Current Issue : July-September Volume : 2025 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 5 Articles
A water quality index has not been developed for Amazonian blackwater rivers. In this paper, we used data collected in recent years to address this gap. An index was constructed using, in total, 342,930 analyses involving 161 water quality parameters. All analyses were part of ten large-scale campaigns, which took place between 2021 and 2023. The modifications proposed by the adoption of the new WQI enabled changes in the water quality results of the Amazon region, in comparison with an index used in other parts of Brazil. The proposal is a long-awaited tool that can significantly assist in the next stage in the preservation of this vast national wealth, which is the Amazon basin....
This article considers issues related to air pollution in residential apartments equipped with gas stoves. The combustion products from gas stoves are released directly into the indoor air, where people can spend a significant part of their time. Even relatively low concentrations of harmful substances contained in combustion products can pose serious health risks and potentially threaten lives. The detrimental effects of nitrogen oxides (NOx) on human health and the environment are briefly analyzed. A comparison and analysis of legal regulations and standards regarding the maximum permissible concentration of NOx in the air across various countries are conducted. Theoretical calculations estimating the potential NOx levels in gas-equipped kitchens are presented. Additionally, the results of experimental studies measuring the NOx concentrations in the air of apartments with different gas stove designs, burner types, and ventilation methods are presented. The authors’ data are compared with existing data from other similar studies....
Groundwater is considered to be a safe and reliable source of drinking water in many parts of Africa. However, high population densities have led to its contamination with harmful pathogens. This study aimed to assess the suitability of groundwater for human consumption, specifically drinking water, using the water quality index (WQI) in the Mufuchani area of Zambia’s Copperbelt Province. Water samples were collected from six boreholes and 14 wells between June, July, and August 2023, and their physio-chemical and biological parameters were analyzed. Results showed that 95% of the water samples had elevated levels of total and fecal coliforms. Furthermore, the WQI was determined. Based on the WQI values, 5% of the samples are described as ’excellent’, 35% as ’good’, and 14% as ’very poor’. In conclusion, the groundwater quality in the area was found to be compromised and unsafe for human consumption without treatment. We therefore recommend water treatment of water from groundwater sources either at the household level or at the community storage points before it is supplied. Furthermore, we recommend public health awareness campaigns on the need for appropriate sanitation technologies, and behavioral change specifically with respect to fecal sludge management in the study area....
In the African countries, air pollution appears as a public health problem. The health consequences of this pollution are currently causing concern among the population and decision-makers. Air quality degradation is a major issue in the large conurbations on the shore of the Gulf of Guinea. In this study, daily atmospheric PM2.5 and carbonaceous aerosol (organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC)) concentrations were measured at Dantokpa site in Cotonou, Benin, Southern West Africa during the long dry period (December 2016 to March 2017). We analyzed the mass concentrations and carbonaceous species of PM2.5. The average PM2.5 concentration was 69.20 μg·m−3, while OC and EC concentrations were 34.39 ± 12.62 μg·m−3 and 10.82 ± 7.89 μg·m−3, respectively. Total carbon (TC) accounted for 65.35% of the PM2.5. Strong correlation between OC and EC was found during the long dry period, suggesting the contributions of similar sources. We have also studied the correlations between OC-EC and PM2.5. We found that OC was highly correlated with PM2.5 (R = 0.94) while EC was moderately correlated with PM2.5 (R = 0.77), suggesting that carbonaceous aerosols and PM2.5 shared major sources at Dantokpa site during the long dry seasons....
When under the influence of pressure or temperature, water behaves differently compared to other liquids. One possible explanation for such unusual behaviour is that water consists of two main groups of molecules with different properties, whose proportions vary with pressure and temperature. If this is indeed the case, it would be reasonable to consider that its molecular origin results from water’s autodissociation. In this study, I investigated water’s autodissociation, explicitly examining how experimental variables such as the presence of electrolytes and temperature affect it and the extent to which water ions influence surrounding molecules, particularly the properties of dissolved solutes. The pH electrode was the primary experimental technique, complemented by calorimetry and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The results suggest that due to its self-ionisation, water contains a fluctuating population of molecules that propagates over time, which causes water to exhibit acidic properties. It was also shown that the autodissociation of water, and therefore the spread of this fluctuating population of molecules, is intensified by the increased kinetic energy and is an exothermic process. Hence, it is possible to control its propagation and extent of influence, which was found to significantly impact the properties of dissolved solutes, including the ultraviolet– visible spectrum of 4-nitrophenol and the biological activity of laccase. Thus, the experimental facts reported herein show that even at a concentration as low as one-tenth of a micromole per litre, water ions propagate and exert considerable influence on dissolved solutes, supporting the so-called conjecture of “two waters”. Moreover, the experimental facts strongly support the concept according to which water is an active matrix that plays an active role in the physicochemical properties of the dissolved substances....
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