Defluoridation of fluoride-rich groundwater in Mayo Tsanaga River Basin-Cameroon using locally produced bone char

With fluoride-rich groundwater causing a climatic-dependent fluorosis in Mayo-Tsanaga River Basin, the overall objective of this study was to reduce fluoride concentrations in drinking water to acceptable levels thereby improving the resilience of the population to this climate change induced pathology. The specific objectives were to: (1) assess water chemistry in the study area to re-affirm the undesirable fluoride levels; (2) assess the impact of seasons on the concentrations of fluoride; (3) construct and evaluate the performance of a household bone char-based adsorption defluoridation filter. A combination of hydrogeochemical and engineering analyses demonstrated that the groundwater is predominantly Ca+Mg-HCO3 type, which contains as much as 6.73 mg/l of undesirable concentrations of geogenic fluoride. These concentrations increased with elevated pH, electrical conductivity and in the dry season, and were reduced to less than 0.2 mg/l when the groundwater was subjected to filtration through 300 g of 0.2-0.8 mm faction of charred cow bones in a home-based defluoridation filter. The bone char in the filter can effectively reduce fluoride concentration to less than 0.7 mg/l, which is the local threshold limit, without negative impact on the organoleptic (taste, color and odor) characteristics of drinking water. Compared with the commercially activated carbon, the bone char has an additional capacity of adsorbing fluoride at a rate of 4 mg/liter in 30 minutes, which indicates that with a defined saturation time, the bone char filter can protect the population against climate change-induced fluoride enrichment in drinking water.Keywords: Groundwater. geogenic fluoride. climate dependent fluorosis. bone char defluoridation. water chemistr

Defluoridation of fluoride-rich groundwater in Mayo Tsanaga River Basin-Cameroon using locally produced bone char

With fluoride-rich groundwater causing a climatic-dependent fluorosis in Mayo-Tsanaga River Basin, the overall objective of this study was to reduce fluoride concentrations in drinking water to acceptable levels thereby improving the resilience of the population to this climate change induced pathology. The specific objectives were to: (1) assess water chemistry in the study area to re-affirm the undesirable fluoride levels; (2) assess the impact of seasons on the concentrations of fluoride; (3) construct and evaluate the performance of a household bone char-based adsorption defluoridation filter. A combination of hydrogeochemical and engineering analyses demonstrated that the groundwater is predominantly Ca+Mg-HCO3 type, which contains as much as 6.73 mg/l of undesirable concentrations of geogenic fluoride. These concentrations increased with elevated pH, electrical conductivity and in the dry season, and were reduced to less than 0.2 mg/l when the groundwater was subjected to filtration through 300 g of 0.2-0.8 mm faction of charred cow bones in a home-based defluoridation filter. The bone char in the filter can effectively reduce fluoride concentration to less than 0.7 mg/l, which is the local threshold limit, without negative impact on the organoleptic (taste, color and odor) characteristics of drinking water. Compared with the commercially activated carbon, the bone char has an additional capacity of adsorbing fluoride at a rate of 4 mg/liter in 30 minutes, which indicates that with a defined saturation time, the bone char filter can protect the population against climate change-induced fluoride enrichment in drinking water

Effectiveness of home water treatment methods in Dschang, Cameroon

The MPN (Most Probable Number) technique was used to assess the bacteriological quality of nine of the important drinking water sources in Dschang. Water from the most polluted source was then subjected to six home-based treatment methods, commonly used by the population. Boiling for up to thirty minutes was the most effective method. This was followed in decreasing effectiveness by chemical methods using sodium hypochlorite and chloramines, filtration techniques with the use of the porcelain candle, micro filter and cotton filter. In order to have water of acceptable quality, the sanitary techniques of boiling and the use of sodium hypochlorite and chloramines are recommended. Keywords: bacteriological quality, treatment methods, drinking water, quality Cameroon Journal of Experimental Biology Vol. 1(2) 2005: 102-10

Sustainable Choices for a Comprehensive Agricultural Sector in the Congo Basin of Central Africa

Agriculture in the Central African sub-region is still to fulfill its promise of creating decent employment and welfare. Climate change threatens to exacerbate this challenge. This paper specifies a model for sustainable comprehensive agricultural development in the Congo Basin and identifies options for improving livelihoods and achieving food security while addressing the global concerns of carbon sequestration and preserving biodiversity. It is suggested that the capacity of local and regional institutions be enhanced to communicate the model recommendations as part of a broad agenda in agricultural planning and decision making processes which address biodiversity management, climate change adaptation and national development priorities