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...
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...
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...
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...
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)...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Characterization of pre-treated drill cutting waste and its use as fine aggregate in concrete
September 2017
Drill cuttings, generated in oil well drilling are managed to be disposed but will always have many environmental impacts. The innovation of this study was not only to produce a new and cost-effective material from drill cuttings, but also to mitigate its negative environmental impacts. Therefore, this article aims at characterizing and assessing behavior of drill cutting (DCI) deriving from well drilling activities in...
Participatory approach to conservation and management of protected areas in Nigeria: Case study of Osse River Park Project
September 2017
Stakeholder involvement and participation are essential in achieving sustainable integration and sound environmental management of protected areas in Nigeria. Involvement and participation of local communities in conservation and management of Osse River Park were assessed through administration of structured questionnaires while relevant State Government Ministries in Environmental and Nature Resources Management and...
Spatial analysis of soil physical attributes from a degraded area under different types of management
September 2017
The objective of this work was to analyze the spatial variability of soil aggregates, porosity and density under five different land-uses and management conditions (degraded substrate - SD; degraded substrate with sewage sludge and Eucalyptus crop - SDLE; soil under pasture SP; capoeira under regeneration - SR; and soil under cerrado - SC). Total porosity (m3.m-3) and density (Mg m-3) of the soil; the mean weight...
Waste management in the case of Bahir Dar City near Lake Tana shore in Northwestern Ethiopia: A review
August 2017
Urbanization is a global phenomenon with more pronounced consequences on waste management in developing countries. The rate of infrastructure development is mostly outpaced by the rate of waste generation. Bahir Dar city, as a rapidly urbanizing city in the southern part of Lake Tana, is not an exception. On top of production of more wastes, the waste management practice is challenged by low prioritization of waste...
Evaluating the environmental law and energy policy dimensions of land-grabbing
August 2017
This article seeks to investigate whether concern for food security and investment liberalization are the principle drivers of land-grabbing in Africa. The investigation demonstrates that, in addition to food security concern, climate change and energy security considerations have been key catalysts arousing hunger for farmland, forests, and fisheries resources in Africa. In particular, certain provisions of the United...
Spatio-temporal dynamics of land use practices on rivers in tropical regions: A case study of Ruiru and Ndarugu Basins, Kiambu County, Kenya
August 2017
Land use dynamics are known to cause considerable modifications to the environment with broad and sometimes severe impacts on water quality and aquatic natural resources. In this study, the impacts of land use practices on water quality were estimated during the dry and wet seasons in Ruiru and Ndarugu Rivers, Kenya using remote sensing, geographic information systems and statistical techniques. A total of 12 sampling...
Spatial analysis of elements at risk and household vulnerability to landslide hazards on Mt. Elgon, Uganda
August 2017
Landslide hazards have in the last 10 years become more prominent on the Mt. Elgon ecosystem in Uganda often culminating into disasters. In this study, the community was assessed on their vulnerability to landslide hazards and the efficacy of existing institutional mechanisms with a view of improving resilience and disaster risk reduction. The study area was selected based on historical information of landslide...
Another decade of water quality assessment studies in Tanzania: Status, challenges and future prospects
July 2017
Increased population pressure and environmental stressors have amplified research on water quality both locally and globally. In Tanzania, water quality assessment is a mature discipline, with an over four-decade history. In this article, studies on water quality assessment in Tanzania from 2006 through 2016 are reviewed. The approach used is to scan selected publications to gather data and information on types and...
Electric energy generation from a floating dome type biogas plant at a ranch in the southeast of Mexico
July 2017
Ranches of Mexico’s southeast region have an important energetic potential on their organic waste that remains unexploited. The objective of this work is to present the construction and operation of a floating dome “Biodigester” in a ranch located in Jalapa, Tabasco, Mexico, in addition to the analysis of produced biogas and its electric energy generation. The construction was based in the...
Effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and estradiol hormone levels in reproductively mature male pigs
July 2017
Aflatoxin is a major food contaminant, with adverse effects on the physiology of both humans and animals. Exposure to aflatoxins has been known to pose a great threat to both humans and animals, particularly, in the tropics, with varied pathophysiological effects. This research focused on the effects of aflatoxin BI on the pituitary-gonadal axis of pigs, an area that has not fully been investigated since most studies...
Hydrogen sulfide and ammonia removal from biogas using water hyacinth-derived carbon nanomaterials
July 2017
The presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) in biogas pose serious human health and environmental challenges. In this study, H2S and NH3 were successfully removed from biogas using water hyacinth-derived carbon (WHC) nanomaterials. Carbonization temperature, biogas flow rate, mass of the adsorbent and activating agent (KOH/water hyacinth (WH)) ratio were found to greatly influence the efficiency of the H2S...
Effect of cement factory on land use-land cover in Obajana Lokoja Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria
July 2017
Land use-land cover (LULC) is a vital phenomenon for the understanding interactions between the environment and human activities. In order to study and manage the resultant changes, it is pertinent to map different themes from time to time. The study focuses on the effect of the location of cement factory on land use-land cover in Obajana Community, Lokoja Local Government Area Kogi, Nigeria. The study employed...
Review on heavy metal pollution in major lakes of India: Remediation through plants
June 2017
The historical lakes of India are getting over burdened with the loads of pollution due to the rapid growth of small scale industries, nutrient enrichment and other anthropogenic activities. The high concentrations of metals in the water bodies, their entry into ecological food chain and the resulting health effects are of great concern to the researchers in the areas of ecology. Due to the problems associated with the...
Deforestation in power line construction in the Central African Region
June 2017
Power transmission lines in forest regions like the southern parts of Cameroon are subjected to numerous failures arising from natural hazards, including earth faults and line ruptures provoked by swaying or falling neighbouring trees and their branches. To pre-empt this problem, those trees which represent a potential threat to the operation of the power line must be eliminated. Deforestation during line construction...
Bioremediation of soil and water polluted by cyanide: A review
June 2017
Cyanide is a chemical that is widely distributed in the environment, mainly as a result of anthropogenic activities. Only small quantities are naturally produced. Most industrial activities use this chemical compound for manufacturing a product as electroplating or for extracting gold. Exposure to cyanide results in negative health impacts to the wildlife and humans. In nature, cyanide occurs in several species and...
Seasonal macrophyte diversity and water quality in an urban wetland
June 2017
The ecosystem services of encroached urban wetlands that receive wastewater and surface run-offs have become more challenging due to climate variability. Our study assessed the seasonal macrophyte diversity and water quality of the streams flowing into and out from Pece wetland in Gulu Municipality. The macrophyte species in the wetland were sampled along five transects. Water samples from the streams were also...
Using Citizen Science Approach to monitor water, sanitation and hygiene Related Risks in Karonga Town, Malawi
June 2017
Relatively few studies have explored how resilience of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems to hazards can be enhanced under the current and future development and climatic challenges pressures in urban areas. This study employed the citizen science approach to build the capacity of citizens and integrate communities into scientific research on water quality and WASH related risk monitoring. Data was collected...
Geoelectrical logging for well screening in prolific aquifers in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area, River State, Nigeria
June 2017
Geoelectrical logging was conducted in two well locations in Ubima community, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Self-Potential (SP) and Resistivity (Short Normal and Long Normal) logs were employed. Two points each in wells 1 and 2, respectively, were tested to determine the porosity (ɸ), permeability, k and the total dissolved solids (TDS) in the aquifer by derivation from electrical conductivity (EC). The results show that for...
Impacts of bacterial pollution on hand-dug well water quality in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria
June 2017
This study investigated the effect of bacterial pollution on ground water quality in Enugu urban areas. During the study, samples were collected from ten (10) hand-dug wells (W1-W10c). Five (5) hand dug wells out of ten (10) were used as control. All samples were taken according to methods described by Federal Ministry of Water Resources (2004). Membrane filtration (MF) method was used to enumerate total coliforms (TC),...
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