Human health risk characterization of lead pollution in contaminated farmlands of Abare village, Zamfara State, Nigeria

This study was initiated to assess the level of lead (Pb) contamination in farmlands, crop plants and water sources and the health risk in one of the Pb-contaminated villages of Zamfara State. Soil samples were collected from two depths at intervals of 10, 50, 150, 300, 500 and 1000 m from the last house along each of the four cardinal directions (North, South, East and West). Crop plant samples were also collected at each sampling distance while profile pits were dug at 150 m in each direction. Water samples were collected from all available sources in the villages. Contents of total Pb was determined in all samples following aqua regia digestion for soil and plant samples, water samples were digested with HNO3. Health risk assessment was based on lifetime exposure through ingestion and inhalation of soil and dust based on the USEPA risk exposure models. The average concentrations of Pb in farmlands (515 mg kg-1) and profile pits (365 mg kg-1) were lower than its extent in plant materials (1220 mg kg-1). The average chronic daily intake (CDI) for carcinogenic risk in mg kg-1 day-1 was 1.3 x 105 for Pb. Non carcinogenic CDI in mg kg-1 day-1 averaged 1.7 x 108 in adults. For children, it averaged 9.7 x 107 mg kg-1 day-1. However, the concentrations in all the samples are far beyond acceptable levels with high repercussion for environment and human health hazard. Suitable intervention measures are required to reduce these high concentrations in order to minimize risks associated with contamination.Key words: Heavy metals, lead, Zamfara, health risk, soil contamination

Comparative dissolution of natural goethite samples in HCl and HNO3

The dissolution of goethite samples in mineral acids from to extreme parts of Nigeria (Osogbo and Kaduna) have been investigated. The rate of dissolution was found to be slightly faster in HCl than HNO3. The higherrate of dissolution in HCl could be attributed to the complexing ability of Cl- in addition to the H+ effect while lowering effect by NO3- was attributed to adsorption of NO3 on to the goethite surface. Mononuclear complexes, especially bidentate of oxyanion are found to accelerate dissolution as opposed to binuclear complexes. A binuclearbidentate surface complex formation between NO3 - and Fe3+ was therefore proposed to account for the inhibition observed. The possible formation of Fe—Cl reduces both the surface positive charge and the repulsion between the oxide surface and protons in solution. This produced accelerated proton dissolution. The effect of temperature on theinitial dissolution rate fit into Arrhenius equation, with Kaduna goethite exhibiting higher rate than Osogbo type in both acids. The activation energies for Kaduna goethite sample are 66.11 and 82.43 kJmol-1 in 0.1M HCl and 0.1M HNO3 respectively while for Osogbo goethite sample are 54.60 and 76.32 kJmol-1 in 0.1M HCl and 0.1M HNO3 respectively. The frequency factors of 8.4 x 10-4 & 11.17 x10-4 and 5.0 x 10-5 and 3.09 x 10-3 for Kaduna and Osogbo goethite samples were obtained. @JASE

Application of Kozeny-Carman Equation to Estimate Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of an Alfisol at Samaru and a Cambisol at Kadawa, Nigeria

Kozeny-Carman equation was used to estimate field and laboratory determined saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) based on Pe values obtained from soils of two Northern Savanna ecological zones of Nigeria (Samaru and Kadawa). Total porosity was determined from measured dry bulk density (Db), particle density (Dp) and moisture content at –33kPa pressure potential. Effective porosity was calculated as the difference between total porosity and volumetric moisture at -33kpa. The Ks and Pe values were fitted into the Kozeny-Carman equation using the linear least square fitting. In Samaru, 91.7 and 61% variation of Ks were explained respectively from field (Kfs) and laboratory measurements (Kls) while 61% variation of Ks was explained from the average values of laboratory measurement for Kadawa. The proportionality constant (β) varied widely between 7.1 × 10-3 to 6918.30 while the fitting parameters (n) varied from values < 1 to 2.37. The Relative Effective Porosity (REP) was adapted to substitute Pe in the Kozeny-Carman equation. Only field measured data (r2 = 0.881) and laboratory measured data (r2 = 0.573) from Samaru fit into the model and the regression coefficients were not improved. The REP- Model did not perform well with the data presented in this study

The Effect of Eucheuma cottonii Extract on Body Weight and Blood Sugar Levels of Mouse (Mus musculus) Diabetes Mellitus Type 1

Seaweed (E. cottonii) is a type of seaweed from the Rhodophyta class which has anti-diabetic activity so that it can control diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of E. cottonii extract on body weight and blood sugar levels in mice (Mus musculus) type 1 diabetes mellitus. This study used a completely randomized factorial design with five treatments and three replications. 20 mice were divided into 5 groups: normal mice (KN), negative control (K-), positive control (K+), E. cottonii extract dose of 0.4 ml/g BW (P1) and E. cottonii extract dose of 0 .7 ml/gBB (P2). The extraction of E. cottonii used the maceration method with 96% ethanol solvent. All groups of mice were induced with 0.3 ml of STZ for 3 consecutive days. After an increase in blood glucose levels, the mice in the K(+) group were given metformin at a dose of 0.4 ml, P1 was given E. cottonii ethanol extract at a dose of 0.4 ml/g BW and P2 at a dose of 0.7 ml/g BW. Extract administration was carried out for 7 days. The results showed that E. cottonii extract had an effect on increasing body weight and decreasing blood sugar levels in type 1 diabetes mellitus mice. The increase in body weight and decrease in blood sugar levels was in line with the high doses given

The nutritional status of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients at a Johannesburg hospital

Objectives: To assess the nutritional status of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients in our hospital using different assessment tools, and to assess the correlation between nutritional status and other parameters such as solute clearance. Method: A cross-sectional study was performed on end-stage renal disease patients treated with CAPD at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa. The nutritional status of each patient was assessed using subjective global assessment (SGA), anthropometric parameters including body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), triceps skin fold (TSF), arm muscle area (AMA) and arm fat area (AFA), and biochemical parameters including serum albumin and total cholesterol levels. Dialysis adequacy was assessed by solute clearance measurement. Results: The mean age of the patients was 37.9 ± 13.4 years, 54% were males and 74 % were black. The mean BMI was 24.8 ± 3.5 kg/m2, mean MUAC was 28.5 ± 3.9 cm, mean TSF 85.6 ± 41.5 cm, mean serum albumin was 37.1 ± 7.6 mg/dl, while mean serum cholesterol was 5.32 ± 1.7 mmol/l. Based on SGA scores, 42% were well nourished, 50% moderately undernourished, while 8% were severely malnourished. We noted significant correlation between the SGA score and anthropometric parameters (BMI, MUAC) and there was no significant correlation between the nutritional parameters and the solute clearance. Conclusion: Malnutrition is common among CAPD patients in our centre, without a significant correlation between the nutritional status and the solute clearance. There is thus a need for ongoing nutritional assessment and support among these patients.Keywords: nutritional status, peritoneal dialysis patients, Johannesburg, Afric

PERUBAHAN KONDISI KESEJAHTERAAN KELUARGA MIGRAN ETNIS BATAK DARI SUMATERA UTARA KE DESA RIAK SIABUN (STUDI KASUS PETANI SAWIT DI DUSUN ARAU BINTANG, DESA RIAK SIABUN, KECAMATAN SUKARAJA, KABUPATEN SELUMA)

Penelitian ini menggambarkan tetang perubahan kondisi kesejahteraan migrant etnis batak dari sumatera utara ke dusun arau bintang. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah, untuk mendapatkan gamabaran secara deskriptif mengenai kondisi kesejahteraan migrant ketika di daerah asal dan setelah menetap di daerah tujuan dengan menjadi petani sawit dan kemudian melihat perubahan yang terjadi. Serta meneliti bagaimaan penyesuaian diri migrant di daerah tujuan dan bagaimana hubungannya dengan kesejahteraan bathin/ psikisnya. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Peneliti melakukan teknik pengumpulan data berupa wawancara dan observasi untuk mendapatkan informasi yang dibutuhkan ketika telah di daerah tujuan, dan hanya menggunakan teknik wawancara untuk mendapatkan informasi mengenai kesejahteraan materi dan psikis atau bathin ketika di daerah asal. Yang menjadi informan dalam penelitian ini adalah para migrant yang telah tinggal di daerah tujuan lebih dari lima tahun sebanyak delapan keluarga migrant dan yang menajdi informan pangkal adalah kepala desa dan tetua adat setempat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa setelah bermigrasi ke Dusun Arau Bintang, para migran menjadi petani sawit dan mengalami perubahan kondisi kesejahteraan hidupnya. Perubahan kondisi kesejahteraan yang terjadi pada migrant, adalah terjadinya peningkatan kesejahteraan dari segi materi yang mencakup kebutuhan sandang, pangan, papan dan segi psikologis atau kesejahteraan bathin keluarga migrant yang bersangkutan

Oral treatment of Eimeria tenella-infected broilers using aqueous extract of wild mushroom (Ganoderma sp): Effect on haematological parameters and histopathology lesions

In Nigeria, wild Ganoderma species of mushroom grows in abundance during the rainy season. Studies were conducted to evaluate the haematological parameters and the histopathology lesions in organs ofbroilers treated with aqueous extract of wild Ganoderma sp. Blood and organs were collected for haematology and histopathology, respectively. The haematological analysis showed a slight drop in packed cell volume (PCV) in the birds of group A (23.5% ± 0.7), B (28.0 % ± 2.8) and C (27.5 % ± 0.7) at 7 weeks of age, one week after infection with Eimeria tenella. The values of haemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBC) and white blood cells (WBC) were within normal range in all the groups and seemed to bear no direct relationship to the treatment using either the wild mushroom or amprolium. The values showed considerable variations characterized by a wide range of normal values (Hb = 8.5 ± 0.0 - 14.9±1.52 g/dl; RBC = 1.9 ± 0.18 - 8.6 ± 0.78 x1012/L; WBC = 2.0 ± 0.92 - 8.5 ± 0.49 x109/L). Histopathology showed mild lymphocytic infiltration in the liver of the broilers. The lesions could not be linked to the use of mushroom or amprolium, as both treated and untreated birds had similar lesions in their organs. It was concluded that the mushroom has no deleterious or adverse effects on the organs of treated birds.Keywords: Medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, Eimeria tenella, haematological values, histopathology lesions, broiler

SCREENHOUSE EVALUATION OF GROUNDNUT GENOTYPES FORNITROGEN FIXATION AND MAIZE VARIETIES FOR NITROGENUPTAKE EFFICIENCY

Phosphorus is important in the symbiotic association with the bacteria rhizobium, there by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Due to low availability of the fertility status of most savannah soils, the objectives of this research were therefore; to estimate biological nitrogen fixation by the groundnut genotypes under low and high phosphorus conditions and to determine the nitrogen uptake efficiency of some selected maize varieties. To achieve these objectives, a potted experiment was conducted in the screenhouse of the Department of Soil Science, Ahmadu Bello University Samaru, Zaria. The treatments consisted of a combination of five genotypes of groundnut namely; (Samnut 10, Samnut 11, Samnut 21, Samnut 22 and Samnut 23) and three varieties of maize (TZE, TZEE, and Obatampa). The groundnut genotypes had 60kg P2O5 ha-1 (13.2 mgP/kg soil) and 0kg P2O5 ha-1 (0 mgP/kg soil), the maize varieties had 75 kg P2O5 ha-1 (16.5 mgP/ kg soil) and 0 kg P2O5 ha-1 (0 mgP/ kg soil) levels. The treatments were repeated three times and laid down in a Completely Randomised Design. There was no significant difference in the amount of atmospheric nitrogen fixed by the groundnut genotypes. However, Phosphorus application significantly increased nitrogen fixation compared to the control, therefore 60kg P2O5 ha-1 is concluded for higher nitrogen fixation in the soil.The effect of maize varieties in relation to nitrogen uptake efficiency was significant statistically, this result shows that the varieties that grow and develop extra early takes up more nitrogen faster than the late varieties and early varieties

A Study On The Performances Of Mewma And Mcusum Charts For Skewed Distributions.

A multivariate chart, instead of separate univariate charts is used for a joint monitoring of several correlated variables