Influence of mine drainage on water quality along River Nyaba in Enugu South-Eastern Nigeria

Major and Trace elements concentration were measured in water samples collected in and around Okpara coal mine in Enugu southeastern Nigeria to investigate the influence of mine drainage on the quality of water. The cations and trace elements were determined by ICP- MS while the anions were measured by spectrophotometer and titration methods. Field parameters such as pH, temperature and conductivity were determined in the field using standard equipment. The results show that the water is acidic to moderately acidic (pH 2.84 to 6.69) with pH increasing along the flow direction. The mean values of pH (4.66 (dry), 4.22 (wet), Color (334.34 TCU (dry), 153.11 TCU (wet) and turbidity (53,67 NTU (dry), 17.43 NTU (wet) as well as iron (6.35 mg/L(dry), 5.14 mg/L(wet), aluminum(1.14 mg/L(dry), 4.30 mg/L(wet), manganese (1.43 mg/L(dry), 5.36 mg/L (wet) and nickel, 0.053 mg/L (wet) recorded in the dry and wet seasons are above levels recommended by WHO for drinking water and other domestic purposes. Mean levels of fluoride (5.4 mg/L) with ranged of 0.00 to 45 mg/L, potassium (12 mg/L) with ranged of 1.17 to 27.85 mg/L and nickel (53.10 ìg/L) with ranged of 1.50 to 309.30 ìg/L, as well as maximum levels of chromium (100 ìg/L) with ranged of 0.05 to 100 ìg/L , chloride(400 mg/L) with ranged of 40 to 400 mg/L, nitrate(1012 mg/L) with ranged of 158 to 1012 mg/L and sulphate (517 mg/L) with ranged of 10 to 512 mg/L obtained in the wet season are above the WHO maximum permissible level. Generally, the levels of the elements decrease with distance away from the mine waste except for nitrate and fluoride. Thus the quality of the water is most probably influenced by acidic mine drainage and it impact on human health and the environment could be severe. Microbial assessment and element speciation are recommended for further quality assessment in the study area

Incidence and prevalence of epilepsy and associated factors in a health district in North-West Cameroon: A population survey

This population-based cross-sectional survey with a follow-up case-control study assessed the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for epilepsy in a rural health district in the North-West Region of Cameroon. Community-based epilepsy screening targeted all inhabitants, six years and older, in all 16 health areas in the Batibo Health District. During door-to-door visits, trained fieldworkers used a validated questionnaire to interview consenting household heads to screen for epilepsy in eligible residents. Trained physicians subsequently assessed people with suspected seizures. After clinical assessment, they confirmed or refuted the diagnosis and estimated the date of epilepsy onset. A trained nurse interviewed people with epilepsy and randomly selected healthy individuals, obtaining relevant demographic details and information on exposure to risk factors for epilepsy. Out of 36,282 residents screened, 524 had active epilepsy. The age-standardized prevalence of active epilepsy was 33.9/1,000 (95% CI: 31.0-37.1/1,000). We estimated the one-year age-standardized epilepsy incidence at 171/100,000 (95%CI: 114.0-254.6). Active epilepsy prevalence varied widely between health areas, ranging between 12 and 75 per 1,000. The peak age-specific prevalence was in the 25-34 age group. In adults, multivariate analysis showed that having a relative with epilepsy was positively associated with epilepsy. Epilepsy characteristics in this population, geographical heterogeneity, and the age-specific prevalence pattern suggest that endemic neurocysticercosis and onchocerciasis may be implicated. Further investigations are warranted to establish the full range of risk factors for epilepsy in this population

Epilepsy in a health district in North-West Cameroon: Clinical characteristics and treatment gap

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is a common yet misunderstood condition in Cameroon, including in the Batibo Health district. METHODS: This cross-sectional study describes epilepsy clinical characteristics, the treatment gap, and associated factors in a rural district in Cameroon. After screening for epilepsy using a door-to-door survey, physicians confirmed suspected cases of epilepsy. Detailed information on the medical, seizure, and treatment history was collected from everyone with epilepsy, followed by a general and neurological examination. RESULTS: We diagnosed 546 people with active epilepsy (at least one seizure in the previous 12 months). The mean age of people with active epilepsy was 25.2 years (SD: 11.1). The mean age at first seizure was 12.5 years (SD: 8.2). Convulsive seizures (uncertain whether generalized or focal) were the most common seizure types (60%), while 41% had focal-onset seizures. About 60% of people had seizures at least monthly. One-quarter of participants had had at least one episode of status epilepticus. Anti-seizure medication (ASM) was taken by 85%, but most were receiving inappropriate treatment or were non-adherent, hence the high treatment gap (80%). Almost a third had had seizure-related injuries. Epilepsy was responsible for low school attendance; 74% of school dropouts were because of epilepsy. CONCLUSION: The high proportion of focal-onset seizures suggests acquired causes (such as neurocysticercosis and onchocerciasis, both endemic in this area). The high epilepsy treatment gap and the high rates of status epilepticus and epilepsy-related injuries underscore the high burden of epilepsy in this rural Cameroonian health district

Plant Material, Deterioration Rate And Lifespan Estimation Of The Gorilla gorilla diehli Nest Types On The Cameroon Ka-Gwene Mountain Range.

A study on the identification of plant material, estimation of deterioration rate and mean lifespan of the Gorilla gorilla diehli nest types was conducted on the Ka-Gwene mountain range between April and July, 2004.Thirty four (34) nest sites were identified from signs such as noise, faecal droppings, food remains and footprints along the Gorilla trail and monitored for 34 days each. Herbs, shrubs, tree branches, trunks and Lianas were observed as materials used for nest building. 29.4%, 52.9% and 17.7% of nests were constructed with one, two and three plant materials respectively. Five nest types (Herbaceous, mixed, woody, tree and zero type) were found with a mean deterioration rate of 16.1% at 35 days. This rate varied with the type of raw plant material used. The average lifespan of a nest was 62 days with the tree nest type having the longest duration of 134 days followed by the woody type with 104 days, mixed type with 70 days, herbaceous 35 days and the zero type with 1 day. Although about 20% of tree branches around nests were bent or broken, daily nest building had no major impact on the forest ecosystem. Keywords: Nest type, plant material, deterioration rate, lifespan, Gorilla gorilla.L'étude de l'identification du matériel végétal, de l'estimation du taux de détérioration et de la durée moyen de vie des nids du Gorilla gorilla diehli a été menée sur la chaîne de montagnes Ka-Gwene entre Avril et Juillet, 2004. 34 sites de nids ont été identifiés et surveillés pendant 34 jours chacun à travers les signes tels que : le bruire, les crottes, les déchets alimentaires, et les empreintes de pas le long de la piste du Gorille. Les matériaux de construction de nid étaient constitués d'herbes, d'arbrisseaux, de branches d'arbres, de troncs et Lianes. 29.4%, 52.9% et 17.7% des nids ont été construits respectivement avec un, deux et trois matériels végétaux. Le taux de détérioration moyen était de 16.1% après 35 jours et varié avec le type de matériel végétal utilisé. Cinq types de nids (Herbacé, associé, boisé, arbre et zéro) ont été identifiés avec une durée de vie moyenne de 62 jours. La durée de vie des nids variés en fonction de la nature et des parties du matériel végétal utilisé. Ces durées moyennes étaient de 134, 104, 70, 35, et 1 jours respectivement pour les types d'arbre, boisé, associé, herbacé et zéro. En définitif, près de 20% de branches d'arbres autour des nids étaient soient courbées ou cassées, mais la construction journalière des nids n\'avait aucun impact majeur sur l\'écosystème forestier. Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol. 4 (2) 2006: pp. 170-17