Abstract/Overview Socio-economic and medical information on Bondo sub-county community was studied to help establish the relationship between the water quality challenges, community health and water rights conditions. Health challenges have been linked to water quality and household income. A total of 1,510 households/respondents were studied by means of a questionnaire. About 69% of the households have no access to treated water. Although 92% of the respondents appear to be aware that tr...
Abstract/Overview Sap flux density (SFD) measurements were used, in combination with morphological characteristics of trees and forest structure, to calculate whole-tree transpiration, stand transpiration (St) and mean canopy stomatal conductance (Gs). Analysis based on the relationships between the morphological characteristics of trees and whole tree water use, and on the responses of SFD and Gs to short wave radiation (RR), vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and soil water content (SWC) duri...
Abstract/Overview The efficiency of rice husk biochar (RHB) and coconut shell biochar (CSB) in adsorbing Cadmium (Cd), as one of the prevalent heavy metals reported to bioaccumulate highly at the larval stage of the black soldier fly (BSF) was investigated. The synthesized biochars were activated using sulphuric acid and surface morphology investigated using SEM. The surfaces of CS biochar had well defined pores while RH had irregular pores of different sizes. Batch adsorption studies wer...
Abstract/Overview Commelina species are plant resources full of promise as future food and feed that thrive in diverse ecosystems. They are medicinal plants, leafy vegetables, forage for ruminants, feed for cricket insects, crop protection, and fuel. However, information regarding factors driving Commelina in agro-ecological zones in Western Kenya is lacking. Therefore, we investigated the diversity of Commelina species, the composition of associated weed species as well as environmental ...
Abstract/Overview The adoption of improved mango in Alego Usonga was still low covering an area of 12 Ha out of 47800 Ha of the arable land constituting only 0.025 %. The objective of this study was to determine the agronomic and demographic factors that influence adoption of improved mango varieties in Alego Usonga Sub County. The study adopted a cross sectional design to interview selected mango farmers who adopted planting of improved varieties. The study population was 320 famers with...
Abstract: Fly ash was explored as a raw material for the production of three fly ash-based coagulants being raw, calcined and calcined– sodium hydroxide complex coagulants. Calcined fly ash and calcined fly ash – sodium hydroxide complex coagulants were prepared by calcining raw fly ash at a temperature of 800ºC and all three were acid washed with hydrochloric acid before being used as coagulants. A fly ash sample from a local coal fired power plant was characterization by means of an X...
Abstract: We present a study of carbonate-bearing polyphase inclusions in garnets from leucocratic granitoids intruding metapelitic granulites of the Southern Marginal Zone (SMZ) of the Neoarchean Limpopo high-grade complex, South Africa, during the post-peak stage (2710–2650 Ma; U-Pb ages for zircons and monazites). Ternary feldspar thermometry suggests that the granitoid magma cooled from temperatures 800–900 °C at a pressure of ca. 6.5 kbar. Abundant CO2 fluid inclusions in quartz an...
Abstract: The Tati Greenstone Belt (TGB) in northeastern Botswana hosts numerous Au deposits (Shashe, Mupane and Signal Hill) associated with sulfides, garnet and white mica. In this study, integrative white mica Ar/Ar, garnet U-Pb and sulfides Pb/Pb dating techniques were combined with whole rock and sulfide Pb isotope characteristics to track the source(s) of gold and constrain the timeframes of gold mineralization events. All sulfides and arsenopyrite samples from the TGB yielded overlapp...
Abstract: The adequate supply of the ever-increasing demand of fresh water continues to be a global challenge due to increase in population. The anticipation for better lifestyles and improved water supply has resulted in an increase in migration from rural settlements leading to an increase in the populations of many cities globally. This study therefore investigates the variability and trends in the surface water demand and supply of the city of Gaborone and surrounding areas in respon...
Abstract: In the present study, an assessment on corrosion resistance of aluminium alloys type AA2036 and AA7075-T651 in varying solution consisting of acidic, saline and in contaminated acid-chloride environments was investigated using weight loss and electrochemical techniques. The as-received samples were sectioned into corrosion coupons polished, degreased and weight taken. Solutions containing 3.5 % NaCl, 0.5 M HCl, 0.5 M H2SO4 were prepared as corrosion media and combination of these s...
Abstract: Neoarchean granitoids are commonly exposed along Archean high-grade metamorphic terranes, where they occur as granitoid gneisses. A number of issues, including the effect of overprint event(s), can complicate the characterization of these granitoids in Archean terranes. A case study is presented here highlighting the complexity of characterizing Neoarchean granitoid magmatism from the Limpopo Complex high-grade terrane in southern Africa. Neoarchean granitoids occurring within the ...
Abstract: This paper introduces the various upstream land use activities that are major contributors of downstream water pollution. The proposed measures to reduce the pollution of downstream water bodies such as sustainable agricultural activities, systematic land allocation and management are discussed in the paper. It presents the analysis of upstream land use against the water quality parameters measured at different water management facilities to identify the most significant land use f...
Abstract: In this study, activated biochar from municipal sewage sludge was used for the treatment of sewage water. The sewage physicochemical parameters were measured before and after bio filtration with biochar applying the principle of adsorption using the standard methods. Biochar with 500 m2/g surface area at a loading of 2.5 g/L was employed. A reduction of more than 75% was observed for the total nitrogen, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total solids, electrical cond...
Abstract: This paper is a case study review of the timber waste problem and solutions that have been proffered in the Manicaland region of Zimbabwe. The study was conducted through primary data collected during site visits and a review of literature reports on the area. It revealed the absence of up to date quantitative and spatial data on timber waste, with literature reporting at least 70,000 tonnes per annum of sawmill waste. Most of the offcuts and chips are utilized at commercial sawmil...
Abstract: The recovery of precious metals like gold is increasing each day due to its high market prices along with diverse applications. Bio-sorption represents a biotechnological innovation as well as a cost effective and excellent tool for recovery of precious metals from aqueous solutions. This study offers an overview of a recent scenario of bio-sorption studies carried out on the use of some promising bio-sorbents which could serve as an economical means for recovering gold for small s...