Species Diversity of Arthropods Founds in Refuse Dumpsites in Ifite Awka, Anambra State and Its Public Health Risk

A survey of some refuse dumpsites in Ifite, Awka, Anambra, Nigeria State were carried out for 5 weeks to determine the arthropod vectors associated with those refuse dumps and their relative abundance per site and species diversity. Five refuse dumpsites were randomly selected based on their composition and human activities within the environment. The sampled sites are Commissioners Quarters (site A), Second Market (site B), Miracle Junction (site C), Star-Lodge Junction (site D) and Wintess Hotel (site E). Fourteen species of arthropods were collected in eight orders and eleven families namely; Muscidae, Culicidae, Blattidae, Calliphoridae, Formicidae, Elateridae, Xystodesmidae, Polydesmidae, Acrididae, Lygaeidae and Selonopidae. The most abundant vector species encountered in all five study sites was Musca domestica, the dominant species, followed by Aedes. spp., and P. americana which occurred in all study sites except site A. Site A, M. domestica 12 (38.71%), followed by A. aegypti 6 (19.35%), site B, M. domestica 15 (25.42%), followed by A. aegypti 12 (20.34%) and P. Americana 10 (16.95%), site C, M. domestica 17 (28.89%), followed by A. aegypti 7 (15.56%) and P. Americana 5 (11.11%), site D, M. domestica 17 (27.42%), followed by A. aegypti 11 (17.74%) and P. americana 7 (11.29%), site E, M. domestica 30 (32.26%), followed by A. spp.,17 (18.28%) and P. Americana 16 (17.20%).The abundance of these vectors suggests the prevalence of arthropod vector borne disease in Ifite, Awka environment. Proper disposal of refuse dumps and public enlightenment on the dangers of indiscriminate dumping of refuse to the general public is highly recommended to avert health and environmental problems associated with these arthropod vectors.

Long-term cellulose enrichment selects for highly cellulolytic consortia and competition for public goods

The complexity of microbial communities hinders our understanding of how microbial diversity and microbe-microbe interactions impact community functions. Here, using six independent communities originating from the refuse dumps of leaf-cutter ants and enriched using the plant polymer cellulose as the sole source of carbon, we examine how changes in bacterial diversity and interactions impact plant biomass decomposition. Over up to 60 serial transfers (∼8 months), cellulolytic ability increased then stabilized in four enrichment lines and was variable in two lines. Bacterial community characterization using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed community succession differed between the highly cellulolytic and variably cellulolytic enrichment lines. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses revealed that Cellvibrio and/or Cellulomonas dominated each enrichment line and produced the majority of cellulase enzymes, while diverse taxa were retained within these communities over the duration of transfers. Interestingly, the less cellulolytic communities had a higher diversity of organisms competing for the cellulose breakdown product cellobiose, suggesting that cheating slowed cellulose degradation. In addition, we found competitive exclusion as an important factor shaping all the communities, with the mutual exclusion of specific cellulolytic taxa within individual enrichment lines and the high expression of genes associated with the production of antagonistic compounds. Our results provide insights into how microbial diversity and competition affect the stability and function of cellulose-degrading communities.ImportanceMicrobial communities are a key driver of the carbon cycle through the breakdown of complex polysaccharides in diverse environments including soil, marine systems, and the mammalian gut.However, due to the complexity of these communities, the species-species interactions that impact community structure and ultimately shape the rate of decomposition are difficult to define. Here we performed serial enrichment on cellulose using communities inoculated from leaf-cutter ant refuse dumps, a cellulose-rich environment. By concurrently tracking cellulolytic ability and community composition and through metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing, we analyzed the ecological dynamics of the enrichment lines. Our data suggest that antagonism is prevalent in these communities and that competition for soluble sugars may slow degradation and lead to community instability. Together, these results help reveal the relationships between competition and polysaccharide decomposition, with implications in diverse areas ranging from microbial community ecology to cellulosic biofuels production.

Occurrence and monthly dynamics of phlebotomine sand flies in parts of Sokoto State, north-west Nigeria

Phlebotomine sand flies are small tropical insects that have been implicated as vectors of several disease agents, including those responsible for the various forms of leishmaniasis. A study to determine the occurrence and monthly dynamics of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) was conducted in three Local Government Areas (Wamakko, Sokoto South and Kware) of Sokoto State, Nigeria between May-November, 2016. A total of 1260 flies were collected using modified sticky traps placed in the various biotope types (refuse dumps and sewage tanks). Two sand fly genera Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia were encountered. It was also observed that males account for 860(68.3%) while the total number of female specimens was 400(31.7%). More flies were captured in Wamakko LGA of the State with a total number of 757 samples (60.1%), followed by Sokoto South LGA with a total number of 503(39.9%). Refuse dumps harboured 1,149 flies (91.2%) more than sewage tanks with a total number of 111(8.8%). No flies were captured in Kware LGA. Sand flies were more abundant in the peak rainy season of August and September and less or absent in the dry months. It was observed that rainfall and relative humidity were essential meteorological factors that determined the occurrence of sand flies in the study area. This study confirmed the occurrence of phlebotomine sand flies and the possibility of Leishmania transmission in the study-area. Keywords: Occurrence; sand flies; Phlebotomus; Sergentomyia; Leishmania; Sokoto.

Environmental Impact of Open Burning of Municipal Solid Wastes Dumps in Parts of Jos Metropolis, Nigeria

Refuse dumpsites are found scattered within and outside cities in Nigeria and the open burning of these dumps is a common practice mainly as a waste and odour reduction measure. Open incineration of wastes emits dangerous gases into the atmosphere. The environmental and public health hazards related to open burning of wastes dumps have often been overlooked in most parts of Nigeria and there is limited documentation on this for the study area. This study is aimed at investigating the environmental effect of the burning of open refuse dumps at five locations within Jos Metropolis, Nigeria. Air quality in and around the study area were measured. The results showed that the oxygen levels for all the locations for the different conditions tested ranged between 14.2% and 17.5%. This showed that whether the dumpsites were burning or not the oxygen levels within the vicinity were below the comfortable level of 19.5%. CO levels ranged between 2ppm – 9ppm with the maximum value of 9ppm measured at Apata when the refuse containing some plastics was burning. The values of CO may not be significant but the duration of exposure may make a difference on public healthas most of the dumpsites are located within residential and commercial areas. CO2 values, which ranged between 361ppm to 700ppm, are all higher than standard acceptable levels of 350ppm. The implication is that burning refuse in the open increases the quantity of CO and CO2 in the atmosphere which will likely be of adverse health implication to the residents living close to such areas. It can be concluded that existence and burning of open refuse dumps contributed to the increase in values of air quality parameters measured around the dumpsites. To avert the harmful effects of indiscriminate dumping and burning of solid wastes within residential, commercial and other areas, it is recommended that there should be improvement in solid wastes management in Jos city and environs among other necessary measures.

Analysis of Plant and Soil Restoration Process and Degree of Refuse Dumps in Open-Pit Coal Mining Areas

Vegetation and soil restoration are the key to ecological reconstruction in the damaged areas of open-pit coal mining areas. Ecological stability is an important indicator of the degree of ecological restoration. In this study, the ecological stability and the process of plant and soil restoration were investigated at different refuse dumps in three coal mines, namely, the Wulanhada (WLHD) coal mine, the Liulingou (LLG) coal mine, and the Jinzhengtai (JZT) coal mine, in Jungar Banner. Results show that organic matter, total N, available N, and available K increased with the increase in restoration age at the two coal mines of WLHD and LLG. In the JZT coal mine, organic matter, total N, and available K firstly increased, and then slightly decreased with the increase in restoration age. The redundancy analysis indicates that most reclaimed mine soil properties (including soil moisture content, organic matter, total N, and available K) are positively correlated with plant species diversity in the three coal mines, while soil pH and soil bulk density showed a negative correlation with plant species diversity. Plant parameters increased with the years since revegetation, except the Pielou index for the WLHD coal mine, and the Pielou and Margalef indexes for the JZT coal mine. The Euclidean distance between the restoration areas and the natural reference areas decreased with the increase in restoration age. Our findings suggest that, in the three coal mines, the change law of ecological stability conformed to the logistic succession model. The same degree of ecological stability in different refuse dumps may correspond to different degrees of vegetation and soil development. This study emphasizes that ecological restoration in mining areas could benefit the structure of the plant community and the recovery of soil properties, which would eventually improve the ecological stability of coal mining areas.

Survey of Insect Vectors in Some Selected Dumpsites in Gombe Metropolis, Nigeria, Western Africa

Aim: This study was conducted to determine the insect vectors living in refuse dumps at Gombe Metropolis in Gombe State of Nigeria. Study Design: The metropolis were divided into four longitudinal zones, and in each zone three dumpsites were randomly selected. Visual observations were used to estimate the composition of the refuse dumps. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Gombe metropolis of Gombe state between the months of May and August, 2018. Methodology: Sweep nets, sticky traps, water traps and handpicking were used to collect different vector species. Specimen collected were preserved and transported to the laboratory for identification. Standard Identification keys were used for the identification of the vectors. Results: The compositions of the refuse dumps varied from vegetable matter and animal remains to assorted materials including used tyres, electronic parts, cartons, faecal matter, broken bottles, polythene bags. A total of 464 insect vectors belonging to 9 species were collected. Musca domestica 282(60.8%) was the dominant species, followed by Anopheles spp 55(11.9%) and Aedes species 44(9.4%). Periplaneta americana accounts 37(8.0%) of the collections. Conclusion: The thriving population of these vector species and the abundance of putrefying refuse dumps are risk factors of the endemic diseases transmitted by such vectors in the city. The present work therefore recommends the proper disposal of refuses to avert an epidemic status.

Evaluation Principles of the Dust Influence of Mining Enterprises on the Environment

It has been noted that the areas disturbed by open-pit mining together with the production processes in the extraction of mineral resources (drilling, blasting, transportation, etc.) have a negative influence on the environment in general and the atmosphere in particular. It has been indicated that, in percentage terms, dusting of refuse dumps and tailing dumps plays a prevailing role in the total amount of dust generated. It has been stated that the processes of formation and subsequent transfer of dust in the atmosphere depend on the combination of meteorological and mining factors that have a probabilistic nature in time and space. It has been shown that the maximum value of environmental risk characterises the level of dust influence, at which reduction environmental protection measures should be directed. The present paper proposes a procedure for evaluation of the dusty influence of mining enterprises on the environment. Under the conditions of Olenegorsk GOK, a GIS has been compiled – a project of the study area and, based on geo-information modelling, the results of calculating dust concentrations in the air have been imposed on a digital map of the area.