9 research outputs found
ENVIRONMENT, HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVES TO PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURE
Agriculture, unlike industrial activity which has always resulted in pollution, has been environmentally benign for most of its history until after the Second World War when the system disintegrated. Then, crop residues were incorporated into the soil or fed to livestock, the manure returned to the land in amounts that could be absolved and utilized. Mechanized farming, however, is reliant on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Hence, crop residues and livestock excreta, which were once recycled have become wastes and their disposal a continuing problem for the farmer. With the present national policy on agriculture, there is the need for private sector participation especially in the area of environmental health and safety for economic and environmental sustainability.Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Health Economics and Policy,
PHYTO-REMEDIATION OF LEAD-CONTAMINATED SOIL USING AMARANTHUS CRUENTUS
Previous studies have shown that some vegetables have the ability to absorb metals from soil. Since they are early maturity species, they possess the potential to be used as phytoremediating agents. Also, synthetic chelates have been found to induce lead desorption from soil matrix, thereby enhancing uptake into plant tissues. Therefore, a study was carried out to determine the potential of Amaranthus cruentus as a soil lead remediating plant. The experiment was carried out using a randomized block design. Soil samples were subjected to five levels of lead contamination namely control, 600ppm, 600ppm + EDTA, 1800ppm and 1800ppm + EDTA, each treatment had five replicates. Three plants each were carefully transplanted from nursery to experimental pots and grown for 32 days. Ethylenediaminetetra acetic(EDTA) (3.0 mmole EDTA/kg soil) was applied to EDTA amended treatment 8 days before harvesting. The result showed that EDTA has some effect on lead solubility in soil as well as lead absorption by A.cruentus. However, there were variable increases in lead uptake from the contaminated soil to the plants. Lead contamination did not have significant effect on growth and yield parameters of A cruentus. Since the transfer factor (TF) of the plant is greater than one, it may be a promising species for phytoremediation.Amaranthus cruentus, Lead, phytoremediation, soil, Land Economics/Use,
Indoor Air Pollution and Health Risks among Rural Dwellers in Odeda Area, South-Western Nigeria
This study monitored the concentration of five greenhouse gases and examined the health outcome among the exposed rural residents. A total of 15 villages were randomly selected from the list of villages without electricity supply in Odeda local government area, Ogun State (southwestern Nigeria). Gasman auto sampler was used to monitor indoor air quality in houses selected through systematic random sampling. Air monitoring was observed in replicates over a period of three months. In order to elicit information on energy utilization and occurrence of air pollution related health problems among the rural dwellers, one questionnaire was administered to a male or female household head in each selected house. Due to absence of reliable health records in the area, recall method was used collect information on the health problems treated and or experienced by village dwellers. The mean values of SO2, NO2, CO, H2S and CH4 are 0.05±0.005, 0.21±0.013, 82.5±1.98, 0.15±0.009 and 0.15±0.01 among the fifteen villages. Although there were no significant variations in the concentration of these gases among the villages, they were all above the recommended National Ambient Air standards. The trend of indoor air pollution may not be unconnected with 83.3 percent of the residents depending on fuel-wood for energy supply. Overall, more than one-quarter of the residents cook within their dwelling units. Prevalent health problems among the residents included sneezing (44%), nausea(34%), headache (34%), dizziness (31.1%), eye irritation (23.3%), and catarrh (24%) among others. These health problems are largely consequences of human exposure to high concentration of gaseous pollutants in the air. Intervention to control rural indoor air pollution requires urgent attention so as to preserve the health of teeming rural inhabitants and safeguard the overall environment.Key words: Indoor environment, air quality, rural health, fuel-woo
Physicochemical and Microbial Assessment of Roadside Food and Water Samples in Lagos and Environs
This study assessed the quality street vended food and water as well as
the effects of environmental pollution on them in 3 local government
areas (LGAs) representing low, medium and high income areas in Lagos
State in coparison to samples collected from 5 locations in Ogun, Oyo
and Osun States being previously established as places of origin of
most migrants to Lagos. Street vended roasted plantain and maize as
well as water samples were collected as composites from each of the
sample locations. All samples were analysed for physico-chemical as
well as microbiological parameters. The study revealed that roasted
plantain in the low income area had the highest level of contaminants
such as Pb, Cd, Zn and Fe. The lowest value was in the high income
area. Lead levels ranged between 0.2 \u2013 125 \ub5g/g with the
highest value observed at the low income, high population density and
high traffic area. Cd, Zc and Fe levels also followed a similar trend
in the other three States. They ranged between 0.48 \u2013 18.3
\ub5g/g, 2.0 -4.5 \ub5g/g and 0.4 \u2013 13.5 \ub5g/g
respectively. It is opined that the pollution sources for the roasted
plantain and maize include those from emissions from leaded gasoline.
The aerobic mesophilic organisms, mould and Staphylococcus aureus
were present in all the water samples. These results imply that
government and its agencies should attend to the problem of
unavailability of potable water and calls for greater monitoring and
control of the environment where roadside foods are prepared. @ JASE
ENVIRONMENT, HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVES TO PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURE
Agriculture, unlike industrial activity which has always resulted in pollution, has been environmentally benign for most of its history until after the Second World War when the system disintegrated. Then, crop residues were incorporated into the soil or fed to livestock, the manure returned to the land in amounts that could be absolved and utilized. Mechanized farming, however, is reliant on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Hence, crop residues and livestock excreta, which were once recycled have become wastes and their disposal a continuing problem for the farmer. With the present national policy on agriculture, there is the need for private sector participation especially in the area of environmental health and safety for economic and environmental sustainability
Physicochemical and Microbial Assessment of Roadside Food and Water Samples in Lagos and Environs
This study assessed the quality street vended food and water as well as
the effects of environmental pollution on them in 3 local government
areas (LGAs) representing low, medium and high income areas in Lagos
State in coparison to samples collected from 5 locations in Ogun, Oyo
and Osun States being previously established as places of origin of
most migrants to Lagos. Street vended roasted plantain and maize as
well as water samples were collected as composites from each of the
sample locations. All samples were analysed for physico-chemical as
well as microbiological parameters. The study revealed that roasted
plantain in the low income area had the highest level of contaminants
such as Pb, Cd, Zn and Fe. The lowest value was in the high income
area. Lead levels ranged between 0.2 â 125 ”g/g with the
highest value observed at the low income, high population density and
high traffic area. Cd, Zc and Fe levels also followed a similar trend
in the other three States. They ranged between 0.48 â 18.3
”g/g, 2.0 -4.5 ”g/g and 0.4 â 13.5 ”g/g
respectively. It is opined that the pollution sources for the roasted
plantain and maize include those from emissions from leaded gasoline.
The aerobic mesophilic organisms, mould and Staphylococcus aureus
were present in all the water samples. These results imply that
government and its agencies should attend to the problem of
unavailability of potable water and calls for greater monitoring and
control of the environment where roadside foods are prepared. @ JASE
PHYTO-REMEDIATION OF LEAD-CONTAMINATED SOIL USING AMARANTHUS CRUENTUS
Previous studies have shown that some vegetables have the ability to absorb metals from soil. Since they are early maturity species, they possess the potential to be used as phytoremediating agents. Also, synthetic chelates have been found to induce lead desorption from soil matrix, thereby enhancing uptake into plant tissues. Therefore, a study was carried out to determine the potential of Amaranthus cruentus as a soil lead remediating plant. The experiment was carried out using a randomized block design. Soil samples were subjected to five levels of lead contamination namely control, 600ppm, 600ppm + EDTA, 1800ppm and 1800ppm + EDTA, each treatment had five replicates. Three plants each were carefully transplanted from nursery to experimental pots and grown for 32 days. Ethylenediaminetetra acetic(EDTA) (3.0 mmole EDTA/kg soil) was applied to EDTA amended treatment 8 days before harvesting. The result showed that EDTA has some effect on lead solubility in soil as well as lead absorption by A.cruentus. However, there were variable increases in lead uptake from the contaminated soil to the plants. Lead contamination did not have significant effect on growth and yield parameters of A cruentus. Since the transfer factor (TF) of the plant is greater than one, it may be a promising species for phytoremediation