Industrial pollution is one of the most dangerous that is a continuous threat for humanity. Evaluation of that pollution is the main aim of the current study through the detection of the accumulated heavy metals in its surrounding habitats mainly soil and flora as well as the response of insects towards this pollution. Therefore, seasonal collection of three different insect species were performed in addition to soil and the common plant; Zilla spina, at different sites of El-Sadat industrial city, Menofia, Egypt for four successive seasons during 2016 to 2017. The Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) extracted from the homogenate of the chosen insects were used as biomarkers for heavy metals pollution. Also, heavy metal contents in plant and soil samples were analyzed. Results showed varied activities for the investigated biomarkers depending on the study sites, providing a representative picture to the environmental state of that areas.

An assessment of Ijala-Ikeren wetland in the Niger Delta of Nigeria was conducted for 9 months for biodiversity data comprising flora and specific aquatic fauna (amphibians and insects) in order to inventorise the species and ecosystem and to ascertain the effects of anthropogenic and natural disturbances on the wetland ecosystem. Five sites comprising three sites within the mangrove swamp and two ponds at the fringes of the mangrove ecosystem were sampled. Data collection methods include insect and amphibian sampling, and a few abiotic data. Empirical data on fish fauna was also obtained from fishermen. The pH value of the sampled sites in the mangrove ranged between 4.7 and 6.1, while temperature ranged from 28 to 29°C. Red mangrove species (Rhizophora sp.) and few species of white mangrove (Avicennia sp.) were dominant plants. Only three insect species from three families were encountered and thirteen species of amphibians from three families were only encountered in ponds at the fringes of the wetland. Amphibians had the highest value of species richness index (d) (2.75) and diversity index (H′) (2.08). The acidic pH values maybe attributed to the influx of effluent from the Warri refinery about 2.5 km away and the low insect diversity is due to the salinity.Changing Ecosystems and Their Services 2 wetland is situated in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The Niger Delta region of Nigeria has four main ecological zones: Coastal Barrier Islands, Mangrove swamp forests, freshwater swamp and lowland rainforest. The mangrove swamp forest among these four ecological zones is the most affected by anthropogenic influences, as it has very poor regeneration potential [3].Anthropogenic disturbances in the Niger Delta include oil spills which has been extensive, difficult to assess and often underreported. According to [3], oil spillages in the Niger Delta most especially in the mangrove wetlands are never reported or merely branded minor without minimum post-spill containment, recovery and remediation responses. Also, the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) as cited by [4] had reported that the mangrove deforestation and degradation are some of the greatest factors that would cause species extinction in the Niger Delta region in the next 50 years. Consequently, it is frightening that depletion of the mangrove forest could eliminate 5-15% of species by 2020 [5]. The Niger Delta biodiversity, including the Ijala-Ikeren wetland is very important for the concomitant presence of rainforests, mangroves, and many endemic flora and fauna, which are affected by oil pollution from oil spills, usually from bunkering and pipeline vandalisation of the petroleum refinery facilities situated less than 2 km to the East of the Ijala-Ikeren Wetland as well as solid waste pollution.Oil pollution and its attendant impact on the creek ecology and the community are highly visible in the mangrove swamps due to proximity of the communities to refinery and oil pipelines criss-crossing the environment. The Ijala-Ikeren wetlan...

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract