The concentrations of heavy metals in rice grains and soils from Ada cultivated fields were investigated. Rice and soil samples were digested and the heavy metal concentrations determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results showed the following concentrations of metals (mg/kg): soil—Pb (4.64 ± 2.18), Cd (0.83 ± 0.83), Zn (20.26 ± 18.60), Mn (68.90 ± 19.91), Ni (3.46 ± 2.42), and Cr (21.41 ± 14.6); rice—Pb (3.99 ± 1.43), Cd (1.10 ± 0.53), Zn (65.37 ± 58.09), Mn (37.81 ± 5.82), Ni (3.12 ± 1.49), and Cr (10.87 ± 6.47). The Canadian, Nigerian and Chinese maximum allowable concentration for cadmium in soil were exceeded by 15%, 30%, and 85% of the soil samples, respectively. Heavy metals in all the rice samples evaluated were found to be above the World Health Organization (WHO) maximum permissible limit for lead, cadmium, and chromium. Strong positive and significant correlations were observed between some metal pairs in soil and rice indicating the similarity in origin. The estimated daily intakes of Pb and Cd from rice grown on the fields were higher than the safety levels established by WHO and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee Food Additive, respectively. Hazard quotients and total hazard index for Pb and Cd were greater than 1. This indicates that consumption of rice from these fields will likely induce adverse health effects arising largely from Pb and Cd exposure.

Meat consumption is increasingly becoming a larger part of diets worldwide. However, the bioaccumulation of toxic metals from anthropogenic pollution is a potential health risk to human health. To measure the daily intake of zinc, chromium, and nickel from cow meat consumption and assess the possible health risks in an urban population in Nigeria. Dried meat samples were digested with 3 : 2HNO3 : HClO4 v/v. Zinc, chromium, and nickel concentrations were determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Daily intakes of meat were obtained using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The estimated daily intakes (EDI) (μg/person/day) ranges were: zinc (10 496-13 459), chromium (310·90-393·73), and nickel (26·72-34·87). Estimated daily intake for zinc was 15-30% of provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) and for nickel it was 8-15% of tolerable daily intake (TDI). Chromium intakes were above recommended daily intake (RDI). Target hazard quotient (THQ) for nickel and zinc were within WHO/FAO limit. There was no evidence of possible health risk to consumers with regard to zinc and nickel. However, chromium intake should be of utmost concern, while disposal of tanning waste should be checked.

Assessing water quality is necessary to ascertain its viability for domestic, industrial, and agricultural purposes. A total of 48 water samples were, respectively, drawn from the Rivers Karawa and Iyiaji located in Ezeagu and Uzo-uwani which are typical rural areas in Enugu State, Nigeria. These samples were taken in two seasons (early rainy season and late dry season). Physicochemical properties were determined using standard methods. The scaling and corrosivity potentials of the water were evaluated using the Larson-Skold index, aggressive index, Puckorius scaling index, and Ryznar stability index models. Additionally, seven irrigation evaluation criteria, as well as spatial distribution maps, were used to determine the suitability of the river waters for irrigation purposes and to interpolate the spatial distribution of the river water quality parameters. Major ion chemistry was used in the assessments. The physicochemical properties of river waters fell within the recommended standard values. However, NO₃⁻ greatly exceeded the recommended range in both rivers. The cations and anions from River Karawa were Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > K⁺ > Na⁺ and NO₃⁻ > Cl⁻ > SO₄²⁻ > HCO₃⁻ > CO₃⁻ > PO₄⁻, while those from River Iyiaji were Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Na⁺ > K⁺ and Cl⁻ > SO₄²⁻ >NO₃⁻ > PO₄⁻ > HCO₃⁻ > CO₃⁻. A piper plot showed the predominance of Ca²⁺ and Mg⁺, as well as SO₄²⁻ and Cl⁻, in both rivers. The seven irrigation assessment indices indicated that the water of the Rivers Karawa and Iyiaji is suitable for irrigation purposes. In addition, the scaling and corrosivity models predicted that the river waters have high scaling and corrosivity potentials. Specifically, while the aggressive index suggested that it is severely corrosive, the Langelier saturation index suggested that the water from both rivers is supersaturated and, thus, has potential to scale.

Despite the fact that several cases of unsafe pesticide use among farmers in different parts of Africa have been documented, there is limited evidence regarding which specific interventions are effective in reducing pesticide exposure and associated risks to human health and ecology. The overall goal of the African Pesticide Intervention Project (APsent) study is to better understand ongoing research and public health activities related to interventions in Africa through the implementation of suitable target-specific situations or use contexts. A systematic review of the scientific literature on pesticide intervention studies with a focus on Africa was conducted. This was followed by a qualitative survey among stakeholders involved in pesticide research or management in the African region to learn about barriers to and promoters of successful interventions. The project was concluded with an international workshop in November 2021, where a broad range of topics relevant to occupational and environmental health risks were discussed such as acute poisoning, street pesticides, switching to alternatives, or disposal of empty pesticide containers. Key areas of improvement identified were training on pesticide usage techniques, research on the effectiveness of interventions targeted at exposure reduction and/or behavioral changes, awareness raising, implementation of adequate policies, and enforcement of regulations and processes.