African Journal of Environmental and Waste Management

African Journal of Environmental and Waste Management ISSN: 2375-1266 Vol. 2 (6), pp. 151-157, June, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full length research paper

An investigation of risk factors associated with indoor air pollution in the low-income households of Aligarh city, India

*Iajuddin Biswas, Abdur Hamid Yunus and Hussan Rahman

Department of Geography, Andhra Pradesh Open University, Hyderabad, India.

*Corresponding author Email: drbiswas2007@ braou.ac.in

Accepted 4 May, 2015

Abstract

This paper seeks to investigate the risk factors associated with indoor air pollution in low income households. Cooking with traditional fuels leads to high levels of indoor air pollution, exposure of which increases the risk of various health problems. This study is based on primary sources of data collected with the help of questionnaire interviews from 533 low income households (earning Rs.5, 000 and less per month). Since women are responsible for cooking they were selected as respondents. This study investigates the major socio-economic factors including housing and cooking conditions, identification of risk factors and occurrence of associated diseases. The results show that most of the low income households were using traditional fuels and stoves, cooking in multipurpose room and VERANDA, in poorly ventilated cooking places and taking long hours for cooking. Thus, they were exposed to all the associated risk factors of indoor air pollution. They reported of the occurrence of associated diseases, like acute upper and lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, perinatal mortality, pulmonary tuberculosis, low birth weight, eye irritation and cataract etc. The study points to the need of creating awareness amongst the low income households.

Keywords: Indoor air pollution; traditional fuels; risk factors; diseases.

African Journal of Environmental and Waste Management ISSN: 2375-1266 Vol. 2 (4), pp. 141-146, April, 2014. © International Scholars Journals 

Review

An evaluation of Dengue epidemic as a major international public health concern in Bangladesh

*¹Muhammed Atar Khan, Fazlur Rahman¹ and Abdur N. Hamid²

¹Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

²Department of Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 17 March 2014

Abstract

Dengue epidemic in developing countries is due to many reasons. This review paper highlights some events within the country. The prevention of dengue fever is largely based upon the identification of risk factors and awareness. Bibliometric analysis, literature and archival document reviewed and key informant interviews. Factors responsible are overpopulation, uncontrolled urbanization, and inadequate waste management. The general management of these patients needs teamwork and separate wards. The ward should have mosquito net to prevent nosocomial Dengue transmission. The patient needs special laboratory investigation when they are high-risk subjects. The participation and cooperation of general people with government agencies is essential for Aedes control programs.

Keywords: Epidermic, risk factor, overpopulation, urbanization, waste management.

African Journal of Environmental and Waste Management ISSN: 2375-1266 Vol. 2 (2), pp. 122-133, February, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full length research paper

A study of the features of the hydrogeology of Umuahia South Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria

*¹Ukani D. Jackson,   Ovarere N. Gabriel² and Ogunagbe Francis Brorhie²

¹Department of Environmental Engineering, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa, Nigeria

²Department of Geology, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author: [email protected]

Accepted 30 February 2014

Abstract

Some hydrogeological parameters of Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria, were studied to provide data for proper planning and execution of water projects in the area. Boreholes tap water from Miocene to Recent Benin Formation in the study area. This Formation is characterized by a multi-aquifer system in most places where it outcrops. Two aquifers were identified from lithologic logs in the study area within this Formation. These are the upper unconfined to confined aquifer between 30-60 meters depth, and an underlying confined aquifer between 80-160 meters depth. Static Water Levels are low and lie in the range of 28.3 -39.6 meters, while hydraulic heads vary from 80.3 to 127 meters. Hydrochemical studies show that groundwater in the area is low in dissolved constituents. However, iron requires treatment at some locations, while all the water samples should be treated for acidity. The hydrochemical facies identified include Na-K-HCO₃-Cl facies and Ca-Mg-HCO₃-Cl facies, with the former dominating. The ions in the water owe their source from geology and precipitation, while variation in the data can be explained by the exploitation of water from different aquiferous levels.

Keywords: Hydrogeology, Umuahia South, aquifers, hydrochemistry.

African Journal of Environmental and Waste Management ISSN: 2375-1266 Vol. 2 (5), pp. 147-150, May, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full length research paper

An evaluation of the susceptibility levels of different plants with economical importance growing in the urban and industrial region of Allahabad city, India

*¹Prakash E. Gandhi, Rahu Kiran Chandra¹ and Shashi Montek Sen²

¹Department of Geophysical Research, Faculty of Science, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.

²Department of Biological Sciences, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India.

*Corresponding Author: E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 16 April, 2014

Abstract

Screening of plants for their sensitivity/tolerance level to air pollutants is important because the sensitive plants can serve as bio-indicator and the tolerant plants as sink for controlling air pollution in urban and industrial areas. In order to evaluate the susceptibility level of plants to air pollutants, four parameters namely ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, relative water content and leaf extract pH were determined and computed together in a formulation signifying the air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of plants. APTI values of seven economically important plant species growing in the urban-industrial region of Allahabad were estimated. The order of tolerance is as follows: Artocarpus sp. < Eucalyptus sp. < Citrus lemon < Azadirachta indica < Rosa indica < Aegle marmelos < Mangifera indica. Among the plant studies, Mangifera indica (APTI value 18.51) is considered as a relatively tolerant species and Artocarpus sp. (APTI value 8.75) as most sensitive to air pollutants. The sensitive (Artocarpus sp.) and tolerant species (Mangifera indica) can be used as bio-indicators and as a sink for air pollutants, respectively. The technique provides a reliable method for screening sensitive/tolerant plants under field condition where the air-shed is contaminated by a variety of pollutants.

Keywords: APTI; Air pollution; Ascorbic acid; Chlorophyll; Mangifera indica.

African Journal of Environmental and Waste Management ISSN: 2167-0434 Vol. 2 (1), pp. 113-121, January, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Waste to wealth potentials of municipal solid waste: A case study of Ga-East Municipal Assembly, Ghana

¹Abiti Benedicta and ¹*Pishva Davar

¹*Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), Oita, Japan.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Tel. 81-977-78-1261

Accepted 27 December, 2013

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate waste management practices in developed countries and come up with a set of practical recommendations on how to improve the waste management process of the Ga East Municipal Assembly (GEMA) of the Greater Accra region of Ghana. After exploratory investigation of how waste management is being sustainably practiced by some advanced nations, pertinent data were collected from administrative personnel and operatives of the “Abloradgei” dumpsite of GEMA using interview and observation. The result shows that 48.8% of the municipal solid waste is organic materials while the remaining 51.2% are inorganic materials such as plastics, metals, paper, glass, clothing and debris. The investigation further revealed that 63% of the collected municipal solid wastes are not sorted at their sources, that municipality depends solely on conventional land filling and there exists no modern treatment or resource recovery system in the municipality. In order to improve the alarming situation, the paper focused on ascertaining resources which could be recovered from the municipality waste, socio-economic benefits of waste-to-resource to the municipality and practical ways of achieving such benefits using lessons learned from developed countries.

Key words: Waste, by-product, zero waste, reduce, reuse, recycle, circular economy.