Background.Scavengers, due to the nature of their work, are at risk of various occupational hazards while sorting for materials for recycling and sale. They are exposed to blood borne infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection from injuries from sharps and contact with discarded materials due to non-compliance with standard precautions.Objective.The present study assessed the prevalence of HBV and compliance with safety precautions among scavengers in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria.Methods.A cross-sectional study was conducted among 236 scavengers (comprised of scavengers dealing with biomedical wastes and those that were not) using structured questionnaires during the first stage of the study and a second testing stage. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.0 for descriptive and inferential statistics at a 5% level of significance.Results.The prevalence of HBV infection among the scavengers was found to be 17.4%, indicating that scavengers are at high risk of HBV infection. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of HBV among scavengers that handled biomedical wastes and those that did not. The majority of the scavengers (74.2%) did not have knowledge of or use standard precautions such as personal protective equipment (PPE). The level of injuries was considerably high and the treatment of injuries among scavengers illustrated their lack of awareness of the hazards involved in their occupations, as the majority of respondents (51.3%) engaged in self-treatment of occupational injuries.Conclusions.The probable pathway for virus transmission was waste handling, especially biomedical waste, which is mostly handled with bare hands without standard safety precautions. Vaccination against HBV, proper personal hygiene practices, regular training in occupational safety, monitoring by regulatory agencies and inclusion of scavengers in a mandatory health insurance scheme are recommended to control the risk of HBV infection among scavengers.Informed Consent. ObtainedEthical Approval:This study was approved by the Kwara State Ministry of Health Ethical Review Committee. Permission was also granted by the scrap dealers association through the Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency that oversees issues relating to the environment and public health in the state.Competing Interests.The authors declare no competing financial interests.

The frequent use of antibiotics may result in drug residues that can be discovered at varying quantities in animal products such as milk or meat. The presence of pharmaceutical residues in food above the MRLs has been perceived globally by various persons. Antibiotics residues are present in food, which can endanger human health by causing antibiotic sensitivity, allergic reactions, microflora imbalance, bacterial resistance to antibiotics in microorganisms, and financial loss to the food industry. Farmers around the world utilize them on a sporadic basis for both preventative and curative purposes. This study assessed the antibiotics residues in raw meat sold in 6 slaughter houses in Kano States. The study is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving six (6) major slaughter house in Kano state. Muscle, Kidney and liver samples were collected from each slaughterhouse. The antibiotic residues in the meat samples were analysed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and oxytetracycline residue results were presented in charts and tables. Out of a total of 18 beef samples analyzed during this study, 15 (83%) of the total samples had detectable levels of tetracycline residues from which 6(33.3%) had tetracycline residues at violative levels above the WHO/FAO maximum residue limits (MRLs), out of those 18 beef samples analyzed during this study, 6(33%) of the total samples had detectable levels of oxytetracycline residues from which 3(17%) had oxytetracycline residues at violative levels above the WHO/FAO maximum residue limits (MRLs) and out of those 18 beef samples analyzed during this study, 12(67%) of the total samples had detectable levels of ciprofloxacin, all levels are below the WHO/FAO maximum residue limits (MRLs). This high level of tetracycline and oxytetracycline residues in greater proportion of meat destined for human consumption at violative levels could be as a result of the indiscriminate use and misuse of veterinary drugs as commonly practiced among livestock producers and marketers without observing withdrawal period prior to slaughter. These results indicate that consumers may be predisposed to health hazards and hinder international meat trade from Nigeria. Regulatory authorities should therefore ensure compliance with good agricultural practices including withdrawal period of drugs used for treatment of food animals.

Antibiotics, which are commonly used to treat human illnesses, are also used in animals for therapy, prophylaxis, and growth promotion. Sub-therapeutic antibiotic doses have typically been utilized for the last-mentioned purpose, which has contributed to resistance development. According to scientific data, certain antibiotic applications in food-producing animals can result in antibiotic resistance in intestinal bacteria, which can then be passed to the general population, causing treatment-resistant sickness. These antibiotic applications can also result in antibiotic resistance in non-pathogenic bacteria, whose resistance genes can be passed to disease-causing bacteria, resulting in antibiotic-resistant illnesses in people. Thus, this study assessed the antibiotics residues in raw meat sold in 6 slaughter houses in Kaduna State. The study is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 6 slaughter houses in Central market Kaduna. Muscle, Kidney and liver samples were collected from each slaughterhouse. The antibiotic residues in the meat samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and oxytetracycline residue results were presented in charts and tables. 18 different samples of beef (6 Muscles, 6 Liver and 6 Kidney) collected from abattoirs and meat vendors, the results shown that all beefs use three or more antimicrobial drugs. This research result revealed that 4(67%) tetracycline (oxytetracycline)were detected in meat samples at higher concentration), Oxytetraxycline (352.88, 221.58) of muscles is higher than (332.2, 217.05 of Liver and (263.33, 153.98) of Kidney is lower to muscles and liver. The Concentration of oxytetracycline were highest in muscles in samples 2. 3 and 6 which is above the WHO maximum residual limit. The concentration of streptomycin in the muscle, liver and kidney were detected (182.78, 56.23), (169.2, 58.39), (155.1, 50.20) but were within WHO Maximum residual limit. These high level of oxytetracycline residues in greater proportion of muscle samples destined for human consumption beyond MRLs could be as a result of the abuse of veterinary drugs as commonly practiced among livestock producers and vendors without observing withdrawal period prior to slaughter. The high-contamination rate of beef meat in the study areas is likely that consumers experience a high risk of exposure to drug residues.

The search for stable and highly efficient solar cell absorbers has revealed interesting materials; however, the ideal solar cell absorber is yet to be discovered. This research aims to explore the potentials of dimethylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH2CH3PbI3) as an efficient solar cell absorber. (CH3NH2CH3PbI3) was modeled from the ideal organic–inorganic perovskite cubic crystal structure and optimized to its ground state. Considering the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effects on heavy metals, the electronic band structure and bandgaps were calculated using the density functional theory (DFT). In contrast, bandgap correction was achieved by using the GW quasiparticle methods of the many-body perturbation theory. The optical absorption spectra were calculated from the real and imaginary dielectric tensors, which are determined by solving the Bethe–Salpeter equations of the many-body perturbation theory. Spin-orbit coupling induces band splitting and bandgap reduction in both DFT and GW methods, while the GW method improves the DFT bandgap. We report a DFT band gap of 1.55 eV, while the effect of spin-orbit coupling reduces the bandgap to 0.50 eV. Similarly, the self-consistent GW quasiparticle method recorded a bandgap of 2.27 eV, while the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the self-consistent GW quasiparticle method reported a bandgap of 1.20 eV. The projected density of states result reveals that the (CH3NH2CH3PbI3) does not participate in bands around the gap, with the iodine (I) p orbital and the lead (Pb) p orbital showing most prominence in the valence band and the conduction band. The absorption coefficient reaches 106 in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions, which is higher than the absorption coefficient of CH3NH3PbI3. The spectroscopic limited maximum efficiency predicts a high maximum efficiency of about 62% at room temperature and an absorber thickness of about 10–1 to 102 μm, suggesting that (CH3NH2CH3PbI3) has an outstanding prospect as a solar cell absorber.

Background: Historically, ships have played an important role in transmitting infectious diseases around the world. The spread of cholera pandemics in the 19th century was thought to be linked to trade routes and facilitated by merchant shipping. The international maritime traffic of people and goods has often contributed to the spread of pathogens affecting public health. Objectives: To assess level of awareness and knowledge of international Health regulation (IHR 2005) content among port health officer Methods: The study design was descriptive cross-sectional evaluation, questionnaires were used to capture the respondents knowledge, awareness and sanitary condition of ship in accordance with (IHR 2005) Results: On awareness and knowledge, Majority of the respondent (77.1%) demonstrate good awareness of the IHR (2005), while 22.9% had not and some even testified of hearing the said document for the first time. Despite the fact that majority of respondent were aware but only 24.6% of them can actually demonstrate good knowledge of IHR (2005) and its intent to protect and prevent spread of disease along the international route. Conclusion: There is need to improve the knowledge of port health officers by expand training and guidance on application of the IHRs to frontline officer at point of entries. Also ensure more thorough inspection and avoid influence of ship agent during inspection of ship.