Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 2756-3251, Vol. 15 (8), pp. 001-008, August, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Sustainability of Rural Water Supply: Water Quality Assessment in Wondo Genet District, Ethiopia

Israel Deneke Haylamicheal1* and Awdenegest Moges2

1Department of Chemistry, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
2Department of Biosystems and Environmental Engineering, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Accepted 24 April, 2024

This study was conducted in WondoGenet district, Southern Ethiopia to assess the water quality of rural water supply schemes in relation to the sustainability of their service delivery. 28 functional water points were selected randomly, for their assessments. The assessments included sanitary surveillance of water points and water quality analyses. Water samples were analyzed for pH, temperature, total dissolved solids, turbidity, total hardness, fecal and total coliform bacteria, fluoride, chloride, nitrate, manganese, and iron. The results obtained show that most of the 'user perceived' acceptable drinking water quality parameters were within the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water quality, based on aesthetic and taste considerations. Only one dug-well had marginally higher level of total hardness (that is, 220 mg/l of CaCO3), while four water points had higher turbidity ranging from 8.3 to 64 NTU when compared with the WHO guidelines. In all the sampled water points, the level of iron (<0.009 to 1.25 mg/l), manganese (0.10 to 1.50 mg/l), chloride (0.80 to 62.5 mg/l), and nitrate (0.90 to 12.7 mg/l) were within the WHO guidelines. Fluoride was also found to be below the WHO health based limit (<1.5 mg/l). However, majority (85.7%) of the water points had detectable levels of total coliform bacteria (1 to 68 cfu). On the other hand, it was only in 25% of the water points that fecal coliform bacteria were detected (1 to 10 cfu). This shows that the bacteriological water quality is of concern as majority of the water points had detectable levels of coliform bacteria. Therefore, regular chlorination of water points, particularly dug wells, should continue. Besides, disinfection of water at the household level can be an added advantage.

Key words: Ethiopia, quality, rural, supply, sustainability, water.

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 2756-3251, Vol. 15 (8), pp. 001-010, August, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Household Attitudes Toward Forest Conservation: Does Participatory Management Make a Difference?

Matiku Paul1*, Mireri Caleb2 and Ogol Callistus2

1Nature Kenya, P. O. Box 44486, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
2Kenyatta University, P. O. Box 43844, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.

Accepted 19 March, 2024

The study assessed the impact of participatory forest management (PFM) on household attitudes towards conservation and management of Arabuko–Sokoke Forest. The results obtained show that the impact of the forest on households was positive and higher in households in PFM zones than in those in non-PFM zones. There were higher proportions of households in PFM zones than in non-PFM zones, although it was a good objective to create the forest. They have good relations with the forest, benefit quite a deal from it as they obtain forest-related products from the forest; and want it protected. Also, the land adjacent to the forest has higher positive impact on household livelihood than the land further away. Higher proportions of households in non-PFM zones than PFM zones have poor relations with the forest as they are unhappy with the fact that the forest is linked to livestock deaths through tsetse fly, crop damage by wild animals, and predation of livestock without income generating activities to offset these losses. The study concluded that PFM is an asset for forest conservation in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.

Key words: Participatory forest management, household, benefit, cost, Arabuko-Sokoke.
 

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 2756-3251, Vol. 15 (8), pp. 001-005, August, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Degradation Dynamics of Malathion and Phorate in Different Environmental Systems

Gangadhar Battala1, Tharakeswar Yadamari1, Sujan Kumar Korivi1,
Ramakrishna Naidu Gurijala1* and R. K. Singhal2

1Department of Environmental Sciences, S. V. University, Tirupati A. P., India. 
2Analytical Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.

Accepted 24 April, 2024

The degradation of Malathion and Phorate was studied in four soil samples under different laboratory-controlled and environmental conditions. Soil and water samples were collected from different sites. Soil samples, having been contaminated with malathion and phorate and were poured in different water samples like well water, river water and sea water so as to understand the leaching and degradation ability of malathion and phorate in different environmental matrices. These matrices were selected on the basis of their different physico-chemical characteristics and chemical composition. The investigation results showed that the malathion and phorate were hydrolyzed and degraded faster at basic environments with high salinity, whereas it was observed that they were extremely slower in the neutral and acidic environments. It was considered that it was due to the physico-chemical characteristics of soil, water and salinity. The type of soil and its organic carbon content along with other microbiological degradation had also influenced the degradation of malathion and phorate. It was observed that the degradation of Malathion and Phorate was faster in sea water with high salinity. Limited degradation was observed in distilled water followed by river water and ground water. The degradation was pH dependent. Malathion and phorate were degraded more rapidly at basic media.

Key words: Malathion, phorate, degradation, environmental matrices.
 

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 2756-3251, Vol. 15 (8), pp. 001-010, August, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Assessing the Impact of Salinity on Tomato Production in Benin's Coastal Areas

Vincent Ezin1*, Ibouraïma Yabi2 and Adam Ahanchede1

1Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi 01 BP 526 Cotonou,
Benin.

2Department of Geography, FLASH, University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Benin.

Accepted 24 April, 2024

The coast of Benin lies on a wide bay in the Gulf of Guinea called the Bight of Benin, about 125 km between Togo and Nigeria. The coastal areas of Benin cover part of the cultivable lands of the country. A total of 15 tomato varieties were recorded in the areas of study. The characteristics of each variety grown under salinity were also recorded based on the assessment of farmers. Salinity causes unfavorable conditions that restrain the normal crop production. The factors that contribute significantly to salinity were soil salinity, wet breeze from high tide especially between June to August and direct watering of crop with saline water. The wetted foliage of growing tomato absorbed the salts directly. The results obtained also show that salinity in the coastal areas of Benin affected tomato growth, leaf length, and number of leaves, which reduced yields and in severe cases, total yield was lost. Two varieties (aclinkon and petomèche) seemed to be tolerant to salinity because of their average yield. Due to the heavy losses in tomato production, producers were eager to be supplied with new varieties tolerant to salinity. Henceforth, it was imperative to have an evaluation of the coastal areas of Benin affected by the salinity.

Key words: Coastal areas, tomato production, salinity, wet breeze, high tide.
 

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 2756-3251, Vol. 15 (7), pp. 001-006, July, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Bioleaching of Heavy Metals from ESP Dust of Sponge Iron Plant Using Fungal Strains

Pradip K. Jena1, C. S. K. Mishra1*, D. K. Behera2, S. Mishra3 and L. B. Sukla3

1College of Basic Science and Humanities, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar-751003, Orissa, India.
2Tata Steel Limited, Jamshedpur-831005, Jharkhand, India.
3Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (CSIR), Bhubaneswar-751013, Orissa, India.

Accepted 19 March, 2024

Coal based sponge iron industries in India generate considerable quantity of solid waste, 40% of which is flue dust produced from the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) connected to rotary kiln. This paper reports the dissolution of Zn, Cu, Pb, Mn and Fe from the ESP dust using three fungal species, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus at 5 and 10% pulp densities over a period of 28 days. Highest metal leaching was achieved with A. niger followed by A. flavus. The least metal leaching was achieved with A. fumigatus. The pH of the medium declined consistently over the incubation period. Maximum leaching for Zn, Cu, Pb, Mn and Fe were 81, 76, 74, 72 and 52% respectively.

Key words: Fungal leaching, sponge iron, electrostatic precipitator (ESP) dust, metal dissolution.
 

Advanced Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ISSN 2756-3251, Vol. 15 (7), pp. 001-009, July, 2024. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Assessing the Recreational Value of Kakum National Park Through Individual Travel Cost Estimation

Daniel Kwabena Twerefou* and Daniel Kwasi Adjei Ababio

Department of Economics, University of Ghana, Ghana.

Accepted 2 April, 2024

A major problem confronting environmental economists is the difficulty in valuing environmental resources and other public goods such as recreational sites since there are no markets or markets are imperfect in situations where they exist. The Kakum National Park, officially opened in 1994, is one of the most important parks in Ghana that protects a vast rainforest including its bio-diversity, habitats and natural processes, and houses the only Canopy Walkway in Africa which allows visitors to explore a tropical rainforest canopy from suspension bridges. Since the establishment of the Kakum National Park, not much has been done to assess its value to recreationers using the appropriate economic valuation techniques. This study seeks to address these questions by adopting the simple formulation of the individual travel cost method to derive the monetary value of Kakum National Park as well as factors that influence visits to the park using a survey of 246 visitors. Our results indicate that the annual per person value of the site is about Image67.28 (US$ 46.40) which translates into an annual aggregate value of Image 8,481,653.20 (US$ 5,849,416) in 2009. Regression analysis using the zero-truncated negative binomial method indicate that travel cost, gender, knowledge of composite sites are the most important factors that influence visitation to the Park.

Key words: Travel cost, non-market value, protected areas, National Parks.