Remediation of soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from crude oil

The aim of this study was to determine ways of remediating soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with crude oil. The study involves the use of planted cowpeas, mushrooms, algae, dead vegetable and live earthworm, and fire-heating of the contaminated garden soil collected from the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. The types and levels of the PAH in the soil before and after three weeks of contamination were determined using gas chromatography. Mushrooms and cowpeas proved to be very adequate phytoremediators. Fire heat was third, algae and dead vegetable with live earthworm showed the least reduction. This study thus recommends that the people of the Niger Delta should engage in planting of mushrooms and cowpeas to regenerate and ameliorate petroleum contaminated land for beneficial farming.Key words: Crude oil, petroleum, contaminated soil, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mushrooms, cowpeas

Some Aspects Of The Biology Of Papyrocranus Afer And Xenomystus Nigri (Family Notopteridae) In The River Osse, Southern Nigeria

Specimens of two notopterids, Papyrocranus Afer and Xenomystus Nigri were collected from Osse River at Ikoro between December 2002 and August 2003 and examined for morphometric features, condition factor and food and feeding habits. The standard length of P. Afer ranged from 13.7-38.1 cm and X. Nigri, 8.3-16 cm. The mean condition factor of P. Afer was 0.96 and X. Nigri was 1.18. Generally, specimens of higher standard length had lower condition factor than those of lower standard length. A significant negative regression (

Morphormetric Measurements Of Barbels, Head And Standard Length Of Catfish From Osse River, Nigeria

Measurement of sensory barbels of five catfish species from the Osse River was undertaken to ascertain the differences between the types of barbels. The five species showed the maxillary to have the largest proportion of SL. The differential rankings of the maxillary were Heterobranchus bidorsalis Geoffrey Saint Hilaire (41.58%), H. longifilis Valenciennes (36.05%), Malapterurus electricus (Gmelin) (23.60%), Synodontis nigrita Valenciennes (22.24%) and Chrysichthys furcatus Gunther (20.30%). The head – SL relationship was significant in all five species whereas the maxillary – SL relationship was significant in C. furatus, H. bidorsalis and M. electricus. It was the mandibulary – SL relationship that was significant in C. furcatus, H. longifilis and M. electricus, while the nasal – SL relationship was significant in C. furcatus and H. bidorsalis (

Some observations on fish-consumable insects of Ossiomo River, Nigeria

The fish-consumable insect fauna and some physico-chemical conditions of the Ossiomo River at Ikpe in Edo State, southern Nigeria were investigated between January and June 2002. The mean water temperature was 26.0°C, while alkalinity, conductivity and dissolved oxygen had mean values of 41.3mg/l, 60.6µS/cm and 3.40 mg/l respectively. The Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) was low (1.46mg/l) and the pH was slightly acidic (6.31). The mean nutrient values were low (0.36mg/l NO3 and 0.44mg/l PO4). Fifteen taxa represented by hundred and thirty eight individuals were recorded. Ephemeroptera (48.55%) represented mainly by Centroptilum (21.74%) and Diptera (44.93%) represented mainly by Pentaneura nilotica Kieffer (31.88%) were dominant. The subdominant taxa were Baetis tricaudatus Dodds (12.32%), Cloeon cylindroculum Kimmins (8.70%) and Pseudocloeon (5.80%). The indices of diversity, Margalef's taxa richness (D) and Shannon Diversity (H1) were higher in the more vegetated and shaded station 1 (2.72 and 2.14 respectively) than in station 2 (1.74 and 1.67 respectively) in the station 2. The two stations were homogeneous as no significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in terms of faunal abundance and Shannon diversity. Keywords: aquatic insects, fish food, water quality, southern Nigeria Tropical Freshwater Biology 2003/2004 Vol. 12/13: 25-3

Ocular morbidities in a targeted high-risk urban population in Benin City, Edo State

No Abstract