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Objectives This study aims to examine medical waste management (MWM) practices and identify the challenges of optimal MWM at the primary healthcare (PHC) level in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Study design This study was a cross-sectional survey of 265 primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) and health facilities (HFs) in Kebbi State. Methods The study tool used was a questionnaire adapted from the WHO rapid assessment tool on MWM and water sanitation. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 20 software. Results Data generated from 257 HWs were used in this study. Amidst other findings, only 65 (25%) HFs had MWM guideline or policy document; out of these 65HFs, only 19 (7%) of them had problem with its implementation. Only 42 (16%) HFs had a compensation package or a health insurance policy to take care of their health workers in case of MWM-associated hazards while 22 (9%) HFs had specific budgetary allocation for MWM. Only 105 (41%) HFs had trained staffers on MWM. Sharps, blood/body fluids and domestic wastes were the top three (3) wastes generated among the surveyed HFs. Medical waste treatment was on-site in 124 (48%) HFs and burn-and-bury method was the adopted method of medical waste disposal in 198 (77%) HFs. However, the majority (76%) of the surveyed HWs expressed dissatisfaction about the waste treatment practices adopted in their HFs. Conclusion Our study revealed a poor level of MWM practices in Kebbi State, Nigeria. The state government and partners need to urgently address the identified operational and policy gaps in MWM in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Furthermore, our study revealed the negative implication of fragmented governance and leadership structure at the PHC level on policy, practice and administration of medical waste management in the Kebbi State, Northwestern Nigeria. Addressing the gaps found in this study would contribute to the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in health and well-being, sustainable cities and communities and contribute to poverty eradication.

One of the effects of water in bituminous pavement is the stripping of aggregates from the mixture causing severe distresses such as potholes. In this study, fiber was produced using recycle plastics and it was used as reinforcement in bituminous mixture against moisture damage. The reinforcements were 0.3%, 0.5% 0.7% and 1.0% of the total weight of bituminous mixture with a view to determine the effective fiber dosage. The stripping potential of control and fiber reinforced mixtures were determined using moisture susceptibility test. From the test results, highest tensile strength ratio (TSR) was obtained in mixtures containing 0.5% recycle plastic fiber. The result also indicated higher indirect tensile strength for both dry and saturated at 0.5% plastic fiber reinforcement. For 0.7% and 1.0% recycle plastic fiber reinforced bituminous mixture, both tensile strength and tensile strength ratio were low compared to that of control mixture. From this study, reinforcing bituminous mixture using 0.5% recycle plastic proved to be effective in improving stripping resistance.

Climate change is often used interchangeably with the term global warming but, it is a much broader term which includes global warming and some other climate changes that are observed on our planet over the last few decades. In recent time climate change impacts are being felt, the average global temperature is on the rise every decade since the 1970s. Sea ice and glaciers are disappearing, rising sea levels, species are becoming extinct, droughts that render landscape more susceptible to wildfires, changing seasons and severe weather events are becoming more common. These are problems primarily caused by the emission of greenhouse gases into the environment that results to rise in global temperature. There seems to be a consensus among scientist, researchers and all other stakeholders that climate change is already happening and primarily caused by human activities, a few disagree with this view and attribute climate change as a natural phenomenon. The objective of this paper is to (i) introduce climate change in our world today, (ii) enumerate significant causes of climate change in our environment, as well as the effects (iii), suggest ways the impact of climate change due to GHG emissions and other contributors can be mitigated.

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) usage has increased recently due to the decreasing supply of liquid asphalt and concerns over adverse health effects when making use of petroleum-based/chemical recycling agents which increased the need for bio-based recycling agents designed to return the RAP binder to its original state. The objective of this study is to investigate the possibility of using jatropha curcas oil (JCO), which is a non-edible oil (do not compete with the food chain) that cannot be used for nutritional purposes due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors, such as phorbol esters, as a bio-base rejuvenating agent for aged bitumen. The physical properties and storage stability of the bio-oil, original bitumen, aged bitumen and rejuvenated bitumen were measured. The results of the investigation indicated that the bio-oil have potential to rejuvenate aged bitumen to condition that resembled the original bitumen, the use of the bio-oil show benefits from both health and environmental perspectives. Also the rejuvenated bitumen was found to be very stable in term of storage.

Objectives: To determine the reinforcing effect of a cheap Recycle Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) fibre on asphalt concrete strength. The aim of this study was achieved by performing Resilient Modulus (MR) test in the laboratory on both unreinforced (i.e. neat asphalt mixture) and recycle PET fibre reinforced asphalt concrete mixtures. Methods: The percentage additions of recycle PET fibres are 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7% and 1% of the total weight of the mixture. The result was analyzed by means of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) using Design Expert 7.0 software and validated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Findings: The results indicated that recycle PET fibres have significantly increased the mixtures’ resilient modulus in lower temperature hence improved fatigue resistance, and moderately increased mixtures, resilient modulus at higher temperature hence improved rutting resistance. Novelty/Improvement: This research has introduced a sustainable means of producing Recycle fibres for the reinforcement of asphalt concrete mixtures. Recycle PET fibre have proved to be effective in strength improvement at 0.7% of total weight of asphalt concrete mixture.

Concerns about the cost, availability, and environmental impact of using petroleumbased materials have led to increased usage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). Meanwhile, the demand of the road industry to decrease the energy consumptions and reduce the release of greenhouse gases as well as other harmful gases, which cause serious air pollution has increased due to the amount of energy consumed is a major component of pavement construction that significantly contributes to the total cost. This paper evaluates the effects of Biobased rejuvenator known as JCO on the required heat energy and the amount of CO2 produced to increase the temperature of RAP and virgin aggregates and one binder from 25C to the point of mixing. The results showed that incorporating Biobased rejuvenator (JCO) can potentially reduce the required heat energy and amount of greenhouse gas produced by RAP and virgin, respectively.