An Assessment of the Impact of Abattoir Effluents on River Illo, Ota, Nigeria

The aim of this research was to assess the impact of abattoir effluents on River Illo in Ota, Nigeria. In order to achieve this set objective seven sampling locations were chosen along the river course. The choice of locations was to reflect the variations in concentrations of the following important parameters of water quality issue: pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia and nitrate among others. The choice of these parameters was based on their relative importance in abattoir effluents composition. Results of analyses revealed impairment in the quality of River Illo by the wash down from the abattoir activities. Dissolved oxygen concentrations ranged between 0.01 and 4.6 mg L-1 while the highest concentrations of TSS and TS of 1026 and 1071.5 mg L-1, respectively were obtained at the point of abattoir effluents discharge. The BOD mean value of 312.9 mg L-1 obtained for the river water is far above the highest permissible value of 30 mg L-1 allowed by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency for discharge into receiving water bodies in Nigeria. The mean value of 783 mg L-1 obtained for the COD of the river body corroborates the pollution of the water body. The current water quality status of River Illo from the discharge of abattoir effluents therefore poses both environmental and health hazards to users. In order to redress this and ensure public health safety, River Illo needs adequate treatment before use

Passing on the Baton to Future Water Resources Scientists & Engineers in Developing Nations

Education is important for the proper management of water resources in any nation, especially in developing nations that are faced with other equally important competing issues. In West Africa, as a developing region, in addition to other economic problems exists severe groundwater related issues. Working with students in those nations is one way of training qualified water professionals to manage water resources in developing nations. Some of these problems may stem from improper sewage and waste disposal due to lack of adequate structures. Also, in coastal regions, with indiscriminate well drilling, uncontrolled growth, and urbanization, water quality is a serious issue. During a rain event, a low-lying area was turned into a fast flowing river, carrying with it surface contaminants. In areas where water supply is not limited, for example in coastal regions in Nigeria, seawater intrusion is becoming a serious problem. Examples that qualified personal use include mentoring, teaching, and training, are presented below. Qualified personal embody the skills of mentoring, teaching, and training of local nationals

Heamatology and Serum Quality of Red Sokoto Goats Fed Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) Fruit Meal Supplement

The haematology and serum components of Red Sokoto goats fed baobab fruit meal  was investigated. A total of 16 animals were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments with four animal per replicate in a completely randomized design. Treatment 1 was control with no baobab fruit meal supplement, Treatments 2 , 3 and 4 had 10%, 20% and 30%  respectively. The heamatological and serum characteristics were significantly affected (P<0.05) across the treatments with Treatment 3 (20% inclusion) having the highest PCV (%), Hb (g/dl) and RBC (X 109/l) respectively. The serum quality of T3 and T4 were not significantly different but albumin and iron levels were higher in T3 . However, the cholesterol level fluctuates along the treatment with control having the highest cholesterol level of 67.25 ± 2.0ab while T3 had the least value of 60.95 ± 5.1b. The study showed that all the dietary inclusion are satisfactory as feed for small ruminant without any deleterious effect on performance and blood profile.  Inclusion level of 20% baobab appeared to have better overall performance when fed to red sokoto goat. Keywords: baobab fruit meal, red sokoto goats, haematology, seru

Determination of volume of wastewater generated in a university campus

Abstract The development of wastewater reuse schemes has been greatly slowed down by the lack of adequate wastewater generation data. Most data sources on wastewater generation provided by international organizations are mere estimates ofa nation’swastewater generation pattern and can only go a long way in explaining the wastewater situation of that nation. Intensive wastewater reuse schemes for futuristic purposes would require collection and storage of wastewater data for effective planning. This study identifies and closes that gap in a University campus where there is a high demand of water for daily use. Flowrates of wastewater being discharged into the environment was determined over a period of time using a standard weir and a level measuring tool. From this, the volume of wastewater generated was calculated. The results show that about 1,529,288 liters of wastewater was generated daily in the University campus. From this value, the water consumption rate of the university community was estimated to be 1,911,610 liters of water daily. From these findings, the wastewater generated within the Covenant University campus could be sufficient for agricultural, urban and other municipal reuse schemes. The environmental, economic and public health benefits from wastewater recycling are enormous and thus more attention must be given to its generation, treatment, disposal and reuse.</jats:p

Economic Analysis of Wastewater Reuse in Covenant University

Abstract Wastewater reuse is a vital technique to supplement existing water resources for both developing and developed nations. However, the economic research into the design and implementation of a wastewater reuse scheme is required in order to determine the feasibility of any wastewater reuse project from an economic stand point. There are numerous benefits of wastewater recycling. However, these benefits are often not evaluated due to several factors. Nevertheless, the valuation of these benefits is required to justify investment decisions. This research uses cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the benefits of implementing a wastewater reuse scheme in a university community. The investment decision is influenced by the result obtained from the cost benefit analysis calculation. The result of the Net Present Value of this research showed that, the University could recoup its initial investments and also realize huge profits implementing a wastewater reuse scheme. Meaning that the research is or would be feasible financially. This research also shows that with the use of constructed wetland, an extensive method of wastewater treatment, the energy costs accrued per year by the University community would be reduced by millions of naira. Furthermore, the environmental and social benefits of the projects were also considered to complete an economic analysis. The results showed that there are significant environmental and social benefits which includes sustainable groundwater withdrawal, the avoidance of land subsidence and corporate social responsibility.</jats:p

Potentiality of agricultural adsorbent for the sequestering of metal ions from wastewater

The expensive nature of metal ions detoxification from wastewater have restricted the use of conventional treatment technologies. Cheap, alternative measures have been adopted to eliminate metal contamination, and adsorptions using agricultural adsorbents seem to be the way forward. The use of agricultural adsorbents for cadmium (II), copper (II) and lead (II) ion removal has gained more interest in literature due to the level of contamination in water bodies. This review shed lights on the removal proficiency of various low–cost agricultural adsorbent for the elimination of cadmium (II), copper (II) and lead (II) ions, considering performance, surface modification, equilibrium adsorptive studies, kinetic characteristics, coefficient of correlation (R2) and reuse. Furthermore, these agricultural adsorbents have displayed better performance when rivaled with commercial/conventional adsorbent. Observations from different adsorptive capacities presented owe their performance to surface area improvement/modification, pH of the adsorbent, ionic potential of the solution, initial concentration and elemental component of the adsorbent. However, gaps have been identified to improve applicability, sorption performance, economic viability, optimization, and commercialization of suitable agricultural adsorbents

The effects of microplastics in oceans and marine environment on public health – a mini-review

Abstract Plastic’s versatility is one reason why production or use has not decreased over the years. The production of plastic globally was 359 million metric tons as of 2018, and this number increased by 3.5% in 2019. Microplastics, which are tiny particles of various types and forms of plastic, can be found in cosmetics, fabrics, car parts, machinery, footwear,products packaging, polythene bags and so on. Over time, these particles, through the process of wear and tear of these various plastic products, indiscriminate disposal, runoffs, and erosion, find their way into water bodies from rivers and streams into larger water bodies like seas and oceans. These tiny non-biodegradable particles find their way into living organisms carrying along with them other harmful chemical contaminants. This study reviews the effects that microplastics found in marine environments have on public health in general. It covers the types and sources of microplastics and the various ways in which microplastics have affected human health and different aquatic species in the marine environment. The review showed all pointers of microplastics present in the environment to have negative impacts on the ecosystem. Certain research gaps are pointed out, like the integration of researchinto policies to help improve the environment and the standardization of dedicated procedures and methods of reporting microplastic pollution. Suggestions were made for possible solutions like the reduction of plastic use for product packaging, provision of biodegradable and eco-friendly materials as substitutes, and general public awareness on the harm of microplastic pollution in the immediate environement.</jats:p