July 2015

Levels and occupational health risk assessment of trace metals in soils from automobile repair workshop village and environs in Uyo metropolis, Nigeria

The levels of trace metals (Pb, Cu, Ni and Cd) were determined in soils from a major automobile repair workshop located in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This was carried out to evaluate the potential occupational risk to operators working in and around the site. The mean of trace metal levels were: lead (14.52 mg/kg); copper (0.50 mg/kg); nickel (0.17 mg/kg) and cadmium (0.67 mg/kg). These values were within the...

Author(s): Edu Inam, John B. Edet, and Nnanake-Abasi O. Offiong

July 2015

An assessment of environmental sanitation in an urban community in Southern Nigeria

Inadequate environmental sanitation has been recognized as a public health hazard worldwide. In some Nigerian cities, living with waste as part of the natural environment has become a way of life. This study examined the sanitary condition of an urban community in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It used a cross sectional survey design for a population of 123,033 inhabitants of four villages in North Eastern Akwa Ibom....

Author(s): Ibanga Eyo Ekong

July 2015

Evaluation of pollution status of heavy metals in the groundwater system around open dumpsites in Abakaliki urban, Southeastern Nigeria

The occurrence of various heavy metals such as iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), lead (pb) and arsenic (As) as major contaminants in the Abakaliki dumpsites has been established in this research. Four dumpsites namely the Waterworks, the New layout, the Rice mill and the Iyiokwu, all within the Abakaliki metropolis, were used for this research. Water samples (from bore holes, hand-dug...

Author(s): Obasi I. Arisi, Nnachi E. Esom, Igwe, O. Ezekiel and Obasi N. Philip

July 2015

Ecological baseline survey of the Takoradi T2 expansion and a once-through cooling system project site, Aboadze, Ghana

The Environmental Assessment Regulations (LI 1652) of Ghana mandates all bodies undertaking activities that may significantly impact the environment to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment. It is in accordance with this legal provision that an Ecological Baseline Survey was conducted at the Takoradi Thermal Power Plant (TTPP) site located 2 km East of Aboadze near Takoradi to determine the existing flora and fauna...

Author(s): Gad Y. Coffie, Afia Y. Bediako and Paula E. Edze

July 2015

Effects of river sediments on coral recruitment, algal abundance benthic community structure on Kenyan coral reefs

The effects of sediment concentration and season on coral recruitment algal abundance and benthic community structure were studied in Kenyan coral reef lagoons to determine their potential influence on coral recovery. Nutrient levels and recruit numbers were higher during the southeast monsoon (SEM) than during the northeast monsoon (NEM) season and in sediment-exposed compared to non-sediment exposed reefs. Mean algal...

Author(s): Shaaban A. Mwachireya, Tim R. McClanahan, Brian E. Hartwick, Isabelle M. Cote and Lance Lesack

July 2015

Water use efficiency of six rangeland grasses under varied soil moisture content levels in the arid Tana River County, Kenya

This study evaluated water use efficiency (WUE) of six range grasses, namely; Chloris roxburghiana, Eragrostis superba, Enteropogon macrostachyus, Cenchrus ciliaris, Chloris gayana, and Sorghum sudanense grown at 80, 50, 30% field capacity (FC) soil moisture contents and rainfed treatment which represented water deficit conditions. The changes in soil moisture content were measured by Gypsum Block which aided in...

Author(s): Koech, O. K, Kinuthia, R. N, Karuku, G.  N, Mureithi, S. M and Wanjogu, R

July 2015

Climate change and its effect on grain crops yields in the middle belt in Nigeria

Crop yield data were obtained from Kwara State Agricultural Development Project (KWADP), Ilorin and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Lagos on the crops considered in this study, while climate data were sourced from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Oshodi, Lagos and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Lagos for a decade (2002 - 2011). These data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 and Microsft Excel in order to...

Author(s): Yahaya Mijinyawa and Timothy Denen Akpenpuun

July 2015

Nutritional, eco-physiological and symbiotic characteristics of rhizobia nodulating faba bean (Vicia faba L.) collected from acidic soils of Ethiopia

Characterization of root nodule bacteria is used for selecting and using them as inoculants to improve legume production. To this end, faba bean (Vicia faba L.) rhizobia were isolated from nodules collected from acidic soils of Central and Southern-Western parts of Ethiopia. A total of hundred rhizobial isolates were collected and characterized based upon their nutritional, ecophysiological and symbiotic...

Author(s): Dereje Tsegaye, Fasil Assefa, Heluf Gebrekidan and Gemechu Keneni