Impacts of trace metals on Ascaris sp., endoparasites of greater cane rat, Thryonomis swinderianus (Temmincks, 1827), in the tropical rainforests of Odo Ona Kekere, Oluyole Local Government of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Samples of hunted greater cane rat (Thryonomis swinderianus) were collected from Oluwo Market, Epe and Odo Ona Kekere in Oluyole Local Government Area Ibadan, Nigeria. Trace metals such as zinc, cadmium, vanadium, barium, nickel, copper, lead, cobalt, chromium, and manganese were determined in the liver, intestine, and endoparasites of T. swinderianus and the associated implications on the lipid profile, and antioxidant biomarkers were investigated

Comparative assessment of heavy metal contents in organs and flesh of marketed cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck, 1827) along five highways in south-western Nigeria

Comparative heavy metal pollution in organs and flesh of marketed cane rat along five highways in southwestern Nigeria was studied. Twenty-three wildlife markets were visited and there, samples were taken randomly on quarterly basis. Visceral organs of raw kidney, liver, lung, flesh and roasted flesh of Thryonomys swinderianus (cane rat) as the most sourced wild animal were taken and screened using Wet Digestion Method for heavy metals including lead, cadmium, chromium, astatine, copper, manganese and cobalt. Results showed that lung had the least contamination, followed by kidney, then liver; raw flesh and lastly roasted meat as the highest. Chromium and Astatine were significantly different in distribution (0.017 and 0.049 respectively) at P˃ 0.05.Follow-up procedures showed that at P˃0.05, for Astatine, the descending order was concentration was Roads,5 4, 2, 3 and1 . For chromium the distribution order was Roads 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 also in descending order. Average values in all the samples pooled together showed lead falling within the permissible range of 0.5mg/kg for offals and 0.1 mg/kg for meat, Copper exceeded the values of 0.01 mg/kg flat along all market Roads for both categories, chromium was within the safe limit of 1.00mg/kg for both meat and offals; cadmium was within the safe range of 0.5 mg/kg for both offals and meat throughout the study areas. Cobalt exceeded the value of 0.08mg/kg for offals and 0.03 mg/kg for meat along Road 3 only. Manganese and astatine fell within safe range of 0.5 mg/kg for both samples classes limit. Expansion of environmental conservation strategies was recommended. It was concluded that the marketed wildlife in the study area are partially safe for consumption.Keywords: analysis, contamination, Heavy Metal, highways, markets, Wildlif

African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation

This open access book discusses current thinking and presents the main issues and challenges associated with climate change in Africa. It introduces evidences from studies and projects which show how climate change adaptation is being - and may continue to be successfully implemented in African countries. Thanks to its scope and wide range of themes surrounding climate change, the ambition is that this book will be a lead publication on the topic, which may be regularly updated and hence capture further works. Climate change is a major global challenge. However, some geographical regions are more severly affected than others. One of these regions is the African continent. Due to a combination of unfavourable socio-economic and meteorological conditions, African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. The recently released IPCC special report "Global Warming of 1.5º C" outlines the fact that keeping global warming by the level of 1.5º C is possible, but also suggested that an increase by 2º C could lead to crises with crops (agriculture fed by rain could drop by 50% in some African countries by 2020) and livestock production, could damage water supplies and pose an additonal threat to coastal areas. The 5th Assessment Report produced by IPCC predicts that wheat may disappear from Africa by 2080, and that maize— a staple—will fall significantly in southern Africa. Also, arid and semi-arid lands are likely to increase by up to 8%, with severe ramifications for livelihoods, poverty eradication and meeting the SDGs. Pursuing appropriate adaptation strategies is thus vital, in order to address the current and future challenges posed by a changing climate. It is against this background that the "African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation" is being published. It contains papers prepared by scholars, representatives from social movements, practitioners and members of governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing climate change projects in Africa, and working with communities across the African continent. Encompassing over 100 contribtions from across Africa, it is the most comprehensive publication on climate change adaptation in Africa ever produced