Thursday, 23 August 2007
Saturday, 11 August 2007
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Animal health problems attributed to environmental contamination in lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya: a case study on heavy metal poisoning in the Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa (Ruppel 1835)
The objective was to determine the ecosystem health status in order to establish the causes of animal health problems previously recorded in some sections of the Park.
Trace element analysis in serum indicated occurrence of copper (Cu) deficiency in the north and eastern sections of the Park where mean values were marginal (range: 0.36-0.81, mean: 0.62 mg/l) compared to concentrations recorded in the western part of the Park (range: 0.69-1.48, mean: 1.22 mg/l).
Bone analysis on dry matter basis (DM) indicated higher (p < 0.01) levels of cadmium (Cd, 0.437 mg/kg), fluoride (F, 3178 mg/kg), and lead (Pb, 20.62 mg/kg) in animals from the east compared to those from the west (0.002, 1492, 4.87 mg/kg, respectively), suggesting heavy exposure. In addition, samples from the east had much lower than normal calcium (Ca)-to-phosphorus (P) ratios (mean: 1.9:1) compared to those recorded in the west (2.2:1), suggesting poor bone mineralization.
There was a higher concentration of Cd in the kidney (16.24 mg/kg, p < 0.05) and Pb in the liver (58.3 mg/kg, p < 0.01) in animals from the east compared to those in the west (12.92 and 36.2 mg/kg, respectively), but the converse was true of Cu.
The liver Cu status was better in animals from the west with, concentrations (mean: 21.7 mg/kg) being about twice those recorded in the east (11.9 mg/kg DM). Forage analysis revealed prospects of Ca, P, and Cu deficiencies in the entire Park.
However, in the northeastern section of the Park (measuring 50 ha) where waterbuck residence times are high, forage concentrations of Cd (0.31 mg/kg DM), molybdenum (Mo, 7.20 mg/kg DM), Pb (2.88 mg/kg DM), and zinc (Zn, 126 mg/kg DM) were an order of magnitude greater (p < 0.01) than the levels recorded in the rest of the Park (ranges: 0.133-0.165, 3.69-5.61, 0.485-0.621, 11.6-17.4 mg/kg DM, respectively).
These disparities were attributed to a higher soil concentration of Cd (2.77 mg/kg DM), Pb (85.1 mg/k DM) and Zn (1414 mg/kg DM) in this section compared to the rest of the Park (ranges: 0.10-0.15, 5.02-6.26, 1.49-5.44 mg/kg DM, respectively), and strongly suggest heavy metal contamination as the source of animal health problems in the Park.
PMID: 17160492 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2007 Feb;52(2):270-81. Epub 2006 Dec 7.
Jumba IO, Kisia SM, Kock R.
Department of Chemistry, College of Biological and Physical Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197 00100 Nairobi, Kenya. ijumba@uonbi.ac.ke
Animal health problems attributed to environmental contamination in lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya: a case study on heavy metal poisoning in the Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa (Ruppel 1835).
The objective was to determine the ecosystem health status in order to establish the causes of animal health problems previously recorded in some sections of the Park.
Trace element analysis in serum indicated occurrence of copper (Cu) deficiency in the north and eastern sections of the Park where mean values were marginal (range: 0.36-0.81, mean: 0.62 mg/l) compared to concentrations recorded in the western part of the Park (range: 0.69-1.48, mean: 1.22 mg/l).
Bone analysis on dry matter basis (DM) indicated higher (p < 0.01) levels of cadmium (Cd, 0.437 mg/kg), fluoride (F, 3178 mg/kg), and lead (Pb, 20.62 mg/kg) in animals from the east compared to those from the west (0.002, 1492, 4.87 mg/kg, respectively), suggesting heavy exposure. In addition, samples from the east had much lower than normal calcium (Ca)-to-phosphorus (P) ratios (mean: 1.9:1) compared to those recorded in the west (2.2:1), suggesting poor bone mineralization.
There was a higher concentration of Cd in the kidney (16.24 mg/kg, p < 0.05) and Pb in the liver (58.3 mg/kg, p < 0.01) in animals from the east compared to those in the west (12.92 and 36.2 mg/kg, respectively), but the converse was true of Cu.
The liver Cu status was better in animals from the west with, concentrations (mean: 21.7 mg/kg) being about twice those recorded in the east (11.9 mg/kg DM). Forage analysis revealed prospects of Ca, P, and Cu deficiencies in the entire Park.
However, in the northeastern section of the Park (measuring 50 ha) where waterbuck residence times are high, forage concentrations of Cd (0.31 mg/kg DM), molybdenum (Mo, 7.20 mg/kg DM), Pb (2.88 mg/kg DM), and zinc (Zn, 126 mg/kg DM) were an order of magnitude greater (p < 0.01) than the levels recorded in the rest of the Park (ranges: 0.133-0.165, 3.69-5.61, 0.485-0.621, 11.6-17.4 mg/kg DM, respectively).
These disparities were attributed to a higher soil concentration of Cd (2.77 mg/kg DM), Pb (85.1 mg/k DM) and Zn (1414 mg/kg DM) in this section compared to the rest of the Park (ranges: 0.10-0.15, 5.02-6.26, 1.49-5.44 mg/kg DM, respectively), and strongly suggest heavy metal contamination as the source of animal health problems in the Park.
PMID: 17160492 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2007 Feb;52(2):270-81. Epub 2006 Dec 7.
Jumba IO, Kisia SM, Kock R.
Department of Chemistry, College of Biological and Physical Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197 00100 Nairobi, Kenya. ijumba@uonbi.ac.ke
Monday, 30 April 2007
Keppel Telecoms & Transportation reports 14% rise in Q1 profit to S$12.2m; Posted: 24 April 2007 2025 hrs
Earnings came in at $12.2 million dollars, compared with $10.7 million in the year-ago period.
But turnover fell about 11 per cent to $21.5 million.
Its associate, MobileOne was the main earnings driver, contributing more than 60 per cent of pre-tax profits.
Going forward, Keppel T&T says it will intensify its efforts to diversity into non-port logistics activities to generate earnings growth
MobileOne reports 10% jump in Q1 earnings; Posted: 24 April 2007 2046 hrs
Net profit for the three months ended March came in at S$49.7 million - boosted by a tax adjustment.
The telco added 41,000 new customers in the period - taking its total customer base to 1.378 million.
But its market share fell to 28.9 per cent.
Going forward, M1 expects its operations to remain stable for the rest of the year.
Separately, M1 announced that it had received approval from the High Court to proceed with its capital reduction plans.
The plans were first announced in January.
Under the proposal, M1 will return more than S$221 million to shareholders.
It will cancel one share for every 10 shares and pay shareholders S$2.22 in cash for each cancelled share.
To facilitate trading, the SGX has given M1 in-principle approval to trade its shares in board lots of 10 shares for a period of one month, starting from 10 May 10 to 11 June.