Journal Clean WAS (JCleanWAS)

This study assessed the risk of heavy metal pollution in soils of oil extraction host communities by utilising indigenous earthworms as bioindicators. Soil and earthworm samples at a depth of 0-20 cm were obtained from the same quadrant across five coastal wetlands in Delta State. Fifty samples were gathered from the research region. Concentrations of specific heavy metals were assessed via Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (Solaar 969 Unicam Series Model). The average concentrations of heavy metals and total hydrocarbon content in soils were 217.741±130.42 (Fe), 5.997±6.33 (Cr), 0.275±0.13 (Cd), 4.732±3.00 (Cu), 34.729±33.37 (Zn), 23.298±19.19 (Mn), 10.856±2.90 (Pb), and 17694.98±47114.37 (THC). The enrichment factor (EF) indicates substantial enrichment of Fe, Cr, and Mn, considerable enrichment of Cd, Cu, and Zn, and exceedingly high enrichment of Pb. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) reveals that Fe is moderately contaminated, Cr is moderately to heavily polluted, Cd and Cu are heavily to extremely polluted, while Pb demonstrates extreme pollution. The contamination factor (CF) indicates a significantly elevated presence of Fe, Cr, Zn, and Mn, while Cd, Cu, and Pb also demonstrate substantial contamination. All sample locations exhibit a significantly elevated level of contamination (CD > 24 = very high degree of contamination). According to Tomlinson et al. (1980), the PLI value for the studied soils demonstrates PLI > 1. The indexes of potential ecological danger were arranged in the following order: EiRCd, EiRPb, EiRCu, EiRZn, EiRCr, EiRMn. Cadmium was the primary factor contributing to the potential ecological danger, as all sampling locations exhibit significant ecological risk to the environment. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) indicated that the earthworm samples accumulated chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn), as BAF values exceeding 1 signify metal bioaccumulation. It is necessary to evaluate the heavy metal concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb in the adjacent vegetation. It is essential to implement suitable engineering and ecological strategies to regulate soil heavy metal concentrations, alongside conducting ecological restoration in contaminated areas. This underscores the necessity of adhering to the recommendations outlined in the United Nations Environment Program’s 2011 environmental assessment report and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) regarding the remediation of oil spills in Delta State, as the survival of human life and other biotic elements in this region is at risk.

Dams significantly alter the hydrological and sedimentary dynamics of surrounding landscapes, influencing soil formation, nutrient distribution, and agricultural potential. Understanding the spatial variation in soil properties relative to dam proximity is essential for sustainable land management. This study investigates the impact of proximity to a dam on various soil physicochemical properties. Notably Soil organic matter and CEC.Soil samples were collected from three distinct zones—onshore, midshore, and offshore—and analyzed for texture, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, nutrient content, pH, electrical conductivity, and exchangeable acidity. The findings reveal spatial variations in soil composition and fertility, with midshore zones exhibiting optimal conditions for agricultural productivity. The results showed that the soils were slightly acidic, with a mean pH of 5.947, and had low electrical conductivity, indicating low soil salinity. The soil texture was predominantly sandy, with high sand content (82%) and low clay content (7.53%). The mean organic carbon and organic matter contents were moderate, ranging from 1.549% to 2.671%. The effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) was moderate, with a mean value of 11.560 cmol/kg. The study also found that distance from the dam influenced soil properties, particularly soil texture, exchangeable acidity, and cation exchange capacity.

Background: Darjeeling Municipality, located in the Easter Himalayas is facing a growing water crisis despite receiving and annual rainfall of 2812 mm. The steep terrain, ageing water infrastructure, growing population and seasonal variation in water availability have intensified the challenges of securing sufficient water supplies mainly during the lean season. The qualitative methodological study explores the present status of water resources and examines backup initiatives implemented to address seasonal water scarcity. Through the field survey, interviews and municipal data, the research highlights critical limitation in the system, such as inadequate storage, leakage and dependency on ecologically sensitive zones. The study also evaluates alternative water sources and infrastructure initiatives including the Sindhap Lake, Rambi Catchment, Balasun River Project and the AMRUT scheme. These project provide crucial support, they often face operational, structural and administrative challenges that limit their full potential. The findings underline the urgent need for integrated water resource management, improved governance and adaptive infrastructure to ensure long term water security in Darjeeling Municipality

Background: Cement production is a major industrial activity associated with environmental and occupational pollution, particularly through particulate matter and heavy metal emissions. Prolonged exposure to cement dust may result in systemic toxicity, including renal dysfunction. This study investigated the impact of cement factory exposure on renal biochemical parameters among factory workers and residents in Okpella, Edo State, Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional analytical design was employed. One hundred participants were recruited: 25 factory workers, 25 residents within 5 km of the factory, and 50 controls with no known exposure. Serum creatinine, urea, sodium, and potassium levels were measured. Data were analyzed using t-tests with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Cement workers exhibited significantly higher serum creatinine (1.3 ± 0.2 mg/dL) compared to controls (0.7 ± 0.2 mg/dL; p=0.01). Urea levels were elevated in workers (58.2 ± 5.6 mg/dL) relative to controls (46.2 ± 13.4 mg/dL; p=0.001). Serum sodium was significantly higher in workers (150.4 ± 10.6 mmol/L) than in controls (146.0 ± 4.7 mmol/L; p=0.001). Potassium levels were also increased in workers (4.5 ± 1.0 mmol/L) compared to controls (3.8 ± 0.3 mmol/L; p=0.004). Similar trends were observed among residents, though with less magnitude. Conclusion: Chronic exposure to cement factory emissions is associated with altered renal biochemical parameters, suggesting potential early renal impairment among workers and residents. Periodic medical screening, dust exposure reduction strategies, and environmental monitoring are recommended to mitigate renal health risks in industrial communities

Soil quality plays a critical role in agricultural productivity, environmental resilience, and sustainable land use, particularly in the dryland regions of northern Nigeria where soil degradation, low rainfall, and nutrient depletion threaten food security. This study employed a modified fuzzy logic model to assess and map soil quality across selected dryland areas using geospatial techniques. Ten key soil parameters were considered: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), organic carbon (OC), bulk density (BD), pH, soil depth, texture, drainage, and slope. These variables were standardized into fuzzy membership classes (low = 0, medium = 0.5, high = 1) based on agronomic thresholds and expert knowledge, and each was assigned a weight reflecting its importance in dryland soil productivity. The integration of these factors was conducted using overlay analysis within a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment, producing a composite soil quality index map. The results showed significant spatial variability in soil quality, with approximately 30.3% of the area classified as very high, 37.9% as medium, and 30.5% as low quality. High-quality soils were largely located in areas of dense vegetation such as parts of Kaduna, Niger, and northeastern Katsina, while low quality were found in regions experiencing leaching, shallow depths, and prolonged cultivation without adequate management. It provides a decision-support tool for sustainable land use planning, soil management, and policy interventions in dryland environments.

The study was carried out to evaluate the environmental impact of waste dumpsite to the quality of ground water as a major component of the environment using Idunmwowina Community as a case study. A total of fifteen (15) samples of borehole water were collected or sampled at 15 different locations. All samples were subjected to heavy metal determination, physiochemical parameters and bacteriological analysis. The water samples were analyzed to determine its portability and also compared with WHO and NAFDAC standard. The diluent was analyzed using AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer). The physiochemical analysis indicated minimum and maximum value range pH (5.1 to 6.8, EC (19.0μs/cm to 167.2μs/cm) Clear Turbidity, Salinity (0.019mg/l to 1.00mg/l), TDS (10.45mg/l to 91.6mg/l) Nitrate (0.730mg/l to 2.408mg/l) Bicarbonate (0.41mg/l to 0.49mg/l) Alkalinity (41.00mg/l to 50.00 mg/l) Sulphate (3.102mg/l to 3.471mg/l) DO (2.11 to 2.46) BOD (2.44mg/l to 3.00mg/l) COD (5.31 to 6.48) and Ammonium Nitrogen (0.13mg/l to 2.11mg/l). The analysis for heavy metal shows Lb (0.01-0.03mg/l), Cd (0.01 mg/l), Ni (Not Detected), Cr (0.06-0.28 mg/l), Fe (0.1 mg/l), Zn (0.01-9.17 mg/l) These values obtained all fall below WHO standard. The quality of samples obtained were seriously compromised as a result of feacal bacteria growth and elevated values of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) in soil and groundwater.

This study assessed the impact of various organic amendments on soil fertility and cabbage yield in Bheriganga Municipality, Surkhet, Karnali Province, Nepal. Despite being declared an organic province, Karnali still lacks adequate adoption of organic farming due to infrastructural and technological limitations. A field experiment was conducted in winter 2024 using a randomized complete block design with five treatments: farmyard manure, Vermicompost, poultry manure, goat manure, and a control (no amendment). The soil at the experimental site was initially low in fertility, characterized by poor organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrient levels. Results indicated that organic amendments significantly enhanced soil nutrient status and improved cabbage growth and yield. Poultry manure produced the tallest plants (29.93 cm), the highest number of leaves per head (18.83), and the heaviest heads (1.32 kg), followed by Vermicompost. All organic treatments performed better than the control, but poultry manure and Vermicompost showed the most promising outcomes. These findings demonstrate that organic inputs, particularly poultry manure, and Vermicompost, can be effective alternatives to synthetic fertilizers in improving soil health and crop productivity. The study supports the potential for sustainable vegetable production and the promotion of organic agriculture in Karnali Province.

In many developing countries, soil moisture data is often limited or unavailable. Stakeholders may use soil moisture data to monitor, detect and sometimes forecast agricultural droughts. Therefore, modelling soil moisture to identify and monitor droughts can benefit many countries, especially those whose economies depend heavily on agriculture. This study aimed to investigate historical soil moisture in Guyana from 1962 to 2016 using the JULES Model. The model utilized in-situ precipitation data from Georgetown, along with data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) for the study period. The results from the analysis of the historical soil moisture found that the soil moisture in the total column and at the various layers of soil was quite variable. Further, a clear relationship emerged between interannual climate variability and soil moisture trends. El Niño years were usually related with reduced soil moisture, indicating drier than average conditions, while the La Niña years displayed higher soil moisture content, reflecting wetter conditions. Based on the results obtained the model showed some skill in capturing soil moisture at different depths in the area of study. Hence, further studies using different soil types, vegetation structures, and land use practices should be considered to support Guyana’s agricultural sector.

Air pollution, particularly from aerosol particles, is a major issue in developing countries like India. Correlating seasonal variations between AOD, LST, NDVI, and rainfall are closely linked to regional air quality changes. This study aims to assess long-term changes in Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), vegetation index, and land surface temperature in Singrauli, India, and investigate their interactions using remote sensing and GIS methods. This study used Google Earth Engine (GEE) to obtain Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC), a combined Aqua and Terra MODIS product for the year 2024 every month for AOD, NDVI, and LST for Singrauli district. The study found that AOD was lowest during the monsoon season and highest throughout the winter and some months of summer whereas the highest NDVI was obtained in the month after monsoon and some months of winter the lowest NDVI was recorded in the month of summer and LST shows the opposite trend of NDVI means that high LST was recorded in the month of the summer and lowest LST in the month of post-monsoon and winter season. The correlation analysis was performed from the ambient air pollutant data from 4 monitoring sites, NDVI, and LST with AOD. The Particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5 show a positive correlation with AOD with average R2 values of 0.4984 and 0.5459 respectively at all 4 locations because particulate matter directly contributes to the concentration of AOD but gaseous pollutants like NO2 and SO2 shows the very weak correlation with AOD with R2 value of 0.1393 and 0.0862 respectively as AOD only consist of particulate matters so these gaseous pollutants didn’t contribute much in AOD. Many other factors also influence the AOD and LST in the study area like wind direction, wind speed, relative humidity, and many more. The dominant wind direction in Singrauli throughout the year 2024 is North-West with an average speed of 2-3 m/s.

Effect of water hyacinth leaf supplementation in the performance of caged common carp (cyprinus carpio) were evaluated. The different levels of water hyacinth leaf meal supplementation in the different experimental diets were 0%, 10%, 15% and 20% (with crude protein content of 30%). The performance were evaluated using 12 cages (1 m3) at Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Paklihawa campus, Bhairahawa for 90 days (26th August of 2023 to 19th November of 2023). Common carp fries were randomly distributed into cages at 10 fry/ cage. The experiment were conducted in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments replicated thrice. The treatments were: T1: Control (Basal diet), T2: 10% replacement of Soybean Meal (SBM) with Water Hyacinth Leaf Meal (WHLM) in Basal diet, T3: 15 % replacement of SBM with WHLM in Basal diet, T4: 20 % replacement of SBM with WHLM in Basal diet. The pelleted feed containing 35% CP were maintained at the rate of 5% of body weight in initial month followed by 3% in the following months. Fish were fed once daily at morning between 8:00-9:00 a.m. Mean weight of fry during stocking period were 46.5±7.16g, 45.4±6.54 g, 45.3±4.46 g, 41.6±1.73g in treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 respectively. Final mean weight of fish was highest in T3 (159.3±6.23g) at the 90 days after stocking which were significantly higher than T1 (123.6±8.12g), T2 (131.6±7.21g), T4 (108.4±1.74g) at (p<0.05). Similarly, the Specific Growth rate (SGR) value was highest (1.4±0.06g) in T3 while T4 (1.0±0.04g) was found to be the lowest. The survivability was recorded in a range of (76.6-90). Highest Benefit Cost ratio (BCR) was recorded in T3 (1.27±0.01) which were significantly different with T1(0.94±0.02), T2(1.04±0.02) and T4(0.97±0.008) (p<0.05). The gross return was found highest in T3 (58.95±2.30) and lowest T4(40.12±0.64) (p<0.05) while the net return was also highest in T3 (12.69±1.65) and lowest in T1 (2.43±1.34) (p< 0.05). So, we can suggest T3 (Replacement of 15% water hyacinth powder) as partial alternative of soya bean meal powder in fish feed.