Acute toxicity of produced water on selected organisms in the aquatic environment of the niger delta

The discharge of produced water (PW) and drill cuttings from oil operations may elicit varied toxicity in fresh, brackish and marine organisms when exposed. The Niger Delta re- gion which is the oil and gas province of Nigeria have incessantly been recipients of pro- duced water. The study was aimed at investigating the toxic effects of produced water on freshwater fish- Oreochromis niloticus and brackish water shrimp- Palaemonetes africanus in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Probit toxicity tests were conducted on the organ- isms through a 96 h bioassay using produced water (PW) obtained from Mobil, Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The organisms were tested in separate tanks containing produced water of 0.0, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1000 mL, mixed with 2 L of habitat water (fresh/ brackish water). The physicochemical properties of the mixtures were determined by multiparameter hand held probe and atomic absorption photometer (AAS). The physico-chemical parameters, particularly the pH, and conductivity of the PW at 26.5 °C were significantly higher ( p < 0.05) than those of the freshwater and brackish water samples. O. niloticus at the end of the 96 h test were 35%, 45%, 60%, 70% and 85%; while P. africanus had percentage mortalities of 25%, 35%, 45%, 60% and 80% at produced water (PW) of 5%, 10%, 20%, 40% and 50% respectively. Mortality rates of both test organ- isms being directly proportional to the percentages of PW and zero mortality recorded in the controls suggest that PW inflicted significant acute toxicity on the tested species. Higher mortality rates recorded in O. niloticus than P. africanus could be attributed to the increase of salinity following the introduction of the PW in the fresh water test media. The concentrations of PW administered in the study which were below the LC 50 were are 49,500 and 99,0 0 0 ppm, while 198,0 0 0, 396,0 0 0, and 495,0 0 0 ppm were above the LC 50. Results showed that the PW collected from the Mobil QIT effluent point source was toxic to the aquatic organisms, particularly the freshwater Oreochromis niloticus . We therefore speculate that 99,0 0 0 ppm of PW may be considered as the “no observed effect concentration”(NOEC)

Meeting sustainable development goals via robotics and autonomous systems

Robotics and autonomous systems are reshaping the world, changing healthcare, food production and biodiversity management. While they will play a fundamental role in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, associated opportunities and threats are yet to be considered systematically. We report on a horizon scan evaluating robotics and autonomous systems impact on all Sustainable Development Goals, involving 102 experts from around the world. Robotics and autonomous systems are likely to transform how the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved, through replacing and supporting human activities, fostering innovation, enhancing remote access and improving monitoring. Emerging threats relate to reinforcing inequalities, exacerbating environmental change, diverting resources from tried-and-tested solutions and reducing freedom and privacy through inadequate governance. Although predicting future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on the Sustainable Development Goals is difficult, thoroughly examining technological developments early is essential to prevent unintended detrimental consequences. Additionally, robotics and autonomous systems should be considered explicitly when developing future iterations of the Sustainable Development Goals to avoid reversing progress or exacerbating inequalities

Hexabromocyclododecane and tetrabromobisphenol-A in indoor dust from France, Kazakhstan and Nigeria: Implications for human exposure

Concentrations of hexabromocyclododecane isomers (α-, β- and γ-HBCDs) and tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A) were measured – for the first time – in indoor dust from homes, offices and cars from France, Kazakhstan and Nigeria. ΣHBCDs in French and Kazakhstani house dust (median = 1351 and 280 ng g−1, respectively) were consistent with previous reports from the UK and Romania, respectively. Concentrations of ΣHBCDs in Nigerian domestic dust (median = 394 ng g−1) were substantially higher than those reported from Egyptian homes. In general, concentrations of ΣHBCDs in the studied microenvironments were higher than those of TBBP-A, which may be attributed to the major application of TBBP-A as a reactive flame retardant; rendering its release to dust more difficult. Statistical analysis revealed significantly lower ΣHBCDs in French houses than those found in both offices and cars, while ΣHBCDs in cars from Kazakhstan were higher (P < 0.05) than those in homes and offices. Moreover, TBBP-A concentrations in car dust from Nigeria were lower than those found in homes and offices. Exposure estimates revealed higher intake of HBCDs and TBBP-A by toddlers via indoor dust ingestion compared to adults. Combined with their low body weight, this can raise concerns over the potential adverse health effects of such high exposure in toddlers

Physico-Chemical Analysis of Wastewater Discharge from Selected Paint Industries in Lagos, Nigeria

Effluents from the paint industry have been a major source of environmental pollution. There is a need to investigate the compliance of wastewater discharged from paint industries with regulatory standards. In response, this study evaluates the physicochemical parameters of both raw and treated wastewater, the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) efficiencies as well as the compliance level of five selected paint manufacturing companies in Lagos, Nigeria with some regulatory standards: Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) in Nigeria, World Health Organization (WHO) and Department of Water Affairs (DWA) in South Africa. All parameters investigated were analysed using standard methods. The values of pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) levels were in the range of 4&#8211;12.2, 149.1&#8211;881.3 mS/m and 1100&#8211;6510 mg/L, respectively. The range of other parameters include total suspended solids (TSS); 0&#8211;2470 mg/L, TS; 1920&#8211;6510 mg/L, chloride; 63.8&#8211;733.8 mg/L, dissolved oxygen (DO); 0&#8211;6.7 mg/L, oil and grease (O &amp; G); 44&#8211;100 mg/L, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD); 162.8&#8211;974.7 mg/L, chemical oxygen demand (COD); 543&#8211;1231 mg/L, nitrates;12.89&#8211;211.2 mg/L, phosphate; below detection limit (bdl)&#8211;0.02 mg/L, sulphate; 195&#8211;1434 mg/L, nickel; bdl&#8211;1.9 mg/L while copper, lead and chromium were below detection limits. The results indicated that the WWTPs of the studied paint companies were ineffective in reducing the TS, TSS, BOD, COD and (O &amp; G) to acceptable limits. Routine monitoring of wastewater from paint industries is therefore recommended to prevent the risk of contamination to the receiving watershed which many communities rely on as source for domestic water

Effects of artificial sweat formulation and extraction temperature on estimation of the dermal bioaccessibility of potentially toxic elements in a contaminated soil from an e-waste recycling site

Informal recycling of electronic waste leads to soil contamination that can impact human health. To accurately assess exposure to potentially toxic elements (PTE) in soil it is necessary to consider their bioavailability through ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact. However, bioaccessibility tests that estimate dermal absorption following adhesion of contaminated soil particles to skin are not well established. In this study the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were estimated in the <45 µm particle size fraction of a bulk composite soil from an e-waste recycling site using five different artificial sweat formulations. Extractions were performed at temperatures ranging from 17 to 47 °C to investigate the effect of ambient temperature on bioaccessibility. Results obtained using the different artificial sweats were not consistent with one another. In particular, the NIHS 96-10 formulation solubilized larger amounts of analytes (ranging from 6.3 times the next most effective extractant for Cu to 1700 times the next most effective for Pb). There was a general increase in release of PTE with increasing temperature, except for As. Although trends varied between analytes and formulations, this highlights the need to consider ambient temperature when estimating dermal bioaccessibility of PTE in soil