Pollution

The environmental stable isotopic (oxygen-18 and hydrogen-2)  composition of groundwater  in the crystalline geological formation underlying the Accra Plains of South-east Ghana were studied to obtain information on the recharge process.  The groundwater had an average isotopic value of –3.19‰ ?¹⁸O and –14.36‰ ?²H. The groundwater recharge takes place in fractures with the occurrence of minor evaporation. The groundwater was also affected by the mixing of various rainfall events and or surface runoff. The groundwaters at Valley View University were more depleted than the other groundwaters in the Plains indicating that the groundwater was recharge at the Akwapim Togo Mountains through preferential channels.

The levels of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, Co, Ni and Zn) in soil nd plant (cassia occidentalis) of jega town were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The sample area was divided into five units (JE, JC, JW, JN and JS) using stratified random sampling method. Results revealed significant (p<0.05) difference between the samples in terms of Cr, Pb, Cu, Co, Ni and Zn contents in soil with Cd showing no significance at 5% level of significance. Cr, Cd and Zn levels are of no significance (p>0.05) between the samples. However, high significance different (p<0.05) exists between the samples for the remaining metals. Pearson Product Moment Correlation showed that Pb in plant correlated positively with all other metals in the soil; with higher significance correlation at 1% level of significance between Pb in soil. However, Co and Cr in plant showed significant correlation with Pb and Zn in soil at 5% level of significance. However, results indicated that the area is moderately polluted based on the US EPA standard of heavy metals in soils.

This paper reviews the roles of the various stakeholders in MSWM in Ghana. The policy and the legislative framework as well as the various institutions responsible for ensuring MSWM are discussed. Suggestion to improve the MSWM in Ghana is also outlined.

In this present study groundwater quality analysis, of nine fluoride affected villages in and around Mundaragi taluka of Gadag district in Karnataka, has been carried out in pre-monsoon season. The samples were collected in the month of February 2012, all the reagents used were of AR grade and standard methods were followed. The study revealed that all the nine villages have fluoride ion concentration above permissible limits. Higher fluoride concentration of 6.9 mg/L was observed in Mevundi village and lower concentration of 2.3 mg/L was observed in Hirewaddatti village.

Explosions like formation of algal blooms increasingly pollute both salt and fresh water ecosystems throughout the world. Owing to its negative impacts on human health and aquatic life, this widely reported phenomenon has become a serious environmental problem. While many process based, statistical and empirical models exist for water quality prediction, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models are increasingly being used for water related applications because ANNs are often capable of modelling complex systems for which behavioral rules or underlying physical processes are either unknown or difficult to simulate. Theoretical knowledge about biological processes can be easily embedded into Neural Network models by means of a constrained training procedure. It is a complex non-linear function with many parameters that are adjusted (calibrated or trained) in such a way that the network output becomes similar to the measured output on a known data set. The feed forward neural network models are effective in predicting the non-linear behaviour of algalblooms and the correlation values are as high as 0.95 between the measured and calculated values. This paper presents an overview and provides a systematic approach for modelling the algal blooms using Artificial Neural Networks.

Textile industry waste water from dyeing and finishing processes constitute a substantial source of water pollution which imparts intense colour, high chemical oxygen demand, fluctuating pH and other suspended particles. This coloured waste water must be treated before final discharge to attain legal standards. Conventional methods for removing dyes from industrial waste water consist mainly of biological and physiochemical treatments and their various combinations. Biological methods are cheaper than other methods but dye toxicity usually inhibits bacterial growth and limits therefore the efficiency of decolourisation. Physical methods usually need additional chemicals which produce secondary pollution and a huge volume of sludge. Water treatment based on electro coagulation technique has been recently proving to evade most of the problems also being economically attractive. This review deals with better understanding of the decolourisation of the textile waste water through Electrocoagulation process. Although there are various electrochemical methods for the treatment of waste water Electrocoagulation has proved to be a clean, versatile, selective, flexible and a powerful process. Decolourisation of the dyeing and finishing waste is greatly affected by the important operating parameters such as the current density, pH, dye concentration, treatment time, type of electrode material used, electrolyte and its concentration. Upon survey it is found that Electrocoagulation combined with other processes also has proved good in the improvement of the decolourisation efficiency.

Lead poisoning crisis that crystallized in Bukkyum and Anka local governments of Zamfara State , Nigeria, gave birth to this research works in line with recommendations by Médecins sans Frontières (MSF-Holland) to Zamfara state health authorities.( UNEP/OCHA, 2010). The work consist of Soil sampling and XRF analysis of selected mining stages as well as a host village residential compounds, Dan-company. The concentration levels of Fe, Ni, Cu and Cr are elevated while that of other heavy metals is present within regulatory limits. The elevated levels of metals by their nature do rarely portend hazards to health. The relationship of mining cave values, tailings and residential compounds shows that the villagers of the mining environment might have been educated from the earlier years of the British settlers that flagged off mining in the area.

Eighteen Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) using Schlumberger configuration with a maximum current electrode separation varying from 200m to 650m were carried out at Umutu and environs in Delta State Nigeria. The aim of survey was to determine the underlying lithology, determination of area of corrosive groundwater as well as computing the transmissivity of the aquifer in the area to determine the best location for sitting borehole of high quality in terms of high output. The results have shown that VES 7 has the lowest corrosive groundwater and highest aquifer transmissivity value of 357.0m²/day. With the computation of aquifer transmissivity value resulting from the values obtained it becomes possible to demarcate regions of high groundwater in the area.

The increase in use of non-renewable fossil fuels may have increased the amount of carbon dioxide and other Green House Gases in the atmosphere to produce climate change and other environmental problems both on local and global scales. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that there will be a temperature rise of about 1.4 to 5.8^oC during 2100. Almost all the countries are now seriously thinking on controlling the fossil fuel use so as to arrest global warming. Biogas energy produced from poultry litter is one of the fastest growing clean energy source technologies across the world. Mapping of power potential from poultry litter in Namakkal block is the focus of the present study. The study employs Geographical Information System to map the biogas energy resources of Namakkal block and analyze the variability considering spatial aspects. Taking these into account, the present status of the alternative energy potential is assessed and maps have been prepared. The Poultry litter quantity has been estimated and used for evaluation of the alternative energy potential. The study shows that, the great green energy potential (83,457 KW/day) available in Namakkal block. This technology ensures reducing Green House Gas emissions, sustainable development, energy security and employment generation in the study area.

Soil and Tailing samples in Dan-Kande gold mining environment were analysed with the aid of X-Ray Fluorescence technique. The long period of artisanal mining exercises in the environment calls for investigation for health benefits of critical group. Of the detected elements, It was observed that Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and as occurs in raised concentrations at many folds above USEPA regulatory benchmarks at the café and residential areas. There is a close correlation between the raised values obtained from the House and café samples indicating that minerals are being taking into various houses for processing. This is a potential health bomb due to explode.