Comparative Analysis of the Quality of the Shallow and Deep Aquifer Waters of Nsukka SE, Nigeria – A Preliminary Approach to Water Resource Development

Comparative analysis of the shallow and deep aquifers of Nsukka SE, Nigeria was studied as a preliminary approach for the underground  water resource development of the region.  Method of approach involves the identification of rock formations and delineation of their stratigraphic  relationships. Activities involved collection and analysis of water samples from boreholes and hand dug wells. A total of 14  water samples were collected (7 from shallow and deep aquifer each) and analyzed  for inorganic and organic components. Ca2+, Na+, Mn2+, Cl-, Pb and Cd were analyzed  using Atomic absorption spectroscopy. K+ was determined using flame photometer method. Copper Cu2+ was analyzed  using spectrophotometer, pH  was analyzed with the aid of pH  meter, Fe2+ was  determined calorimetrically using Spekker absorption meter; Tds was determined using glass fiber filter. Turbimetric method was used to assess turbidity. Anions like HCO3- were also estimated by titrimetric  method. Coliform analysis was carried out by the most probable number technique (MPN). The result shows that average pH  for deep and shallow aquifer gives 5.8 and 6.3, sulphate 14.2 and 10.97, Nitrate 2.5 and 2.2., Phosphate 1.48 and 1.68, iron 1.98 and 1.60 magnesium 11.4 and 11.8, Sodium 1.80 and 2.4, Chloride 8.4 and  9, Tds 33.51 and 62.17. The coliform count ranges from 3/100 to 7/100 ml only for shallow aquifer (pollution), magnesium is the major  contributors of hardness in both cases.  Deep aquifer water plots as magnesium cation and a no dominant anion and on the transition between fresh and salt water (brackish water). The shallow aquifer has magnesium sulphate and plots in the zone of sea water, and shows hard water. The SAR for deep aquifer is 0.58, while that of shallow aquifer is 0.32 both are excellent for irrigation. Both waters are ideal for use in industries and homes, while the aquifers are highly polluted by iron, the shallow aquifer is polluted by water  borne diseases. Reference to these information is ideal for the water resource development of the region. Keywords: Aquifers, Comparison, water quality, Nsukka SE, Anambra basin  SE Nigeri

Long-term effect of mobile phone use on sleep quality: results from the cohort study of mobile phone use and health (COSMOS)

BACKGROUND: Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure (RF-EMF) from mobile phone use on sleep quality has mainly been investigated in cross-sectional studies. The few previous prospective cohort studies found no or inconsistent associations, but had limited statistical power and short follow-up. In this large prospective cohort study, our aim was to estimate the effect of RF-EMF from mobile phone use on different sleep outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included Swedish (n = 21,049) and Finnish (n = 3120) participants enrolled in the Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health (COSMOS) with information about operator-recorded mobile phone use at baseline and sleep outcomes both at baseline and at the 4-year follow-up. Sleep disturbance, sleep adequacy, daytime somnolence, sleep latency, and insomnia were assessed using the Medical Outcome Study (MOS) sleep questionnaire. RESULTS: Operator-recorded mobile phone use at baseline was not associated with most of the sleep outcomes. For insomnia, an odds ratio (OR) of 1.24, 95% CI 1.03-1.51 was observed in the highest decile of mobile phone call-time (>258 min/week). With weights assigned to call-time to account for the lower RF-EMF exposure from Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS, 3G) than from Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM, 2G) the OR was 1.09 (95% CI 0.89-1.33) in the highest call-time decile. CONCLUSION: Insomnia was slightly more common among mobile phone users in the highest call-time category, but adjustment for the considerably lower RF-EMF exposure from the UMTS than the GSM network suggests that this association is likely due to other factors associated with mobile phone use than RF-EMF. No association was observed for other sleep outcomes. In conclusion, findings from this study do not support the hypothesis that RF-EMF from mobile phone use has long-term effects on sleep quality

Revisiting the agro-climatic zones of Ghana: a re-classification in conformity with climate change and variability

The Ghana Meteorological Agency delineated Ghana’s geographical space into four agro-climatic zones namely the north, transition, forest and coastal zones. Since the demarcation in the 1960s, previous studies have rarely provided a more dis-aggregated agro-climatic zone map in tandem with contemporary climate change and variability. The continued use of this age-old classified zones is a disservice to the public. In this study, therefore, we evaluated the existing agro-climatic zone map of Ghana and reconstructed it to a more appropriate and dis-aggregated map that reflect current climate change and variability impact. This was achieved by quantifying the contrast in rainfall and temperature amount over a 30 year period for different climate windows and mapped out areas with similar rainfall and temperature regimes. Our findings revealed significant changes in the existing agro-climatic zones especially in terms of number, the boundary size and geographical orientation of the zones. The newly proposed map consist of five distinctive climate zones namely: the Sudan Savannah, Guinea Savannah, Transition, Forest and Coastal zones. The Sudan and Guinea Savannah zones showed a southerly expansion. The transition zone shriveled in size as the Guinea Savannah zone took over most of it, notably in the southeast. The forest zone shrank in size with a northwest shift while the coastal belt grew to encompass the whole coast of Ghana. These changes are strong evidence of climate change and possible food production changes. These findings are useful to agriculture sector in planning their activities, the health sector in predicting specific diseases caused by changes in weather and climate, Ghana Meteorological Agency for weather forecasting purposes, and the National Disaster Management in identifying disaster prone zones

Epigenome-wide analysis of frailty : Results from two European twin cohorts

Epigenetics plays an important role in the aging process, but it is unclear whether epigenetic factors also influence frailty, an age-related state of physiological decline. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies in four samples drawn from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA) and the Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins (LSADT) to explore the association between DNA methylation and frailty. Frailty was defined using the frailty index (FI), and DNA methylation levels were measured in whole blood using Illumina's Infinium HumanMethylation450K and MethylationEPIC arrays. In the meta-analysis consisting of a total of 829 participants, we identified 589 CpG sites that were statistically significantly associated with either the continuous or categorical FI (false discovery rate <0.05). Many of these CpGs have previously been associated with age and age-related diseases. The identified sites were also largely directionally consistent in a longitudinal analysis using mixed-effects models in SATSA, where the participants were followed up to a maximum of 20 years. Moreover, we identified three differentially methylated regions within the MGRN1, MIR596, and TAPBP genes that have been linked to neuronal aging, tumor growth, and immune functions. Furthermore, our meta-analysis results replicated 34 of the 77 previously reported frailty-associated CpGs at p < 0.05. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate robust associations between frailty and DNA methylation levels in 589 novel CpGs, previously unidentified for frailty, and strengthen the role of neuronal/brain pathways in frailty.Peer reviewe