A Determination of Phytoremediation by Native Species in Bauxite Spoil Dump: A Case Study of Kara-Kara, Linden, Guyana | Chapter 9 | Research Advances in Environment, Geography and Earth Science Vol. 8

 

The difficulty in selecting species that can grow in degraded bauxite areas is a result of limited information on the Silviculture and ecological requirements of tropical native/exotic species. The main aim of this project was to assess the phytoremediation properties of the native species in areas degraded by bauxite mining. This study was conducted on an experimental site located in Kara Kara bauxite mined dump in Linden, Guyana. Soil and plant samples were collected from the study area. The study site was colonized by four native species Chrysobalanus icaco (Fat pork), Tapirira guianensis (Duka), Maprounea guianensis (Awati), and Anacardium occidentale (Cashew). One-way ANOVA from Statistix 10 Software Package was utilized to compare the heavy metal concentrations at two soil depths (0–15 cm and 15–30 cm). Very low levels of heavy metals presence were observed from the results of soil analysis in the study area. Lead (Pb) recorded the highest heavy metals concentration (13ppm) in the soil. Cadmium (Cd) had the lowest (0.3ppm) when compared to Arsenic (As) and Mercury (Hg) which had 3ppm and 1ppm respectively. The presence of heavy metals (Arsenic and Mercury) was found in plant tissues of the four species that colonized the study area. Awati and Cashew had the highest heavy metal concentration of Arsenic with 4ppm for Awati and 3ppm Cashew. The concentration of the other three heavy metals was too negligible to report on. In conclusion, the four native species Chrysobalanus icaco (Fat pork), Tapirira guianensis (Duka), Maprounea guianensis (Awati), and Anacardium occidentale (Cashew) have the ability to phytoremediate Arsenic and Mercury however not Cadmium and Lead. More trials needed to be conducted at different bauxite mined sites on the two species Awati and Cashew for phytoremediation and rehabilitation. This research should be replicated over a longer period of time at different bauxite sites with other species in order to identify those that can phytoremediate Pb and Cd.

 

Author(s) Details

Wilkinson Keola
Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia Georgetown, Guyana.

 

Lewis Susy
University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Greater Georgetown, PO Box 10-1110, Guyana.

 

Lewis Lawrence
University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Greater Georgetown, PO Box 10-1110, Guyana.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/raeges/v8/1713

Corticolous Lichen Diversity on Trees in Urban and Suburban Settings in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Guyana | Chapter 3 | Advanced Research in Biological Science Vol. 1

 Given the insufficiency of information on corticolous lichens in city and suburban areas in Guyana, this study was conducted to label, document and compare corticolous lichen variety on the barks of trees in city and suburban surroundings in New Amsterdam, Guyana. Within each of four study sites a 50m by 20m plot was delineated and healthful mature trees were sampled for the occupancy of corticolous lichens. Forty-one athletic trees from five species were intentional using (10cm by 50cm) graduated system quadrats on the tree core (N, S, E, W) at 150cm height. This study written 14978 individual lichens belonging to 10 classifications, 13 genera and 18 class. Species richness, smoothness and diversity of corticolous lichens communities were driven and Shannon Diversity Index, Simpson’s Diversity Index, Pielou’s Index, Menhinick’s Index and Whittaker’s diversity index were secondhand as the basis for equating lichen difference. The results revealed that the city sites studied were more various and had a higher variety richness and species smoothness than the suburban sites. The overall variety (0.8902) of New Amsterdam was indicative of a very various lichen society. Pairwise comparison of Whittaker’s suspect diversity index for all four sites was 0.5. Menhinick’s Index for copiousness for New Amsterdam was 0.1471. Cladonia parasitica, Hypotrachyna laevigata and Usnea cornuta were restricted to Swietenia mahagoni trunks and Dirinaria applanate was restricted to Cocos nucifera. Corticolous flowerless plant diversity arose to have been affected by the difference of host trees because the species copiousness of corticolous lichens decreased as host forest specificity decreased.

Author(s) Details:

Bebe Raazia Bacchus,
Division of Natural Sciences, University of Guyana, Berbice Campus, Tain, Corentyne, Guyana.

Phillip N. B. Da Silva,
Division of Natural Sciences, University of Guyana, Berbice Campus, Tain, Corentyne, Guyana.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/ARBS-V1/article/view/11465

Exploring the Attitudes and Practices of Pharmacists and Physicians towards Bush Medicine in Guyana| Chapter 6 | Recent Developments in Medicine and Medical Research Vol. 14

 Aims: To investigate physicians' and pharmacists' views and behaviours about bush medicine (including personal use), as well as the factors that influence their attitudes. Also, to see if a video educational intervention has an effect on attitudes.

Introduction: In the Caribbean, the term "bush medicine" refers to medicinal plants that are commonly employed by traditional healers and is considered one part of traditional medicine.

The study used a cross-sectional design with registered physicians and pharmacists.

The study involved a total of 274 people: 134 pharmacists who were attending their first Continuing Pharmacy Education (CPE) of 2015 and 140 physicians who were attending their annual Medical Scientific Conference.

Methodology: A self-administered, pre-tested questionnaire was provided and collected, followed by a video intervention and a post-intervention questionnaire. Latent class cluster analysis was used to analyse the data, and the best-fitting model was selected primarily using the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). To evaluate connections with demographic characteristics and the impact of the intervention, researchers used logistic and multinomial regression, as well as Fisher's exact test.

The majority of the participants (56.4 percent) were between the ages of 20 and 30, and the majority (52 percent) had fewer than five years of professional experience. Pharmacists were more enthusiastic about herbal medicine than physicians. Patients should inform their physician/pharmacist about their use of bush medicine, according to the majority (99%), yet just 53% do so on a regular basis. More than half of those polled (52%) had tried bush medicine in the past, but just 38% had ever advocated it. Further than 90% of respondents said that clinical trials with bush medicine should be undertaken before it is utilised, and 88 percent wanted more training. Ethnicity, years of professional experience, and profession influenced views, and the intervention resulted in a more positive opinion about bush medicine.

Conclusion: While most participants expressed reservations about bush medicine, they were eager to learn more and were eager to participate in clinical trials. The content in the movie should be used as a framework for evidence-based clinical research and teaching at the tertiary level or future continuing education sessions.

Author(S) Details

Ede Tyrell
Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Guyana, Guyana.

Karishma Jeeboo
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Guyana, Guyana.

Jewel Edmonson-Carter
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Guyana, Guyana.

Troy Thomas
Department of Mathematics, Physics & Statistics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Guyana, Guyana.

Rajini Kurup
Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Guyana, Guyana.

View Book:- https://stm.bookpi.org/RDMMR-V14/article/view/4984