Criminal Liability: Negligence and Environmental Health

Lack of compliance to effluent discharge standards in the waste water treatment industry lead to the discharge of poor quality effluents which cause increased levels of health risks in South Africa. No case law exists in South Africa to serve as precedent to enforce the criminal liability of individuals and water treatment entities. The author utilises the Bloemhof Municipality case study to illustrate the possible application of criminal action concerning the negligence in waste water treatment which; in turn; has been tested and instituted successfully in terms of environmental transgressions against both corporate structures and individuals in the mining industry. South African courts have to give consideration to the prospect of criminal action in the waste water treatment industry to deter sustained inadequate purification of raw water and inadequate treated effluent discharges in our water resources

Criminal Liability: Negligence and Environmental Health

Lack of compliance to effluent discharge standards in the waste water treatment industry lead to the discharge of poor quality effluents which cause increased levels of health risks in South Africa. No case law exists in South Africa to serve as precedent to enforce the criminal liability of individuals and water treatment entities. The author utilises the Bloemhof Municipality case study to illustrate the possible application of criminal action concerning the negligence in waste water treatment which; in turn; has been tested and instituted successfully in terms of environmental transgressions against both corporate structures and individuals in the mining industry. South African courts have to give consideration to the prospect of criminal action in the waste water treatment industry to deter sustained inadequate purification of raw water and inadequate treated effluent discharges in our water resources

Relation entre pollution des eaux de sources; forages et maladies hydriques enregistrees au Centre Hospitalier Dominicain Saint Martin de Porres (CHDSMP) du quartier Mvog-Betsi a Yaounde

OBJECTIFS : Mesurer les indices de contamination bacteriologique de l'eau des sources et forages de Mvog-Betsi; et rechercher une relation entre ces indices et le nombre de maladies hydriques enregistrees au Centre Hospitalier Dominicain Saint Martin de Porres (CHDSMP) de ce quartier de Yaounde. MeTHODES Il s'agit d'une etude retrospective et prospective; basee d'une part sur les statistiques des maladies hydriques enregistrees au CHDSMP; et d'autre part sur l'analyse bacteriologique de l'eau des sources et forages consommees par la population. Nous avons utilise la technique de Presence-Absence puis le denombrement apres inondation sur gelose specifique pour la culture des bacteries. L'identification bacterienne a ete faite par la galerie RapIDTM ONE. ReSULTATS Nous avons constate que presque tous les habitants de Mvog Betsi buvaient de l'eau issue des puits ou des sources ou des forages. D'autre part; les eaux de sources et de forages de Mvog-Betsi etaient toutes polluees. En effet; le denombrement des Escherichia coli; indice de pollution fecale dans toutes les eaux; a ete anormal; ce qui revele un probable danger pour la sante. Les statistiques des maladies hydriques enregistrees en 2012 au CHDSMP montrent que 1752 habitants de Mvog Betsi ont souffert de ces maladies contre 2576 qui avaient d'autres pathologies. Au premier trimestre 2013; il ya eu 272 cas de maladies hydriques sur un total de 766 habitants de Mvog-Betsi venues consulter. CONCLUSION Il y a une relation claire entre la pollution des eaux de source; forages et les maladies hydriques enregistrees au CHDSMP du quartier Mvog-Betsi

The Human Health Implications of Crude Oil Spills in The Niger Delta; Nigeria: An Interpretation of Published Studies Highly Accessed Article

The health hazards created by oil exploration and exploitation are covert and slow in action. They are not given the deserved attention in official documents in Nigeria; even as they can be major contributors to the disease burden in oil-bearing communities. This study is an interpretation of the data reported in several published studies on crude oil spills in the Niger delta region; Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A manual and Internet search was conducted to extract quantitative data on the quantity of crude oil spilled; the concentrations of the pollutants in surface water; ground water; ambient air and plant and animal tissue; and the direct impact on human health and household food security. Results: An average of 240;000 barrels of crude oil are spilled in the Niger delta every year; mainly due to unknown causes (31.85); third party activity (20.74); and mechanical failure (17.04). The spills contaminated the surface water; ground water; ambient air; and crops with hydrocarbons; including known carcinogens like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and benxo (a) pyrene; naturally occurring radioactive materials; and trace metals that were further bioaccumulated in some food crops. The oil spills could lead to a 60reduction in household food security and were capable of reducing the ascorbic acid content of vegetables by as much as 36 and the crude protein content of cassava by 40.These could result in a 24 increase in the prevalence of childhood malnutrition. Animal studies indicate that contact with Nigerian crude oil could be hemotoxic and hepatotoxic; and could cause infertility and cancer. Conclusions: The oil spills in the Niger delta region have acute and long-term effects on human health. Material relief and immediate and long-term medical care are recommended; irrespective of the cause of the spill; to ensure that the potential health effects of exposures to the spills are properly addressed

A Preliminary Inventory of Hazardous Medical Waste Disposal Systems and their Influence on Groundwater Quality in Lusaka

Water forms the basis of life and an essential prerequisite for any socio-economic development and growth. Currently; groundwater has increasingly become a comparatively cheap source of water supply for domestic and other uses in Zambia. However; in Lusaka; the aquifer is vulnerable and fragile because it is shallow and hosted by an open karst system. Since waste management practices have become increasingly inappropriate; such that some of the waste has ended up in karst caverns; there are increased threats of unhindered infiltration of leachate and contaminants to the aquifer. Medical waste constitutes one form of waste; which is inappropriately handled and disposed of in Lusaka. To check on the effects of such practices; the research team undertook mapping of healthcare centres in Lusaka; took an inventory of the types of medical wastes produced at each centre; and their methods of disposal. Seven water points located near these possible sources of pollution were sampled in Chawama; Kanyama; Matero Main; Matero Reference; Kalingalinga; Chipata and George clinics and tested for pH; conductivity; total dissolved solids; total coliforms; faecal coliforms and chemical oxygen demand (COD) as O.Results of these tests revealed that only two water points met the WHO guidelines for drinking water

Microbial Quality of Drinking Water in Dar Es Salaam and Use of Waterguard as Disinfectant

Water borne diseases are alarmingly high in urban areas like Dar es Salaam. Hence the importance of chlorine-based water disinfectant solutions such as Waterguard that consists of 0.75sodium hypochlorite. Waterguard has been in the market in Dar es Salaam for about 4 years. Despite this; prevalence of waterborne diseases like cholera; dysentery and typhoid are still high. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Waterguard in disinfecting drinking water; and determine the level of fecal coliform contamination of water from four sources viz. taps; streams; shallow wells and deep wells located within Dar es Salaam city. The investigation on the efficacy of the agent was carried out in water samples collected in the city during a 4-month period.Sixty-four water samples were randomly collected and analyzed by the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique based on coliform counts for both untreated and treated water samples. Negative (distilled water) and positive (distilled water contaminated with feces)controls were also included. Results show that three out of the four water sources were heavily contaminated with the exception of deep wells. But appropriate use of Waterguard reduces the level of microbial contamination significantly. In this study the assayed Waterguard was found to be 100efficacious in treating the samples to a level within the WHO safety standards; hence is fit for disinfecting water for human use

Factors Responsible for Domestic Water Contamination

Many deaths occurring in the developing countries are due to water borne diseases which are usually associated with water related behaviour such as improper disposal of faecal material as well as improper storage of water. This study was therefore designed to identify the factors that influenced domestic water contamination in our rural communities and recommend some intervention measures that can reduce this high morbidity and mortality due to diarrhoeal diseases in Nigeria. Water samples from the water sources serving six rural communities in three local government areas of Lagos State as well as water samples from 308 households from the six communities were collected for bacteriological examination. Demographic and socio-economic characteristics; toilet facilities and water storage facilities available in the households were recorded in a structured questionnaire and analysed with X2 and ANOVA statistical packages. Two out of the 12 (16.7) water sources (both bore-holes); were potable and the others were contaminated with feacal bacteria. A low percentage of households in each of the six communities had potable drinking water. Many toilets facilities (42.9) were situated less than 10 meters away from the households. Only a few households (6 .1 ) purified their drinking water. The water source; toilet facilities and occupation of the fathers in the households had a statistically significant positive association (p0.05) with the domestic water contamination level whereas age; level of education and overcrowding did not. The study recommends provision of less contaminated sources of water such as boreholes as a source of supply to communities and introduction of programmes that will promote hygienic practices amongst the communities

Survey on practices of water-handling and level of contamination between the source and use in the home in Jimma town; South-West Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jimma town to identify the water-handling practices and to determine the level of contamination of stored water. Households that used treated water from Jimma town water treatment plant were randomly selected; and interviewed. Water samples from the households' storage containers and water distribution taps were collected and tested for the indicator bacteria employing the most probable number (MPN) method. The per capita water consumption ranged from 5 to 30 litres. A high proportion (86 percent) of households rinse or wash the container before collection. About 94 percent of the households store water in a covered container. When drawing water from a storage container 70 percent scoop; 48 percent using handles cups; which may increase the possibility of contamination. No fecal coliform was observed in the water samples from the tap. Of 20 samples collected from storage containers 8 (40 percent) exhibited fecal coliform (FC). The mean bacteria count was 3.1 FC/100 ml. The use of cover for storage container; washing the container before refilling and shorter storage time by the majority of the households are commendable practices. On the other hand; obtaining water from the storage container by scooping and the use of handless cups for dipping are not advisable as the chance of contamination may increase. The presence of fecal coliforms in 40 percent of the water samples indicates that there is contamination of water at home

Profil physico-chimique et bacteriologique des eaux brutes de la riviere Lukaya

Les analyses physico-chimiques et bacteriologiques effectuees sur les echantillons d'eau brute de la riviere Lukaya en 1992 et 1993; ont permis d'evaluer le niveau de pollution de la riviere et de la classifier en se referant aux normes internationales. L'etude a revele que la riviere appartient a la classe 2 que ces eaux necessitent une filiere de traitement adequate pour leur epuration a des fins domestiques

Profil physico-chimique et bacteriologique des eaux brutes de la riviere Lukaya

Les analyses physico-chimiques et bacteriologiques effectuees sur les echantillons d'eau brute de la riviere Lukaya en 1992 et 1993; ont permis d'evaluer le niveau de pollution de la riviere et de la classifier en se referant aux normes internationales. L'etude a revele que la riviere appartient a la classe 2 et que ces eaux necessitent une filiere de traitement adequate pour leur epuration a des fins domestiques

Some chemical constituents of selected water sources in and around Addis Ababa and Ambo

Water samples were collected from the following sources: 1. raw and treated water from Gefersa and Legadadi dams as well as tap water from Addis Ababa; 2. Ambo mineral water; 3. two rivers that flow through Addis Ababa and 4. Lake Aba Samuel. The sample collection was carried out at the end of the rainy season (September 1993) except for Ambo mineral water which was obtained in mid-June 1994. Analytical data of seven anions (HCO3-; F-; Cl-; Br-; I-; No3-; So42-) and nine cations (Na+; K+; Mg2+; Ca2+; Fe2+/3+; Zn2+; Pb2+; Cd2+; Cr6+) were compiled. Samples from all sources revealed the following: 1.the concentration of all ions is far below the toxic level; 2.all ions exist at concentration of less than 8 percent of man's daily requirement except for the sodium concentration (200mg/L) of Ambo mineral water. Ambo water and tap water from Addis Ababa are found to be chemically safe. The same can be said about water from Aba Samuel and city rivers although more work is necessary to determine the microbial exposure of animals and irrigations that depend on these sources

Impact des effluents d'un complexe agro-industriel sucrier sur la distribution des mollusques dulcaquicoles a Mbandjock (Cameroun)

Des prospections malacologiques ont ete entreprises dans la zone sucriere de Mbandjock (Cameroun). La discussion des mollusques est discutee suivant les types d'habitat. L'incidence des effluents du complexe agro-industriel (SOSUCAM) sur la faune malacogique est evaluee. En general; un faible degre de pollution est favorable a la faune malacologique alors qu'une forte pollution lui est nuisible. La presence de bulinus globosus est mise en evidence. Ce mollusque; hote intermediaire de schistosoma haematobium; etait absent lors des prospections anterieures. L'extension de bulinus globosus dans la localite devrait faire l'objet d'une surveillance a long terme

Correlation studies of heavy metals concentration with sediment properties of some rivers surrounding the Lagos Lagoon

Lagos lagoon is a highly polluted water body; which receives enormous amount of domestic and industrial wastes from rivers and streams. In this study; two main Lagos urban rivers Odo-Iyaalaro and Shasha rivers that receive industrial effluents and empty into the Lagos Lagoon were examined. The sediments at the bottom of waters play a role in the study of pollution in the rivers. Upstream of Odo-Iyaalaro River (Point 1) receives the largest volume of effluents and showed the highest level of heavy metals in sediments with concentrations of 108.3mg/l for Pb; 805mg/l for Zn; 94.5mg/l for Cu; 31mg/l for Cr and 42.1 mg/l for Cd. Down the river; the levels decreased to 25mg/l for Pb; 64.5 mg/l for Zn; 22mg/l for Cu; 15.9 mg/l for Cr and 1.9 mg/l for Cd. A good correlation was found to exist between the level of Zn in water and sediment; and also between the CEC andsilt-clay of sediments. Shasha River receives relatively fewer amounts of industrial effluents; but is relatively the main receptacle for municipal and land-based waste. The levels of heavy metals in Shasha River were lower compared with that of Odo-Iyaalaro River; with the upstream points showing concentrations of 20.5mg/l for Pb; 25.3mg/l for Zn; 7.9mg/l for Cu; 30.8 mg/l for Cr and 1.5mg/l for Cd. A good correlation exists between the CEC and all the metals determined; and between theorganic carbon and all the metals determined. Compared with literature data; the results of heavy metals gave an indication of pollution

Drinking Water - Specification

Water is one of the essential elements in life. The various human activities like; industrial processes and agricultural practices have resulted in contaminating the water in our environment. The contaminted water canbe a serious health hazard to the population. The formulation of this standard is therefore necessary to ensure the wholesomeness of drinking water