ABSTRACT About 17.2 million people in Kenya have no access to clean water. The major factors contributing to lack of clean water include rapid population growth, droughts, forest degradation, poor management of water supply and water contamination. Lack of clean water may worsen as industrial development and population grows as projected if drastic measures are not taken immediately. Use of rice husks and water hyacinth that is known to contaminate and jam water bodies to create water treatm...
ABSTRACT Suspended particles in water are a major concern in global pollution management. These particles are very small and are evenly distributed in the water. They originate from factors such as decomposing organic materials and algae. They are a significant factor in the water clarity, as they limit penetration of sunlight; provide a good environment for bacterial growth, contributing to fouling and unpleasant odours that compromise aesthetic appreciation of the water. They also complex ...
Various kinds of photovoltaic (PV) modules have been developed and practically deployed as PV systems over time. The performance of PV modules found in the Kenyan market has not been documented and therefore their reliability and stability in providing an alternative source of energy has not been sufficiently established. In this study the I-V data of Silicon-based mono crystalline, poly crystalline and amorphous modules was collected. The choice of the modules was done randomly dependin...
Tomato is a popular vegetable in Kenya and is extensively grown by small-scale farmers. In spite of the economic benefits to the farmers, insect pests remain one of the most significant constraints to tomato production. Current insect pests control measures rely on pesticides despite the known hazards to human health and the environment. Repeated use of pesticides has also led to the development of resistance by pests. Therefore, it is important to evaluate other pest control strategies ...
Industrial effluents, agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides and residential wastes are the major sources of heavy metals in drinking water. Presence of heavy metals in drinking water is the cause of many diseases in human beings. Worldwide over six million people lack access to clean drink water. In Kenya it has been reported that sources of drinking water such as rivers, boreholes and wells are having heavy metals. In Bungoma Central Sub County, residents depend on River...
ABSTRACT Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common microvascular complication occurring five years from onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus, leading to renal failure and death. It is characterized by albuminuria and a reduced glomerular filtration rate. Although much emphasis has been placed on screening for albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to predict or diagnose DN, less attention has been focused on the role of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in risk asses...
ABSTRACT Malaria is the leading cause of death in Africa among pregnant women and children under five years. Each year 350-500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide, and over one million people die, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa. In Africa, Anopheles gambiae mosquito is the main vector of Plasmodium falciparum, which causes malaria. All female Anopheles mosquitoes are usually haematophagous; they require a blood meal from a vertebrate host, either before or after matin...
ABSTRACT Inadequate piped water supplies in urban centres is a growing problem; making communities resort to buying vended water. In recent years, vended water has become a major source of drinking water in most of the urban areas in the world. This study assessed the quality of vended water and its implications on price and health risks to households in Msimbazi sub catchment Dar es salaam, Tanzania. It involved assessing the physical, chemical and micro-biological quality of the vended wat...
ABSTRACT Tobacco is a heavy metal accumulator and it is estimated that 1.22 billion people are involved in smoking tobacco while about 1.45 billion people are predicted to be smoking it by 2045. Smoking tobacco results in 5 million premature deaths yearly as a result of tobacco related illness; with 70% of the deaths occurring in developing countries, Kenya included. Tobacco has heavy metals and carcinogens that make it a leading cause of deaths in the world. Tobacco easily uptakes heavy met...
ABSTRACT Recycled Low Density Polyethylene waste pollutes the environment since it is nonbiodegradable. This work investigates the enhancement of disposal of these wastes without compromising their tensile strength and permeability by blending Recycled Low Density Polyethylene with Cellulose. Injection molded blends of Recycled Low Density Polyethylene and Cellulose were prepared in percentage ratios of 100:0, 95:5, 90:10, 85:15 and 80:20. Dynamic mechanical analysis, creep, diffusion, therm...
ABSTRACT Globally in 2010, about 800 women died daily due to complications of pregnancy and child birth (WHO, 2010). Out of the 800 deaths, 440 deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, 230 in Southern Asia and only five in high-income countries. In Kenya, maternal death is the leading cause of death amongst women of child bearing age, overall maternal mortality ratio in Kenya remain high at 488/100,000 and could even be higher in rural sub-counties. In response to the rising burden of MMR, the...
ABSTRACT Population increase in Matungulu Sub-County in Kenya has led to pressure on arable land where agriculture is the main economic activity. This has caused a gradual shift in land use practices over the years from extensive to intensive agriculture. There has been a decrease in maize yields over the years despite the use of phosphate (P) and nitrogenous (N) fertilizers, which may suggest that the levels of potassium (K) in the soil may be low. Fertilizer application for maize farming ...
ABSTRACT Development of environmentally friendly and economically viable water treatmet techniques for remediation of fluoride ions in drinking water has gained a huge research interest. Floridated water is associated with dental and skeletal disorders. Previously used water treatment methods encountered several limitations such as operational problems and are not regeneratable. Adsorption technique is easy to use and is regeneratable. Adsorbents used include activated carbon and bone char. ...
ABSTRACT Methods used to assess overweight and obesity generate information that can be used to design interventions and policies which can address over-nutrition. Dietary practices, physical activity and anthropometry are the commonly used methods for assessing overweight and obesity. However, studies have cited their limitations since these methods do not indicate fat mass which is the factor that predisposes individuals to weight-related health risks. This study aimed to validate anthrop...
ABSTRACT East Coast Fever (ECF), commonly known as theileriosis, is a tick-borne disease caused by a protozoan organism known as Theileria parva. It has been a major limitation in livestock production and food security in several developing countries. ECF is transmitted predominantly by the brown ear tick, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. In Africa, it is estimated that about 1.1 million cattle suffer from ECF resulting to losses of about US dollars 168 million. In Kenya, approximately 50-80% o...