Particle Counts and Size Distributions in Local Garri Processing Environment

Previous studies have linked morbidity and mortality of individuals to airborne particles resulting from anthropogenic sources. Fine particles (particles < 2.5 μm) are known to have harmful effects on human health and environment compared to the coarse particles (2.5 μm < dp <10 μm). Sadly, developing countries experiencing rapid growth are characterized with inadequate environmental action and policy. Garri processing has been linked to contribute to ambient particulate matter pollution. The present study investigates the number and sizes of particulate emitted as a result of this anthropogenic activity. Continuous measurement of number concentration and size distributions of particles of diameters 0.3 μm, 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 2.0 μm and 5.0 μm were conducted, using a GT -321 particle counter for day and night cases November 2012 at four major local garri processing locations in the ancient city of Oyo, Nigeria. On the average, the total particle number concentration for the selected four locations were 2.3 × 106 – 8.9 × 106 ; 0.085 × 106 – 4.487 ×106; 0.073 × 106 – 0.912 × 106; 0.022 × 106 – 0.654 × 106; and 0.002 × 106 – 0.155 × 106 for particle size 0.3μm, 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 2.0 μm and 5.0 μm respectively for day time readings and 1.021 × 106 –8.793 × 106; 0.071 × 106 – 3.323 × 106; 0.051 × 106 – 1.903 × 106; 0.012 × 106 – 0.278 × 106;and 0.003 × 106 – 0.015 × 106 for particle size 0.3μm, 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 2.0 μm and 5.0 μm respectively for night time measurements. Daily cycle of particle numbers were obvious with high concentrations recorded during day time but lower level at night time which is consistent with the trend of the garri processing activity. The findings suggested that higher fraction of fine particles (0.3 - 2 μm) are produced and retained in the ambient air from this activity

Ambient noise from off-grid diesel engines electric power generators in an urban environment

Abstract Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the impacts of the noise from the diesel engine power generators used for production activities in an urban environment. Design/methodology/approach – This study has used the Enterprise Edition of NoiseMap 2000 Version 2.7.1 to investigate the impacts of the noise from the diesel engines electric power generators used in a factory in Ikorodu, an urban environment in Lagos, Nigeria. Five sections of the factory with diesel engines electric power generators were considered. The immediate and distant environments covering about 10 km of the factory host environment were considered as receptors to the noise for this study. Findings – It was found out that when all the generators operate simultaneously in the factory, the ambient noise was 30.0-152.5 dB(A) with the minimum contribution within the factory being 70.0-84.4 dB(A) and the maximum contribution of 57.2-70.8 dB(A) outside the factory fence line. Though the maximum noise is 152.5 dB(A), the maximum noise of 70.8 dB(A) beyond the fence line shows a compliance with 70 dB(A) industrial and commercial area limit but breaches the 45 dB(A) and 55 dB(A) residential area limit of the World Bank. Research limitations/implications – As much as it would be desirable ambient noise level could not be measured in all the receptors’ locations covered by the modeling. However, the capability of themodeling software adopted makes this to have no negative impact on the quality of the findings of this study. Practical implications – The study will assist the public to determine the noise level safe region around diesel engine electric power generators. Originality/value – The paper highlights the challenges in which ambient noise from the use of off-grid generators used for industrial purposes could pose to the neighboring receptor environments

AIRBORNE PARTICULATE MATTER IN THE ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT OF A TOBACCO MANUFACTURING PLANT

Quarterly concentrations of ambient particulate matter mass ranges PM1, PM2.5, PM7, PM10, and Total Suspended Particles (TSP) were measured in a major cigarette manufacturing company in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria. The samplings were carried out in both the indoor and outdoor environment of the study location. During the study, the ambient measured microclimatic parameters agreed with the weather historical data of the area. Measured and extrapolated 24-hr concentration of the PM2.5,PM10, and TSP were compared with the World Health Organization, Federal Ministry of Environment (FMENV), and the World Bank Standards. Particulate matter (PM) was measured with GT-331 Particle Mass Monitor while weather tracker Kestrel 4500 was used for the measurements of microclimatic parameters. It was found that some of the PM ranges measured fall within standard while some exceeded the set standards. The highest measured concentrations of the particulates were noticed in the first quarter which could be attributable to the prevailing microclimatic conditions during the quarter. PM10 and TSP gave the highest measured and 24-hr extrapolated concentrations for all the quarters in the indoor and outdoor environments. Seasonal/quarterly variation and compliance with cleaner practice were found to be associated with PM10 and TSP concentration

Tax Audit and Investigation: A Panacea to Increase Revenue Generation in Nigeria

The research work examines the effect of tax audit and investigation on revenue generation in Nigeria. The essence of the study is to determine the effect of tax audit and investigation, which is a viable instrument of relevant tax authority on revenue generation in Nigeria using the tools of tax audit and investigation as measuring indicators. Primary data were sourced through the administration of a structured questionnaire on 162 samples drawn from the total population of Federal Inland Revenue staff in the South-western zone of Nigeria, using Taro Yamane sample size calculator. Descriptive and inferential methods of data analysis were employed to measure the effect of tax audit and investigation’s indictors (desk/office audit, field audit, and audit investigation) on revenue generation. Findings revealed that about 38% variation in revenue generation in Nigeria is due to change in tax audit and investigation’s indicators/variables of DOA, FA, and ANINV, which implies that applications of these variables of tax audit and investigation will improve tax revenue generation in Nigeria as shown from the contributory regression coefficients of 0.576, 0.407, and 0.151 respectively. The study therefore recommends that effective and efficient tax audit and investigation habit should be encouraged by the relevant tax authorities as this will help in curbing taxpayers rendering false returns, reduce tax evasion and eventually improve tax revenue generation in Nigeria. Keywords: Tax Audit, Tax investigation, Field Audit, Office/Desk Audit, Revenue Generation, DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/13-18-05 Publication date:September 30th 202

Oxygen-rich microporous carbons with exceptional hydrogen storage capacity

Porous carbons have been extensively investigated for hydrogen storage but, to date, appear to have an upper limit to their storage capacity. Here, in an effort to circumvent this upper limit, we explore the potential of oxygen-rich activated carbons. We describe cellulose acetatederived carbons that combine high surface area (3800 m2 g-1) and pore volume (1.8 cm3 g-1) that arise almost entirely (> 90%) from micropores, with an oxygen-rich nature. The carbons exhibit enhanced gravimetric hydrogen uptake (8.1 wt% total, and 7.0 wt% excess) at -196 ºC and 20 bar, rising to a total uptake of 8.9 wt% at 30 bar, and exceptional volumetric uptake of 44 g l-1 at 20 bar, and 48 g l-1 at 30 bar. At room temperature they store up to 0.8 wt% (excess) and 1.2 wt% (total) hydrogen at only 30 bar, and their isosteric heat of hydrogen adsorption is above 10 kJ mol-1

Perception of Arable Crop Farmers on Usage of Organic Fertilizer in Maize Production in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

One major problem facing maize production can be attributed to the fertility status of most Nigerian soils which is considerably low. The study was conducted to examine arable crop farmers’ perception of the use of organic fertilizer in maize production in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State. A total of one hundred and twenty respondents were randomly selected for the study from 10 villages. Primary data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire and interview guide. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages and mean. Chi-square was used to test the hypothesis of the study. Poultry manure (90.0%) was the major source of organic fertilizer and constitutes the most frequently used (70.8%). It was found that bulkiness of organic fertilizer was the most severe constraint that affect its usage (x=2.43). However, there was an unfavourable perception on use of organic fertilizer in maize production. Test of hypothesis revealed that age (χ2= 4.46, df= 1) and educational level (χ2= 8.54, df = 3) were found significantly related with the perception of respondents on usage of organic fertilizer (p = 0.05). Advocacy should be intensified on usage of organic fertilizer in crop production

Feminist health psychology and abortion : towards a politics of transversal relations of commonality

In 1992 Speckhard and Rue argued in the Journal of Social Issues for the recognition of a diagnostic category, post-abortion syndrome (PAS). This term was first used in 1981 by Vincent Rue in testimony to the American Congress, but was only formalised in a published paper a decade later. Speckhard and Rue (1992) posit that abortion is a psychosocial stressor that may cause mild distress through to severe trauma, creating the need for a continuum of categories, these being post-abortion distress, post-abortion syndrome and post-abortion psychosis. PAS, which is the main focus of their paper, and which has taken root in some professional language as well as lay anti-abortion discourse, is described as a type of post-traumatic stress disorder

RISK SURVEILLANCE OF MULTIDRUG RESISTANT PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA IN WATER AND PLASMID RELATEDNESS WITH CLINICAL STRAINS IN ABEOKUTA, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an opportunistic pathogen has been a subject of investigation due its intrinsic drug resistance.ª¤?ª¤? Its frequent presence in drinking, domestic and recreational water highlights its significance to public health.ª¤?ª¤? This study was aimed at risk surveillance of multidrug resistant environmental P. aeruginosa in water and their plasmid relatedness with clinical strains in Abeokuta, southwestern Nigeria.ª¤?ª¤? A total of forty-one (41) strains with prevalence: well water (29.3%); swimming pool (22.0%) hospital storage tank (19.5%); tap water (14.6%); sachet water (12.2%); and bottled water (2.4%) respectively were isolated from two hundred and eighty eight (288) water samples and were compared with 43 clinical strains from wound (37.3%), blood (11.6%), ear swab (20.9%)ª¤? and urine (20.9%)ª¤? and eye swab (9.3%).ª¤?ª¤?ª¤?ª¤? Both environmental and clinical strains were all multidrug resistant, though with different plasmid profile.ª¤? Plasmid with molecular weight size of 2010bp was detected in only 1 (2.5%) out of the 41 environmental strains as against 9 (20.93%) of the 43 clinical strains having between 22520-23130bp molecular weight.ª¤? All strains harboring plasmid were resistant to varied types of more than seven drugs out of the eleven tested (gentamycin 10ª¤?g, erythromycin 15ª¤?g, ampicillin 10ª¤?g, augmentin 10ª¤?g, cotrimoxazole 25ª¤?g, tetracycline 30ª¤?g, streptomycin 10ª¤?g, ciprofloxacin 5ª¤?g, cloxacillin 5ª¤?g, amoxicillin 25ª¤?g, and cefuroxime 30ª¤?g). ª¤?Strains without plasmid were also multidrug resistant.ª¤? This finding would be important in the control of multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in Nigeria

Unintended pregnancy: magnitude and correlates in six urban sites in Senegal

BACKGROUND: In Senegal, unintended pregnancy has become a growing concern in public health circles. It has often been described through the press as a sensational subject with emphasis on the multiple infanticide cases as a main consequence, especially among young unmarried girls. Less scientific evidence is known on this topic, as fertility issues are rarely discussed within couples. In a context where urbanization is strong, economic insecurity is persistent and the population is globalizing, it is important to assess the magnitude of unintended pregnancy among urban women and to identify its main determinants. METHODS: Data were collected in 2011 from a representative sample of 9614 women aged 15–49 years in six urban sites in Senegal. For this analysis, we include 5769 women who have ever been pregnant or were pregnant at the time of the survey. These women were asked if their last pregnancy in the last two years was ‘wanted ’then’, ‘wanted later’ or ‘not wanted’. Pregnancy was considered as unintended if the woman responded ‘wanted later’ or ‘not wanted’. Descriptive analyses were performed to measure the magnitude of unintended pregnancies, while multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with the occurrence of unintended pregnancy. The analyses were performed using Stata version 12. All results were weighted. RESULTS: The results show that 14.3% of ever pregnant women reported having a recent unintended pregnancy. The study demonstrates important distinctions between women whose last pregnancy was intended and those whose last pregnancy was unintended. Indeed, this last group is more likely to be poor, from a young age (< 25 years) and multiparous. In addition, it appears that low participation of married women in decision-making within the couple (management of financial resources) and the lack of discussion on family planning issues are associated with greater experience of unintended pregnancy. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a need to implement more targeted programs that guarantee access to family planning for all women in need. In urban areas that are characterized by economic insecurity, as in Senegal, it is important to consider strategies for promoting communication within couples on fertility issues