Neonicotinoids have been the most commonly used insecticides since the early 1990s. Despite their efficacy in improving crop protection and management, these agrochemicals have gained recent attention for their negative impacts on non-target species such as honeybees and aquatic invertebrates. In recent years, neonicotinoids have been detected in rivers and streams across the world. Determining and predicting the exposure potential of neonicotinoids in surface water requires a thorough understanding of their fate and transport mechanisms. Therefore, our objective was to provide a comprehensive review of neonicotinoids with a focus on their fate and transport mechanisms to and within surface waters and their occurrence in waterways throughout the world. A better understanding of fate and transport mechanisms will enable researchers to accurately predict occurrence and persistence of insecticides entering surface waters and potential exposure to non-target organisms in agricultural intensive regions. This review has direct implications on how neonicotinoids are monitored and degraded in aquatic ecosystems. Further, an improved understanding of the fate and transport of neonicotinoids aide natural resource practitioners in the development and implementation of effective best management practices to reduce the potential impact and exposure of neonicotinoids in waterways and aquatic ecosystems.

The safety of water is usually determined by comparing its quality to recommended standards. The objective of this work was to determine whether the water supplied on Njala Campus is safe for drinking. The quality parameters investigated include coliform bacteria, turbidity, conductivity, total dissolved solids and nitrates. Samples were stored in a cooler with ice and transported to the laboratory within 30 minutes of collection. A checklist of questions to know the perception of residents was administered. According to the physical and biological results, the water is not safe for consumption. The turbidity and microbial counts were too high in most samples both in the wet and dry seasons. Additionally, over 80% of the respondents did not trust the water supply system. Most of them treat the supplied water by either boiling or disinfection before use. Most respondents complained of water-borne diseases but were not clear whether it is related to the water supplied. The chemical parameters, however, were acceptable: nitrate levels were low. In conclusion, the water is not safe for consumption as far as the physical and biological parameters are concerned. The campus water supply system needs improvement in terms of conveying raw and finished water, filter optimization, and satisfying the chlorine demand.

The world is hit by another pandemic that has created a global threat. The Coronavirus disease of 2019 has affected the entire human existence. The virus has taken over 1 million lives within 10 months. Governments are scrambling with different laws and regulations such as shelter-in-place orders, curfew, social distancing, mask-wearing, cancellation of public events, and traveling bans. These guidelines have helped reduce the spread and transmission of the virus in many countries, including some states in America. However, the virus has not only impacted lives, it has severally touched the agriculture, economy, and environment as well. This paper reviews the historical, origin, and mode of transmission of the COVID-19 and its impacts on human activities. On food production, it has created massive food insecurity around the world, especially in developing economies, resulting to collapse of small businesses and rising unemployment. Similarly, the environment has been largely impacted by improving ambient air quality and contributing to global waste management problems. Overall, the rate of increase in both atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) dropped. On the other hand, the planet has seen over 200 metric tons of medical waste per day since the outbreak of the virus. Finally, doctors, scientists and farmers need to work together to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on human survival in all aspects. Therefore, this paper provides review of the COVID-19 pandemic, its effect on humans, environment, economy, agriculture, employment, and the potential mitigations to address the challenges of the pandemic in the near future.

Grand Lake O'The Cherokees, the third largest reservoir located in northeastern Oklahoma, provides recreational services, water supply, hydroelectric power, and flood control to residents of Oklahoma and neighboring states. Grand Lake has experienced major problems with eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion during summer. To better understand the dynamics of DO depletion in the hypolimnion of Grand Lake, a three-layer steady state vertical DO model for summer-stratified conditions was used to investigate dissolved oxygen profiles both above and below the thermocline. The DO model was used to determine the relative effects of atmospheric reaeration and phytoplankton production as a source of DO and phytoplankton respiration, decomposition of organic matter, and nitrification as loss terms for DO. Additionally, the importance of sediment oxygen demand (SOD) for hypolimnetic oxygen depletion was investigated at the sediment water-interface under stratified conditions. Observed water quality data, kinetic coefficients from the literature, and physical, biological, and chemical data collected throughout 2013 and 2015 along the spatial gradient of riverine, transition, lacustrine zones and a site close to the Grand Lake Pensacola Dam were used in the pre-processing calculations to derive estimates of kinetic rates as input parameters to the model. The estimated predictions from the model showed reasonable agreement with the observed vertical profiles of DO. Conclusions from this study indicate that phytoplankton production, high light limitation, and phosphorus were the major terms that controlled DO production in the surface layer, while nitrification and organic carbon decomposition were the major sinks of DO consumption in the bottom layer. Interestingly, SOD did not play a significant role in DO depletion in the water column.