The purpose of the study was to assess the water quality parameters of Ala River found in Akure, Ondo State, Southwest, Nigeria. The river is considered one of the most important irrigation and drinking water resources in Akure, Nigeria. Three locations were chosen spatially along the watercourse to reflect a consideration of all possible human activities that are capable of affecting the quality of the river water. The water samples were collected monthly for three consecutive months (February to April 2015) at the three sampling sites. The water samples collected were analyzed for physicochemical parameters which include pH, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total hardness, phosphate,  temperature,  calcium, magnesium, chlorine, nitrate, iron and zinc using standard methods and their environmental effects on the river were investigated. There were variations in the quality of the sampled water when compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for domestic and commercial water for the selected parameters. The traces of some hazardous physical and chemical impurities in the river were above the acceptable limits, and thereby pose a health risk to several rural communities who rely heavily on the river primarily as their source of domestic water. Therefore, the law should be enforced to discourage unnecessary waste dumping and discharging of another form of pollutants into surface water in Nigeria.

Background: Noise injury and hearing loss are significant problems in Nigerian community. The hearing loss sustained from noise injury can have disabled personnel and social consequences for the affected persons and their families. This study was carried out to quantify the noise level of over eighty (80) different sources using the sound level meter (GB: 2266204) at different locations in Akure, capital of Ondo State, Nigeria. Standard procedure specified by the manufacturer was strictly followed and the results were statistically analyzed. The range of results obtained were: household products (48.5±0.

Biochemical compositions of black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) were analyzed using standard methods. The proximate composition (%) were as follows: crude protein (22.50), crude fibre (1.46), carbohydrate by difference (30.86) and energy (35.4Kcal). The predominant mineral was potassium and nickel was the least. The antinutritional properties (mgkg -1 ) ranged as follows: Oxalate (1.35), phytate (62.79), and tannins (0.72). The results suggested that the ant may be a good source of nutrition.

Air quality has been a major concern throughout the world, Nigeria inclusive. The monitoring of air quality involves indoor and outdoor air quality. In this study, our concern was on indoor air quality. The aim of this study was to assess the air quality of residential homes (17), classrooms (3), hospitals (2), offi ces (5), Shops (2), and laboratories (5) in Akure, Nigeria in terms of formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compound (TVOC), Particulate matter (PM 1.0 ; PM 2.5 , and PM 10 ). A Multifunction Air Detector was used for the assessment using the manufacturers' procedures and the locations were identifi ed using a Mini GPS. The results revealed as follows: HCHO (0.001-0.030 mg/ m 3 ), TVOC (0.003-362 mg/m 3 ), PM 1.0 (004-014 μg/m 3 ), PM 2.5 (006-020 μg/m 3 ), and PM 10 (006-022 μg/m 3 ). The results obtained were below the 24 h pollution recommended standards (0.1 mg/m 3 -HCHO; TVOC; 10-20 μ/m 3 PM) of EPA and WHO. Statistically, there were correlations within the pollutants and weather. The Indoor air quality (IAQ) depicted the areas as 'good,' and toxicity potential (TP) were below unity. Although the locations looked safe, it is recommended that constant monitoring of the indoors should be ensured and proper ventilation should be provided.

not availableJahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 6(1): 59-62, 2017 (June)