The Ceramic water filtration has been greatly improving the most waste materials from drinking water in developing countries. This research was carried out to determine the efficiency of the Ceramic water filters in improving water impurities. The raw materials were grind, sieved with 0.5 mm opening mush size, mixed with water, molded in flower pot shape and fired at 700 °C, 750 °C and 800 °C. The average removing efficiency of the ceramic filters was found to be 59.6%, 86.3%, 87.6%, 56.9%, 59.02%, 88.98%,76.2%, 52.88%, 46.23% and 226.66 m L/h for turbidity, total coliform, E. coli, calcium, magnesium, sulphate, phosphate, iron, nitrite and flow rate, respectively in the analysis. Most of the ceramic filters were removed microbial from the contaminated river water effectively compared to the World Health Organization standard. The results showed that increasing the burn-out material during production of the filter elements increase the porosity and flow rate while decrease the removal efficiency of turbidity, microorganisms and water hardness agent from the source water. It was observed that there was a significance difference in removing total coliform, E. coli and flow rate between ceramic filters with different percentage composition of clay to sawdust. The change in percentage composition of clay to sawdust and firing temperature did not show significance difference in removing actions of iron, nitrite, sulphate, phosphate, magnesium and calcium. Based on the result, it is possible to conclude that the ceramic water filtrate that prepared from 80, 25 and 5% clay, sawdust and grog at firing temperature of 750 °C and 800 °C with lower porosity of the ceramic filter elements were found to be have the best removal efficiency.

Chlorination is the most common method of water disinfection of pathogens before discharged into receiving streams, rivers, or oceans. This study evaluates chlorination efficiency in improving microbiological and physicochemical parameters in water samples available in the Sheble Bernta district, Amhara region, from May 2020 to June 2020. Water samples were collected from selected five sampling points from unprotected springs, groundwater, hand-dug well, and river in five kebele from the district. All samples were undergone sample preparation. The chlorination process was made by calcium hypochlorite and then analyzed for bacteriological and physicochemical parameters before and after chlorination using standard procedures. The results of this study before chlorination showed that total coliform (TC) of water ranged between 71 and 127,000 (CFU)/100 ml, pH = 6.89-.35, turbidity = 196–270 NTU, and total dissolved solid (TDS) = 315–404 mg/l. Then the result of the microbiological and physicochemical parameters of water after chlorination was changed into total coliform ranging between1 50 (CFU)/100 ml, pH = 7.25–8.10, and turbidity = 2.9–5.6 NTU, TDS = 93–134 mg/l. Finally, the result confirmed that the removal efficiency of chlorination in total coliform (TC), turbidity, and TDS was ranged between 98.29 and 99.99%, 97 and 92-98.61%, and 62.03 and 73.31%, respectively. It was observed that there is a significant difference in removing turbidity, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids (TDS) before and after chlorination, but the pH test did not show a significant difference (p < 0.05). The efficiency of chlorination in removing total coliform and impurity of water is very efficient. It plays a vital role in the bactericide effect, reducing turbidity, and water's total dissolved solids. However, chlorinated compounds' (Ca(OCl)₂) increased the pH of water after treatments. This study concluded that the efficiency of chlorination in improving the quality of water is highly significant (p < 0.05) and made water under permeable level compared to the World Health Organization standard. Hence, the chlorination water treatment process in a household can be granted to get quality water at the household level.

In the present study, the levels and probable public health risks of selected metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd and Pb) in nine wheat flour samples collected from Amhara, Oromia, South region, and the Strategic Food Reserve Agency were determined using FAAS and compared with results of prior studies and critical level. The wet digestion method using 65 % HNO₃ and 72 % HClO₄ in 300°C for 3 h was used when preparing the sample. Validation of the optimised digestion method was assessed using the spiking method, and an acceptable percent recovery from all metals. The levels of Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ni and Cd ranged between 8⋅5297 and 11⋅1535, 1⋅633 and 4⋅2346, 3⋅1875 and 8⋅5313, 2⋅3589 and 2⋅7719, 0⋅154 and 0⋅854, and 0⋅0411 and 0⋅216 mg/kg, respectively, for Ethiopian wheat flour, while the level of Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cd and Pb were ranged between 8⋅0099 and 8⋅1089, 1⋅663 and 1⋅6691, 4⋅5625 and 4⋅6250, 2⋅3015 and 2⋅3072, 0⋅9423 and 1⋅1346, 0⋅1593 and 0⋅1606, and 0⋅13 and 0⋅1381 mg/kg, respectively, for imported wheat flour. However, Pb had a concentration of less than 0⋅043 mg/kg for Ethiopian wheat flour. Findings indicate that Ethiopian wheat is comparatively higher in Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Cd, but lower in Ni and Pb than imports. From the result of the study, it can be concluded that the level of heavy metals determined in this study was within the permissible limit, and no probable health risk because both the Hazard quotient (HQ) and the Hazard Index (HI) are found to be below 1⋅0 regarding study metals.

Micronutrients are important for crop growth, production and their deficiency and toxicity affect crop yield. However, the up dated information about their status and spatial distribution in Ethiopian soils is scarce. Therefore, fertilizer recommendation for crops in the country has until recently focused on nitrogen and phosphorus macronutrients only. But many studies have revealed the deficiency of some micronutrients in soils of different parts of Ethiopia. To narrow this gap, this study was conducted in Kedida Gamela, Kecha Bira and Damboya districts of Kambata Tambaro (KT) Zone, Southern Ethiopia, through assessing and mapping the status and spatial distribution of micronutrients. The micronutrients were extracted by using Mehlich-III multi-nutrient extraction method and their concentrations were measured by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES). The fertility maps and predication were prepared by co-Kriging method using Arc map 10.0 tools and the status of Melich-III extractable iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), boron (B), copper (Cu) and molybdenum (Mo) were indicated on the map. The extracted Fe ranged from 50.04 to 209.72 mg/kg, 60.08 to 240 mg/kg and 46.84 to 412.23 mg/kg in Kedida Gamela, Kecha Bira and Damboya districts soils, respectively. Zn ranged from 1.3 to 28 mg/kg, 0.9 to 47 mg/kg and 1.0 to 39 mg/kg for Kedida Gamela, Kecha Bira and Damboya districts, respectively. The calculated manganese activity index (MnAI) indicated that Mn is in excess and even toxic. B ranged from 0.02 to 1.83 mg/kg, 0.4 to 1.44 mg/kg and 0.06 to 2.03 mg/kg in soils of Kedida Gamela, Kecha Bira and Damboya woredas, respectively indicating that most of soils were deficient in B. Cu ranged from 0.6 to 2.9 mg/kg, 0.5-1.44 mg/kg and 0.8 to 3.4 mg/kg in Kedida Gamela, Kecha Bira and Damboya districts indicating its status fall between low and optimum category. Mo ranged from 2.21 to 18.71 mg/kg in the soils of the study area indicating that all soils were sufficient in Mo content. The means of all micronutrients except B showed significant differences among districts and showed moderate spatial dependences. The range of semivariogram for all studied micronutrients was greater than the average sampling distance indicating that it was adequate enough to catch spatial variability of them. In order to strengthen this result, plant sample analysis and calibration of micronutrients with plant response are recommended. Key words: Boron, Copper, Iron, Kriging, Manganese, Mehlich-III, Molybdenum, Zinc and spatial dependency.

Background: Land-use and land-cover (LULC) change is among the dynamic environmental and ecological factors for monitoring and facilitating the developmental strategies to balance conservation and conflict of resource uses. This study aimed to analyze LULC changes that have occurred during 1988-2018 and its prediction for 2040-2060 periods. Methods: LULC changes were analyzed using geographic information system Landsat and predicted by CA-Markov model. Result: The results of this study confirmed that cultivated-land and rural-settlement, bare-land, built-up-area and waterbody have increased at an annual rate of 23.1, 2.2, 0.8 and 1.1 ha/year but forestland, bushland and grassland have decreased at an annual rate of 14.4, 4.1 and 8.7 ha/year, respectively. It is projected that the increase in cultivated-land, bare-land, built-up-area and waterbody but decreases the forestland, grassland and bushland. Expansion of agriculture and deforestation showed increasing trend on both previous and predicted LULC changes with upcoming expansion of bare-land due to major driving factor of population growth. Thus, well integrated landscape planning and reliable predictions for future LULC are needed to reduce the deterioration of environment.

Background: Plant analysis and soil testing are necessary to assess the fertility status of soils and their capacity to feed plants and when necessary, to recommend balanced fertilizers. This study aimed to evaluate the soil and plant nutrient status and their relationships in different cropping systems of the Kambata Tembaro (KT) zone, in southern Ethiopia. Methods: Maize, tef, sorghum and wheat leaves from 28, 55, 29 and 75 smallholder farmers’ fields, respectively with their respective soil samples were collected and analyzed. Result: The soil pH ranged from strongly acidic to neutral. The mean separation method confirmed that the means of all soil properties investigated in this study showed significant differences (P less than 0.001) among different crop-growing fields. Soil available P and S, total N, extractable B and Cu were deficient in most of the soils and plant tissues. The amount of exchangeable K, Ca, Mg and Zn were found to be sufficient in soils of the study area but their deficiency was recorded in most of the tissues. Soil available P, exchangeable K, Ca and Zn significantly (P less than 0.01) and positively correlated (r= 0.33, 0.37, 0.20 and 0.15), respectively with tissue content of the respective elements.