Effects of industrial effluents and fertilizer applications on the growth, yield and nutritional quality of sunflower

A field experiment was conducted in south-western Nigeria to determine  the effects of different fertilizer applications on the growth performance of sunflower when cultivated in an Alfisols contaminated with effluents from a paints industry. This was with a view to assessing the yield and nutrient quality of harvested sunflower grains. It was a randomised complete block design with three fertilizer applications [300 kg ha-1 of NPK 20-10-10 (IOF) ; 10,000 kg ha-1 of organomineral fertilizer (OMF) and control (CT)] ; and each was replicated thrice on the factory effluents impacted and un-impacted soils. At 10 weeks after planting, highest sunflower growth reduction rate (number of leaves 19.6 % ; plant height 3.9 % and stem girth 7.5 %) was obtained with OMF application when the impacted and un-impacted soils were compared. The highest mean yield of 1.17 t ha-1 obtained with OMF was not significantly (p < 0.05) higher than 0.80 t ha-1 obtained with IOF application, but significantly (p < 0.05) higher than 0.63 t ha-1 obtained in the controls with zero fertilizer application. The  un-impacted plots gave comparable but higher mean yields of sunflower. Highest concentrations of the nutrient elements and heavy metals were obtained in the grains of sunflower when OMF was applied. The results indicated that the quantity and quality of sunflower grains harvested from factory effluents impacted soil with or without fertilizer application were adversely affected ; hence cultivation of similar impacted soils with edible crops should be discouraged.Keywords : Factory effluent, fertilizer, Nigeria, nutrient quality, paint industry, sunflower

Properties of Soils and Plants Uptake within the Vicinity of Selected Automobile Workshops in Ile-Ife Southwestern, Nigeria

Backyard farming is becoming popular among the auto mechanics near their workshops where spent engine oil and carcass of vehicles are continuously dumped in Nigeria. The properties of soil and maize plants sampled from the vicinity of selected auto mechanic workshops in Ile-Ife, Nigeria were investigated. The results showed that heavy metal contents in the soils from the sampled sites were (range, mg kg-1) Fe 1238.12 to 1564.25, Zn 18.10 to 24.75, Pb 1.21 to 3.43 and Hg 0.48 to 0.74. These values were significantly (P< 0.05) higher than the control (non auto mechanic site) with Fe 37.50, Zn 0.70, Pb 0.15 and Hg 0.13 mg kg-1. Also, these soil parameters reduced in values in the sub-soil. The mean concentrations of heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Pb and Hg) in maize plants were significantly (P < 0.05) higher while N and P were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in those from the experimental sites within the vicinity of automobile workshops than in the control. Higher accumulation of these heavy metals was obtained in soil and shoots of maize from older workshops than in the younger ones. The study therefore concluded that edible crops, particularly the phytoplants should not be cultivated on polluted soils as this may pose a threat to human health, if the heavy metals enter the food chain.Keywords: Backyard farming, automobile, spent engine oil, carcass of vehicle, plant uptake, phytoplant

Impact of Marble Mining on Soil Properties in a Part of Guinea Savanna Zone of Southwestern Nigeria

The effects of marble mining activities on the properties of soils of Igbeti marble area, Oke-Ogun, Southwestern Nigeria were investigated. Sample plots of 10 x 10 m2 were established at 150 m intervals from the factory site up to a distance of 600 m and with a sample plot at 10 km to serve ascontrol in four cardinal directions. A total of 84 composite soil samples from 21 established plots were taken for soil physico-chemical properties. No plot falls under agricultural crops. The results show that there is drastic deterioration in the quality of soil as a result of mining activities. There was increase in total porosity and decrease in bulk density of the soil as you move away from the mining site. The soil pH changed greatly from 5.90 in the control site to 8.20 in highly polluted soils. Soil organic matter,total nitrogen and available phosphorus decreased with increase in dust particulate from the mining sites. Except for Ca2+ and Mg2+ that decreased with distance from the mining site, Na+ and K+ increased slightly. The availability of the extractable micronutrients (Fe2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+) increased as the soil acidity increased, though Cu2+ availability dropped slightly at control site. It is concluded that there is the need for close monitoring of marble mining activities in Nigeria as deposit of marble particulates may result to soil nutrients’ imbalance and hence poor soil health especially in areas polluted with marble particulates.Key words: Mine waste, pollution monitoring, soil deterioration, soil pollution, soil nutrients’ imbalance.

Quality assessment of plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) as affected by different ripening methods

There are increasing reports of food poisoning due to preservatives used for the processing of certain food items, especially in developing countries of Africa. Also, very scanty information is available on the effect of these preservatives on the nutritional status of the food being processed and preserved. This experiment therefore reports on the quality assessment of plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) as affected by different ripening agents used to accelerate the period of plantain ripening. The experiment consisted of 4 ripening agents, namely: calcium carbide, Irvingia gabonensis fruits, Newbouldia laevis leaves and control, where no ripening agents were applied to the blossoms of plantain. The unripe and ripened blossoms of plantain were analyzed for their physicochemical properties using standard methods. Ripened plantains without any ripening accelerator had significantly (p &lt; 0.05) higher values of crude protein (3.51%), crude fat (0.33%), total ash (2.55%), crude fiber (0.42%) and reducing sugar (10.42%) when compared with other treatments. Least values of this proximate composition (crude protein, crude fat, total ash, crude fiber and reducing sugar) with no significant difference were obtained when calcium carbide (1.31, 0.04, 1.28, 0.04 and 7.07%) and Irvingia gabonensis (1.53, 0.06, 1.04, 0.03 and 9.17%) were applied, respectively. It was concluded that since these ripening agents have adverse affects on the nutritional status of plantains, an effective food safety program and control measures need be put in place to monitor various methods of plantain ripening with a view to ultimately safeguarding public health.Key words: Calcium carbide, food poisoning, Irvingia gabonensis, Newbouldia laevis, plantain blossoms

Prevalence of hypertension in the rural adult population of Osun State, southwestern Nigeria

EO Asekun-Olarinmoye,1 PO Akinwusi,2 WO Adebimpe,1 MA Isawumi,3 MB Hassan,3 OA Olowe,4 OB Makanjuola,4 CO Alebiosu,2 TA Adewole51Department of Community Medicine, 2Department of Medicine, 3Department of Surgery, 4Department of Microbiology, 5Department of Chemical Pathology, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, NigeriaBackground: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension in two rural communities of Osun State, Nigeria.Methods: A consenting adult population of the Alajue and Obokun rural communities in southwestern Nigeria that presented for the screening exercise participated in this community-based cross-sectional descriptive study. Two hundred and fifty-nine respondents aged older than 18 years completed a standardized, pretested, structured questionnaire as part of activities celebrating World Kidney Day and World Glaucoma Day in 2011. Anthropometric data and blood pressure were recorded, and the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 49.7 &plusmn; 1.6 years, 100 (38.6%) were males, 84 (32.4%) were farmers, and 111 (42.9%) were traders. The prevalence of hypertension was 13.16% (present in 34 respondents). Seventeen (6.6%) had isolated systolic hypertension, while 11 (4.2%) had isolated diastolic hypertension. Two hundred and thirty-six (91.1%) undertook daily exercise lasting at least 30 minutes and 48 (18.5%) had ever taken antihypertensive drugs on a regular basis. Four respondents (1.6%) claimed a family history of hypertension. The average body mass index (BMI) among respondents was 23.4 &plusmn; 4.9 kg/m2, 51 (19.6%) had a BMI of 25.0&ndash;29.9, and 30 (11.5%) had a BMI &ge; 30. A significant association existed between age older than 40 years and having hypertension (P < 0.05), while no relationship existed between age and BMI or between gender and hypertension (P > 0.05). Rates of older age and high BMI were significantly higher among hypertensives than among normotensives. Respondents with BMI < 25 had at least a three times greater likelihood of developing hypertension than those with BMI < 25 (odds ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 0.007&ndash;0.056, P = 0.011).Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension is high in this study population and we recommend scaling up primary prevention efforts to reduce this in Nigerian communities.Keywords: prevalence, hypertension, anthropometry, body mass index, rural communit

Production and characterisation of biochar from different farm wastes

Three different carbon-rich materials called biochars were produced from three different agricultural wastes using slow pyrolysis technique. The abundance of these wastes (maize cobs, maize stovers and cocoa pod husks) in most farms in Nigeria informed their choice. In this study, the biochars produced were characterized to determine their inherent nutrient potentials as soil amendments for high crop productivity. The percentage mass of biochars obtained were: maize cobs 27.6%, maize stovers 26.0% and cocoa pod husks 22.3% at 332°C, 361°C and 500°C temperature respectively. The highest carbon content (511.1 g kg-1) and total nitrogen (12.1 g kg-1) were obtained from maize stovers biochar, while cocoa pod husks gave the least values. Highest pH (11.98), moisture content (14.0%) and phosphorus (1150.0 mg kg-1) were however obtained in the biochar from cocoa pod husks. We concluded that cocoa pod husks, maize cobs and maize stovers are feedstocks for making biochars of different physical forms and properties and these biochars are potential sources of valuable soil amendments in a humid tropical soil environment.Keywords: Biochar, charcoal-fired reactor, cocoa pod husks, maize cobs, maize stovers, slow pyrolysis

Asymptomatic bacteriuria among elderly and middle-aged rural community-dwellers in South-Western Nigeria

OA Olowe,1 OB Makanjuola,1 KO Olabiyi,1 PO Akinwusi,2 CO Alebiosu,2 MA Isawumi,3 MB Hassan,3 EO Asekun-Olarinmoye,4 WO Adebimpe,4 TA Adewole5 1Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, 2Department of Medicine, 3Department of Ophthalmology, 4Department of Community Medicine, 5Department of Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria Abstract: Asymptomatic bacteriuria in elderly individuals has been well described in institutionalized settings, but to a lesser extent in the community. The purpose of this study was to determine the pathogens responsible for asymptomatic bacteriuria in elderly and middle-aged individuals in Alajue-Ede, South-Western Nigeria, and to identify any associated factors. Mid-stream urine samples were collected from apparently healthy elderly and middle-aged volunteers who were participating in community health screening. Samples were processed and bacterial isolates were identified following standard procedures. In total, 128 volunteers (48 men, 76 women) participated in the study. Twenty-eight (22.6%) urinary pathogens were isolated, comprising Klebsiella species in five (17.9%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa in one (3.6%), Escherichia coli in 19 (67.9%), and Proteus species in three (10.7%) cases. Women were identified as being at higher risk of asymptomatic bacteriuria, and the prevalence also increased with increasing age in men. The elderly in this community have a high prevalence of asymptomatic bacteriuria, and screening for comorbid medical conditions may be of benefit. Keywords: asymptomatic bacteriuria, urinary pathogens, elderly, urinary tract infectio