Detection of Bacteriological Contaminants in Hand-Pump Fitted Borehole Water from a Residential Suburb in Ringim Local Government, Jigawa State

Water from borehole source can be contaminated due to indiscriminate waste disposal. This pilot study was conducted to assess the bacteriological quality of water from five (5) hand-pump-fitted borehole sources present in Sabon Gari quarters in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Presumptive, confirmed and completed tests were employed to determine total and faecal coliforms from the water samples using most probable number (MPN) technique. Bacterial isolates were identified by standard microbiologicalmethods. Results obtained indicate that all the water samples across all the dilution strengths tested recorded substantial growth of total coliforms at 37.3°C while faecal coliforms were observed at 44°C after incubation for 48 h. Using the MPN table, the five water samples assayed recorded 50 MPN/100mL, 14 MPN/100mL, 3 MPN/100mL, 5 MPN/100mL and 1 MPN/100mL. Results were also positive for gas and acid production in all samples collected characteristic of presence of E. coli. The results obtained in this study show bacterial contamination of the water from the boreholes which may constitute a public health risk. It is therefore recommended that the water pumped from these boreholes should be subjected to  adequate treatment to meet World Health Organization (WHO) required  standard for potable water meant for drinking. Keywords: Boreholes, hand pump, most probable number, total coliforms and faecal coliforms

The Physics of Star Cluster Formation and Evolution

© 2020 Springer-Verlag. The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00689-4.Star clusters form in dense, hierarchically collapsing gas clouds. Bulk kinetic energy is transformed to turbulence with stars forming from cores fed by filaments. In the most compact regions, stellar feedback is least effective in removing the gas and stars may form very efficiently. These are also the regions where, in high-mass clusters, ejecta from some kind of high-mass stars are effectively captured during the formation phase of some of the low mass stars and effectively channeled into the latter to form multiple populations. Star formation epochs in star clusters are generally set by gas flows that determine the abundance of gas in the cluster. We argue that there is likely only one star formation epoch after which clusters remain essentially clear of gas by cluster winds. Collisional dynamics is important in this phase leading to core collapse, expansion and eventual dispersion of every cluster. We review recent developments in the field with a focus on theoretical work.Peer reviewe

Bio-enhanced removal of hydrocarbon contents from spent engine oil contaminated soil using Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus co-culture

The study assessed the removal of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from spent engine oil (SEO) contaminated soil through bioenhancement of bacteria isolated from SEO polluted soil. Sterilized soil was subjected to a three level of SEO contamination before the addition of sterilized biostimulants including powdered cow dung (CD), powdered cocoa pod husk (CPH) and compost (made from fresh CPH and CD). Bacterial inoculum being Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus co-culture (150 mL) was added to the mixture in polyethylene bags. It was a factorial experiment that was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD). The TPH and PAHs were estimated in the first day, fifth week and the tenth week that the room incubation lasted. Results generated from the influence of biostimulants on TPH and PAHs degradation potential of the bacterial co-culture showed that degradation of the hydrocarbon contents was significantly enhanced (p < 0.05). At the tenth week, compost enhanced the most TPH reductions (315 and 380 mg kg–1) compared with other biostimulants on 5% and 15% SEO contamination levels, respectively. Compost equally enhanced the most PAHs reductions (48.8, 39.6 and 94.6 mg kg–1) compared with other biostimulants on 5%, 10% and 15% SEO contamination levels respectively. However, the quantity of SEO contents degraded was significantly higher in the bioaugmented and biostimulated soil samples compared with the control employed. The technology adopted in this study can be effectively employed for the bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon related pollution