Environmental Science Research Papers/Topics

Environmental impact of food packaging materials: a review of contemporary development from conventional plastics to polylactic acid based materials

Abstract: Plastics have remained the material of choice, and after serving their intended purpose, a large proportion ends up in the environment where they persist for centuries. The packaging industry is the largest and growing consumer of synthetic plastics derived from fossil fuels. Food packaging plastics account for the bulk of plastic waste that are polluting the environment. Additionally, given the fact that petroleum reserves are finite and facing depletion, there is a need for the d...

Chemical transformation and fate of lead in shooting range soils found in eastern and northern Botswana

Abstract: Ammunition used for military training and exercises has been found to contain high content of lead (Pb). The Pb present in the ammunition projectiles undergoes an array of transformation and weathering reactions when it reaches the shooting range soils. Seven military shooting ranges in the eastern and northern Botswana were used for this study. Soil samples were collected at each of the seven shooting ranges at the berm (stop butt), target line, 50 and 100 m from the berm. Pb conc...

Impact assessment of long term treated wastewater discharge on heavy metal concentration in soils from Palapye east, Botswana

Abstract: Issues on environmental soil quality continue to attract much global attention. Domestic wastewater is a potential source of contaminants capable of degrading the soil environment. This study reports the accumulative effects of 21 years (1995 – 2016) of treated wastewater discharge on heavy metal concentration levels in the proximal environment of Palapye wastewater treatment Plant (PWTP), Central Botswana. Soil samples were collected from eight geo-referenced pedons: four situat...

A spatio-temporal assessment of vegetation variability and degradation in Palapye, Botswana using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series data from 1998 to 2016

Abstract: Vegetation plays a vital and important role in regulating climate, water balance and energy. This research examines vegetation variability and degradation in semi-arid Palapye, eastern Botswana. These were assessed over an 18 year period (1998 to 2016) using Remote Sensing based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series data. NDVI has been widely used as an indicator of vegetation growth because it measures the amount of plant greenness from the spectral responses m...

The impact of climate variability and climate change on sorghum grain yield in the Goodhope sub district of Botswana

Abstract: In Botswana crop production has been the most vulnerable component of the agricultural sector due to its heavy reliance on rainfed agriculture. At the same time, the availability of rainfall is uncertain due to natural climatic variability which is worsened by climate change. Already the local farmers have knowledge of the climatic conditions around them, and from time to time, they have been adjusting their farming practices in line with the prevailing climatic conditions. Climate...

Fly ash and compost amendments and mycorrhizal inoculation enhanced the survival and growth of Delonix regia in Cu-Ni mine tailings

Abstract: Delonix regia, an ornamental tree that can tolerate an elevated level of heavy metals, was evaluated for phytoremediation potential in mine tailings with fly ash, compost, and mycorrhiza. A two-factorial experiment was conducted under screen house conditions using mine tailings from Bamangwato Concessions Limited (BCL) Cu-Ni mine. The treatments are mine tailing (MT) without mycorrhiza (MT – AM), MT with mycorrhiza (MT + AM), MT with 10% fly ash (FA) without mycorrhiza (MT + FA �...

Characterization of drought over Botswana using multivariate statistics

Abstract: Droughts pose a significant challenge to water resources, causing several socio-economic consequences. The growing economy requires improved assessments of drought-related impacts in the water sector, particularly under semi-arid environments where its climate is getting drier and warmer. This study proposes a probabilistic model (copula approach) that is intended to contribute to the drought risk assessment by providing an essential information in drought prediction, decision...

Evaluation of naturally occurring radioactive materials and toxic heavy metals in the surface soil around Serule prospective mining area in Botswana

Abstract: Human exposure to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs) and toxic heavy metals has been a concern for the entire history of mankind since they are com monly found in the environment. Their increased levels are a result of anthropogenic activities such as mining. A-cap Resources Ltd, now A-cap Energy Ltd company dis covered that there were large uranium deposits in the underlying rocks of Serule. It was given licensing to start mining in 2016 with a lease of about 144 km...

Critical assessment of mechanistic pathways for chemical remediation techniques applied to Pb impacted soils at shooting ranges – a review

Abstract: Shooting ranges continue to pose environmental and human health risk due to the accumulation of toxic Pb emanating from munitions. Remediation of Pb pollution at shooting ranges has been carried out through application of various techniques of which chemical stabilization is the most common. In some instances, field chemical stabilization has achieved Pb decontamination of the soils to concentrations below the maximum contaminant limits as set by the United States Environmental Pro...

Soil properties influence bacterial abundance and diversity under different land-use regimes in semi-arid environments

Abstract: Bacterial diversity is known to be a driver of soil ecosystem services and it is influenced by the natural integrity of the environments. Samples from garden soil, saline soil and sludge-impacted soil were studied to evaluate the influence of soil properties on bacterial abundance and diversity for improved management. Soil samples were collected from 0 to 15 cm depth and analyzed for selected physico-chemical properties using routine labo- ratory procedures. 16S rRNA gene-based me...

Pollution risk from Pb towards vegetation growing in and around shooting ranges – a review

Abstract: Commissioned and de-commissioned shooting ranges continue to pose an environmental and human health risk due to the accumulation of toxic Pb emanating from spent munitions. The phytotoxic effects of Pb accumulation in plants include inhibition of root growth and lowering of plant metabolism. The uptake of Pb by plants is directly affected by factors such as plant species and physicochemical properties of the soil. However, scientists and researchers have leveraged on the ability of...

Assessment of the concentration of heavy metals associated with landfill leachate in Gamodubu soils in the Kweneng District, Botswana

Abstract: Composting is a common method of household waste in developing countries such as Botswana. However, compost can introduce heavy metals which are harmful to the environment. High concentrations of heavy metals are toxic to plants and humans and can affect soil by killing soil microorganisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the amount of four heavy metals (Cr, Co, Cu and Pb) in Gamodubu soils that are associated with leachate from a landfill in that area. Soil samples were c...

Health and Environmental Impacts of Industrialization (A case study of Dangote Cement Factory on Obajana Community, Kogi state, Nigeria)

The impacts of industrialization on socio-economic development can't be over emphasized, but so are the negative consequences. This paper examines the health and environmental impacts of Dangote Cement Industry on the physical environment of the encompassing settlement of Obajana, Kogi State. this is often with a view to providing sustainable solution to the negative impact of huge scale industries in an emerging economy like Nigeria. The study involved empirical observation and inter...

Physicochemical and Microbial Analysis of Surface Water Quality at Mbagule-Ipav, Gboko LGA Benue State, Nigeria for Drinking Purpose

Surface water quality was accessed at Mbagule-Ipav, Gboko LGA Benue state, Nigeria, a community dominant with agricultural activities. Investigation showed that the community has one stream which serves as the only source of water to the community for domestic and agricultural purposes. This research was to ensure the use of clean and safe drinking water for the public health protection. On this regard, a physicochemical and Microbial analysis of the surface water was carried out for s...

Re-Thinking Engineering and Technology for Environmental Sustainability in the Face of Global Pandemic: Proceedings of the 2ND International Conference on Engineering and Environmental Scienc

PREFACE  The second edition of the International Conference on Engineering and Environmental Sciences (ICEES 2021) was co-hosted by the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of Osun State University, Osogbo from 23rd-25th November, 2021. The Conference with the theme, “ReThinking Engineering and Technology for Environmental Sustainability in the Face of Global Pandemic” took place at a time the world is still re-adjusting to life in the COVID/post-COVID-19 e...


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