WBCC; Red blood cell count- RBCC; Platelet; Haemoglobin-Hb; and Packed Cell Volume - PCV) in Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) were studied. This was done in other to gauge the usefulness of blood parameters as good indicators of pollution and simulate the possible effect of clean-up...
Acute toxic effects of Endosulfan and Diazinon pesticides on adult amphibians (Bufo regularis)
June 2010
The acute toxicity of Endosulfan (organochlorine) and Diazinon (organophosphate) pesticides to adult amphibians, Bufo regularis was evaluated to determine uptake and effect of environmentally relevant concentrations on survival, morphology and behaviour. Toxicity characterizations were also assessed using standard indices. Toads were exposed for 96 h to varying concentrations of the pesticides;...
Lead and coliform contaminants in potable groundwater sources in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria
June 2010
The present study investigates possible contamination of untreated and treated groundwater by lead, faecal coliform and Escherichia coli in a hundred randomly selected boreholes from different parts of Ibadan metropolis, located in South West Nigeria. Total lead contents in the water samples were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer while coliform count was undertaken using the...
Prediction of inhibition effect of some aliphatic and aromatic organic compounds using QSAR method
May 2010
A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was developed for prediction of log IC50 values of aliphatic and aromatic alcohols based on their molecular descriptors. In this study, we have attempted to develop a simple and fast MLR model with high accuracy and precision. The molecular descriptors, which cover different information of molecular structures, were calculated by Dragon...
Extraction of dyes by succinic anhydride modified cotton
May 2010
Chemically modified cotton has been prepared by the functionalization reaction with succinic anhydride and have been used to eliminate two dyes, basic yellow XGL 250% and the dispersed marine 5RN, by adsorption. The tests showed that the efficiency of extraction was 100% for yellow basic dye and 70% for the marine dispersed dye. The equilibrium time was found to be 60 min for 100 mg/L dye initial...
Determination of depleted uranium in the presence of natural uranium in environmental soil samples by ICP-MS after sequential extraction
May 2010
Determination of depleted uranium (DU) in the presence of natural uranium (NU) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied on environmental soil samples collected from Doha city, Qatar. The soils were artificially spiked by soaking them in a mixture of DU and NU. It was observed from sequential experiment that uranium was brought into solution and mainly appeared at steps for dilute...
Uptake and distribution of hexavalent chromium in tissues (gill, skin and muscle) of a freshwater fish, Tilapia, Oreochromis aureus
April 2010
Water pollution by heavy metals, especially chromium pollution from industrial sources can affect aquatic life, all ecosystems and human health directly or through food chain. This study aims to investigate the uptake of hexavalent chromium by a freshwater fish, (Tilapia, Oreochromis aureus). Short-term acute toxicity tests were performed over a period of 96 h providing the medium with various...
Assessment of heavy metals in urban highway runoff from Ikorodu expressway Lagos, Nigeria
April 2010
The distribution of heavy metals in the urban high way run off from Ikorodu expressway of Lagos was studied between March to May, 2004.The heavy metals studied include Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn and Cd. The levels of these selected heavy metals were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (M-scientific 200 Model). Trends in the heavy metal from the runoff showed significant variations between the months were...
Geoelectric investigation of groundwater resources and aquifer characteristics in Utagba-Ogbe kingdom Ndokwa land area of Delta State, Nigeria
April 2010
Vertical Electrical Sounding data were acquired from 10 locations evenly distributed within Utagba-Ogbe Kingdom. The apparent resistivity values obtained in the field were plotted against half current electrode spacing. Interpretation of data were done both quantitatively and qualitatively and bringing in to bare the knowledge of the local geology of Utagba-Ogbe and her environs. Based on the geoelectric...
Toxic stress and hematological effects of nickel on African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, fingerlings
March 2010
This laboratory study assessed the effects of nickel on the behaviour and some blood parameters of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, after a 96 h semi static method with a view to determining the safe concentration effect of the metal physiological functions of the fish. The mortality rate increased with increased concentrations of toxicants. The 96 h median lethal concentration (96 h LC50) was 8.87mg...
Influence of exposure time on phenol toxicity to refinery wastewater bacteria
March 2010
Influence of exposure time on the response of pure cultures of bacteria and microbial community of petroleum refinery wastewater to toxicity of phenol was assessed through TTC-dehydrogenase activity (DHA) inhibition test. At sufficient concentrations, exposure of these bacterial cells to phenol resulted in inhibition of dehydrogenase activity. InPseudomonas sp. RWW2 and Escherichia sp....
Adsorption of lead, zinc and cadmium ions on polyphosphate-modified kaolinite clay
February 2010
The aim of this research work is to determine the potential of application of sodium polyphosphate-modified kaolinite clay as an adsorbent for the removal of lead (II), zinc (II) and cadmium (II) ions from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent dosage, pH, temperature and contact time were investigated. The adsorption isotherms of all three metal ions followed well Langmuir equation. Modified sodium...
Sulphur dioxide as indoor pollutant in Kano municipality Kano-Nigeria
February 2010
Indoor sulphur dioxide concentration in Kano has been attributed to closed structured building pattern, substandard housing conditions and use of firewood. Samples of the gas were measured in the different residential districts within the Kano Metropolis; the high medium and low density residential districts. The distribution within the municipality is skewed towards high frequency of low concentrations with...
Modulation of arsenic induced genotoxicity by curcumin in human lymphocytes
November 2009
Arsenic contamination of ground water is a vital health concern in West Bengal, India, where nine districts were affected. Oxidative stress created by arsenic may lead to genetic instability which may in turn lead to initiation of carcinogenesis. Management of arsenic problem at the preclinical stage by utilizing natural compounds could be a preventive strategy. The present study aims to bio-monitor the level...
Hydro-geological characteristics and groundwater quality assessment in some selected communities of Abeokuta, Southwest Nigeria
November 2009
This study examined the hydro-geological characteristics and groundwater quality of four communities in Abeokuta, South-Western Nigeria. Water samples were collected from 18 sampling points, comprising of shallow wells and boreholes in the four communities, with four geophysical surveys done each community. Tests were carried out in the water samples for heavy metals (zinc, cadmium, arsenic, iron and lead)...
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