Determination of lead and cadmium contents of dry cell batteries available in Nigeria

Lead and cadmium content of different brands and sizes (N=38) of dry cell batteries (zinc-carbon Leclanche systems) available in Nigeria were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry after acid digestion. The average Pb and Cd content of the dry cells are 1077.9±751.7mg/kg (Range 42-3170mg/kg) and 108.3±81.4mg/kg (Range 4.6-410mg/kg) respectively. The mean Pb and Cd contents of dry cells with metal outer cover were significantly lower (p < 0.005) than the corresponding values for dry cells with non-metallic cover. The highest Pb and Cd values were observed in dry cell batteries imported from China. Higher mean Pb and Cd value were observed in dry cells from China (1368.36 vs. 151.47mg/kg), compared to values for dry cells from Indonesia (1032 vs. 84.4mg/kg), Japan (715.2 vs. 131.48mg/kg) and Korea (1137.5 vs. 81.45). Lower Pb and Cd values were obtained in dry cells from Malaysia (709 vs. 12.5mg/kg), Spain (702 vs. 65.8mg/kg), United States (303 vs. 11.1mg/kg) and in the only surviving local brand (408 vs. 34.5mg/kg).Our study revealed that there is an urgent need to introduce an adequate well-established system for collection, separation, storage and management of municipal and industrial wastes containing primary and secondary battery wastes and similar toxic materials to halt the open burning of such wastes within inhabited areas. There is an urgent need to develop in Nigeria an appropriate technology following the principles of waste minimization and sustainable development. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 10 (3) 2006: 37-4

Global environmental controls of wildfire burnt area, size and intensity.

Fire is an important influence on the global patterns of vegetation structure and composition. Wildfire is included as a distinct process in many dynamic global vegetation models but limited current understanding of fire regimes restricts these models' ability to reproduce more than the broadest geographic patterns. Here we present a statistical analysis of the global controls of remotely sensed burnt area (BA), fire size (FS), and a derived metric related to fire intensity (FI). Separate generalized linear models were fitted to observed monthly fractional BA from the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFEDv4), median FS from the Global Fire Atlas, and median fire radiative power from the MCD14ML dataset normalized by the square root of median FS. The three models were initially constructed from a common set of 16 predictors; only the strongest predictors for each model were retained in the final models. It is shown that BA is primarily driven by fuel availability and dryness; FS by conditions promoting fire spread; and FI by fractional tree cover and road density. Both BA and FS are constrained by landscape fragmentation, whereas FI is constrained by fuel moisture. Ignition sources (lightning and human population) were positively related to BA (after accounting for road density), but negatively to FI. These findings imply that the different controls on BA, FS and FI need to be considered in process-based models. They highlight the need to include measures of landscape fragmentation as well as fuel load and dryness, and to pay close attention to the controls of fire spread

Prevalence and perceived health effect of alcohol use among male undergraduate students in Owerri, South-East Nigeria: a descriptive cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alcohol use during adolescence and young adulthood remains a prominent public health problem. Despite growing problems of global alcohol abuse, accurate information on the prevalence and pattern of use in Nigeria remain sparse. This study examines the prevalence and perceived health effects of alcohol use among undergraduate students in Owerri, Nigeria.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>The prevalence and perceived health effects of alcohol was estimated for 482 male undergraduates of four higher institutions in Owerri, South-East Nigeria between October 2008 and March 2009. Information was obtained using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire.</p> <p>Result</p> <p>The mean age of the students was 24.7 years. Majority of the respondents confirmed they were current users of alcohol given a prevalence of 78.4%, with twenty-seven percent of them being heavy drinkers (≥4 drinks per day). Reasons given by respondents for alcohol drinking include: makes them feel high (24.4%); makes them belong to the group of "most happening guys" on campus (6.6%); makes them feel relaxed (52.6%) while (16.4%) drinks it because their best friends do. Perceived health impacts of alcohol use among current users include: it enhances pleasure during moment of sex (51.1%), causes drowsiness and weakness (63.8%), may precipitate defective memory and impaired perception (64.3%) and serves as risk factor for most chronic diseases (68.5%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>High prevalence of alcohol use was established among study groups. Evaluation of full-scale community-level intervention, including community mobilisation and media advocacy aimed at supporting changes in policies on drinking, access and sales of alcohol to young people, could be helpful in reducing the trend.</p

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contents of End-Of-Life Computer Monitor Cathode Tubes and Plastic Casings

Development and innovation in computer technology have led to the generation of large quantities of end-of-life computing equipment with the attendant challenge of environmentally sound management, especially in developing countries. This study evaluated the heavy metal contents of the cathode ray tube (CRT) and the plastic casing of thirty (30) end-of-life computer monitors of different brands, years of manufacture (spanning 1981-2005) and countries of manufacture. The specimens were analysed for Pb, Cu, Cr, Zn, Cd, and Ni using atomic absorption spectrophotometer after acid digestion. The mean concentrations of metals in the CRTs varied widely: 1400-14300 mg/kg for Pb; 291-1750 mg/kg for Zn; &lt;0.1-129 mg/kg for Cu; &lt;0.1-15 mg/kg for Ni; &lt;0.1-16.3 mg/kg for Cr, and &lt;0.1-4.0 mg/kg for Cd. The Pb concentrations of all the CRT samples, with mean 5120±3000 mg/kg (range: 1400- 14300 mg/kg), exceeded the 1000 mg/kg Pb limit in the EU Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and the Total Threshold Limit Concentrations (TTLC) used by the USA Department of Toxic Substances and Control (DTSC), for characterizing waste as hazardous. For the plastic casings, the Cu and Cd concentrations in 10 % and 20 % of the samples respectively, exceeded the TTLC. The results of this study show that the CRTs are hazardous waste requiring environmentally sound management and the crude methods of management in Nigeria which include disposal at open dumpsites and surface water, as well as recycling using crude techniques are highly dangerous, exposing man and the ecosystem to toxins

Original Article The effect of grower feed diet supplemented with Ganoderma lucidum against some enteric zoonotic parasites of pigeons (Columba livia)

We report a preliminary study on the effect of grower feed diet supplemented with mashed Ganoderma lucidum against some enteric zoonotic parasites of wild rock pigeons (Columba livia) in Benin City, Nigeria. The pigeons were fed ad libitum with supplemented and non-supplemented grower feed diet in sawdust-floored squared wooden cages (45 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm) at room temperature for 21 days. They were sacrificed at days 14 and 21 for profiling of their zoonotic enteric parasites. High prevalence (77.7%) of Cestodes (tapeworms) and low prevalence (12.3%) of nematodes were recorded in the control pigeon fed non-supplemented grower feed compared to those on diet supplemented with Ganoderma. Cestodes (Helminths) such as Hymenolepsis carioca, Amoebataenia cuneata, Raillietina tetragona, Raillietina serrata, Inermicapsifer spp., Hymenolepsis spp., and a species of nematode (Ascaridia columbae) were identified in the gastrointestinal tract of the experimental pigeons. A few species (&lt; 8 %) of Trematodes yet to be fully identified were also observed. The low population of helminth parasites and overall weight decrease of pigeon fed with diet supplemented with Ganderma lucidum recorded during the study suggest improved removal of digestive microbes, intestinal health, and gastrointestinal motility. These findings were aimed at contributing to the already existing knowledge on the use of feed additives, probiotics and supplementations in poultry farming.KEYWORDS: Ganoderma lucidum, pigeon (Columba livia), helminth, zoonotic parasite, cestode, nematod

Cadmium determination in cigarettes available in Nigeria

Cadmium (Cd) contents were determined in 30 brands of tobacco cigarette commonly available in Nigeria by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The concentration of Cd in the cigarettes ranged from 0.7 to 2.3 g/g dry weight with mean 1.48 &plusmn; 0.46 g/g. Higher Cd concentrations were found in importedbrands (1.52 &plusmn; 0.46 g/g) compared to the Nigerian brands (1.10 &plusmn; 0.35 g/g). Relatively lower Cd values were observed in cigarettes from developing countries (~ 1.3 g/g) compared to brands from developed countries (&gt;1.3 g/g). The average Cd content of cigarettes available in Nigeria is 1.28 g per cigarette and a person who smokes 20 cigarettes per day is estimated to increase his daily Cd retention by approximately 1 g/day (0.53 &ndash; 1.65 g/day). The results indicate that smoking and exposure to cigarettesmoke is a confounder to be taken into account when carrying out epidemiological studies on human exposure to cadmium

Glass production at an Early Islamic workshop in Tel Aviv

A refuse deposit at HaGolan Street, Khirbet al-Ḥadra, northeastern Tel Aviv, is rich in debris deriving from an Islamic period glass workshop, dating to the 7th–8th centuries. Twenty-four samples of glass vessels, chunks and moils were analysed by electron microprobe. Glass used in the workshop derives from three primary sources: Egypt II, somewhere in inland Egypt, Beth Eli'ezer, near Hadera, Israel and a third group which appears to represent a previously unknown Levantine primary production centre. Glass corresponding to at least twelve production events has been identified. While vessels made of Beth Eli'ezer and Egypt II glass have previously been reported from the same context, this is the first time that they have been related to the products of a single workshop. It appears that glass from both primary production centres was available in the later 8th century, and that the glass workers at HaGolan St were obliged to balance the high working and fuel costs of the stiff low-soda Levantine glass against the better working properties but higher raw material costs of the high-soda glass from Egypt

Does language matter? A case study of epidemiological and public health journals, databases and professional education in French, German and Italian.

Epidemiology and public health are usually context-specific. Journals published in different languages and countries play a role both as sources of data and as channels through which evidence is incorporated into local public health practice. Databases in these languages facilitate access to relevant journals, and professional education in these languages facilitates the growth of native expertise in epidemiology and public health. However, as English has become the lingua franca of scientific communication in the era of globalisation, many journals published in non-English languages face the difficult dilemma of either switching to English and competing internationally, or sticking to the native tongue and having a restricted circulation among a local readership. This paper discusses the historical development of epidemiology and the current scene of epidemiological and public health journals, databases and professional education in three Western European languages: French, German and Italian, and examines the dynamics and struggles they have today.Published versio

The Incidence and Pattern of Puerperal Pyrexia Amongst Post-Natal Women in Benin City, Nigeria

Based on the fact that statistically, Nigeria contributes significantly to all recorded cases of preventable maternal morbidity and mortality, this study was designed to evaluate the incidence pattern of puerperal illness amongpostnatal women. It was carried out at the post-natal ward of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, over a period of 6 months (March to August, 2011). A total of 135 patients with illness secondary todelivery, and who gave an informed consent, were recruited for the study. Their demographic details as well as clinical histories were documented. They were also examined for malaria parasite and urogenital infections using standard laboratory procedures. The results showed that the  incidence of puerperal pyrexia was 64.44% and common among patients between the ages of 18–25 years (33 out of 41), low educational status (12 out of 12) and low socioeconomic status (5 out of 6). Although puerperal pyrexia is preventable, the incidence level remains a public health concern if the global Millennium Development Goals (MDG) of reducing maternal mortality by 75% is to be achieved by 2015.Keywords: Puerperal pyrexia, Postnatal, Maternal morbidity and mortality, Millennium Development Goal