Joshua Babayemi

University of Medical Sciences, Ondo · Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology

The global management of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and related plastics, and the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) contained in it constitute a global challenge in particular for low-income countries in Africa where monitoring capacity and waste management infrastructure are lacking. While plastic recycling is highlighted as an i...

Short-chain and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs/MCCPs) are of concern due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. SCCPs were listed in 2017 as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Stockholm Convention and Rotterdam Convention for Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. MCCPs are evaluated in the POPs Reviewing Committe...

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are chemicals with multipurpose applications. Their global production has increased despite their adverse impacts on the environment and human health. In 2017, short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) were listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Stockholm Convention. Yet, specific exemptions were granted f...

Background and Objective: Heavy metals are one of the contaminants that pose a major health risk to animals and humans on account of their high toxicity at both low and high concentration in water. The effectiveness of Ground Piper guineense Stem (GPGS) in the uptake of Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ from aqueous solution was studied as a function of pH, adso...

Aquatic organisms such as fish are prone to contamination by water pollutants such as heavy metals. This study aims at assessing the levels of heavy metals in the fillet tissues of 75 fish samples comprising Clarias gariepinus (Catfish), Oreochromis niloticus (Tilapia) and Chrysichthys nigroditatus (Bagrid catfish) from five (5) different fishing l...

Background As resources become scarce, information from material and substance flow analysis can help to improve material recovery policy. The flow of toxic substances such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) can be used as a basis for appropriate risk management decisions for optimum environmental quality. Ob...

Background: As a result of increasing environmental pollution in developing countries , Nigeria in particular, assessment of food contamination is necessary. Objectives: This study aimed at assessing the concentrations of heavy metals in vegetables available in selected markets at Ota, Ogun State. Method: A total of 75 samples of three edible leafy...

Background Currently, plastic is at the top of the international agenda for waste management. Recent meetings of the Conferences of the Parties to the Basel and the Stockholm Conventions have expressed concerns over the impact of plastic waste, marine plastic litter, and microplastics, and emphasised the importance of reducing consumption and ensur...

Background: Pollution in aquatic ecosystems is a serious environmental concern. There is a great need for constant assessment and monitoring of hazardous substances, particularly in aquatic environments in developing countries, as rivers are media with easy trans-boundary transport of chemical substances. Objectives: The present study assessed t...

Recently, certain polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the Stockholm Convention. In this study, a preliminary material and substance flow analysis of commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether (c-PentaBDE) was conducted for motor vehicles—a major use sector for POP-PBDE in polyurethane (PUR) fo...

Investigation of the levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in fish samples was carried out to assess the contamination status of Niger River. Ten different brackish water species of fish (6 samples for each, making a total of 60) were purchased from landing sites at the Delta area of Niger River. These were Drapane africana, Mochokus niloticus...

Background Plastic is a waste stream with recycling and recovery potential. However, the recycling rates for plastic in African countries are low. Furthermore, use and production of virgin plastics are increasing. Therefore, a high proportion of plastic waste is being disposed of in landfills and dumpsites. Plastic serves as fuel for open burning a...

Background. Anthropogenic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in aquatic environments poses human and ecological health risks in Nigeria. Objectives. This study determined the concentrations of PCBs in brackish water fish in the River Niger to assess the contamination status of fish consumed by the local population. Methods. The sampled fish species i...

This study assessed the levels and distribution of selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in water of River Niger. The selected POPs of interest were organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Fifteen representative sites along River Niger: three each from Gurara River (tributary) in Niger State, Lokoja (confluence) in Kogi State, Onitsha in Anambra...

Contamination of rivers with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is an issue of current global concern. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are POPs with origin from commercial, incineration and industrial sources. Hence, there is a need for monitoring their occurrence and distribution in the environment. This study assessed the occurrence, distribut...

Solid waste is of serious concern in developing countries because of its high rate of generation and the low-end quality of its management. Inefficient handling of solid wastes may result in deterioration of environmental quality, but it can also result in loss of potential resources. This study reviews current solid waste generation and management...

Pollution has taken on a global dimension, and the effects are most obvious in developing countries. The effects take a toll on human health, animals, and vegetation, as well as on soil, air, and water quality. The objective of this article is to discuss the current relationships among pollution, environmental quality, and human health within the f...

Recent years have witnessed a strong global increase in mobile phone (MP) production and use. This category of electronic devices generates one of the fastest growing waste streams and therefore requires assessment of the volumes entering the end of life and the valuables for resource recovery. This study aims at determining the material flow of MP...

Global warming has recently attracted both local and global attention because it has potential adverse effects on the environment, human health and food security. To better understand the potential effects of climate change on food security, changes in biomass production and composition of pigment induced by variation in ambient temperature were ex...

Plastics from cathode ray tube (CRT) casings were sampled in Nigeria and analysed for their polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran (PBDD/F) content. PBDD/Fs, consisting mainly of PBDFs, were detected in BFR containing plastic with a median (mean) concentration of 18,000 ng/g (41,000 ng/g). The PBDD/Fs levels were highest in samples contai...

Electrical electronics constitute a significant quantity of municipal solid wastes which are discarded after use in open dumpsites especially in the developing countries. The aim of this study was to characterise the material and chemical components, evaluate current management practices and investigate recovery of lead from battery electrodes (BEs...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were the first brominated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed in the Stockholm Convention. Parties to the convention are currently establishing inventories for developing action plans for the environmentally sound management of PBDE-containing materials. The major use of commercial octabromodiphenyl et...

This study investigated the material/substance flow of polybrominated diphenyl ethers listed in the Stockholm Convention (SC) as persistent organic pollutant (POP-PBDEs) in the most relevant plastic fractions in Nigeria. Considering the prohibition of production and the use of POP-PBDEs and knowing that these pollutants are still contained in elect...

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were the first brominated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed in the Stockholm Convention. Parties to the convention are currently establishing inventories for developing action plans for the environmentally sound management of PBDE-containing materials. The major use of commercial octabromodiphenyl et...

Insights into consumer behavior, hazards of inappropriate disposal, and opportunities to reclaim valuable resources

This study assessed the material and chemical compositions and methods of disposal of end-of-life non-rechargeable electric torches (EOLNETs). Thirty EOLNETs of ten different models were collected in Lagos, Nigeria. Total heavy metals in plastic and PWB components of the samples were determined using CPSC-CH-1002-08 and EPA 3050B methods. Questionn...

The parts of Moringa oleifera were assessed for mineral composition and some heavy metal contents in this study, which included Ca, Mg, K, Na, Mn, Fe, Zn, Co, Se, Pb and Cd. Parts of the plant were obtained from Badagry in Lagos State, Nigeria. The samples were digested with HNO 3 and analysed for the mineral element content using atomic absorption...

The parts of Moringa oleifera were assessed for mineral composition and some heavy metal contents in this study, which included Ca, Mg, K, Na, Mn, Fe, Zn, Co, Se, Pb and Cd. Parts of the plant were obtained from Badagry in Lagos State, Nigeria. The samples were digested with HNO 3 and analysed for the mineral element content using atomic absorption...

Fish gills were evaluated in this study as potential target organ for accumulation of heavy metals. Pollution has become a hydra-headed problem which is aggravated daily especially in the developing countries where effective waste management and pollution control are hardly established. In the aquatic environment, several objects, both living and n...

The levels of potash alkali and metal contents of livestock dung were evaluated in this investigation. Waste management in developing countries has been a great challenge because of lack of adequate technologies, efficient and established systems; hence, alternatives have always been sought for the management of municipal solid waste. Adequate know...

The potential use of waste cashew nut shell (CNS) ash as a source for potash production was investigated in this study. Managing waste ash generated from cashew nut processing is a major challenge, as land filling and open dumping of the waste ashes have been the main options in management of the ash in Nigeria. Economically viable ways of using wa...

In this study, we report the quantification of the concentrations of Cd, Pb and As in borehole, well, stream and rain water sources in Ota and some major towns in Ogun State, Nigeria. The pH ranges from 4.8 to 6.98, 5.40 to 7.86 and 6.99 to 8.20 in boreholes, well and rain respectively. Lead was not detected at all in the drinking water sources in...

In this study, cattle were assessed for the levels of metals in some organs. Six metals, Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni) and Lead (Pb) were determined in twenty samples comprising four different parts (liver, kidney, muscle tissue and blood) from five cows at slaughter in a major abattoir in Ota, using flame atom...

Local production of ash-derived alkali was assessed in this review. Detailed information on local production of ash-derived alkali is rare in literature. Hence, the technologies, materials, probable criteria for selection of materials, processes, use, limitations, problems and areas needing further research in the local production of alkali were as...

Increases in ore mining, metal smelting activities, and several other industrial practices in recent times have brought about contamination of soils at higher levels; these have prompted concerns on the consequent effects on the local and global ecosystem.

The composition and chemistry of ash and potash from various plant materials were assessed. Sequel to unavailability of vital information on the composition and chemistry of ash and potash is the production of potash of low quality, especially by local producers, as well as wrong determination or identification and quantification of components of p...

Potash alkali and metal contents of ashes obtained from peels of six varieties of Nigeria Musa species were investigated. The varieties of Musa species – Musa paradisiaca (plantain), Musa 'Gross Michel' (Igbo banana), M.sapientum L. (paranta), Musa 'Wild Banana' (omini), Musa 'Red' (sweet banana), and Musa 'Fugamo' (somupeke), were investigated. Th...

This study assessed combustion and potash production as options for management of wood waste. The percentage reduction in volume by combustion and potash generation potential of wood waste from nine different common species of wood obtained from a wood factory in Ibadan were evaluated. Potash from the ashes was extracted with distilled water throug...

Pollution has become a global problem and the results are implied in high levels of contanminants reported for soil, water, air, plants and animals. Blood being a major medium of transfer of heavy metals into milk as indicated in several literatures, it is necessary to constantly assess the levels of these metals in cow tissues, cow being a major s...

The increasing level of pollution in both aquatic and terrestrial environment with which some animals which form part of human diet are constantly in contact has been a global concern, minding the contamination of aquatic and terrestrial organisms especially in countries which are prone to severe environmental pollution due to the lack of appropria...

The kidney, as an excretory organ was investigated for heavy metal levels in cattle. The recent trends in environmental pollution problems have raised a global concern which calls for evaluation of pollutant levels in various environmental media. This study investigated the levels of lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and...

To assess the toxicity of certain discharged effluents and their potential impacts on the receiving water bodies in Nigeria, and in Ibadan as a case study, a whole effluent toxicity (WET) test was carried out on the effluents of five industries within Ibadan Metropolis. There has been a great concern about the level of safety of surface and undergr...

The quantity and generation rate of solid wastes in Nigeria have increased at an alarming rate over the years with lack of efficient and modern technology for the management of the wastes. The generation rate, collection and disposal of solid wastes are functions of several factors which if well considered and appropriated could bring the desired s...