Heavy Metals Concentrations in Commercially Available Fish of The Black Volta At Buipe In Northern Region Of Ghana

The purpose of the study was to gather information and evaluate the status of fish produced in the Black Volta of Northern Region in terms of Heavy metals in order to protect public health. Fish were selected based on weight and size. Three fish species which are commercially available were selected. The three fish species were bought from fishermen at the water body for four months. The concentration of metals (Zn, Pb, Fe, Mn, Cu and Cd ) was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry

The Role of Maize Tassels in Amelioration of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Soils and its Effects on Vegetables.

Vegetables depend on water as solvent for their growth and have greater potential of accumulating in their edible parts heavy metals which are dangerous to human health.  Maize tassel was applied to soil to determine its role in removal of heavy metals such as Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Cadmium (Cd) and Zinc (Zn) from the contaminated soil with cabbage as the test crop. The average mean concentration of the heavy metals after twenty one and fifty one days were; Mn (0.402 mg/kg and 7.427 mg/kg), Fe (0.894 mg/kg and 4.838 mg/kg) and Zn (0.155 mg/kg and 1.073 mg/kg) respectively. The concentration of cadmium in the wastewater sample used was 0.680mg/l, and its concentrations in tap water (<0.002mg/l), in soil (<0.002mg/kg) were below the detection limit. The enrichment factor for Mn, Fe and Zn in soil treated with maize tassel (T1) are 9.73, 10.70 and 5.23 respectively, whereas treatment without (T2) are 1.05, 1.86 and 4.52 respectively. The high enrichment of T1 is attributed to the availability of the active site within the tassel absorbent. Keywords: Heavy metals, maize tassel, contaminated soil, wastewater

Water Quality Assessment of the Bontanga Reservoir.

The water quality assessment of Bontanga reservoir in Northern Region of Ghana has been carried out and results obtained were based on samples collected from three sampling points monitored over a period of four years. Many of the parameters analysed were within the World Health Organisation’s (2008) permissible levels for drinking water, and the Ghana Water Resources Commission target raw water quality range for domestic water use, with an exception of microbiological quality. The physico-chemical parameters ranged from 6.77 to 8.52 (pH unit), 0.43 to 39.40 NTU (turbidity),  2.50 to 30.00 colour units (colour), 44.50 to 135.00µS/cm (electrical conductivity), 24.20 to 39.10 mg/l (total dissolved solids), 20.00 to 88.00 mg/l (total hardness), and dissolved oxygen levels of 9.32 to 10.36mg/l. The mean concentration of sulphate in the dry season was 4.33mg/l and 8.07mg/l in the wet season. Nitrate-N and phosphate ranged from 0.01 to 4.00mg/l and 0.015 to 0.024mg/l respectively. The heavy metals concentration ranged from 0.017 to 0.025mg/l (Cu); 0.15mg/l to 0.20mg/l (Fe), 0.01 to 0.03mg/l(Cr),  0.12 to 0.21mg/l(Mn), 0.010 to 0.014mg/l(Pb), 0.001 to 0.227mg/l (As) and 0.002 to 0.003 mg/l for Cd. The silica ranged 4.70mg/l to 23.90mg/l (SiO2). Total coliform counts ranged from 3,500 to 15,000 cfc/100ml with an overall mean of 9,250 cfc/100ml. The reservoir exhibited an overall ionic dominance pattern of Na > K > Ca > Mg and SO4 > HCO3 > Cl. Keywords: Bontanga Reservoir, Water quality, Physico-chemical analysis, Microbial analysis

Heavy Metals Concentrations in some selected Fish Species in Tono Irrigation Reservoir in Navrongo, Ghana

An assessment of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, copper, manganese, zinc and iron) in water, sediments and in the organs of Tilapia (Sarotherodon gallelacus) and African Giraffe Bagrid (Auchenoglanis occidestalis) from the Tono irrigation dam has been carried out. Sediments contained the highest concentrations and appeared to be the major source of bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the fish species as deduced from estimated transfer factors. The mean concentrations of heavy metals Cd, Zn and Cu in muscle and gills both fish species fell within USEPA (2002) acceptable levels for human uses while those of Pb, Mn and Fe were above. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in raw water fell within the permissible limits of WPCL (2004) for aquaculture except Cd (0.03mg/l) and Fe (0.86mg/l). The relatively high mean concentrations of Pb (0.375mg/kg FW in the two fish species may originate from chemicals (fertilisers, weedicides and pesticides) being used for agricultural purposes in the study area. This is a potential health hazard and requires monitoring and awareness creation. Keywords: fish species, Ghana, heavy metals, Navrongo, Tono dam

The Impact of Climate Change on Rainfall Patterns in Ghana: A Zoning Adaptation Strategy through Developing Agroforestry

As a developing country in Africa, the effect of climate change is one of the sufferings of Ghana. The effect is much felt in rainfall variability because of the country over reliance on rainfall for agriculture. While various researches have studied the impact of climate change in Ghana, few among them have extended to its impact on rainfall pattern across all the ecological zones in the country. The trends in the rainfall from seven selected meteorological stations across all the ecological zones were analyzed using data from the NASA satellite. The Mann-Kendall and Sen’s Slope Test were used for the analysis. The study found decreasing trend in most of the monthly and yearly rainfall pattern across the ecological zones, and suggested cashew agroforestry as a zoning adaptation strategy

Sulfate transporters involved in sulfate secretion in the kidney are localized in the renal proximal tubule II of the elephant fish (Callorhinchus milii)

Most vertebrates, including cartilaginous fishes, maintain their plasma SO4 (2-) concentration ([SO4 (2-)]) within a narrow range of 0.2-1 mM. As seawater has a [SO4 (2-)] about 40 times higher than that of the plasma, SO4 (2-) excretion is the major role of kidneys in marine teleost fishes. It has been suggested that cartilaginous fishes also excrete excess SO4 (2-) via the kidney. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms for SO4 (2-) transport in cartilaginous fish, largely due to the extraordinarily elaborate four-loop configuration of the nephron, which consists of at least 10 morphologically distinguishable segments. In the present study, we determined cDNA sequences from the kidney of holocephalan elephant fish (Callorhinchus milii) that encoded solute carrier family 26 member 1 (Slc26a1) and member 6 (Slc26a6), which are SO4 (2-) transporters that are expressed in mammalian and teleost kidneys. Elephant fish Slc26a1 (cmSlc26a1) and cmSlc26a6 mRNAs were coexpressed in the proximal II (PII) segment of the nephron, which comprises the second loop in the sinus zone. Functional analyses using Xenopus oocytes and the results of immunohistochemistry revealed that cmSlc26a1 is a basolaterally located electroneutral SO4 (2-) transporter, while cmSlc26a6 is an apically located, electrogenic Cl(-)/SO4 (2-) exchanger. In addition, we found that both cmSlc26a1 and cmSlc26a6 were abundantly expressed in the kidney of embryos; SO4 (2-) was concentrated in a bladder-like structure of elephant fish embryos. Our results demonstrated that the PII segment of the nephron contributes to the secretion of excess SO4 (2-) by the kidney of elephant fish. Possible mechanisms for SO4 (2-) secretion in the PII segment are discussed

Promoting routine syphilis screening among men who have sex with men in China: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of syphilis self-testing and lottery incentive.

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) bear a high burden of syphilis infection. Expanding syphilis testing to improve timely diagnosis and treatment is critical to improve syphilis control. However, syphilis testing rates remain low among MSM, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We describe the protocol for a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess whether provision of syphilis self-testing services can increase the uptake of syphilis testing among MSM in China. METHODS: Four hundred forty-four high-risk MSM will be recruited online and randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to (1) standard syphilis self-testing arm; (2) a self-testing arm program enhanced with crowdsourcing and a lottery-based incentive, and (3) a standard of care (control). Self-testing services include a free syphilis self-test kit through the mail at monthly intervals. Participants in the lottery incentive arm will additionally receive health promotion materials generated from an open crowdsourcing contest and be given a lottery draw with a 10% chance to win 100 RMB (approximately 15 US Dollars) upon confirmed completion of syphilis testing. Syphilis self-test kits have step-by-step instructions and an instructional video. This is a non-blinded, open-label, parallel RCT. Participants in each arm will be followed-up at three and 6 months through WeChat (a social media app like Facebook messenger). Confirmation of syphilis self-test use will be determined by requiring participants to submit a photo of the used test kit to study staff via secure data messaging. Both self-testing and facility-based testing will be ascertained by sending a secure photographic image of the completed kit through an existing digital platform. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants who tested for syphilis in the past 3 months. DISCUSSION: Findings from this study will provide much needed insight on the impact of syphilis self-testing on promoting routine syphilis screening among MSM. The findings will also contribute to our understanding of the safety, effectiveness and acceptability of syphilis self-testing. These findings will have important implications for self-testing policy, both in China and internationally. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1900022409 (10 April, 2019)

Survival of mushrooms and termites upon pesticide exposure in the cocoa agro-ecosystem

Pesticides have become integral parts of cocoa cultivation for the management of insect pests and fungal pathogens which cause significant damage to the crop. However, continuous pesticides usage in the cocoa agro-ecosystem is of concern due to perceived adverse effects on non-target organisms. In this study, mushrooms and associated termites were used to elucidate the possible effect of insecticides and fungicides on non-target organisms in the cocoa agro-ecosystem.  Vegetative phase of Pleurotus sajor-caju (Oyster mushroom), Volvariella volvacea (Paddy straw mushroom), Termitomyces globulus and Termitomyces robustus (Termite mushrooms) were subjected to concentrations of commercially formulated fungicides (metalaxyl 12 % + copper (I) oxide 60 % and cupric hydroxide 77 %) and insecticides (imidacloprid 20 % and bifenthrin 2.7 %) to observe their growth rates on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium. Worker termites, Macrotermes bellicosus, were also exposed to the pesticides in Petri dishes for 24 h to observe their mortality. The manufacturer’s recommended concentration of 245 ppm for bifenthrin completely inhibited mycelial growth of all the mushrooms and caused 100% mortality of termites. At 0.0245 ppm, the insecticide caused 60% mortality of termites, but it had no inhibitory effect on the mushrooms. Except P. sajor-caju, mycelial growth of all the other mushrooms were completely inhibited by metalaxyl + copper (I) oxide at the manufacturer’s recommended concentration of 2400 ppm. However, mycelial growth rate of the mushrooms at 0.24 ppm of the fungicide was similar to the control plates. This suggests that mushrooms could survive in the cocoa agro-ecosystem amidst pesticides at lower concentrations in cocoa soils

Genetic diversity and population structure of Peronosclerospora sorghi isolates of Sorghum in Uganda

Sorghum is the third most important staple cereal crop in Uganda after maize and millet. Downy mildew disease is one of the most devastating fungal diseases which limits the production and productivity of the crop. The disease is caused by an obligate fungus, Peronosclerospora sorghi (Weston & Uppal) with varying symptoms. Information on the genetic diversity and population structure of P.sorghi in sorghum is imperative for the screening and selection for resistant genotypes and further monitoring possible mutant(s) of the pathogen. Isolates of P. sorghi infecting sorghum are difficult to discriminate when morphological descriptors are used. The use of molecular markers is efficient, and reliably precised for characterizing P. sorghi isolates. This study was undertaken to assess the level of genetic diversity and population structure that exist in P. sorghi isolates in Uganda. A total of 195 P. sorghi isolates, sampled from 13 different geographic populations from 10 different regions (agro-ecological zones) was used. Eleven (11) molecular markers, comprising of four Random amplified microsatellite (RAM) and seven (7) Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers were used in this study. The analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) based on 11 microsatellite markers showed significant (P < 0.001) intra-population (88.9 %, PhiPT = 0.111) and inter-population (8.4 %, PhiPR = 0.083) genetic variation, while the genetic variation among regions (2.7 %, PhiRT = 0.022) was not significant. The highest genetic similarity value (0.987 = 98.7 %) was recorded between Pader and Lira populations and the lowest genetic similarity (0.913 = 91.3 %) was observed between Namutumba and Arua populations. The mean Nei's genetic diversity index (H) and Shannon Information Index (I) were 0.308 and 0.471 respectively. Seven distinct cluster groups were formed from the 195 P. sorghi isolates based on their genetic similarity. Mantel test revealed no association between genetic differentiation and geographical distance (R2 = 0.0026, p = 0.02) within the 13 geographic populations

Effect of a titania covering on CNTS as support for the Ru catalysed selective CO methanation

One of the major set-backs in the selective CO methanation process, as the final clean-up step in removing residual CO from reformate gas feed, is the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction. This reaction is an undesired reaction because, it runs parallel with the selective CO methanation reaction. This increases the CO outlet concentration. The catalytic performance of ruthenium supported on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs), titania coated carbon nanotubes (NCNT-TiO2 and CNTs-TiO2) and TiO2 anatase (TiO2-A) for selective CO methanation was investigated. The feed composition relevant to reformate gas was used but in the absence of steam. The experiments were conducted within a temperature range of 100 °C and 360 °C. It was observed that carbon dioxide methanation was suppressed until CO methanation attained a maximum conversion for all the catalysts studied. The Ru/NCNT showed higher activity than Ru/CNT at all temperatures examined due to the nitrogen incorporation in the carbon domains. Both Ru/CNT and Ru/NCNT however promoted the RWGS reaction at temperatures above 250 °C. The Ru/CNT-TiO2 catalyst recorded the highest activity for both the CO and selective CO methanation followed by Ru/TiO2-A. The presence of titania on the carbon nanotubes significantly retarded the RWGS reaction from about −120% CO conversion to about 80% CO conversion, while selectivity towards methane increased in all catalysts with increasing temperature