Determination and Remediation of Selected Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Petroleum Contaminated Water

Determination and remediation of pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have not being fully regulated in Nigeria; hence  contamination of surface water by such pollutant is a major concern. This study was designed to determine the level of selected PAHs in petroleum contaminated water using spectroscopic techniques and the efficacy of activated carbons made from Bambusa vulgaris and Oxytenanthera  vabyssinaca. Bambusa vulgaris and Oxytenanthera abyssinaca were carbonized at 350OC and activated with Phosphoric acid (CBV350OC H3PO4) and Potassium chloride (COA 350OC KCl) as dehydrating agent respectively. The adsorbents were then used to remediate PAHs in petroleum contaminated water. Liquid-Liquid extraction procedures were used for extracting selected PAHs from sampled solutions. The batch experiment was performed to study the adsorption capacity of adsorbents at 5hrs contact time. Analysis of PAHs concentration for each sampling day was determined by GC-MS. Total PAHs in simulated wastewater did not show a clear trend, contrary to the expectation that there should be a progressive increase with time due to photolysis or photodecomposition of compounds or PAHs. COA 350OC KCl showed a range of 6.2-19.3% removal efficiency of each selected PAH with a total percentage efficiency of 27.7-70.8 for all days. For CBV350OC H3PO4 removal efficiency ranged from 10.26-19.30% for each selected PAH and a total efficiency of 50.8-100% for all selected PAHs for the 4 days intervals. The experimental result showed that adsorbent made from Bambusa vulgaris and Oxytenanthera abyssinaca and activated with H3PO4 and KCl as dehydrating agentrespectively can efficiently adsorb the selected PAHs in contaminated water. The study also revealed that PAHs in contaminated water increases with time due to photodecomposition, thus necessitating their treatment on time

From colonialism to neo-colonialism, Christianity in cultural demythologization and ecological crises in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

The ecological crises in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria is not unconnected to several factors, ranging from degradation and pollution; induced as a result of trade with Europe and eventual commercialization of the area by western countries. But all these were not to be if not for the demythologization of the traditional ecological myths through western Christianity. The active role of the missionaries made them accomplices in opening-up of the area to subsequent ecological crises. The paper therefore, aims to establish the argument that the demythologization of the myths that preserve the Niger Delta environment preceded and gave the way for ecological crises that are prevalent in Niger Delta area. The trend of the demythologization observed from the colonial to neo-colonial period, is therefore, instructive in the search for solution for the ecological crises in the Niger Delta area. Findings further shows that the myths were more effective than the government laws and policies on the protection of the environment, and that Christianity has found a replacement for these myths. Using both literal criticism approach the paper suggest a replacement of the myths by a combination of government and Christian efforts being a dominant religion in the area.Keywords: Colonialism, Christianity, Demythologization, Ecological Crises, Neo-colonialis

Construction manager's (CMs) skills and project performance / Irewolede Ijaola and Olabode Ogunsanmi.

Stakeholders’ attention in construction industry is always drawn to the issue of project performance as more project are characterised by cost over, time over and low quality of work. Different reasons for poor project performance have been identified among which is Construction Manager (CM) skills. This study therefore examines the relationship between CM skills and project performance of cost and time. 88 skills were identified from literatures and these were categorised under six major types; technical, managerial, legal, construction industry and business, people and financial skills. The study was conducted in Lagos state among randomly selected construction firms from sampling frame of Lagos State Tender Board and Building Price Book. Two sets of questionnaires were employed in gathering data for the study. A total of 145 questionnaires were distributed and 106 retrieved and valid for analysis representing 73% response rate respectively. The respondents were majorly CM and their superior. Using Principal Component Analysis with Varimax Rotation, six factors were extracted and a total of 28 skills indicators identified. Mean and Spearman Correlation Analysis were used in analyzing the data. The findings reveal that CMs possess all the identified skills and a significant relationship was found between overall CM skills and project performance of cost and time. It was therefore concluded that the more a CM possesses skills, the higher is the project performance in terms of cost and time. The study recommends that CM should be trained regularly to improve their skills and project performance

ECOTOURISM VALUES AND SUSTAINABILITY OF OBUDU CATTLE RANCH, NIGERIA

This paper estimated the total recreation use value to the eco-tourists of the Obudu Cattle Ranch (OCR) and assessed the sustainability potential of the ranch. An on-site individual observation travel cost method, count data distribution and a discounting framework were used to estimate a measure of the present recreation use of the ranch and the total discounted recreation value for a medium-term of 50-year period. Budgetary analysis was used to determine the net farm income/ hectare which was compared to the Total Recreation Value/hectare and so determine the problem of sustainability. The empirical estimates of the average representative visitor’s present equivalent surplus willingness to pay based on the impact assumption of closure or loss of access to the ranch were N139.00. This, for a visit of three days per eco-tourist to the ranch, was N3,417.00. This translated to current recreation value for 516 recreation days in a year to N101,088,528.00. The future long-term (fifty years) utilities derivable from the OCR based on the current total recreation value was N442,406,302.38. The annual net farm income/hectare from the major alternative land use of arable crop farming was higher than that of the total recreation value/hectare. This brings about sustainability problems as communities around the ranch are likely to encroach on the ranch area for food crop production to sustain their livelihoods. The sustainability problem will equally be sustained if government emphasizes the descrip- tive approach based on market rates for determining future discount rates rather than the lower future discount rates of the prescriptive approach in the appraisal of ecotourism projects that depict *economics of happinessâ€

Perceived Implications of Non-Compliance with Safety Practices in Construction Projects: Construction Professionals’ Awareness Level

Despite the numerous implications of non-compliance with safety practices in construction projects, there are still reports of a low level of compliance with safety rules on construction sites. The study seeks to investigate the awareness level on the implications of non-compliance with safety practices among professionals in construction projects. From the existing literature, two major types of implications namely; direct and indirect cost implications of non-compliance with safety rule were investigated. Questionnaires were used to elicit information from respondents. A hypothesis that examines the differences in the level of awareness on the implications of non-compliance with safety practices among construction professionals was postulated. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test the hypothesis. The findings show that the awareness level on the implications of non-compliance with safety practice among each professional is high and that there are significant differences in the level of awareness on six implications of non-compliance with safety practices; ‘physical injury/fatality to persons’, ‘workmen’s compensation’, ‘liability insurance premiums, ‘low morale of supervisors and workers’, ‘costs of delay’ and ‘time of cost’. The study concludes that professionals are aware of the implications of non-compliance with safety practices and their professional background affects the awareness level of six of the implications of non-compliance with safety practices. The study contributes to knowledge by identifying the six implications of non-compliance with safety practices where disparity exists in the awareness level among construction professionals. In cases where disparity exists in the awareness level among professionals, construction firms should adopt group discussion as a means of sensitization to increase awareness levels

COCONUT HUSK CHAR BIOSORPTIVITY IN HEAVY METAL DIMINUTION FROM CONTAMINATED SURFACE WATER

Applicability of coconut husk char in heavy metal removal was examined in the study. The surface morphology and elemental compositions of the char was investigated with SEM-EDX machine. Heavy metals sorption on 100 g of the char dosage was studied under five different contact times in the column experiment. Isotherm and kinetic models were the probing tools for biosorption mechanism prediction. Results indicated removal efficiency for chromium, cobalt, cadmium, aluminum and arsenic at 60 mins contact time were 72, 80, 86, 89 and 100 % respectively. Contaminate removal depends on metal involved and sorption contact time. Adsorption data are fitted well into Freundlich isotherm model (R2 > 0.92). Pseudo kinetic second order well described the adsorption process, with most R2 values ≥ 0.94. Coconut husk char is an effective biosorbent in sequestration of arsenic, cadmium, aluminum and cobalt in contaminated surface water

Perceived Implications of Non-Compliance with Safety Practices in Construction Projects: Construction Professionals’ Awareness Level

Despite the numerous implications of non-compliance with safety practices in construction projects, there are still reports of a low level of compliance with safety rules on construction sites. The study seeks to investigate the awareness level on the implications of non-compliance with safety practices among professionals in construction projects. From the existing literature, two major types of implications namely; direct and indirect cost implications of non-compliance with safety rule were investigated. Questionnaires were used to elicit information from respondents. A hypothesis that examines the differences in the level of awareness on the implications of non-compliance with safety practices among construction professionals was postulated. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test the hypothesis. The findings show that the awareness level on the implications of non-compliance with safety practice among each professional is high and that there are significant differences in the level of awareness on six implications of non-compliance with safety practices; ‘physical injury/fatality to persons’, ‘workmen’s compensation’, ‘liability insurance premiums, ‘low morale of supervisors and workers’, ‘costs of delay’ and ‘time of cost’. The study concludes that professionals are aware of the implications of non-compliance with safety practices and their professional background affects the awareness level of six of the implications of non-compliance with safety practices. The study contributes to knowledge by identifying the six implications of non-compliance with safety practices where disparity exists in the awareness level among construction professionals. In cases where disparity exists in the awareness level among professionals, construction firms should adopt group discussion as a means of sensitization to increase awareness levels

COCONUT HUSK CHAR BIOSORPTIVITY IN HEAVY METAL DIMINUTION FROM CONTAMINATED SURFACE WATER

Applicability of coconut husk char in heavy metal removal was examined in the study. The surface morphology and elemental compositions of the char was investigated with SEM-EDX machine. Heavy metals sorption on 100 g of the char dosage was studied under five different contact times in the column experiment. Isotherm and kinetic models were the probing tools for biosorption mechanism prediction. Results indicated removal efficiency for chromium, cobalt, cadmium, aluminum and arsenic at 60 mins contact time were 72, 80, 86, 89 and 100 % respectively. Contaminate removal depends on metal involved and sorption contact time. Adsorption data are fitted well into Freundlich isotherm model (R2 > 0.92). Pseudo kinetic second order well described the adsorption process, with most R2 values ≥ 0.94. Coconut husk char is an effective biosorbent in sequestration of arsenic, cadmium, aluminum and cobalt in contaminated surface water

Kinetic Study of Water Contaminants Adsorption by Bamboo Granular Activated and Non-Activated Carbon

The adsorptive capacity of metal ions from surface water with activated and non-activated carbon derived from bamboo was investigated. The validation of adsorption kinetics of Cl, PO4 and Pb was done by pseudo-first and second order model while adsorption isotherms was proved by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm model for activated and non- activated bamboo granular carbon. Generally, the amount of metal ions uptake increases with time and activation levels and the pH of bamboo granular carbon increase with activation. Similarly, the pore space of the activated carbon also increases with activation levels. The correlation coefficients (R2 ) show that the pseudo-second order model gave a better fit to the adsorption process with 0.9918 as the least value and 1.00 as the highest value as compared with the pseudo-first order with 0.813 as the highest value and 0 as the least. The Freundlich isotherm was more favorable when compared with the Langmuir isotherm in determining the adsorptive capacity of bamboo granular activated carbon. The study has shown that chemical activation increases the pore space, surface area and the pH of bamboo granular carbon which ultimately increases the adsorption rate of metal ions in the contaminated surface water

Endomyocardial Fibrosis: Still a Mystery after 60 Years

The pathologist Jack N. P. Davies identified endomyocardial fibrosis in Uganda in 1947. Since that time, reports of this restrictive cardiomyopathy have come from other parts of tropical Africa, South Asia, and South America. In Kampala, the disease accounts for 20% of heart disease patients referred for echocardiography. We conducted a systematic review of research on the epidemiology and etiology of endomyocardial fibrosis. We relied primarily on articles in the MEDLINE database with either “endomyocardial fibrosis” or “endomyocardial sclerosis” in the title. The volume of publications on endomyocardial fibrosis has declined since the 1980s. Despite several hypotheses regarding cause, no account of the etiology of this disease has yet fully explained its unique geographical distribution