Nanotechnology: The magic bullet towards attainment of Kenya’s Vision 2030 on industrialization

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Evaluation of pesticide safety measures adopted by potato farmers in Chebiemit division, Elgeyo/Marakwet county, Kenya

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is the second most important food crop after maize in Kenya. It is popular among smallholder farmers because it has short cropping cycles and large production volumes per area which fulfil both households’ food demands as well as generating income. In order to increase productivity and quality, farmers use pesticides and other agrochemicals. These pesticides if improperly handled impact negatively on the health of the users. The objective of the study was to evaluate the pesticide safety measures adopted by potato farmers in Chebiemit Division of Elgeyo/Marakwet County. Data was collected through stratified simple sampling where 323 potato farmers were administered with structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed using SPSS software. The study found out that 96% of the farmers were aware of pesticide safety labels and the level of awareness was influenced positively by education (χ2 = 4.08, p < 0.05, df = 2) and training (χ2 = 3.05, p < 0.05, df = 1). The study established that 64.7% of the farmers had cultivated the crop for more than ten years and had been using pesticides for the entire period at least thrice in every cropping cycle. The commonly used pesticides were the fungicides Ridomil and Tatamaster which have mancozeb and metalaxyl as the active ingredients. Most farmers rarely practiced safety precautions when handling, mixing and spraying chemicals and none of them wore the recommended personal protective clothing. Most of the mixing was done either in knapsacks or in basins that were also used for bathing hence increasing exposures. The study show that 58.5% of the pesticide applicators were males, 16.1% were female and children under the 14 were involved in pesticide application. The study further reported that post‐spraying safety practices among the farmers were poor since only 36.2% of the applicators bathed after spraying as compared to 69% who only washed hands and face. Females practiced better hygiene practices than males (χ2 = 31.5, p < 0.05, df = 6). Most farmers stored pesticides either in stores together with cereals or in living rooms. This study also found that 35% of the farmers disposed used pesticide containers by discarding them on the farm as compared to only 6% who disposed them by burying. The mode of disposal was influenced positively by training (χ2 = 70.2, p < 0.05, df = 3). The study found that 85.8% of the farmers who had handled pesticides had experienced pesticide poisoning but only 7.4% of them visited a health facility but the majority took milk/pain relievers or rested after spraying. The study results indicated that most potato farmers and their families were highly exposed to pesticide contamination nd poisoning due to poor pesticide safety measures. Since there is a gap in terms of training and education on pesticide safety measures, there is an urgent need to mplement training programmes to improve the knowledge, perceptions and practices of potato farmers in the study area with regard to safe handling, storage and use of pesticides.Key words: farmers, pesticide, safety, potato, Chebiemi

The Status of Occupational Safety and Health and effectiveness of Contractor Management Programs at Kenya Breweries Limited

Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) is involved in the manufacture and sale of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. A significant amount of work in this company is outsourced to contractors. The study sought to develop an in-depth understanding of the current occupational safety and health (OSH) management programs at KBL by examining the perspectives of staff and contractors who are certified to access the workplace. The study employed a descriptive cross sectional study design. Departments were selected purposively and divided into 4 clusters namely; Engineering & Services, Manufacturing, Sales-Marketing & Logistics and HR & Security. Data collection tools were questionnaires, observation and retrieval from records. All data forms underwent scrutiny for logical inconsistencies; skip patterns and missing values. The percentages and their 95% confidence intervals were presented.   A total of 302 (100%) workers participated in this study, of which 18% were fulltime KBL employees and 82% were contractors. In this study 70.5% had college education and above although there was no significant association between educational level and awareness of OSH. Most (93.4%) workers were aware of all hazards in their respective workplaces; 95.0% of workers confirmed that OSH policies were adequate. Majority (93.6%) confirmed that safety information was visible to all staff. The most prevalent cause of injury at KBL was established to be broken glass (cullet), accounting for 66.5% of all respondents who had sustained occupational injuries. Introduction of contactor safety passport training and appointment of safety officers were identified as the most effective programs in improving OSH performance, particularly of contractors. Records from the company point to a significant improvement of performance seen from accident statistics lens with over 81% reduction in accidents between 2010 and 2014.   Further research is recommended in similar firms, so as to help in setting feasible OSH benchmarks for manufacturing industries. Keywords: occupational safety and health, hazards, risks, awareness, contractor management program

Evaluation of noise levels in manufacturing sectors in Thika district, Kenya

Noise is considered as any unwanted sound that may adversely affect the health and wellbeing of individuals or populations exposed. This study assessed the magnitude of occupational noise exposures to workers in different manufacturing sectors in Thika District‐Kenya. Systematic random sampling was used to select 8 manufacturing companies (one per sector) from the Directorate of Occupational safety and Health Services (DOSHS) and Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) registered workplaces in Thika District. Thika district was selected because of its high concentration of manufacturing companies. Data was collected through; Environmental noise survey, Questionnaire Survey, observation and secondary data for comparison. A sample size of 400 participants from the eight selected manufacturing industries was recruited in this study as per the table of maximum return of sample. The results showed that the males population (χ2 = 14.7; p < 0.05, df = 7) was high (82%) as compared to females (18%), hence gender had a significant association between the companies sampled. This study also found that the generator department recorded the highest value of dB(A) (χ2 = 2.40; p < 0.05, df = 1.00) while the office department recorded the lowest values (p<0.05) in all the 8 selected companies. The production department had the highest exposure magnitude in relation to employees (p=0.041). The companies’ noise exposure levels had significant association in terms of departments. The magnitude of noise exposure to the workers in manufacturing industries in Thika District is high (p<0.05) and recommends strict enforcement of noise control regulations supported by necessary trainings, policies and personal protective equipments. The data obtained can be used by National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and DOSHS to develop monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for enforcement and compliance.Key words: Noise, exposure, compliance, manufacturing, Thika, pollutio

Evaluation of fire safety measures at local universities in Kenya with reference to fire risk reduction rules ln.59, 2007

Fire‐related accidents often result in injuries and sometimes death, which can be prevented through compliance to legislation and public awareness on fire safety. This study establishes fire safety measures in place in local universities in Kenya, and compared the compliance status between private and public universities on essential fire safety measures based on the stipulations of the fire risk reduction Rules, LN 59 of 2007. Data was collected using questionnaires from seven universities (three public and four private) targeting a sample size of 481 respondents. Site inspections were also conducted. The average duration worked by the respondents was significantly different with 53% of staff in the public universities having worked over 8 years at the universities as compared to 30% in the private universities. This had no significant effect on the levels of fire safetyawareness amongst the staff as none of the institutions had formal policies and programmes on fire safety. More than 74% (n=481) of employees were not aware on any fire training programmes in place with no significant difference in both categories (χ2 = 3.72; p> 0.05, df = 2). Failure to conduct regular fire evacuation drills was common to both categories (χ2 = 3.16; p> 0.05, df = 2). The study found that the workplaces were adequately equipped with Fire exits signs (98%), fire extinguishers (99%), hose reels (82%) and had fire action procedures posted (88%). Despite the selected public and private universities having a mean existence of 47 years and 14.25 years respectively, there is equally low compliance with the requirement to provide emergency lighting, automatic fire suppression systems, fire detection and alarm systems and fire Hydrants. Private universities however complied marginally better than public universities on the installation of these essential equipment as they have relatively newer premises that have been constructed in compliance with current building codes. The study recommends thedevelopment of comprehensive fire safety policies and programs that will cover prevention, protection and emergency response backed by university management endorsement and support. The Directorate of occupational safety and health services should also make the public aware of these rules through regular training, outreach programs and enforcement.Key words: Fire safety, legislation, awareness, compliance, policies, universitie

Milking Time Effect on Nutrients Level of Free Range Indigenous and Zero Grazed Exotic Cow Milk on Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Zinc in Kajiado County, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the different milking time in a cow affects the nutrients levels in the milk. Milk is considered as balanced diet food with nutrients playing an important role in the body of a human being like calcium build and maintain strong bones and teeth, magnesiumhelps in muscular functions, potassium helps in blood pressure control, muscle and nerve function while zinc stimulates the activity of enzymes in the body, supports immune system, synthesize DNA and in wound healing.Nutrients levels were determined using analytical methodsAAS for analysis of calcium, magnesium and zinc and AES for analysis of potassium. Cow milk obtained in the morning and in the evening had different levels of nutrients in free range indigenous and zero grazed exotic cows. The results showed that in free range indigenous cow milk, nutrients are higher in the morning than in the evening except magnesium while in zero grazed exotic cow milk, the nutrients analysed are higher in the evening milk than the morning milk.Cow milk obtained in the morning from free range indigenous cows and that from evening from zero grazed exotic cows is the best to be taken. Keywords: AAS, AES, Cow, milk, nutrients levels

Radical Scavenging Properties, Total Polyphenols and Flavonoids of Two Coloured Basidiomycetes from Four Pre-Determined Phases

Prospects to evaluate appropriate harvest phase for edible basidiomycetes providing optimal value added health promoting benefits are limited in mushroom entrepreneurship. Two colored edible basidiomycetes (golden yellow Pleurotus citrinopileatus singer and pink Pleurotus djamor R22) were selected for the determination of Total Flavonoid, Total phenols, and free radical scavenging properties at spawn mycelia and three predetermined phases. Using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, antioxidative properties of young basidiocarps were relatively higher with EC50 values lower than mature fruiting bodies (3.176±0.905mg/mL against 10.787±1.007mg/mL) for P. djamor while P. citrinopileatus reported 7.321±1.291mg/mL against 10.502±1.017mg/mL. Antioxidant capacity collaborated the phenolics determined using Folin Ciocalteu Assay, young basidiocarps of P. djamor recorded higher values 12.655±1.019 against mature 4.317±0.921 mgGAE/ g dry weight) with P. citrinopileatus reporting 8.726±0.801 against 4.512±0.310 mgGAE/ g dwt. A strong correlation between phenols and the scavenging properties in aqueous extraction (R2 =0.844, y=-0.700x +13.27 for yellow and R2 =0.983, y=-0.896x +14.29 for pink oyster) was noted. Flavonoid contents did not show a linear correlation with the period, antioxidative, or phenolics properties. Early basidiocarps and basidiospores of basidiomycetes contain bioactive molecules worth targeting for value addition in formulating food supplements or pharmaceutical products. Keywords: DPPH, growth phase, antioxidant, colored basidiomycetes, polyphenols, flavonoids, Pleurotus djamor R22, P. citrinopileatu

Cloud Absorption Radiometer Autonomous Navigation System - CANS

CAR (cloud absorption radiometer) acquires spatial reference data from host aircraft navigation systems. This poses various problems during CAR data reduction, including navigation data format, accuracy of position data, accuracy of airframe inertial data, and navigation data rate. Incorporating its own navigation system, which included GPS (Global Positioning System), roll axis inertia and rates, and three axis acceleration, CANS expedites data reduction and increases the accuracy of the CAR end data product. CANS provides a self-contained navigation system for the CAR, using inertial reference and GPS positional information. The intent of the software application was to correct the sensor with respect to aircraft roll in real time based upon inputs from a precision navigation sensor. In addition, the navigation information (including GPS position), attitude data, and sensor position details are all streamed to a remote system for recording and later analysis. CANS comprises a commercially available inertial navigation system with integral GPS capability (Attitude Heading Reference System AHRS) integrated into the CAR support structure and data system. The unit is attached to the bottom of the tripod support structure. The related GPS antenna is located on the P-3 radome immediately above the CAR. The AHRS unit provides a RS-232 data stream containing global position and inertial attitude and velocity data to the CAR, which is recorded concurrently with the CAR data. This independence from aircraft navigation input provides for position and inertial state data that accounts for very small changes in aircraft attitude and position, sensed at the CAR location as opposed to aircraft state sensors typically installed close to the aircraft center of gravity. More accurate positional data enables quicker CAR data reduction with better resolution. The CANS software operates in two modes: initialization/calibration and operational. In the initialization/calibration mode, the software aligns the precision navigation sensors and initializes the communications interfaces with the sensor and the remote computing system. It also monitors the navigation data state for quality and ensures that the system maintains the required fidelity for attitude and positional information. In the operational mode, the software runs at 12.5 Hz and gathers the required navigation/attitude data, computes the required sensor correction values, and then commands the sensor to the required roll correction. In this manner, the sensor will stay very near to vertical at all times, greatly improving the resulting collected data and imagery. CANS greatly improves quality of resulting imagery and data collected. In addition, the software component of the system outputs a concisely formatted, high-speed data stream that can be used for further science data processing. This precision, time-stamped data also can benefit other instruments on the same aircraft platform by providing extra information from the mission flight

Simulation of multiangular remote sensing products using small satellite formations

To completely capture the multiangular reflectance of an opaque surface, one must estimate the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), which seeks to represent variations in surface reflectance as a function of measurement and illumination angles at any time instant. The gap in angular sampling abilities of existing single satellites in Earth observation missions can be complemented by small satellites in formation flight. The formation would have intercalibrated spectrometer payloads making reflectance measurements, at many zenith and azimuthal angles simultaneously. We use a systems engineering tool coupled with a science evaluation tool to demonstrate the performance impact and mission feasibility. Formation designs are generated and compared to each other and multisensor single spacecraft, in terms of estimation error of BRDF and its dependent products such as albedo, light use efficiency (LUE), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Performance is benchmarked with respect to data from previous airborne campaigns (NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer), and tower measurements (AMSPEC II), and assuming known BRDF models. Simulations show that a formation of six small satellites produces lesser average error (21.82%) than larger single spacecraft (23.2%), purely in terms of angular sampling benefits. The average monolithic albedo error of 3.6% is outperformed by a formation of three satellites (1.86%), when arranged optimally and by a formation of seven to eight satellites when arranged in any way. An eight-satellite formation reduces albedo errors to 0.67% and LUE errors from 89.77% (monolithic) to 78.69%. The average NDVI for an eight satellite, nominally maintained formation is better than the monolithic 0.038