An assessment of the levels of phthalate esters and metals in the Muledane open dump, Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This work reports the determination of the levels of phthalate esters (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP)) and metals (lead, cadmium, manganese, zinc, iron, calcium) in composite soil samples. The soil samples were collected randomly within the Muledane open dump, Thohoyandou, Limpopo province, South Africa. Control samples were collected about 200 m away from the open dump. The phthalate esters were separated and determined by capillary gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector, whilst the metals were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Open dump values for the phthalate esters and metals to be generally higher in comparison to control samples for DMP, DEP, DBP and DEHP – the mean values calculated were 0.31 ± 0.12, 0.21 ± 0.05, 0.30 ± 0.07, and 0.03 ± 0.01 mg/kg, respectively, for the open dump soil samples. Nonetheless, the mean open dump values for lead, cadmium, manganese, zinc, iron and calcium were 0.07 ± 0.04, 0.003 ± 0.001, 5.02 ± 1.92, 0.31 ± 0.02, 11.62 ± 9.48 and 0.12 ± 0.13 mg/kg, respectively. The results were compared statistically.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results revealed that the discarding of wastes into the open dump is a potential source of soil contamination in the immediate vicinity and beyond, <it>via </it>dispersal. Increased levels of phthalate esters and metals in the soil pose a risk to public health, plants and animals. Sustained monitoring of these contaminants is recommended, in addition to upgrading the facility to a landfill.</p

Larvicidal Activity of Aqeous Extract of Moringa oleifera Seeds on Anopheles gambiae and its Effects on Poecilia reticulata

Malaria is a major public health problem and its prevalence is dependent on mosquitoes. There is an increased interest in developing plant-based insecticides as sustainable alternatives to chemical insecticides for the control of mosquitoes. The potential of Moringa plant as a larvicide against the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiaes. S was evaluated and its effects on mosquito fish were also studied. Toxic components in Moringa oleifera seeds were extracted using; five aliquots of concentrations ranging from 1160-8700 μg/ml were prepared by serial dilutions from the extract. Three independent laboratory procedures were run in quadruplicate in which third instar larvae of Anopheles gambiaes. S was exposed to different concentrations and a control group was exposed to distilled water. The fishes were exposed to three graded treatment of the aqueous extract in two experiments run in triplicate. Behavioral changes were observed for 24 hours. From the larval bioassay, the extract presented a 72hour- LC50 and LC90 of 1885.4 μg/ml, 3902.4 μg/ml respectively, (p&lt;0.05), causing 99.33±1.15%mortality at 8700μg/ml. The toxicity assay showed that the guppy fishes exhibited varying degrees of changes as a result of the exposure to treatment unlike in the control. The results obtained show that Moringa seed extract has larvicidal potentials for Anopheles gambiaes. S with observed little or no toxicity effects on the non target, guppy fish. The effectiveness of Moringa seed extract makes it a viable larvicide. Moringa-based larvicides may provide cheap and readily available alternative to synthetic insecticides.Keywords: Malaria, mosquito control, Guppy fish, Larvicidal activity, Moringa oleifera seeds

Indoor Environmental Conditions and Sanitary Practices in Selected Day care Centres in Ibadan, Nigeria

Rapidly urbanizing cities are witnessing an increase in Day care centres (DCCs) whose environmental conditions are substandard. This scenario has negative consequences on the health of the DCC attendees and yet information on some of the indicators such as the level of sanitary practices is not adequately documented. The objective of this study therefore was to assess the influence of sanitary practices on indoor air quality in selected DCCs in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study was descriptive cross-sectional in design. Ten DCCs were randomly selected and an environmental assessment form was used to document characteristics of the physical environment of the DCCs, waste management practices, sanitary environment and indoor building characteristics within the day care environment according to NERDC standards. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi square. Lidless litter bins were present in close proximity to the rooms the children were kept in 100% of the DCCs sampled. There was stagnant water in the drainage of 10% of the DCCs. Toilets were present in 100% of the DCCs but inadequate in 60% of them. Sanitary score was below 50% in 40% of the DCCs. No significant association was found between the sanitary scores and the location of the DCCs. Low sanitary scores observed in 40% of day care studied could predispose the children to a myriad of infections. Routine inspection of the day care centres should be carried out to ensure the centres conform to the stipulated guidelines. Keywords: Day Care Centres, sanitary practices, indoor air quality, children, urban communitie

Knowledge on the Effects and Perceived Health Problems of Noise Experienced among Members of Staff and Students in University of Ibadan

There is a growing concern on the increase of noise induced hearing impairment in developing nations. Academic settings have been reported to be plagued by noise levels that affect cognitive activities. However, there is paucity of information on the level of knowledge on the effects of noise and the reported health problems in an academic setting in Nigeria. Hence, this study was designed to assess the knowledge on the health effects and perceived health problems of noise experienced among member of staff and students in University of Ibadan, Nigeria. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 400 respondents (173 members of members of staff (MS) and 327 students), selected using stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaire elicited information on respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge on the effects of noise in an academic setting and perceived health problems related to noise exposure experienced, six weeks prior to the survey. Descriptive statistics and Chi- square were used for data analysis at 95% level of significance. The mean age of respondents was 25.3±8.0 years and 50.9% of the respondents were males. The knowledge of community noise among respondents was 93.2% and 93.9% for MS and students respectively. Ninety percent (90%) of male respondents and 96.9% of female respondents had good knowledge of community noise. Less than half of MS (47.9%) and students (38.7%) reported having experienced symptoms during exposure to high noise levels. Above one-third MS (36.8%) and students (35.3%) asserted they experienced headache, while, 10.5% MS and 12.5% students reported dizziness. A few MS (1.2%) and students (6.4%) affirmed that they had experienced symptoms of ear pain, though, above one-fifth of MS (23.7%) and one-fourth of students (25%) reported having experienced tingling in the ears. A high level of awareness on the effects of community noise exists. Noise attenuation plan to reduce the perceived health problems is advocated. Keywords: Academic setting, Noise attenuation plan, Hearing impairmen

Air Quality Perception and Assessment of Respiratory Conditions experienced by Traffic Wardens in Two Local Government Areas in South- Western Nigeria

Traffic related emissions contribute immensely to ambient air pollution in urban areas. Studies have shown that a significant proportion of the population are occupationally exposed to air pollutants and among these urban dwellers, traffic wardens have been reported to be at a higher risk of respiratory impairment. Although, various studies have been carried out on the assessment of the respiratory conditions of traffic wardens in developed countries, such studies are lacking in this part of the globe. We assessed the respiratory conditions experienced by Traffic wardens in two selected Local Government Areas in Ibadan. A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out involving 122 Traffic wardens and 125 regular Policemen. Ibadan North and Northeast Local Government Areas were purposely selected based on their high traffic density while information on their Socio-demographic characteristics, occupational history, perception of air quality and the respiratory problems they experienced were obtained using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square statistic at 5% level of significance. The mean age of traffic wardens and regular policemen were 37.7 ± 9.3 years and 37.0 ± 7.7 years respectively. Majority of the traffic wardens (84%) had a positive perception of air quality while 31.1% had a negative perception. On the other hand, a higher proportion of the regular policemen had a positive perception while only 22.4% had a negative perception. Majority (99.2%) of traffic wardens do not use personal protective device while on duty. Among the Traffic wardens, 59 (48.4%) had cough, 81 (66.4%) had breathing difficulty, 88 (72.1%) suffered from chest pains while 74 (60.7%) and 84 (68.9) suffered from catarrh and sore throat respectively. On the other hand, the proportion of Regular policemen that suffered from cough, breathing difficulty, chest pains, sore throat and catarrh were 22 (7.6%), 8 (6.4%), (5.6%), 18 (14.4%) and 52 (41.7%) respectively. Traffic wardens are highly vulnerable to respiratory impairment due their exposure to vehicular exhaust. There is need to introduce and enforce safety measures such as the wearing of nose masks and an increase in the number of shifts at work to ameliorate the problem. Key Words: Respiratory conditions, Traffic wardens, Urban communities, Regular policemen, Ibadan

Air Quality Perception and Assessment of Respiratory Conditions experienced by Traffic Wardens in Two Local Government Areas in South- Western Nigeria

Traffic related emissions contribute immensely to ambient air pollution in urban areas. Studies have shown that a significant proportion of the population are occupationally exposed to air pollutants and among these urban dwellers, traffic wardens have been reported to be at a higher risk of respiratory impairment. Although, various studies have been carried out on the assessment of the respiratory conditions of traffic wardens in developed countries, such studies are lacking in this part of the globe. We assessed the respiratory conditions experienced by Traffic wardens in two selected Local Government Areas in Ibadan. A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out involving 122 Traffic wardens and 125 regular Policemen. Ibadan North and Northeast Local Government Areas were purposely selected based on their high traffic density while information on their Socio-demographic characteristics, occupational history, perception of air quality and the respiratory problems they experienced were obtained using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square statistic at 5% level of significance. The mean age of traffic wardens and regular policemen were 37.7 ± 9.3 years and 37.0 ± 7.7 years respectively. Majority of the traffic wardens (84%) had a positive perception of air quality while 31.1% had a negative perception. On the other hand, a higher proportion of the regular policemen had a positive perception while only 22.4% had a negative perception. Majority (99.2%) of traffic wardens do not use personal protective device while on duty. Among the Traffic wardens, 59 (48.4%) had cough, 81 (66.4%) had breathing difficulty, 88 (72.1%) suffered from chest pains while 74 (60.7%) and 84 (68.9) suffered from catarrh and sore throat respectively. On the other hand, the proportion of Regular policemen that suffered from cough, breathing difficulty, chest pains, sore throat and catarrh were 22 (7.6%), 8 (6.4%), (5.6%), 18 (14.4%) and 52 (41.7%) respectively. Traffic wardens are highly vulnerable to respiratory impairment due their exposure to vehicular exhaust. There is need to introduce and enforce safety measures such as the wearing of nose masks and an increase in the number of shifts at work to ameliorate the problem. Key Words: Respiratory conditions, Traffic wardens, Urban communities, Regular policemen, Ibadan

Prevalence of Skin Infections and Hygiene Practices among Pupils in selected Public Primary Schools in Ibadan, Nigeria

Skin diseases are among the common childhood problems of public health importance in Nigeria. Poor personal hygiene practices especially among children are believed to be contributory to its prevalence. This study assessed the prevalence of skin infections and practices in relation to hygiene among public primary school children in Ibadan, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted. A simple random sampling method was used in selecting five public primary schools from the seventy-six schools in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Nigeria. Physical examination of 1,109 pupils in primaries three to six by Physicians in five schools was used to assess the presence of skin infections. Microscopic examination of scalp scrapings from pupils diagnosed with skin infection was done so as to identify the causative organisms. Semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used in obtaining information on socio-demographic information, personal hygiene and treatment practices. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The mean age of the infected children was 11.0 (1.93) years. Clinically diagnosed cases of skin infections were found in 260 (23.4%) pupils, with more males (77.7%) infected than females (22.3%). Types of skin infections diagnosed were Tineacapitis (93.8%); Pityriasisversicolor (3.1%) and Skin furuncles (0.4%) while (2.7%) had multiple infections. The identified causative dermatophytes from the scalp scrapings were Trichophytonmentagrophytes (72.0%) and Trichophytontonsurans (28.0%). Proportion of infections among pupils were, primary three (33.5%); primary four (29.6%); primary five (19.2%) and (17.7%) for primary six. Pupils whose parents’ do not live together accounted for 65.0% of the infected pupils compared to 35.0% whose parents stay together. About 73.4% reported they had at least one person with skin infection in their homes. About 77.0% of the cases were found in children living in crowded conditions of more than three persons per standard room; sharing of items (comb, bed, towel) was reported in 93.1% of cases. Of the 120 positive cases, 54.2% reported they take bathing their bath once daily; the remaining 45.8% bathe twice daily. Practices in the treatment of infections like the use of herbal soap (31.5%), brake oil (4.2%), Baby oil (3.9%), chicken’s egg (2.7%) were reported by respondents. Poor personal hygiene and housing conditions are contributing factors to skin infections in the study area. Early introduction of health education in schools would encourage pupils to imbibe culture of personal cleanliness. Key words: Skin infections, school pupils, hygiene practice

Knowledge and Attitude of Mothers towards Risk Factors for Acute Respiratory Infections among Hospitalized Under-five Children in Ibadan, Nigeria

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are the fourth major cause of morbidity and mortality among under-five children (U5-C) globally. However, essential information on mothers’ belief about risk factors that could predispose U5-C to these infections is scanty in Nigeria. Therefore, this study assessed the level of knowledge and attitude of mothers towards risk factors that contribute to the acquisition of ARIs among U5-C in Ibadan. A hospital-based case-control design was employed for this study. Two hundred and twenty U5-C each with ARI (cases) and 220 without ARI (controls) were selected from children visiting Oni memorial Children Hospital and University College Hospital, Ibadan. A pretested six-section questionnaire was administered to mothers in order to elicit information on their knowledge and attitude towards the different risk factors of ARIs among children under-five. Mean ages of mothers of cases and controls were 28.8±5.6 and 30.4±6.6 years respectively (p>0.05). Mean knowledge score among cases was 17.9±2.9 compared to 17.1±2.6 among controls (p>0.05). Mean attitude score among cases was 27.8 ± 4.4 compared to 28.5±4.6 among controls (

Ecotoxicology of arsenic in the hydrosphere: Implications for public health

Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid element that is found in soil, air and water. Environmental arsenic exists in both organic and inorganic states. Organic arsenicals are generally considered nontoxic, whereas inorganic forms are toxic. The most acutely toxic form is arsine gas. Inorganic arsenic exists predominantly in trivalent (As3+) and pentavalent (As5+) forms, where trivalent compounds aremore toxic than pentavalent ones. Human activities have also intensified arsenic accumulation in the environment. Organs most susceptible to arsenic toxicity are those involved with absorption,accumulation or excretion, including the skin, circulatory system, gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidney. Arsenic is associated with multiple health effects, including Blackfoot diseases, diabetes,hypertension, peripheral neuropathy and multiple vascular diseases. Other effects include anemia, liver damage, portal cirrhosis, hematopoietic depression, anhydremia, sensory disturbance and weight loss. In addition to acute toxicity, long-term exposure to inorganic arsenic is associated with certain forms of cancer of the skin, lung, colon, bladder, liver and breast. Understanding the ecotoxicological effects of arsenic in the environment is paramount to mitigating its deleterious effects on ecological and human health. This paper is therefore a review of the ecotoxicological effects of arsenic on human and ecological health

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Survey of Source-Separation of Solid Wastes among Workers of a Tertiary Institution in Nigeria

Source-separation is a solid waste management strategy which aids recycling. This concept is relatively new in Nigeria. The study therefore documented the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Source-separation among workers such as Non- Academic Staff and Business Operators at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. A cross-sectional design was adopted. The non-residential areas of Student Union Building (SUB), Works Department (WD) and Faculty of the Social Sciences (FSS) were purposively selected with 180 business operators at the SUB and 168 Non-Academic Staff at the FSS and WD. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data on source-separation. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze data. Participants’ mean age was 30±8.9 years. Majority of the respondents in the locations SUB (72.6%) compared with WD and FSS (67.2%) had no knowledge of recycling. The attitude towards source separation and recycling especially at the SUB was very poor. At the SUB (94.4%) felt waste recycling was not necessary; compared to WD and FSS (53.0%). The practice of source-separation in all locations was very poor; Majority of the respondents at SUB (97.8%), WD and FSS (91.1%) do not separate their waste. The Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about source-separation of wastes were poor. Therefore, advocacy and training are needed to promote the adoption of source-separation in the institution.Keywords: Source-separation, Waste Segregation, Recycling, Solid Waste Management, University of Ibada