International Letters of Natural Sciences Vol. 2

Abstract: A pot experiment was conducted in the green house to determine the effect of municipal solid waste on the growth of maize (Zea mays). Growth parameters of percentage emergence, plant height, leaf area and number of levers per plant were collect and subjected into statistical analysis, using ANOVA and fisher’s L.S.D. at 5% probability level. Plant growth parameters decreased with increase in cropping cycle. Similarly, maize grown on dumpsite soils did better than the control soil samples. It show increase in plant height, leaf area and number of leaves per plant at a range of 16.82 cm to 12.87 cm, 5 to 4 and 64.69 cm to 59.88 cm for the dumpsite and control samples respectively. Soil P^H, organic matter (OM), total Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na) and Effective Cat-ion Exchange Capacity (ECEC) decreased with increase in cropping cycle respectively. The Dumpsite soil sample recorded higher mean values than the control (P < 0.05). There is every indication that municipal solid waste is beneficial to plant if only proper and careful sorting and separation of hazardous waste is done.

Abstract: A cross – sectional study of bovine, porcine and dog cysticercosis was carried out in Bukuru Plateau State Nigeria,in 2010 using Gyel Bukuru abattoir, Fwagul and Kuru trade centre slaughtering abattoir, as study areas. Two hundred and twenty-five samples were collected at random comprising of seventy-five samples each from cattle, dog and pig respectively, where twenty-five samples were taking for raw meat, cooked meat and feaces in relation to the sex of the animals examined. The overall prevalence rate of 28 (12.44%) was recorded out of the total sample of 225. Raw meat records 10 (4.44%), cooked meat record 7 (3.11%) and feaces records 11 (4.98%) infection rate. X² analysis show no significant difference in the prevalence rate of cysticercus in meat and cyst in feaces of the examined animals (p > 0.05). There was no record of infection in cattle, both in beef and feaces in different sexes of the cattle examined, sex specific incidence rate obtained in both studies did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). The female animal studied had the highest infection rate of 17 (60.71%).There was significant difference in tapeworms encountered with the meat and feaces examined (p < 0.05) Taenia solium had the highest infection rate of 14 (6.22 %), Dipylidium caninum had 12 (5.33%) with the least infestatioin recorded in T. hydatigena 2 (0.89%). Hence no record of T. saginata infection was encountered in the present study. However mixed infection was recorded in Dog with T. hydatigena & D. caninum.

Abstract: As a step towards remediation of sulphur contaminants, this study used a Crowcon Gasman (gas detection instrument) to collect and analyze Sulphuric gas samples from densely populated areas of urban Zaria. The results showed varying concentrations of Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) and Hydrogen Sulphide (H₂S). The high concentrations of these pollutants detected can be attributed to increased population growth, increased production of gaseous wastes and increased number of vehicular movement. The results indicate also that the concentrations of pollutant sulphur component SO₂ measured at all sampling points, with exception of the control site were hazardous while that of H₂S were within safe limit set by FEPA and ACGIH respectively. Statistical tests were performed which established significant variation/relationship between detected pollutants and traffic volume. Findings from this study imply that vehicular emission within urban Zaria is not within the safe limit which further reveals that transport-related pollution in Zaria urban area can be potentially hazardous to health.