Quality Analysis of Potable Water in Dowhan, Erop Wereda, Tigrai, Ethiopia

One of the important UN Millennium Development Goals is to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by the year 2015. Quality analysis of drinking water is less studied even though peoples are consuming or drinking water day to day that may result the accumulation of unwanted materials in human body.   A study was carried out to assess the suitability of potable water used for domestic activities in Dawhan, Erope wereda, tigray Ethiopia. some water quality parameters such as total dissolved solids (TDS), Hardness, Chlorides, Sulphate. The results of the physical parameters revealed the following: total dissolved solids, 2500 mg/L exceeds the permissible value of WHO (500-2000mg/l), chloride, 200.293 mg/L, Hardness, 275.8 mg/L and sulphate, 490.085mg/L. Therefore, the concentration of sulphate exceeds the permissible value of WHO (200-400 mg/L). Key words: Total Dissolved Solids, Water Hardness, Sulphate, Chlorides. Water Quality

The Level of Heavy Metals in Potable Water in Dowhan, Erop Wereda, Tigray, Ethiopia

The problem of environmental pollution due to trace metals has raised wide spread concerns in different parts of the world and results reported by various agencies have been alarming.  Trace metals are among one of the significant pollutants of freshwater, with the development of mining, smelting, geochemical and other industrial activities. The study area is higly covered by soft  and hard rock.the analysis Trace metals was conducted using Atomic absorption spectrometer (Varian AA240FS at Ezana analytical laboratory .The level of the trace metals in the two sites were not exceeded the WHO maximum permissible limits in drinking water except the cadmium (Cd) and cobalt (Co). The order of all metals concentration in ER-1and ER-2 samples areas were Zn>Mn>Cu>Fe>Cr and Mn>Co>Fe, Cr, Cu, Zn respectively, but Ni and Pb were below the detection limit. Keywords: potable water, Trace Metals,WH

Agro-Industrial use of Cactus, a Review

The cactus pear has become an important fruit in many semi-arid lands of the world. The fruit and the young cladodes (nopalitos) have commonly been consumed fresh, but the last decade’s research studies on cactus pear processing have produced another alternative which prevents damage to the fruit and in spite of technological characteristics that make processing a challenge (high soluble solids content, low acidity and high pH), adds value to this fruit. The cladodes of the plant are a good source of fiber, an important element for the human diet and of considerable potential for medical use. The result of several of these research studies involving the production of juices, marmalades, liquid sweeteners, dehydrated foods and other products have discussed. Keywords: Canned Food, Medicines, Industrial Additives, Dehydration Product, Nutraceuticals, Food and Food Derivative