Analysis of potentially toxic elements from selected mechanical workshops using the geo-accumulation index and principal component analysis in Omu-Aran Community, Nigeria.

Bioaccumulation of potentially toxic elements in soil threatens public health and the ecosystem. This study aims to assess the concentration of potentially toxic elements (chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd)) in selected automobile workshop premises in Omu-Aran, Nigeria. Forty-eight samples were collected at a depth (15 cm) in six locations, including a control point.

Burn to kill: Wood ash a silent killer in Africa.

Aside the emissions, burning of wood in traditional cookstoves (TCs) also generates substantial amount of ash containing hazardous pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and toxic metals. But, their concentrations in the ash, particularly in Africa where over 70% of the population utilize TCs, remain unknown. Here, we determined concentrations of sixteen PAHs and eleven heavy metals in ashes from twelve different African TCs, comprising six three-stone fires (TSFs) and six built-in-place cookstoves (BIPCs), burning common African wood species under real world situation.

Solid waste management problems in secondary schools in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Inappropriate solid waste management practices in schools in less-developed countries, particularly in major urban communities, constitute one of the major factors leading to declining environmental health conditions. The objective of the authors' descriptive, cross-sectional study was to assess solid waste management problems in selected urban schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Eight secondary schools with average pupil populations not less than 500 per school were selected randomly.