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Groundwater (well water) from a residential area within the vicinity of an industrial estate in Lagos, Nigeria were sampled and analysed by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy for their heavy metals content. This was with a view of assessing the quality of the water, which was being used for domestic activities, especially, drinking usually without treatment. Total trace metal determination by mineral acid digestion of water samples was applied. This method proved to be better than an extractive concentration technique in the quality assurance protocols with the recovery range being 90.7 ± 0.006–97.6 ± 0.003%. Mean concentration of trace metals in water samples ranged from Fe: 0.05–0.47 mg l−1; Al: 0.1–1.54 mg l−1; Cu: 0.14–1.39 mg l−1; Zn: 0.04–0.43 mg l−1; Cd: trace–0.02 mg l−1; Pb: trace–0.03 mg l−1, Mn: 0.01–0.18 mg l−1 and Ni: 0.02–0.11 mg l−1. Physical parameters of water samples examined were within the drinking water safety limits except for conductivity. Results generally indicate the presence of heavy metal constituents in groundwater samples. Detection of metals such as cadmium and lead which have serious health implications above WHO and USEPA limits in drinking water gives cause for concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: The study objective was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices on hypertension of 240 adult Nigerian Africans with hypertension and their impact on compliance with antihypertensive drugs METHOD: It was a descriptive survey of 240 consented consecutive adult patients with hypertension who attended the Cardiology Clinic of the Federal Medical Centre, Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria, between April 2008 and March 2009. The hospital is rural health institution in south west Nigeria RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen patients (47.5%) were men and 126 (52.5%) were women. Mean age was 48.8±13.2 years. Mean systolic and diastolic BP were 156.8±25.1 mmHg and 98.4±18.7 mmHg respectively. Only less than half (47.1%) showed good knowledge of their hypertension. However, 141 (58.8%) possessed good knowledge of their antihypertensive drugs. Knowledge of hypertension was better in women than in men (59.3% vs 40.7%, p=0.014). Compliance to medications was good in only 77 (32.1%) of the patients. The reasons attributed to included: poor knowledge of the disease and ignorance of the need for long-term treatment (95, 32.6%); high cost of medications (63, 21.7%); religious practices and cultural beliefs (37, 12.5%); adverse drug reactions (19, 6.5%); inadequate access to medical care (18, 6.2%); and use of complimentary medications (60, 20.5%). CONCLUSION: The majority of our hypertensive patients still have a poor knowledge of their disease with a significant negative impact on compliance with medications. No doubt, there is a need to invent more effective education strategies directed towards the public in general and the patients in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]