Browsing by Author "Kyayesimira, Juliet"

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    Assessment of Cadmium and Lead in dried sewage sludge from Lubigi feacal sludge and wastewater treatment plant in Uganda
    (Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 2019) Kyayesimira, Juliet; Ssemaganda, Abbey; Muhwezi, Godfrey; Andama, Morgan
    Sludge contains organic and inorganic compounds including traces of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr) and others. These metals restrict the use of sludge in agriculture because their accumulation is harmful to the environment and particularly the food chain. Cadmium and lead are among the most common heavy metals found in municipal wastewater treatment plant sludge. They are capable of bioaccumulation in plant tissues like roots and leaves and are non-biodegradable and therefore they remain in the sludge which is disposed on land or used as fertilizers on farms. The presence of heavy metal pollutants serves as a great threat to soils and also makes plants grown on such soils unfit for animal and human consumption as they may have detrimental effects to animal and human life. For instance, Pb and Cd are known to be human carcinogens. This study therefore aimed to investigate the levels of Cd and Pb in the treated dry sludge from Lubigi Feacal Sludge and Wastewater treatment plant located in Kawempe division, Kampala city, Uganda so as to ascertain its safety for use on agricultural lands. Two batches of samples were collected and analyzed at Government Analytical laboratory in Wandegeya, Uganda. The acid digested sludge samples were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) method. The average concentrations of Pb found in collected sludge samples, batch 1 (11.912 mg/kg dm) and batch 2 (5.304 mg/kg dm) were far below the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) maximum permissible concentration (840 mg/kg) for any land application. Cadmium was not detected in all the sludge samples collected; there is an implication that it is either completely absent in the sludge generated by the plant or present but far below detectable levels. The sludge generated from Lubigi fecal sludge and wastewater treatment plant is therefore safe for application on agricultural lands as far as Pb and Cd concentrations are concerned.
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    Causes of losses and the economic loss estimates at post-harvest handling points along the beef value chain in Uganda
    (Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 2019) Kyayesimira, Juliet; Wangalwa, Rapheal; Kagoro-Rugunda, Grace; Lejju, Julius Bunny; Matofari, Joseph W.; Andama, Morgan
    Uganda’s beef industry has been growing slowly and requires sustained monitoring of actors at postharvest handling points in order to decrease public health risks and losses. This study documented causes of losses and estimated economic values at post-harvest handling points along the beef value chain. It was carried out at slaughter houses, transporters and butcher shops in the districts of Western, Central and Eastern Uganda. A cross sectional study was conducted among meat handlers who were interviewed to find out the losses incurred in the value chain. Microbial load from carcass swabs were collected and evaluated using standard microbiological methods to determine microbial contamination of beef. The causes of losses varied at different handling points. The actors at slaughter houses indicated the major losses were due to low beef demand (15.3%), insecurity (13.4%) and poor weight estimation methods (11.03%). Losses at the butchery included, beef waste (22.4%), drip loss (19.7%) and beef spoilage (18.4%). Microbial analysis showed the highest microbial prevalence at the butchery (70-100%) followed by slaughter (50-80%) and lastly transport (30-50%). Microbial contamination on carcass leads to spoilage and hence market loss because exportation does not admit contaminated foods. Actors reported beef waste and drip loss as the major causes of losses at the butchery. To reduce losses, public health care education for meat handlers and adherence to strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) are a key.
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    Studies on the utilization and proximate composition of wild Aframomum anguistifolium (sonn.) K. Schum fruits in Nakaseke district, Uganda.
    (African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development, 2019) Kyayesimira, Juliet; Mawanda, Ivan; Andama, Morgan; Safari, David
    Nakaseke district is located in the central region of Uganda and has high abundance of edible Aframomum anguistifolium (wild cardamom) fruit, locally known as “Amatuunguru’’. The fruit is consumed by only few people who access it from the wild and there is limited information on the nutritional benefits of the fruit. This study determined the utilization and consumptive benefits of A. anguistifolium fruits among the local communities of Nakaseke district as well as the proximate composition of the fruit. A cross-sectional survey using an interview guide was conducted to establish the utilization and consumptive benefits of the fruit while the proximate composition (crude protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber and ash, moisture) was determined using standard methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The results revealed that fruits are collected and consumed by the local communities because of their nutritional and medicinal values. A. anguistifolium plant is not domesticated despite the different consumptive benefits accrued from it. The results revealed that children are the major collectors (consumers) of the fruit (48%) compared to women and men and they collect the fruit from the wild as they go about their chores like collecting firewood, tending grazing animals and fetching water. The fruit’s availability is highest in the rainy season and maturity indicators include the fruit exocarp turning red in colour. The exocarp is removed and thrown away during consumption leaving the inside part which is edible. The fruit was found to contain moisture (72.98%). The content of the dry matter was ash (13.97%), crude fat (4.35%), crude protein (6.82%), crude fiber (12.55%) and nitrogen- free extracts/NFE (62.30%). Hence the fruit is a suitable supplement for moisture, fats, proteins and crude fiber needed in human diet. The plant is still collected from the wild and grows mainly in swampy areas (wetlands) which are being cleared for agriculture, settlement and road construction. This plant could be endangered if its conservation is not prioritized.