Assessment of the Toxic Effect of Mixed Effluents from Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout on Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) in Okrika River, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

The toxic effect of the mixed effluent (industrial, domestic and municipal) discharged into Okrika River on Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was assessed. Tilapia samples were collected at about 500 meters from point of entry of mixed effluent into the River (downstream) and about 1.5 kilometers from the point of entry of mixed effluent into the River (upstream) while Tilapia from a fish pond affiliated to Rivers State Sustainable Development Authority (RSSDA) was used as control. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity were assayed in the liver homogenate. Alanine amino transferase, ALT; Alanine aspartate transferase, AST and Alkaline phosphatase, ALP were investigated in the fish blood serum. Histopathologic section of the liver was also examined. Results showed that liver MDA concentration increased significantly (p<0.05) in downstream samples (2.45 ± 0.77 to 6.09 ± 1.57nm/mg tissue) with no significant change in upstream liver MDA.   Also, the Hepatic GST was significantly increased in downstream (5.59 ± 1.09 to 16.80 ± 0.71 IU/L) as well as significant decrease upstream (5.59 ± 1.09 to 3.65 ± 1.48 IU/L) in comparison with the control.  ALT, AST, ALP activities in the exposed fish serum showed marked increases downstream (ALT: 99.8 ± 3.5 IU/L; AST: 277.02 ± 39.8 IU/L; ALP: 40.38 ± 11.4 IU/L) at P<0.05 when compared to the control (ALT: 77.8 ± 14.3 IU/L; AST: 150.8 ± 50.7 IU/L; ALP: 15.34 ± 5.6 IU/L). Histology of the liver showed vacuolar degeneration, focal areas of necrosis and aggregation of inflammatory cells between the hepatocytes. This study elucidates negative biochemical changes on the metabolism of the fish due to the presence of mixed effluent in the River. Keywords: Toxicity, Histopatology, Tilapia, Effluent and Glutathione S-transferas

Nutritive Value and Heavy Metal Concentrations of Selected Wild and Domesticated Vegetables Consumed in South East, Nigeria

The vitamin composition, amino acid profile and heavy metal levels of Lasianthoreafricana (LA), Heinsia crinata (HC), Vernonia amygdalina (VA) and Telfairiaoccidentalis (TO) were investigated using standard methods. Niacin was highest in Lasianthore Africana (3.61 mg/100 g) followed by Heinsia crinata (3.30 mg/100 g) and lowest in Vernonia amygdalina (1.24 mg/100 g) and Telfairiaoccidentalis (1.04 mg/100 g). Vitamin C content was highest (208 mg/100 g) in Telfairiaoccidentalis (TO) and lowest (29.3 mg/100 g) in Heinsia crinata (HC). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in vitamin A content of all vegetables. Vernonia amygdalina had the highest (2.99 mg/100 g) vitamin B2 level while Telfairiaoccidentalis (TO) had the lowest value of 1.73 mg/100 g. Telfairiaoccidentalis had the highest value of vitamin E (42.3 mg/100 g) followed by Vernoniaamygdalina (32.6 mg/100 g) and lowest in Heinsia crinata (HC) (1.45 mg/100 g) while vitamin K was highest (2.26 mg/100 g) in Telfairiaoccidentalis (TO) and lowest (1.23 mg/100 g) in Lasianthore Africana (LA). Analysis conducted showed that the vegetables were comparatively rich in total essential amino acids. Telfairiaoccidentalis (TO) had the highest total amino acids (905 mg/100 g protein); Vernoniaamygdalina (VA) had the highest total essential amino acids (52.2 %), Lasianthore Africana (LA) followed with 51.4 %. Lasianthore africana had the highest total sulphur containing amino acids (6.3 %) while Vernoniaamygdalina (VA) had the highest amount of total aromatic amino acids (15.3 %). Zn, Fe and Cu were moderately in low concentrations but Cd and Pb were absent. Keywords: Nutritive value, Heavy metal concentrations, wild and domesticated, vegetables

Physico-Chemical Evolution, Gill Mda Concentration And Histology Of Tilapia Exposed To Mixed Effluent In Okrika River, Rivers State, Nigeria

The physico-chemical evaluation and histological studies on Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to mixed effluent (industrial, domestic and municipal) from Okrika River were investigated. Tilapia samples were collected at about 500 meters from point of entry of mixed effluent into the River (downstream) and about 1.5 kilometers from the point of entry of mixed effluent into the River (upstream) while Tilapia from a fish pond affiliated to Rivers State Sustainable Development Authority (RSSDA) was used as control. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was assayed in the gill homogenates in the Tilapia fish blood serum. It was observed that the biological oxygen demand (BOD), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), conductivity, chromium and cadmium were significantly higher in concentrations in the Okrika River exceeding FEPA regulations in Nigeria. Aside chromium whose concentration was more upstream of the river, BOD, TDS, TSS, conductivity and cadmium show more concentration downstream of the river. Results showed an increase in gill MDA concentration upstream samples (0.00±0.00 to 1.51± 0.24nm/mg), downstream samples (1.51±0.24 to 2.32±0.66nm/mg) and the control samples (2.32±0.66 to 2.70±0.89nm/mg). No significant change was also observed in gill MDA concentration of both downstream and upstream samples when compared with the control. Histology of the gill showed vacuolar degeneration, focal areas of necrosis and aggregation of inflammatory cells between the hepatocytes. From the investigation, the mixed effluents discharged into the river are toxic to the marine environment. Key words:  Physico-chemical, Histological, Effluent, Malondialdehyde and Tilapia

The Association between Fatal Coronary Heart Disease and Ambient Particulate Air Pollution: Are Females at Greater Risk?

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of long-term ambient particulate matter (PM) on risk of fatal coronary heart disease (CHD). A cohort of 3,239 nonsmoking, non-Hispanic white adults was followed for 22 years. Monthly concentrations of ambient air pollutants were obtained from monitoring stations [PM < 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(10)), ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide] or airport visibility data [PM < 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM(2.5))] and interpolated to ZIP code centroids of work and residence locations. All participants had completed a detailed lifestyle questionnaire at baseline (1976), and follow-up information on environmental tobacco smoke and other personal sources of air pollution were available from four subsequent questionnaires from 1977 through 2000. Persons with prevalent CHD, stroke, or diabetes at baseline (1976) were excluded, and analyses were controlled for a number of potential confounders, including lifestyle. In females, the relative risk (RR) for fatal CHD with each 10-μg/m(3) increase in PM(2.5) was 1.42 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06–1.90] in the single-pollutant model and 2.00 (95% CI, 1.51–2.64) in the two-pollutant model with O(3). Corresponding RRs for a 10-μg/m(3) increase in PM(10-2.5) and PM(10) were 1.62 and 1.45, respectively, in all females and 1.85 and 1.52 in postmenopausal females. No associations were found in males. A positive association with fatal CHD was found with all three PM fractions in females but not in males. The risk estimates were strengthened when adjusting for gaseous pollutants, especially O(3), and were highest for PM(2.5). These findings could have great implications for policy regulations

Pain control options for first trimester surgical abortions: a review

Pain control is a significant issue for women undergoing gynecological procedures including first trimester surgical abortion. Pain perception is a complex phenomenon which impacts the selection of analgesia. We present a review on the efficacy of various pain control modalities for first trimester surgical abortion in the clinical setting

Micro-beam Laue alignment of multi-reflection Bragg coherent diffraction imaging measurements

Multi-reflection Bragg coherent diffraction imaging has the potential to allow three-dimensional (3D) resolved measurements of the full lattice strain tensor in specific micro-crystals. Until now such measurements were hampered by the need for laborious, time-intensive alignment procedures. Here a different approach is demonstrated, using micro-beam Laue X-ray diffraction to first determine the lattice orientation of the micro-crystal. This information is then used to rapidly align coherent diffraction measurements of three or more reflections from the crystal. Based on these, 3D strain and stress fields in the crystal are successfully determined. This approach is demonstrated on a focused ion beam milled micro-crystal from which six reflections could be measured. Since information from more than three independent reflections is available, the reliability of the phases retrieved from the coherent diffraction data can be assessed. Our results show that rapid, reliable 3D coherent diffraction measurements of the full lattice strain tensor in specific micro-crystals are now feasible and can be successfully carried out even in heavily distorted samples