Environmental & Analytical Toxicology

The physicochemical properties of adulterated, unadulterated, crude and bleached palm oil samples were determined so as to access the impact of additives and bleaching on the oil samples. The adulteration was done by introducing Sudan dyes (azo dyes) in the sample. Physical properties of the samples, such as Free Fatty Acid (FFA), moisture content, peroxide value, Specific Gravity (S.G) and colour were measured using standard methods. Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) Spectroscopy was also carried out on the oil samples to determine the effects of the dye and bleaching on the chemical composition of the samples. From the results obtained, the values of the physical properties measured were higher in the adulterated samples than in the unadulterated samples. The value of the Free Fatty Acid (FFA) for Crude Unadulterated Palm Oil (CUPO) was 10.67% and that of the Crude Adulterated Palm Oil (CAPO) was 16.46% wherein the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS) value is 5.0 max. The value of the FFA for the adulterated palm oil was higher than that of the unadulterated palm oil sample, in which both did not fit into the standard. The FFA values of the Bleached Unadulterated Palm Oil (BUPO) were 7.75% and Bleached Adulterated Palm Oil (BAPO) was 14.64% which are within the range of the NIS permissible limit.

Moisture content values for CUPO was 0.69%), CAPO=0.79%, BUPO - 0.28% and that of BAPO was 0.45%. The NIS limit is 0.5max, so the values of CUPO and CAPO are above the limit. For the Peroxide values, CUPO had a value of 5.81 Meq/kg, CAPO=17.77 Meq/kg, BUPO=3.40 Meq/kg and that of BAPO was 12.69 Meq/kg, against the NIS of 10 Meq/kg. The values of the specific gravity of the different samples are: 0.905 for CUPO, 0.909 for CAPO, 0.911 for BUPO and 0.906 for BAPO. The values were all above the NIS standard value of 0.901. For the colour, CUPO and BUPO were within the NIS range while the values for CAPO and BAPO were over the maximum, whereas the values for the unadulterated sample were within the Nigerian Industrial Standard. The FTIR results revealed that unsaturation in the oil is lost by the reaction of the fatty acids in the oil with the dyes. Bleaching also results to bond breakages in the oil samples, therefore, adulteration destroys the quality of palm oil.

The Afram River has suffered significant degradation and pollution due to the massive amount of domestic wastewater, premix oil and fertiliser runoff from agricultural activities entering the river. At three sites, ten physicochemical and heavy metal parameters were measured along the river. This research aimed to characterise water quality variations in space and time. Water samples were collected and analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) at the University of Ghana and the results were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented in tables. The field results were in comparison to Standards thresholds set out by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Findings of the research indicated that the lead, cadmium and manganese levels tested were over the maximum acceptable and desirable range. This indicates an increase in local residential trash, agrochemicals and premix oil entering the Afram River. The studied Arsenic, Copper and other heavy metal levels were less than the maximum permitted levels set by the WHO. The paper contends that the National Community Water and Sanitation Program Policy be vigorously implemented, particularly in the interior of the river's 100-meter zones, to protect them from anthropogenic activities and to organise and champion educational and sensitisation programs in the community to raise public awareness about the consequences of their actions.

An imaginative remote detecting gadget for the location and checking of sewage levels in underground on location septic tank is created. The flood of underground on location sewage septic tanks situated around structures for the assortment and removal of wastewater is dangerous to the climate delivering irresistible poisons and upsetting impurities. Overflow of sewage into the environment goes unnoticed by facility users due to the underground septic tank's inability to accurately measure the level of sewage. The facility's users now have access to a sophisticated onsite sewage septic tank level monitoring device that enables them to prepare for an evacuation ahead of time in order to avoid an overflow. A Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) module is used to send short message service (SMS) messages to the mobile phone numbers of the enrolled users and the sewage evacuation agents. The device uses an ultrasonic sensor to detect and monitor the level of the wastewater in the septic tank. A trial directed showed reaction time inside 30. The created gadget is reasonable for low pay nations of Africa.

During intracapsular embryonic development in the intertidal zone, embryos are subjected to a variety of environment-specific stressors, including ultraviolet radiation (UV-R) and they require defence mechanisms to mitigate its negative effects. Adults, encapsulated embryos and the egg capsule walls of the intertidal gastropod Acanthina Monodon were all examined for the presence of total carotenoids (TC) and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). To determine whether the capsule wall serves as a protective structure for encapsulated embryos, oxygen consumption rates (OCR) were measured in encapsulated and encapsulated embryos exposed to PAR and PAR + UV-A + UV-B, respectively. All encapsulated stages and adult pedal and gonad tissues contained TC, according to the findings. There was no MAAs found. The capsule wall's physical structure retained the majority of wavelengths, particularly UV-B. Compared to encapsulated embryos, the increased OCR of encapsulated embryos exposed to PAR, UV-A and UV-B radiation indicates the capsule wall's protective natured.

Environmental toxicology plays a vital role in assessing the impact of pollutants on ecosystems and human health. As the world grapples with increasingly complex and diverse chemical substances, traditional toxicological approaches are becoming insufficient to keep pace with the emerging challenges. In recent years, the field of predictive environmental toxicology has emerged as a promising framework to enhance risk assessment and conservation efforts. This essay explores the concept of predictive environmental toxicology, its significance, methodologies and its potential to revolutionize environmental management and protection.