Biomass fuels are used by a large proportion of households in most developing countries, including Nigeria, because they are readily available or relatively inexpensive. The purpose of this study was to determine how socioeconomic factors influence the use of biomass cooking fuels in Nigeria's Enugu State. The survey was cross-sectional, and multistage sampling was used. The samples included 502 respondents from 232 households in 6 of Enugu State's 17 Local Government Areas. The sample size was calculated using Fisher's formula. A structured questionnaire was distributed to the respondents, and observations were made. To arrive at results, data was collected and analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. According to the study, 94% of respondents use biomass fuels, with 73% using unprocessed wood. Only 6% of them use fossil fuels. Ninety-one percent (91%) of households earn less than N61,000 per month on average, with only about 1% earning more than N90,000 per month. It was also discovered that 88% of respondents had no more than a secondary school education, and 75% lived in rural areas. This study found a high level of poverty and a low level of education among the study population in Enugu State, which translates to a high use of biomass fuels, particularly unprocessed wood (firewood). The study's findings confirm that socioeconomic factors such as household income level, educational status, and so on influence greater use of biomass fuels when they are readily available and at little or no cost to the people.
The majority of Nigerians lack access to a safe drinking water source, making sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water a challenge. The current study was designed to evaluate the physicochemical quality of drinking water from various sources in 24 randomly selected communities throughout Abia State, Nigeria. These communities were selected from 8 Local Government Areas within the 3 senatorial zones of Abia State. Using sterile universal containers, water samples were collected from the major drinking water sources in the selected communities. On-site evaluation of the pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and temperature of the water samples was carried out using a HI9813-6 pH/EC/TDS/Temperature meter. The pH values of the water samples from all sampled communities ranged between 4.1 and 5.9, and the acidic pH levels of the water samples were not within the Nigerian Industrial Standard's (NIS) approved range of 6.5 - 8.5. Furthermore, the water sources in the selected communities were found to have ambient temperatures ranging from 25.8 - 31.8oC. The average electrical conductivity (0.04 µS/cm) and total dissolved solids (36.4 mg/L) of water samples from all senatorial zones studied were both within acceptable limits of 1000 µS/cm and 500 mg/L respectively. Although the other parameters (temperature, EC and TDS) evaluated in this study were within acceptable limits for drinking water physicochemical quality, this study emphasizes the importance of effective water treatment, safe distribution to households, and continuous monitoring and quality assessment of drinking water sources in Nigeria.
It has been demonstrated that Vernonia amygdalina, often known as the bitter leaf, offers a range of medical benefits that can improve human health. This study was designed to investigatethe effects of V. amygdalina (VA) ethanolic leaf extracts on some haematological parameters in albino rats. A total of thirty - six albino rats fed with a commercial pelleted poultry grower’s mash- diet were used for this study and they were divided into six groups, each containing six rats. Groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 received 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg/kg body weight (bwt) of VA leaf extract three times a week at two-day intervals over a period of three weeks. Group 6 (control) received water only. The haematological parameters (red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), total white blood cell count (TWBC), platelet (PLT) count, and WBC differentials (neutrophils, lymphocytes, and mixed cells) were analyzed using three part full blood count autoanalyzer. The results showed that although the mean neutrophil count differed significantly (p<0.05) when compared between the groups studied, there was no statistically significant (p>0.05) difference in the mean levels of PCV, Hb, RBC, TWBC, platelet count, lymphocytes and mixed cell count when compared across and between the groups. This study revealed that Vernonia amygdalina had no negative effects on the haematological indicators studied.
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