Nightclubs and Restaurant Bars Noise Pollution: A Case Study of Melville Community, Johannesburg

The majority of South Africans live in communities that are somewhat exposed to noise pollution. Noise has the capability to cause conflict between those who are generating it and those who are victims of it. People do tolerate noise to a certain extent, but when noise becomes a nuisance it infringes other people’s rights and that can lead to irritation and frustration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of environmental noise pollution emanating from nightclubs and restaurant bars on the community of Melville, Johannesburg. A quantitative research method was followed using a calibrated Sound Level Meter to measure noise at 10 different measuring points. The noise measurements were randomly sampled within the study area on weekends and public holidays during the day from 10h00 to 14h30 and at night from 22h00 to 02h30

Impact of temporary desiccation on the mobility of nutrients and metals from sediments of Loskop Reservoir, Olifants River

South Africa is prone to droughts and is heavily dependent on stored water resources. Few studies in South Africa have investigated the impact of drought on water quality when rainfall resumes and reservoir sediments are rewet. Other research has shown that several negative impacts may occur with rewetting, including eutrophication, and acidification with increased metal solubility. In this study, the impact of drying and rewetting sediments on the mobility of nutrients and metals is explored using sediments from Loskop Reservoir. Rarely exposed sediments were collected from three sites, dried at 35°C for 36 days, and then rewet under aerobic conditions. Filtered water samples were collected on Days 1, 2 ,4, 7, 11 and 16 following rewetting, and analysed for NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, total N, total P, PO43-, dissolved Al, Fe, Mn, and SO42-. Results were expressed as mass/m2, and were compared to reference (non-drought) treatments that were maintained under saturated conditions. Acute toxicity tests were performed using Daphnia magna to establish if toxic effects were associated with changes in water quality following sediment rewetting. Following rewetting, elevated SO42- indicated the mobilisation of acid from sulfide oxidation, with an associated reduction in pH. Nitrification was evident as high quantities of organic N and NH4+ were initially released, followed by increases in NO2- + NO3-. Total P increased, but PO43- reduced. This was attributed to complexes formed between PO43- and Fe (FePO4) and Al (AlPO4). Amounts of Fe and Al released were lower following rewetting due to the formation of relatively immobile (hydr)oxides. In contrast, Mn increased substantially reaching maximum values > 2 300 mg/m2 (14 000 μg/L). There were no acute toxic effects observed to D. magna. This study highlights the potential for acidification, mobilisation of nutrients, SO42-, and Mn following rewetting of reservoir sediments under aerobic conditions. This information may be incorporated into reservoir and catchment management plans in the form of revised water quality guidelines and a better ability to predict how drought impacts water quality in our stored water resources.Keywords: sediment, drought, drying, rewetting, nutrient and metal release, Loskop Reservoi

Edible Insects Processing: Traditional and Innovative Technologies

Insects are part of the human diet in many parts of the world. Their nutritional value is widely recognized. Currently, most edible insects are harvested from the wild, although semi-domestication and indoor farming have increased insect availability and the sustainability of production. In traditional cultures, insects are processed in a number of ways (steaming, roasting, smoking, frying, stewing, and curing, among others) to improve their sensory and nutritional qualities as well as their shelf-life. In order to increase consumer interest in the West, various technologies have been developed that are aimed primarily at using insects as ingredients in a non-recognizable form, such as powders or flour. These technologies include drying (sun-drying, freeze-drying, oven-drying, fluidized bed drying, and microwave-drying) and new processing methods (ultrasound-assisted extraction, cold atmospheric pressure plasma, and dry fractionation) designed mainly for protein, fat, and/or chitin extraction. Insect-based ingredients are sold for the production of cookies, chocolates, tortilla-style chips, and other snacks. This review focuses on edible insect production, processing technologies, and commercialization using strategies ranging from traditional to novel as a sustainable approach for improving food security worldwide