Effects of roofing materials on harvested rain water quality

The effects of roof materials (corrugated iron, aluminum and asbestos) on the quality of harvested rainwater were evaluated in this study. The physical, chemical and bacteriological characteristics of rainwater collected from the different roof materials were analyzed and the results compared with WHO standard for potable water. The results of the physical analysis revealed that the colour, turbidity, total solids and total dissolved solids fell within WHO acceptable standards for potable water. Also, the calcium and magnesium hardness as well as nitrate and sulphate content of the sampled water fell within WHO permissible limits. The results, however, showed that harvested rain water within the study area is slightly acidic with average pH values of 6.13, 6.25 and 6.15 respectively for the corrugated iron, aluminum and asbestos roof materials respectively. The water samples analyzed had traces of Lead and Iron with average values of 0.605mg/L and 0.715mg/L of Lead as well as 0.38mg/L and 0.52mg/L of Iron for the corrugated and asbestos roof materials respectively. These values exceeded the WHO permissible limits of 0.01mg/L and 0.3mg/L for Lead and Iron respectively. The microbiological indicators assessed showed no detection for E. coli, while the total heterotrophic plate and total coliform counts fell within permissible limits. However, the presence of heavy metals (iron and Lead) in the rainwater samples in concentrations that exceed WHO permissible limits is an indication of high contamination of the water samples, hence, it is recommended that the rainwater samples should be suitably treated before human consumption.Keywords: roof materials, harvested rainwater, permissible limits, human consumptio

Biogas Quantity and Quality from Digestion and Co-Digestion of Food Waste and Cow Dung

The aim of this study is to assess the quantity and quality of biogas produced from single substrate digestion of food waste and cow dung as well as co-digestion of food waste and cow dung. Laboratory sized 25 litre plastic biodigesters were used in this study and the digestion processes was carried out for a 30 day retention period. The results revealed that the cumulative biogas production for the single substrate digestion of cow dung was 7,975 ml, the cumulative biogas produced for the single substrate digestion of food waste was 7,742.5 ml while the cumulative volume of biogas produced for the co-digestion of cow dung and food waste was 16,482.5 ml. The results also showed that the total volume of methane produced for the single substrate digestion of cow dung was 955 ml while the total methane produced for the single substrate digestion of the food waste was 765. The total production of methane for the co-digestion of cow dung and food waste was found to be 2,655 ml. This study revealed that though the co-digestion process improved biogas quantity and quality, the percentage methane present in the biogas very low. There would be a need to stimulate the digestion and co-digestion process in order to improve the quality of biogas produced

Association between Biogas Quality and Digester Temperature for Selected Animal Dung-Aided Water Hyacinth Digestion Mixes

In this study, the association between biogas qulaity and digester temperature for selected animal dung-aided water hyacinth digestion mixes was  evaluated. Substrates utilized in this study are water hyacinth (WH), poultry manure (PM) and cow dung (CD) and pig dung (PD). Thirty-one (31) co-digestion mix ratios were used in this study. The temperature ranged from 28.6 to 32.2 0C for the PD-aided WH digestion, 28.2 to 31.4 0C for the CD-aided WH digestion and 28.2 to 31.8 0C for the PM-aided WH digestion. This shows that the digestion process occurred within the mesophilic  temperature range. The data obtained were analyzed using non-linear parameter estimation. The results revealed that the PM-aided WH mix produced more gas but with less methane content compared to the CDaided and PD-aided WH digestion mix. The results further revealed that the best quality of gas produced by the PD-aided WH digestion. The association between the temperature and gas quality was positive suggesting that an increase in temperature within the digestion leads to an increase in the quality of gas produced. Keywords: Biogas quality, temperature, co-digestion, animal dung, water hyacint

Variation of rain water quality with storage time for different coloured storage containers

It is very important to evaluate the quality of rain water collected and stored in cisterns and storage tanks. In this study, rainwater quality analysis was carried out on samples collected from an experimental set -up at the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. The physio-chemical and bacteriological characteristics of rainwater collected and stored using four different coloured containers under outdoor and indoor conditions were analyzed and the results compared with World Health Organization (WHO) standard for potable water. The results of the physio-chemical analysis revealed that the colour, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), phosphate, sulphate, iron and copper of all the rainwater samples fell within WHO acceptable standards for potable water. The pH of the harvested rainwater of the samples ranged from 5.34 – 6.73 mg/l for the indoor stored rainwater samples and 5.28 – 6.59 mg/l for the outdoor stored samples. The pH of the water samples did not fall with WHO permissible limit of 6.5 to 8.5. The Nitrate content of the water samples also did not fall within WHO permissible limit. Similarly, the total coliform count did not conform to WHO standard for potable water. Based on the results obtained from this study, it is recommended that harvested rainwater be treated to kill contaminating microorganisms and to reduce the health risks associated with its consumption

Analysis of Physicochemical and Bacteriological Quality of Surface and Groundwater Samples in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria

The water quality assessment in First Baptist Church, Offa, Kwara State Nigeria was carried out by examining nine samples in and around the church premises. One surface water sample, five borehole water samples and three well water samples were examined. The result obtained from the physicochemical analysis showed a turbidity range of (2-6NTU), electrical conductivity EC (693-893 μs/cm), total dissolved solids TDS (346-542mg/L), pH (6.83-7.62), magnesium Mg (17-53mg/L), manganese Mn (0.02-0.1), aluminium Al (0.02-0.13mg/L), iron Fe (0.10-0.44mg/L), zinc Zn (0.8-3.60mg/L), chromium Cr (0.02-0.13mg/L), lead Pb (0.01-0.04), Sulphate SO4 (3- 20mg/L), Nitrate NO3 (3-18mg/L), phosphate PO4 (1.5-14mg/L), chlorine Cl (14-42mg/L), copper Cu (0.04- 0.7mg/L), chemical oxygen demand COD (62-120mg/L), total hardness TH (80-160mg/L) and total alkalinity TA (80-136mg/L). These results, together with that of the microbial analysis were compared with the standard provided by the World Health Organization WHO. Hence, it is crucial that the water supplies are regularly assessed and properly treated to provide the consumers with safe and healthy water

Hybrid renewable energy system for 5G mobile telecommunication applications in Akure, Southwestern Nigeria

Hybrid renewable green energy (solar and wind) configuration is mostly used in a specific situation where the power grid source is not efficient or costly. The ultimate rates associated with power grid source can be minimized through proper equipment sizing and load matching. This research aims to adopt precisely the efficient use of optimization of hybrid green energy system needed for powering base transceiver stations (BTS) for 5G mobile network applications in Akure, Nigeria. A dynamic simulation and optimization were carried out using Hybrid Optimization for Multiple Electric Renewable (HOMER 3.6 pro version) software to properly assess the appropriate level of the net present cost, operating cost per year and the energy cost/kWh. It was found precisely that hybrid renewable energy can be reasonably achieved in the study location. Renewable Hybrid-1 energy system is the optimized configuration in which photovoltaic, wind and conventional energy source| (diesel generator) typically contributed 60%, 30% and 10% of the total energy. These considerably percentages are equivalent to 5696 kWh/yr, 28976 kWh/yr and 9054 kWh/yr respectively. The renewable energy generated from all the hybrid sources can sufficiently satisfy the needed amount by the BTS with a total amount of 65700 kWhr/yr. The effective operation and maintenance cost, net present cost, and total cost of energy per kilowatt were typically₦3.06 million, ₦101 million and ₦118.80 kW/hr respectively. The overall result will produce economically the needed cost effectiveness power system that can positively enhance 5G operation and minimize the level greenhouse gas emissions within the study location. Hybrid-2 was undoubtedly found to be the possible configuration with lowest emission of CO2, but it is economically not cost effective.Keywords: Optimization, Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HOMER), Cost Effectiveness, Base transceiver statio

Somatic cell counts and bacteria in milk from two nomadic herds in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Mastitis, the inflammation of the mammary gland, is a major endemic disease affecting dairy production worldwide. Costs of treatment and control of mastitis contributes to major losses to the dairy industry especially if the condition is not promptly and accurately diagnosed, thus necessitating the engagement of regular and reliable means of recognising intra-mammary infections. Somatic cell counting, which has been recognized as a major standard for mastitis diagnosis in milk, was utilized in this study as a direct measure of intramammary inflammation (IMI), along with bacterial culture and isolation to establish the presence of mammary infections in cows from two nomadic herds. Milk from all four quarters (composite samples) of each of 100 cows at various stages of lactation, were obtained and subjected to Levowitz-Weber staining of duplicate smears and direct microscopic counting of somatic cells. Culture and isolation of sterile milk swabs and subsequent identification by morphology, gram staining and biochemical tests were employed to assess the presence of mastitis-causing pathogens in the samples. Using ≤100,000 cells/ml as cut off for non-mastitic milk, sub-clinical mastitis (SM), was determined in 70 (70%) of the examined samples. Contagious pathogens, namely; Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus species and others as well as environmental bacteria, E. coli and Enterococcus species amongst others, were isolated from the samples. This result circuitously indicates the level of losses to dairy production through poor milk quality and yield, costs of treatment and culling obtainable in the nomadic dairying venture. The need for routine evaluation of raw milk and other dairy products emanating from the itinerant pastoralists, using sensitive and reliable parameters to facilitate prompt diagnosis, targeted treatment and rapid control of cow to cow or herd to herd spread of IMI is highlighted in this study

Unraveling the impact of variable external input use on the cost efficiency of dairy farms in Europe

Publication history: Accepted - 11 October 2020; Published online - 12 October 2020There has been a global shift towards intensification in the dairy sector in recent years which may have considerable impact on the cost efficiency and economic returns of farms. Considering this, the goal of this study is to offer an empirical analysis of the effect of variable external input use on dairy farms. Employing a novel Activity Analysis Model (AAM), the study analysis was conducted in two distinct but complementary steps. In the first step, we discriminated two technologies (low and high inputs) which allow us to classify a sample of dairy farms according to their level of intensification, while in the second step, we evaluated two cost efficient frontiers instead of assessing individual farm inefficiency scores. With this approach, we explore different technologies within a sample of EU dairy farms. Our results, on average, shows that agricultural practices using low inputs dominates the high input ones for farms operating on a large scale while a slight dominance of high input over low inputs exist for small scale farmers. While we reckon that low input can be cost competitive with their high input counterparts, we also note that regional differences do exist. Thus, showing that the significant gap between the two discriminating frontiers depends not only on farm size but also on farm region. We found that increased cost efficiency can reduce the negative environmental impact of EU-dairy farms while simultaneously reducing farmers’ production costs. The results of the study can therefore provide a direction to policymakers and dairy farmers alike as regards the efficient use of external inputs which may consequently reduce environmental burdens associated with dairy farms.This work was supported by the European Commission project Sustainable Organic and LI Dairying (SOLID) funded Framework 7 Contract no. 266367

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Cataracta Nigra in a black male patient: A case report

Cataracts are opacities in the human crystalline lens. Cataracts rank as the number one cause of reversible blindness worldwide. Definitive  management of cataracts is by cataract surgery; a predominantly outpatient procedure carried out by ophthalmologists. Cataract surgery outcomes are generally very good. Common complications of cataract surgery include infection, vitreous loss, dropped nucleus, posterior capsular rupture and retinal detachment. Types of cataracts include Cataracta Nigra (black cataract) and Brunescent Cataract (Brown Cataract). There are recent improvements in cataract surgery such as Phacoemulsification and Micro incision cataract surgery. Nowadays, the operating physician does not necessarily have to insert a stitch at the site of entry when using these newer techniques. This is a case report of an adult male patient with a rare form of cataract at Africa Eye Laser Center, Benin City, Nigeria. Patient recovery was remarkable post operation up with Visual Acuity to 6/18. Sutureless small incision cataract surgery is a viable technique for operating black cataracts. Key Words: Cataracta Nigra, Brunescent Cataracts, Phacoemulsification, Visual Acuit