Quality

Quality of Water from Hand-Dug Wells in Nembe Town, Bayelsa State, Nigeria (Published)

This study examined the quality of water supply from hand-dug wells in Nembe town, Bayelsa State using sample survey design. Data was obtained from primary sources. To assess if the quality of groundwater supplied in Nembe town is safe for domestic and drinking purposes, the physico-chemical and microbial status of the groundwater were studied. Nembe town was stratified into ten neighbourhoods and a total of ten (10) hand dug well water samples was randomly collected from each of the sampled ten neighbourhoods and analyzed for twenty-one (21) paramaters in the month of November 2019. These samples were sent to the laboratory for physico-chemical and microbial analysis. The results of the study revealed that physico-chemical paramaters such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids(TSS), Sulphate (So₄^-2), Bicarbonate (HCo₃^-), Calcium (Ca), Sodium (Na), Manganese (Mn), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Iron (Fe), Chloride (CL), Nitrate (NO), Salinity, Total Alkalinity (TA) and Magnesium (Mg) are all within the permissible level of WHO and NESREA drinking water standards. Groundwater in the area have turbidity and potassium levels higher than the WHO and NESREA maximum permissible limits for drinking water standard. All the sampled hand dug wells have pH value within the permissible limit of drinking water except one which had pH value of 6.48 and considered too acidic for human consumption. Based on hardness, 70% of the groundwater samples are slightly hard water to hard water in nature. The result of the microbial analysis showed the presence of total coliforms, Total bacteria counts and fungi in all the hand dug wells. The ANOVA statistical tool was employed in testing the stated hypothesis and the results show that there is no significant spatial variation in the physico-chemical properties of water in the study area and that there is a significant spatial variation in the microbial properties of water in the study area. The result of the study was conclusive evidence that all the hand dug wells studied are not safe for domestic purpose especially for drinking as they were affected by some physico-chemical and biological parameters. Hence the affected wells call for periodic monitoring and treatment to improve the quality of the water.

Keywords: Pollution, Quality, Water, hand dug-wells

An Examination of the Problems encountered in applying quality assessment system by Lagos State Building Contractors (Published)

Citation: Ngozi Marykate Okoye, Kevin Chuks Okolie ; Okongwu Ikechukwu Michael (2022) An Examination of the Problems encountered in applying quality assessment system by Lagos State Building Contractors, British Journal of Environmental Sciences, Vol.10, No.2, pp. 13-22

The construction industry contributes 1% employment opportunities to Nigerians (Ding, 2008). According to the World Bank, an active industry should contribute at least 3.2% of the employment opportunities in the country. The aim of this study is to examine the problems encountered in applying quality assessment system in Lagos state. In order to realize this aim, the study examined challenges encountered by contractors..The study employed a descriptive case study design where data was collected from senior managers, project managers, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, and technical managers working with building construction companies in the Lagos Metropolitan Area using the mixed method approach. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaire from 109 randomly selected participants and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with 9 purposively selected respondents and analysed using the thematic analysis technique. The study shows challenges encountered by Contractors to include: Lack of adequate resources, inadequate skills and expertise, Casual/ temporary nature of construction workforce, Internal resistance, Lack of flexibility in existing tools and approaches etc. The study concludes that the most significant challenge encountered by local contractors when it comes to quality assessment is the lack of adequate resources and the study also identified staff training and education, integration of information technology, and increased involvement of senior leaders as the most important issues that they would like their organization to improve so as to increase the effectiveness of the quality assessment process.

Keywords: Assessment, Building Contractors, Examination, Lagos State, Quality, System

The Dynamics of Inflations in Nigeria as They Impact on the Environmental Quality of Enugu, Nigeria (Published)

The dynamics of inflation in Nigeria have affected various sectors. This paper sets out to examine how core and non-core (food) inflations in Nigeria have affected the environmental quality of Enugu Metropolis. Factor Analysis was used to reduce the various environmental quality variables into single factor score known as the ‘Y’ variable. The inflation rates of core and Non-core inflations in Nigeria for various years were used as the inflation variables (X₁ and X₂ respectively). The environmental quality variable was the dependent variable while inflation variables served as independent variables. Multiple linear regression was used to establish the relationship between the environmental quality variable and core and Non-core inflation variables. The results showed that in the coefficient of determination, adjusted r² = 0.958, indicating that 95.8% variation in the dependent variable (environmental quality) can be predicted from the independent variable (Core and Non-Core inflations). The environmental quality of Enugu metropolis was negatively impacted by the changes in core and Non-Core inflations in Nigeria. Encouragement of residential property development in various dimensions among others has been recommended to help ameliorate the situation.   

Keywords: Core, Environmental, Inflations, Non-Core, Quality

Inhabitants’ Rating of Neighbourhood Quality Indicators in Old Port- Harcourt Township (Published)

This study rated neighbourhood quality indicators by residents of old Port Harcourt Township in Port Harcourt municipality, Nigeria. Neighbourhood indicators were studied in situ without experimental manipulation and at one period in time, i.e. the study adopted a passive-observational research design. The study utilized both secondary and primary data sources. Primary data were collected using face-to-face administration of a largely pre-coded household questionnaire, to a probability sample of 193 respondents, drawn from the 2 communities. Data analysis was based on responses from 193 questionnaires retrieved and the univariate analytical method was adopted. The study found that large percentage of residents reported a negative rating of neighbourhood quality indicators such as waste collection and disposal, safety of lives and property, fire stations, cleanliness of the neighbourhood, residential planning, government provision of housing for the poor, hospitals/clinics, recreational areas, maintenance of streets, aesthetic condition, noise level and the neighbourhood condition. Residents rated markets adequate and fire hazards low. The study concluded that majority of the residents rated neighbourhood quality indicators inadequate. The study recommended that government should intervene in these areas to improve the neighbourhood quality to achieve sustainability.

Keywords: Inhabitants, Neighbourhood, Port Harcourt, Quality, Rating, indicators, residents

Inhabitants’ Rating of Neighbourhood Quality Indicators in Old Port Harcourt Township (Published)

This study rated neighbourhood quality indicators by residents of old Port Harcourt Township in Port Harcourt municipality, Nigeria. Neighbourhood indicators were studied in situ without experimental manipulation and at one period in time, i.e. the study adopted a passive-observational research design. The study utilized both secondary and primary data sources. Primary data were collected using face-to-face administration of a largely pre-coded household questionnaire, to a probability sample of 193 respondents, drawn from the 2 communities. Data analysis was based on responses from 193 questionnaires retrieved and the univariate analytical method was adopted. The study found that large percentage of residents reported a negative rating of neighbourhood quality indicators such as waste collection and disposal, safety of lives and property, fire stations, cleanliness of the neighbourhood, residential planning, government provision of housing for the poor, hospitals/clinics, recreational areas, and maintenance of streets, aesthetic condition, noise level and the neighbourhood condition. Residents rated markets adequate and fire hazards low. The study concluded that majority of the residents rated neighbourhood quality indicators inadequate. The study recommended that government should intervene in these areas to improve the neighbourhood quality to achieve sustainability

Keywords: Inhabitants, Neighbourhood, Port Harcourt, Quality, Rating, indicators, residents