The speciation of toxic metals of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Ni and As in Kwanar – Doya Shooting site of the Nigerian Army, Military Training, Base Camp, Kachia, Kaduna State, Nigeria was investigated. The soil physico-chemical parameters, total metal content and sequential extraction methods were determined in duplicates using standard methods. The pH ranged from 3.93–4.51, showing the high acidity of the soil and electro -conductivity gave a mean value of 0.11 ms / cm showing the poor nutrient value of the soil). While the mean total metals values were Zinc: 28.94 mg/kg, Nickel: 13.45mg/kg, Manganese: 78: 12 mg/kg, Lead: 40.6 mg/kg, Arsenic: 305 mg/kg, Chromium: 49.32 mg/kg, Cobalt: 162:50 mg/kg and copper: 7.3 mg/kg. All the metals were above the W.H.O permissible limit for toxic metals in soils except Zinc and Nickel. The sequential partitioning and distribution and variation of toxic metals in the various fractions of the Nigerian Defence Academy Shooting Range soil were in the following order: Cobalt: Residual > Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable > Organic > Fe – Mn Oxide Arsenic: Fe – Mn Oxide > Bound to carbonate > Residual > Organic > Chromium: Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable > Fe – Mn Oxide > Organic > Residual. Nickel: Fe – Mn Oxide > Exchangeable > Bound to carbonate > Residual > Organic. Manganese: Residual > Fe – Mn Oxide > Bound to carbonate > Organic > Exchangeable. Lead: Residual > Organic > Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable > Fe – Mn Oxide. Zinc: Fe – Mn Oxide > Residual > Organic > Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable. Copper: Residual > Fe – Mn Oxide > Exchangeable > Bound to carbonate > Organic. The Toxic metals speciation of the soil samples indicate that the toxic metals were predominately in the non-residual fractions suggestive of input by anthropogenic sources and human activities due to military exercise and are readily available for plant uptake. This could pose serious health risk to the military personnel using the training period. Thus phyto-remediation technique which is cheap and non-destructive is recommended to be applied to remedy the affected toxic metals in the soil for its continual use as a military training ground and also preserve the soil fertility for continued agricultural use of the area when there is no military operation.

Aims: To characterize unsweetened and sweetened “kunun-zaki” drink/pulp using GC-MS. Study Design: The experimental groups were divided into four: unsweetened “kunun-zaki” drink, sweetened “kunun-zaki” drink, unsweetened “kunun-zaki” pulp and sweetened “kunun-zaki” pulp respectively. Place of Study: Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State and Central Diagnostic and Research Laboratory, Ilorin, Nigeria. Methodology: The processes involved sorting, cleaning, soaking, decanting, washing, milling, gelatinization, fermentation, and sieving. Unsweetened “kunun-zaki” beverage was made from millet, sorghum, soybean, dried sweet potatoes, germinated rice, ginger, and cloves. The same process was followed for the sweetened variety, with addition of dried dates. After sieving to collect “kunun-zaki” beverage, the remnant was the pulp. Hydrodistillation and Soxhlet apparatus were used to extract the essential oils, and fatty acids respectively. Fatty acid methyl esters of the samples were then analysed using GC-MS. Results: The GC chromatogram identified three constituents in unsweetened “kunun-zaki” drink. The dominant constituents were 9,12-octadecadienenoic acid (z,)- (73.36%), and n-hexadecanoic acid (19.31%). Eleven compounds were identified in sweetened “kunun-zaki” drink. The most abundant was 9, 12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- 54.062%, followed by n-hexadecanoic acid (17.278%). Twenty-one peaks corresponding to eighteen compounds were detected in unsweetened “kunun-zaki” pulp. The dominant constituents were gingerol (20.262%), 1H-3a,7-methanoazulene,2,3,4,7,8,8a-hexahydro-3,6,8,8-teramethyl-,[3R-(3α,3aβ,7 β,8aα)]- (19.925%),  2-Butanone,4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)- (15.59%), and cedrene (10.977%). For sweetened “kunun-zaki” pulp, four compounds were detected. The dominant compounds being 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (z,z)- (68.664%), n-hexadecanoic acid (18.654%), and oleic acid (10.199%). Conclusion: The results showed safe fatty acid profile of all samples for different health status. Other components showed bioactivities with significant health benefits. This study identified compounds which validate the medicinal claims of “kunun-zaki.” This is the first documentation of GC-MS profiling of “kunun-zaki” parts.

The speciation of toxic metals of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Ni and As in Kwanar – Doya Shooting site of the Nigerian Army, Military Training, Base Camp, Kachia, Kaduna State, Nigeria was investigated. The soil physico-chemical parameters, total metal content and sequential extraction methods were determined in duplicates using standard methods. The pH ranged from 3.93–4.51, showing the high acidity of the soil and electro -conductivity gave a mean value of 0.11 ms / cm showing the poor nutrient value of the soil). While the mean total metals values were Zinc: 28.94 mg/kg, Nickel: 13.45mg/kg, Manganese: 78: 12 mg/kg, Lead: 40.6 mg/kg, Arsenic: 305 mg/kg, Chromium: 49.32 mg/kg, Cobalt: 162:50 mg/kg and copper: 7.3 mg/kg. All the metals were above the W.H.O permissible limit for toxic metals in soils except Zinc and Nickel. The sequential partitioning and distribution and variation of toxic metals in the various fractions of the Nigerian Defence Academy Shooting Range soil were in the following order: Cobalt: Residual > Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable > Organic > Fe – Mn Oxide Arsenic: Fe – Mn Oxide > Bound to carbonate > Residual > Organic > Chromium: Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable > Fe – Mn Oxide > Organic > Residual. Nickel: Fe – Mn Oxide > Exchangeable > Bound to carbonate > Residual > Organic. Manganese: Residual > Fe – Mn Oxide > Bound to carbonate > Organic > Exchangeable. Lead: Residual > Organic > Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable > Fe – Mn Oxide. Zinc: Fe – Mn Oxide > Residual > Organic > Bound to carbonate > Exchangeable. Copper: Residual > Fe – Mn Oxide > Exchangeable > Bound to carbonate > Organic. The Toxic metals speciation of the soil samples indicate that the toxic metals were predominately in the non-residual fractions suggestive of input by anthropogenic sources and human activities due to military exercise and are readily available for plant uptake. This could pose serious health risk to the military personnel using the training period. Thus phyto-remediation technique which is cheap and non-destructive is recommended to be applied to remedy the affected toxic metals in the soil for its continual use as a military training ground and also preserve the soil fertility for continued agricultural use of the area when there is no military operation.

This research focused on the level, pollution, and ecological risk assessment of selected heavy metals from agricultural soils at major roadsides in Nasarawa Eggon and Doma areas. Composite soil samples were collected at 0–20 cm depth, homogenised, and assayed for metal (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, U and Zn) levels using the X–ray fluorescence technique. Pollution and toxicity of the studied metals were determined by evaluating enrichment factor (Ef), geo–accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (Cf), degree of contamination (Cd), pollution load index (PLI), and ecological risk assessment (ERA). The result showed that concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe and Ni were lower than the average shale values, except for As of site N2 in the Nasarawa Eggon area and Fe of site D4 in the Doma area. The Ef suggests a significant anthropogenic contribution to the presence of As, Co, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn in some of the sampled sites. The Igeo indicated that Nasarawa Eggon sampled soils were polluted by Hg and Pb while Hg and Co polluted those of Doma. The Cf values revealed that most of the soils were contaminated with Hg in addition to As, Co, Fe, Mn, and Zn in some sites. All sites have low Cd except N2 and N4 (Nasarawa Eggon) and D2 and D4 (Doma). However, PLI showed that only sites N2 and D4 were polluted. ERA revealed that As, Co, and Hg posed potential ecological risks ranging from low to a significant level in different sites. Sites N2, D2 and D4 showed a moderate ecological risk index. Therefore, this study showed significant anthropogenic inputs from automobile emissions and human activities to the pollution of agricultural soils along major roads and the pollution could pose negative health implications to human and animal health.