Pub Date : 2012-07-13DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010056
I. Nhapi, U. Wali, D. Usanzineza, N. Banadda, J. Kashaigili, R. Kimwaga, W. Gumindoga, S. Sendagi
Most tropical African lakes are facing pollution problems due to the rapid population growth and industrializa- tion in their riparian communities. Lake Muhazi in Rwanda is one of such lakes which has experienced a dramatic decrease in fish production since the eighties, with also reports of low water transparencies and high turbidities. The lakeshores are now being developed for ecotourism and this requires sound environmental management to make the planned activities viable. The purpose of this study was to assess heavy metal pollution in the tributary rivers of Lake Muhazi. The concentration of heavy metals in major tributaries was monitored for the period July to October 2007. The parameters studied are cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, zinc, pH and temperature. Fourteen sampling stations on the Inflow Rivers and the spillway were monitored fortnightly. The samples collected for heavy metal analysis were preserved and stored in cooler boxes and analyzed in the laboratory using Standard Methods. Temperature and pH were measured in the field using HACH field testing kits. The concentration (mean ± standard deviation) of Zn was found to be 0.040±0.103 mg/L, Cd 0.031±0.007 mg/L, Pb 0.487±0.452 mg/L, Fe 7.53±13.34 mg/L, Mn 1.01±1.31 mg/L, chromium 0 mg/L and copper 0 mg/L. The concentrations of measured parameters deviate much from the recommended ones thus posing serious problems to aquatic life. It has also been shown that the high metal concentration levels in Lake Muhazi are related to landuse activities in the catchment. It is thus recommended that farming practices and erosion be controlled in the catchment to contain pollutant discharges into the lake. Lead is the main anthropogenic pollutant which has been found in the watershed of Lake Muhazi.
{"title":"Heavy metals inflow into Lake Muhazi, Rwanda.","authors":"I. Nhapi, U. Wali, D. Usanzineza, N. Banadda, J. Kashaigili, R. Kimwaga, W. Gumindoga, S. Sendagi","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010056","url":null,"abstract":"Most tropical African lakes are facing pollution problems due to the rapid population growth and industrializa- tion in their riparian communities. Lake Muhazi in Rwanda is one of such lakes which has experienced a dramatic decrease in fish production since the eighties, with also reports of low water transparencies and high turbidities. The lakeshores are now being developed for ecotourism and this requires sound environmental management to make the planned activities viable. The purpose of this study was to assess heavy metal pollution in the tributary rivers of Lake Muhazi. The concentration of heavy metals in major tributaries was monitored for the period July to October 2007. The parameters studied are cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, zinc, pH and temperature. Fourteen sampling stations on the Inflow Rivers and the spillway were monitored fortnightly. The samples collected for heavy metal analysis were preserved and stored in cooler boxes and analyzed in the laboratory using Standard Methods. Temperature and pH were measured in the field using HACH field testing kits. The concentration (mean ± standard deviation) of Zn was found to be 0.040±0.103 mg/L, Cd 0.031±0.007 mg/L, Pb 0.487±0.452 mg/L, Fe 7.53±13.34 mg/L, Mn 1.01±1.31 mg/L, chromium 0 mg/L and copper 0 mg/L. The concentrations of measured parameters deviate much from the recommended ones thus posing serious problems to aquatic life. It has also been shown that the high metal concentration levels in Lake Muhazi are related to landuse activities in the catchment. It is thus recommended that farming practices and erosion be controlled in the catchment to contain pollutant discharges into the lake. Lead is the main anthropogenic pollutant which has been found in the watershed of Lake Muhazi.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"14 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133313180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-07-13DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010044
Denis Bbosa, N. Banadda, P. Mulamba
This study was conducted for a period of 4 weeks to monitor and evaluate the process of bio-stimulation and natural recovery rates in terms of bacteria and fungi communities to diesel contaminated soils. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to measure pH, moisture content, Potassium (K), Phosphorous (P), Organic Nitrogen (ON), Organic Carbon (OC), Organic Matter (OM), fungi and bacteria cells before and after soils were intentionally contaminated with diesel. The results of this study showed that treatment level, K, P and pH have a positive effect on the number of bacterial cells whereas moisture content, sand and clay particles impact negatively. A correlation coefficient of R 2 = -0.93 was obtained between time and OC, OM, ON while OC, OM, ON and bacteria showed an R 2 = -0.58. Three conclusions can be drawn based on this study. One, by week 4, bacterial cells counts had doubled. Two, by week 4, bacterial counts numerically outnumbered fungal cells. Three, the increase in both bacterial and fungal cells was accompanied with a decrease in OM, OC and ON. This means that both bacterial and fungal cells had adapted by week 4.
{"title":"Bio-remediation and physicochemical interaction of experimentally contaminated soils in Uganda with diesel.","authors":"Denis Bbosa, N. Banadda, P. Mulamba","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010044","url":null,"abstract":"This study was conducted for a period of 4 weeks to monitor and evaluate the process of bio-stimulation and natural recovery rates in terms of bacteria and fungi communities to diesel contaminated soils. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to measure pH, moisture content, Potassium (K), Phosphorous (P), Organic Nitrogen (ON), Organic Carbon (OC), Organic Matter (OM), fungi and bacteria cells before and after soils were intentionally contaminated with diesel. The results of this study showed that treatment level, K, P and pH have a positive effect on the number of bacterial cells whereas moisture content, sand and clay particles impact negatively. A correlation coefficient of R 2 = -0.93 was obtained between time and OC, OM, ON while OC, OM, ON and bacteria showed an R 2 = -0.58. Three conclusions can be drawn based on this study. One, by week 4, bacterial cells counts had doubled. Two, by week 4, bacterial counts numerically outnumbered fungal cells. Three, the increase in both bacterial and fungal cells was accompanied with a decrease in OM, OC and ON. This means that both bacterial and fungal cells had adapted by week 4.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"98 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133971190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-07-13DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010050
Margaret Nakibuuka, Dean Tashobya, N. Banadda, F. Ayaa, I. Nhapi, U. Wali, R. Kimwaga
Solid Waste (WS) sorting at primary source, collection, transportation and disposal are a challenge in many cities in the developing world. Experiences from the developed world indicate that planning, education, enforcement and resources are needed to effectively manage SW. Poor SW management is responsible for many diseases especially in the developing world. Taking Kampala as a case study, with a population of 1.2 million people, SW is deposed off in public landfills, and open dumps near and/or burnt in residential areas. SW in landfills emit significant amounts of a potent greenhouse gas, methane. Studies from elsewhere have demonstrated that this contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming. However, most of the developed methods to determine methane gas are expensive and requirement cumbersome sample preparation procedures. More often than not, such equipments are not present in many developing countries. As such data on methane gas emissions in Kampala city and Uganda as a whole are scarce and those that are available are models based on other country estimates A Gas chromatography equipped with a Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) method was used to make a qualitative study of methane gas generated from SW in Kampala City so as to in- form the relevant decision makers on the need to take appropriate measures to reduce open environment methane emis- sions at dumping sites.
{"title":"Qualitative Determination of Methane Gas at Selected Sites in Kampala City, Uganda","authors":"Margaret Nakibuuka, Dean Tashobya, N. Banadda, F. Ayaa, I. Nhapi, U. Wali, R. Kimwaga","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010050","url":null,"abstract":"Solid Waste (WS) sorting at primary source, collection, transportation and disposal are a challenge in many cities in the developing world. Experiences from the developed world indicate that planning, education, enforcement and resources are needed to effectively manage SW. Poor SW management is responsible for many diseases especially in the developing world. Taking Kampala as a case study, with a population of 1.2 million people, SW is deposed off in public landfills, and open dumps near and/or burnt in residential areas. SW in landfills emit significant amounts of a potent greenhouse gas, methane. Studies from elsewhere have demonstrated that this contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming. However, most of the developed methods to determine methane gas are expensive and requirement cumbersome sample preparation procedures. More often than not, such equipments are not present in many developing countries. As such data on methane gas emissions in Kampala city and Uganda as a whole are scarce and those that are available are models based on other country estimates A Gas chromatography equipped with a Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) method was used to make a qualitative study of methane gas generated from SW in Kampala City so as to in- form the relevant decision makers on the need to take appropriate measures to reduce open environment methane emis- sions at dumping sites.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"243 1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114215569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-07-13DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010077
R. Kimwaga, D. Mashauri, F. Bukirwa, N. Banadda, U. Wali, I. Nhapi
Recent studies carried out in Lake Victoria Basin have identified major sources of Non-Point Source (NPS) of pollution in the Simiyu catchment of Lake Victoria using land-uses of 1975 and 2006 and compared the relative impact of land-use change on sediment and nutrient load (P and N) into the Lake. The main aim of this study was to identify and develop Best Management Practices to control NPS pollution in the Simiyu Catchment. The SWAT model was used to stimulate and assess the Best Management Practices Scenario for the catchment. The catchment was divided into seven (7) sub-basins. The results show that there was no intensive use of artifical fertilisers in the catchment and manure is the major type of fertiliser in use. Simulation was done for the period 2000 to 2005. High nutrient concentration was observed in Sub-basin 6; 0.558-0.779 kgN/ha/yr than in Sub-basin 7; 0.018-0.115 kgN/ha/yr, despite the larger area of coverage by the latter. This is also irrespective of the fact that Sub-basin 7 covers a larger area, 3,426.52 km 2 compared to Sub-basin 6 (72.97 km 2 ) and Sub-basin 4 (618.16 km 2 ). Relatively, considering their size, Sub-basin 6 produces higher pollution than Sub-basin 7. It was also observed that the sediment yield from the whole catchment reduced from 81,222 ton/yr to 98,400ton/yr.It was observed that to control the NPS pollution problem, Best Management Practices like reduced manure application rate, tillage and contour yielded a decrease of 1.4% in N load and 1.57% in sediment load. As a result, it was concluded that the SWAT modelling tool can be used in developing Best Management Practices because pollutant proc- esses per sub-catchment had been fully understood. With good model performance, developing management strategies to control NPS pollution around Lake Victoria can be achieved using the SWAT model. The BMPs have been devised de- pending on the sub-basin, which has a big collective reduction and control in NPS pollution in the whole catchment.
{"title":"Development of Best Management Practices for Controlling the Non-PointSources of Pollution Around Lake Victoria Using SWAT Model: A Case ofSimiyu Catchment Tanzania","authors":"R. Kimwaga, D. Mashauri, F. Bukirwa, N. Banadda, U. Wali, I. Nhapi","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010077","url":null,"abstract":"Recent studies carried out in Lake Victoria Basin have identified major sources of Non-Point Source (NPS) of pollution in the Simiyu catchment of Lake Victoria using land-uses of 1975 and 2006 and compared the relative impact of land-use change on sediment and nutrient load (P and N) into the Lake. The main aim of this study was to identify and develop Best Management Practices to control NPS pollution in the Simiyu Catchment. The SWAT model was used to stimulate and assess the Best Management Practices Scenario for the catchment. The catchment was divided into seven (7) sub-basins. The results show that there was no intensive use of artifical fertilisers in the catchment and manure is the major type of fertiliser in use. Simulation was done for the period 2000 to 2005. High nutrient concentration was observed in Sub-basin 6; 0.558-0.779 kgN/ha/yr than in Sub-basin 7; 0.018-0.115 kgN/ha/yr, despite the larger area of coverage by the latter. This is also irrespective of the fact that Sub-basin 7 covers a larger area, 3,426.52 km 2 compared to Sub-basin 6 (72.97 km 2 ) and Sub-basin 4 (618.16 km 2 ). Relatively, considering their size, Sub-basin 6 produces higher pollution than Sub-basin 7. It was also observed that the sediment yield from the whole catchment reduced from 81,222 ton/yr to 98,400ton/yr.It was observed that to control the NPS pollution problem, Best Management Practices like reduced manure application rate, tillage and contour yielded a decrease of 1.4% in N load and 1.57% in sediment load. As a result, it was concluded that the SWAT modelling tool can be used in developing Best Management Practices because pollutant proc- esses per sub-catchment had been fully understood. With good model performance, developing management strategies to control NPS pollution around Lake Victoria can be achieved using the SWAT model. The BMPs have been devised de- pending on the sub-basin, which has a big collective reduction and control in NPS pollution in the whole catchment.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"436 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115857065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-07-13DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010066
R. Kimwaga, F. Bukirwa, N. Banadda, U. Wali, I. Nhapi, D. Mashauri
This study aimed at characterising the land use in the Simiyu catchment of Lake Victoria and using land-uses of 1975 and 2006 and comparing the relative impact of land-use change on sediment loading into the Lake. Remote sens- ing using the package ILIWIS 3.0. was used to identify and characterize the land-use while Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to quantify sediment loading from the 1975 and 2006 land-use scenarios. The results of this study indicate that there was an expansion of agricultural land from 19.33% to 73.43% of the catchment at an annual change rate of 2.9%. Furthermore, the land-use of 1975-yielded less sediment loading compared to that of 2006. Model simulation at the catchment outlet for sediment reported a total yield of 98,467 tons/yr while the actual measured sediment loading had the value of 2,075,114 tons/yr. Hence, the model underestimated sediment yield in the catchment. With good model perform- ance, developing management plans to control sediment loading into Lake Victoria can be achieved using the SWAT model.
{"title":"Modelling the Impact of Land Use Changes on Sediment Loading Into Lake Victoria Using SWAT Model: A Case of Simiyu Catchment Tanzania","authors":"R. Kimwaga, F. Bukirwa, N. Banadda, U. Wali, I. Nhapi, D. Mashauri","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010066","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed at characterising the land use in the Simiyu catchment of Lake Victoria and using land-uses of 1975 and 2006 and comparing the relative impact of land-use change on sediment loading into the Lake. Remote sens- ing using the package ILIWIS 3.0. was used to identify and characterize the land-use while Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to quantify sediment loading from the 1975 and 2006 land-use scenarios. The results of this study indicate that there was an expansion of agricultural land from 19.33% to 73.43% of the catchment at an annual change rate of 2.9%. Furthermore, the land-use of 1975-yielded less sediment loading compared to that of 2006. Model simulation at the catchment outlet for sediment reported a total yield of 98,467 tons/yr while the actual measured sediment loading had the value of 2,075,114 tons/yr. Hence, the model underestimated sediment yield in the catchment. With good model perform- ance, developing management plans to control sediment loading into Lake Victoria can be achieved using the SWAT model.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"45 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130219959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-07-13DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010096
I. Nhapi, U. Wali, D. Usanzineza, J. Kashaigili, N. Banadda, R. Kimwaga
The pollution of lakes is mainly conceived in terms of nutrient levels and eutrophication with the consequent development of algal blooms and fish kills. However, heavy metals are increasingly becoming prominent especially for water bodies closer to urban and mining areas. This study focuses on heavy metal pollution in lakes using a case study of Lake Muhazi in Rwanda. The study characterized the horizontal and vertical distribution of heavy metals in the Lake, with the research conducted from July to October 2007. The parameters studied are cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, zinc, pH and temperature. The samples were collected at different depths in the Lake using a Van Dorn Bottle water sampler, and were analyzed using standard methods. The temperature and pH were measured in the field us- ing HACH field testing kits. The findings indicated that the mean concentration of Zn was 0.041±0.045 mg/L, Cd 0.026±0.029 mg/L, Pb 0.292±0.442 mg/L, Fe 0.756±0.734 mg/L, and Mn 0.340±0.336 mg/L. Chromium and copper were not detected in the water samples. The findings indicate that the concentrations of Cadmium, Iron and Lead far exceeded the recommended levels for aquatic life at all sampling points. The high levels of heavy metals are attributed to the ripar- ian landuse practices such as uncontrolled agriculture, urban runoff and mining activities around the Lake. It is recom- mended that a detailed study of the catchment be carried out to identify and isolate the main sources of heavy metals in the Lake so that appropriate control measures could be developed.
{"title":"Distribution of Heavy Metals in Lake Muhazi, Rwanda","authors":"I. Nhapi, U. Wali, D. Usanzineza, J. Kashaigili, N. Banadda, R. Kimwaga","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010096","url":null,"abstract":"The pollution of lakes is mainly conceived in terms of nutrient levels and eutrophication with the consequent development of algal blooms and fish kills. However, heavy metals are increasingly becoming prominent especially for water bodies closer to urban and mining areas. This study focuses on heavy metal pollution in lakes using a case study of Lake Muhazi in Rwanda. The study characterized the horizontal and vertical distribution of heavy metals in the Lake, with the research conducted from July to October 2007. The parameters studied are cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, zinc, pH and temperature. The samples were collected at different depths in the Lake using a Van Dorn Bottle water sampler, and were analyzed using standard methods. The temperature and pH were measured in the field us- ing HACH field testing kits. The findings indicated that the mean concentration of Zn was 0.041±0.045 mg/L, Cd 0.026±0.029 mg/L, Pb 0.292±0.442 mg/L, Fe 0.756±0.734 mg/L, and Mn 0.340±0.336 mg/L. Chromium and copper were not detected in the water samples. The findings indicate that the concentrations of Cadmium, Iron and Lead far exceeded the recommended levels for aquatic life at all sampling points. The high levels of heavy metals are attributed to the ripar- ian landuse practices such as uncontrolled agriculture, urban runoff and mining activities around the Lake. It is recom- mended that a detailed study of the catchment be carried out to identify and isolate the main sources of heavy metals in the Lake so that appropriate control measures could be developed.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125745397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-07-13DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010110
Victor G. Nganga, F. Kariuki, K. Kotut
Greywater, the untreated household wastewater that has not been contaminated by toilet waste, has been touted as a reliable all year-round source of water, especially in water scarce areas. Although it is commonly reused in water scarce urban and peri-urban settlements in Kenya, information on its bacteriological and physico-chemical properties is generally limited. The present study sought to compare the physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of kitchen and laundry greywater from an urban (Githurai) and peri-urban settlement (Homabay). Compared to the source water, kitchen and laundry greywater at the two sites had higher electrical conductivity (EC) and salinity, depressed dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and a wide pH range. Although significant differences in EC, DO and salinity of greywater from kitchen and laundry were noted (P < 0.05), the two sites differed significantly only in DO (P = 0.002). Total coliforms (TC) and fecal coliforms (FC) were also higher in greywater than in source water. The greywater types differed in TC (P = 0.003) while the two sites differed in both TC and FC (P � 0.03). High loads of TC and FC suggest possible fecal contamination of greywater. This coupled with the occasional presence of Salmonella, Shigella and Vibrio cholerae means that reuse of untreated greywater is not safe in both sites, and should be treated before use. Owing to the differences in the quality of the different types of greywater as well as the sites investigated, the design of greywater treatment technologies should consider both type and source.
{"title":"A Comparison of the Physico-Chemical and Bacteriological Quality of Greywater from Water Deficient Households in Homabay Town and Githurai Estates in Kenya","authors":"Victor G. Nganga, F. Kariuki, K. Kotut","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010110","url":null,"abstract":"Greywater, the untreated household wastewater that has not been contaminated by toilet waste, has been touted as a reliable all year-round source of water, especially in water scarce areas. Although it is commonly reused in water scarce urban and peri-urban settlements in Kenya, information on its bacteriological and physico-chemical properties is generally limited. The present study sought to compare the physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of kitchen and laundry greywater from an urban (Githurai) and peri-urban settlement (Homabay). Compared to the source water, kitchen and laundry greywater at the two sites had higher electrical conductivity (EC) and salinity, depressed dissolved oxygen (DO) levels and a wide pH range. Although significant differences in EC, DO and salinity of greywater from kitchen and laundry were noted (P < 0.05), the two sites differed significantly only in DO (P = 0.002). Total coliforms (TC) and fecal coliforms (FC) were also higher in greywater than in source water. The greywater types differed in TC (P = 0.003) while the two sites differed in both TC and FC (P � 0.03). High loads of TC and FC suggest possible fecal contamination of greywater. This coupled with the occasional presence of Salmonella, Shigella and Vibrio cholerae means that reuse of untreated greywater is not safe in both sites, and should be treated before use. Owing to the differences in the quality of the different types of greywater as well as the sites investigated, the design of greywater treatment technologies should consider both type and source.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"106 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122433218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-05-29DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010027
M. Lendholt, M. Hammitzsch
The delivery of user-tailored warning messages for heterogeneous user groups is a challenge rarely covered by hazard monitoring and Early Warning Systems (EWS) even though it is one of the four key elements of early warning systems identified by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR). This article describes the concepts of generic information logistics developed for the distant early warning system (DEWS). It is not limited to specific hazard types, languages or other deployment specifics. Instead, it enables the generation of user-tailored warning messages that account for specific needs, individual requirements, different levels of understanding, distinct perceptions and varying personal abilities and it provides several filter mechanisms to avoid unintentional message flooding in emergency situations. This novel approach is completed by a reusable graphical user interface component, which provides functionality to generate warning messages in compliance with the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard to leverage inter-operability among early warning systems.
{"title":"Towards an Integrated Information Logistics for Multi Hazard Early Warning Systems","authors":"M. Lendholt, M. Hammitzsch","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010027","url":null,"abstract":"The delivery of user-tailored warning messages for heterogeneous user groups is a challenge rarely covered by hazard monitoring and Early Warning Systems (EWS) even though it is one of the four key elements of early warning systems identified by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR). This article describes the concepts of generic information logistics developed for the distant early warning system (DEWS). It is not limited to specific hazard types, languages or other deployment specifics. Instead, it enables the generation of user-tailored warning messages that account for specific needs, individual requirements, different levels of understanding, distinct perceptions and varying personal abilities and it provides several filter mechanisms to avoid unintentional message flooding in emergency situations. This novel approach is completed by a reusable graphical user interface component, which provides functionality to generate warning messages in compliance with the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard to leverage inter-operability among early warning systems.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129504898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-03-22DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010019
Birgitta Dresp
The design of tools and procedures for the responsible and effective management of risks to humans and their environment is an important topic in modern environmental engineering. This article places the ethical ground clauses of a communication contract in the particular context of early hazard warnings. How respecting ethical ground clauses of communication may help avoid that the short-term economic interests of a few are placed before the long-term interests of society as a whole is explained on the basis of examples from disaster case studies. The need for rules which ensure that relevant information is effectively transmitted, received, and taken into account promptly is highlighted. Why successfully implementing such rules involves the individual responsibility of all stakeholders, from witnesses or victims to scientific experts and policy makers, is made clear. The ethical ground clauses of the communication contract introduced here provide universal rules for responsible communication, defined in terms of general guidelines for sincere, transparent, prompt, and cooperative information sharing, in particular in risk management. Earlier work has shown that implementing such a communication contract in corporate decision making helps promote stakeholder responsibility awareness, and triggers a learning process for initiating and fostering individual and collective behavior that will ultimately lead to responsible decisions and actions. These latter are the prerequisite for mitigating the potentially disastrous consequences of non-action in response to early warnings, when relevant scientific data and/or expert knowledge are not adequately taken into account because of faulty communication, identified as the major cause of delayed action in numerous case studies. Limitations of the communication contract theory are pointed out.
{"title":"Responsibly Managing Risks To The Environment: Stakeholders And Their Communication Contract","authors":"Birgitta Dresp","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010019","url":null,"abstract":"The design of tools and procedures for the responsible and effective management of risks to humans and their environment is an important topic in modern environmental engineering. This article places the ethical ground clauses of a communication contract in the particular context of early hazard warnings. How respecting ethical ground clauses of communication may help avoid that the short-term economic interests of a few are placed before the long-term interests of society as a whole is explained on the basis of examples from disaster case studies. The need for rules which ensure that relevant information is effectively transmitted, received, and taken into account promptly is highlighted. Why successfully implementing such rules involves the individual responsibility of all stakeholders, from witnesses or victims to scientific experts and policy makers, is made clear. The ethical ground clauses of the communication contract introduced here provide universal rules for responsible communication, defined in terms of general guidelines for sincere, transparent, prompt, and cooperative information sharing, in particular in risk management. Earlier work has shown that implementing such a communication contract in corporate decision making helps promote stakeholder responsibility awareness, and triggers a learning process for initiating and fostering individual and collective behavior that will ultimately lead to responsible decisions and actions. These latter are the prerequisite for mitigating the potentially disastrous consequences of non-action in response to early warnings, when relevant scientific data and/or expert knowledge are not adequately taken into account because of faulty communication, identified as the major cause of delayed action in numerous case studies. Limitations of the communication contract theory are pointed out.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"33 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129120220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2012-02-22DOI: 10.2174/1874829501205010009
S. Onywere, J. Mironga, Immaculate Simiyu
This study investigated the anthropogenic activities in Lake Naivasha Basin and how they are influencing the quality of water resources. The poor quality of water in the lake is seen from the presence of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and is a reflection of nutrient rich waters. The water hyacinth in Lake Naivasha is associated with major negative economic and ecological impacts. The intensity of land use within the basin was mapped from multispectral Landsat satellite imagery of 1986 (TM) and 2000 (ETM) and SPOT imagery 10 m (resolution) of 2007. From interpreted data, the surface area of the Main Lake has decreased from 134.9 kmin 1986 to 117.5 kmin 2007 (12.9%); that of papyrus and wetland grasslands along the lake shore decreased from 54.6 kmto 34.3 km� (37.2%) and that of the horticultural and irrigated farms increased by 103.3% from 45.1 kmto 91.7 kmin the same period, placing great pressure on both the quality and quantity of the lake's water resources. Information obtained from the Fisheries Department in Lake Naivasha show that the fishery production declined from 513 to 110 tons in the period considered. The Naivasha Municipal Council records indicate a 30% decline in the water it supplies to Naivasha Town from 10,000 m 3 to 7,000 m 3 in the same period despite the increase in population. The decline was attributed to many factors among them the presence of water hyacinth and the decline in water quantity due to increased human activities.
{"title":"Use of Remote Sensing Data in Evaluating the Extent of Anthropogenic Activities and their Impact on Lake Naivasha, Kenya","authors":"S. Onywere, J. Mironga, Immaculate Simiyu","doi":"10.2174/1874829501205010009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/1874829501205010009","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the anthropogenic activities in Lake Naivasha Basin and how they are influencing the quality of water resources. The poor quality of water in the lake is seen from the presence of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and is a reflection of nutrient rich waters. The water hyacinth in Lake Naivasha is associated with major negative economic and ecological impacts. The intensity of land use within the basin was mapped from multispectral Landsat satellite imagery of 1986 (TM) and 2000 (ETM) and SPOT imagery 10 m (resolution) of 2007. From interpreted data, the surface area of the Main Lake has decreased from 134.9 kmin 1986 to 117.5 kmin 2007 (12.9%); that of papyrus and wetland grasslands along the lake shore decreased from 54.6 kmto 34.3 km� (37.2%) and that of the horticultural and irrigated farms increased by 103.3% from 45.1 kmto 91.7 kmin the same period, placing great pressure on both the quality and quantity of the lake's water resources. Information obtained from the Fisheries Department in Lake Naivasha show that the fishery production declined from 513 to 110 tons in the period considered. The Naivasha Municipal Council records indicate a 30% decline in the water it supplies to Naivasha Town from 10,000 m 3 to 7,000 m 3 in the same period despite the increase in population. The decline was attributed to many factors among them the presence of water hyacinth and the decline in water quantity due to increased human activities.","PeriodicalId":344616,"journal":{"name":"The Open Environmental Engineering Journal","volume":"84 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134240086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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