Journal of Global Ecology and Environment

Investigation of the Relationship between Environmental Conditions and Public Health in Developing Countries from a Psychological Perspective

2024-09-07T10:56:00+00:00

The surrounding landscapes and environmental conditions significantly influence humans psychologically, physically, and in quality of life. By examining both environmental conditions and overall human health, it is possible to enhance health support and implement more effective policies. Landscape affects human beings significantly in various aspects, including political, aesthetic, health, and well-being. Although the previous studies focus on developed countries, fewer studies have been conducted in third-world countries. This paper aims to investigate the impact of everyday environmental conditions on health in third-world countries, specifically through the lens of environmental psychology. Data were collected through field research in Guatemala. Generally, suburban and rural areas with suitable environmental conditions have a positive health effect compared to urban areas with poor environmental conditions. Our results suggested that these effects include mental health improvements, physical illness recovery, and overall well-being. Our study advocates for stronger governmental support and increased public awareness regarding the influence of environmental conditions on overall health to reduce emissions and improve both environmental quality and health outcomes.

Vulnerability of Coastal Livelihood to Sea Level Rise and Climate Change in Eastern Niger Region of Nigeria

2024-09-11T11:47:56+00:00

Studies were carried out to assess the vulnerability of Coastal livelihood to sea level rise and effect of climate change in Eastern Niger Region of Nigeria. The study area covered the major estuaries in the south-eastern Nigeria. questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions were used in the study on the basis of finding, The primary occupation of households surveyed is fishing (64%), followed by forestry (mangrove resource) (26%) and daily wage laborer (10%); with significant difference of 0.310 (2-sided), livelihood ratio of 0.292 and linear by linear association of 0.740 at (0.05) significant level. It was observed that more income was spent on maintaining fishing gear, purchasing gasoline and health care with significant difference of p-value 0.002 (2-sided), livelihood ratio of 0.002 and linear by linear association of 0.008, as such the effect of flood on fish production in south-eastern Nigeria was on the increasing (80% at risk). The study concluded that, flooding is currently a major threat to the fishermen’s livelihoods especially the resultant decline in mangrove abundance and diversity causing a reduction in fish production/catch. As such, a well-planned and managed mangrove reforestation programme is necessary, educating communities about the impacts of climate change and involving them in adaptation planning is essential for building resilience. Programs that raise awareness about sustainable practices and disaster preparedness can help mitigate climate risks also, establishing and managing protected areas such as marine parks and wildlife sanctuaries help conserve critical habitats and biodiversity to serve as hot spot to affected areas. It is also recommended that further research be carried out to investigate the physiological response of mangrove related to temperature and salinity.

Analyzing the Impact of Residential Chemicals upon the Heartbeat of Daphnia magna

2024-10-04T11:14:49+00:00

The controversial consensus among toxicology researchers is that the country's regulation of chemicals has always been insufficient. One critical aspect that has been debated is the government's ability to determine the criteria of what makes a commercially available chemical dangerous, especially considering that these chemicals haven’t undergone rigorous testing. In this experiment, the Daphnia magna’s heart rate change was evaluated through the serial dilution of residential chemicals, particularly for insecticides and herbicides. We utilized the change in the bpm of the Daphnia magna as an indicator of stress, which was used to analyze the environmental stress associated with the tested chemicals. An important parameter, the Cardiac Disturbance Indicator (CDI), was defined as the sum of the average heartbeat changes at the set time points we measured. Results showed a broad spectrum of CDI from 0.0 to 90%, while the magnitude of CDI could be predicted by considering other published toxicological data. The CDI was found to be a somewhat useful surrogate for scrutinizing any harmful effects in future studies.

Community Involvement in Participatory Forest Monitoring around Kibale National Park of Western Uganda

2024-10-05T11:22:39+00:00

A study on Participatory Forest Monitoring (PFM) and Natural Forest Restoration (NFR) was carried out in the communities residing around the Kibale National Park (KNP), Uganda. The research was conducted from June to August 2024 among 394 respondents, adopting a cross-sectional research design to explore mechanisms for scaling up Participatory Forest Monitoring. The results revealed that participation in PFM improved income at the household level directly addressing household needs especially income for school fees and other needs by 79.9% (r=0.799, P<0.05). Enhancing PFM activities and practices, the Uganda Wildlife Authority Forest Absorbing Carbon Emission (UWA-FACE) project is encouraged to consider electric fencing as an addition to existing PFM benefits (23.40%), increase the remuneration of a daily wage for PFM recipients (28.6%) and PFM could consider compensating farmers who lose livelihoods (29.9%). The findings indicated that PFM can effectively restore natural forests in the study area and enhance income and community livelihoods. There is a need to invest more funds in PFM activities.

Phthalate Esters in Water and Surface Sediments of Anambra River in Dry Season: Distribution and Human Health Risks Assessment

2024-10-08T10:00:56+00:00

This study investigated phthalate ester (PAE) contamination in water and sediment samples due to their persistence and potential health risks as endocrine disruptors. Sediment analysis revealed pH ranged from 5.35 to 6.72, with total organic carbon (TOC) levels varying between 0.74% and 2.56%. Water pH values were within WHO guidelines (5.5–8.5), and turbidity levels ranged from 0.60 to 1.40 NTU. Phthalate concentrations in sediment revealed Monobutyl phthalate (MBP), Diethyl phthalate (DEP), Dipentyl phthalate (DPP), Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). Sample SA exhibited the highest levels of MBP (0.40 mg/kg) and DEP (0.93 mg/kg). In water samples, MBP peaked at 0.01 mg/kg, while DEP reached 0.03 mg/kg, with DBP (0.07 mg/kg) and DEHP (0.08 mg/kg) also detected. Phthalate contamination in water remained below harmful thresholds. A health risk assessment calculated Chronic Daily Intake (CDI) and Hazard Quotients (HQ) for both children and adults. CDI results indicated higher risks for children, with DBP (2.20E-06 mg/kg/day) and DEHP (2.46E-06 mg/kg/day) showing the greatest concern. The HQ for children was highest for DBP (0.22), though still below the risk threshold. Adults exhibited lower CDI and HQ values, with minimal non-carcinogenic risk. These findings highlight the need for continued monitoring of phthalate pollution, especially given children’s heightened vulnerability.

Assessment of the Local Strategies Used in Abating Flash Floods for Improvement of Community Livelihoods in Nyamwamba and Bulembia Divisions, Kasese District, Uganda

2024-10-15T06:15:56+00:00

Floods are intricate events that cause a range of human exposures, including loss of lives, property, and damage to infrastructure of the communities. Flash floods though often blamed on inappropriate development planning and climate variability, floods can be predicted to a reasonable extent, whose scale and nature are often less certain. The study aims at assessing the local strategies used in abating flash floods for improvement of community livelihoods. Specifically, the study explored the challenges the local communities faced during the implementation of the strategies, and also determined the relationship that emanated as a result of implementing the local strategies and community livelihoods. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from 218 respondents and 08 Key Informants that held key responsibilities at the Municipal Council and the community. Information from the respondents and Key Informants were collected using questionnaires which was in form of interviews and face to face interviews respectively. The study shows that some local strategies have been implemented towards controlling flash floods such as, restoration of river banks (69.3%) planting bamboo trees along river banks (66%), use of gabions (65.6%), putting check dams (65.6%) and construction of manmade channels (95.9%) along the hillsides. Putting flood barriers (73%) that floods affect the community livelihoods in various aspects of daily life and the local economy in terms damage of crops (74.8%) risk of diseases (83 %) loss of livestock (60 %), displacement (93%); The challenges faced in implementation of the of local strategies in the study area include financial constraints (81.2%), technical and logistical issues (63%), poor infrastructural design (83.9%), and environmental challenges (66%). A Chi square test showed that the implemented local strategies were significantly related to the community livelihood at P=0.001. Implemented local flood strategies resulted to a positive relationship to the agricultural productivity and protected community property at P<0.05. Overall, effective flood management strategies are able to reduce risks and contribute to a better community health with fewer disruptions to community’s daily life at P<0.05. Local communities should adopt and implement the use of the mentioned local strategies like re-channeling of water pathways along the hill sides and use of gabions for flash floods mitigation since they cost effective. There should be a country-wide implementation of community-initiated mitigation measures for abating flash floods and related climate change disruptions aimed at building and promoting community resilience and livelihoods of people living in flood prone areas.

Diagnostic Ratios and Ecological Risk of Non-carcinogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarcarbons (ncPAHs) in Egi Crude Oil Communities, Nigeria

2024-10-15T06:21:35+00:00

The loadings of PAHs, its diagnostic ratios and ncPAHs at three cluster communities in Egi sub district of Niger-Delta with geographic coordinates of latitude 15⁰ 32ʹ 50ʺ N and longitude 6⁰ 34ʹ 42ʺ E were ascertained using Gas Chromatography (GC-FID, HP 5890 Series). The diagnostic ratios showed that Obagi had an LMW/HMW ratio of 0.2340, Ibewa's was 0.2222, and Obite's was 0.2549. In Obagi, the proportion of Low Molecular Weight (LMW) PAHs compared to High Molecular Weight (HMW) PAHs was 19%, while in Obite it was 18%, and in the Ibewa cluster it was 20%. The sediments of the Obagi, Obite, and Ibewa cluster sites exhibited a significant abundance of PAHs derived from pyrogenic sources, as evidenced by the presence of LMW/HWM ratios below 1. The identified ncPAHs include: Naphthalene, Acenaphthene, Acenaphthylene, Fluorene, Anthracene, Phenanthrene, Fluoranthene, Pyrene and Benzo(ghi)perylene. According to the results obtained the Obite cluster area exhibited the lowest concentrations (1.503mg/Kg) amongst the ncPAHs, while the Obagi study zone demonstrated the highest concentrations (1.5733mg/Kg). Among the nc(PAHs) examined, benzo (g,h,i) perylene exhibited the highest concentrations (2.086mg/Kg) across all locations, whereas acenaphthylene displayed the lowest concentration (0.123mg/kg) across the three cluster areas. However, none of the three study locations had any ncPAHs that are above the maximum permissible limit. Results from the application of risk quotient models (RQ_NCs and RQ_MPCs) to assess the ecological risk of ncPAHs as presented indicated that all the sites where these rivers' sediments were tested had RQ_NCs values for specific ncPAHs below 1, implying that these ncPAHs pose little or no danger to ecosystems. Also, the RQ_MPC score is less than 1, it means that the contamination from individual ncPAHs chemicals do not necessitate immediate remediation. Because the RQ_NCs and RQ_MPCs for a single PAH molecule are both less than 1, the contamination it generates might be considered low risk. Thus, few measures of control or correction would be required. The ecological risk of non-carcinogenic PAHs using RQ_MPCs and RQ_NCs indicated a very negligible risk which could be due to factors like heavy flooding that washed away soil surfaces. Application of Detoxification by chemical reaction technology should be used as future remediation method if there is need.