Journal of Environmental Engineering and Studies

Socio-economic Determinants of Health in Port Harcourt Slums, Nigeria: Bridging the Gap between Informal Reality and Formal Urban Renewal Policies

2026-02-20T10:31:31+00:00

Context/Problem: The rapid urbanization of Port Harcourt has led to a proliferation of informal settlements where health outcomes are deeply compromised by a “clash of rationalities” between resident survival strategies and state-led urban renewal policies. Objective: This study aimed to identify the socio-economic factors influencing health status, assess the relationship between housing quality and communicable diseases, and evaluate the impact of current urban renewal policies. Methodology: Adopting a qualitative phenomenological design, the study focused on 10 purposively selected settlements. Data were collected from 300 respondents via open-ended questionnaires, 20 key informant interviews (KIIs), and “walk-through” observations. Findings: Results revealed a significant “poverty-health nexus,” where 72% of residents engage in precarious informal labor, leading to a 68% reliance on informal Patent Medicine Vendors. 90% of respondents in industrial fringes reported respiratory issues linked to “black soot.” Residents view urban renewal as “state-sponsored homelessness,” discouraging private investment in sanitation. Conclusion: The disconnect between formal policy and informal reality exacerbates health vulnerabilities.

Investigating Factors Concerning Eco-friendly Product Adoption among Students: Mediating Role of Attitude and Moderating Role of Environmental Concern

2026-02-16T06:03:02+00:00

The increasing level of environmental sustainability has increased the desire to comprehend the dynamics of eco-friendly consumption, especially among consumers of younger age groups. The study explores the factors that affect the intention of students to consume eco-friendly products through the combination of the planned behaviour and the value-belief-norm framework. The research work investigates the role of knowledge of the environment, perceived environmental benefits and perceived product effectiveness affecting the intention to use, with the mediating role of attitude and the moderating role of environmental concern. The research design used was a quantitative cross-sectional study. The data was gathered by use of an online survey conducted on the students of universities and colleges in the northern region of India. The data cleaning on the 550 received responses has yielded 513 valid questionnaires. The reliability and validity of the measurement model were checked with the help of confirmatory factor analysis. The results of structural models showed that the attitude to eco-friendly products was affected by the environmental knowledge, the perception of the positive effect of the environment, and the perceived effectiveness of the product significantly and positively. Attitude proved to be a good predictor of intention to use eco-friendly products and mediated significantly between all perception-based antecedents and intention. Moreover, environmental concern was observed to have a significant moderator effect on the attitude-intention relationship, whereby the association was greater between the students who had a great environmental concern. The results emphasize the key role of the attitudinal mechanisms in the process of converting perceptions into environmentally friendly consumption intention and the value-based factors in enhancing the results. The article also has theoretical implications, giving an extension of TPB with value-oriented constructs and has practical implications that can be used by educators, policymakers, and marketers aiming at encouraging sustainable consumption among students.

Particulate Matter as a Systemic Toxicant: Molecular Mechanisms and Multi-Organ Pathophysiological Effects

2026-01-08T06:19:29+00:00

Particulate Matter (PM) constitutes a major fraction of ambient air pollution and is widely recognized as a critical contributor to global morbidity and mortality. Owing to their small aerodynamic diameter and complex chemical composition, particulate pollutants possess the ability to penetrate biological barriers, deposit deep within the respiratory tract, and subsequently translocate into the systemic circulation. Once internalized, PM can interact with or accumulate in multiple organ systems, thereby extending its toxic effects well beyond the lungs. Increasing evidence from epidemiological studies and experimental models indicates that exposure to particulate matter triggers a range of adverse biological responses, including excessive oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, immune maladjustment, and metabolic dysregulation. These interrelated mechanisms disrupt cellular homeostasis and compromise normal physiological functions across tissues. Importantly, the health impacts of PM exposure are not limited to isolated organs but instead reflect a systemic pathological process. Shared molecular and cellular pathways, such as reactive oxygen species generation, activation of pro-inflammatory signalling cascades, mitochondrial impairment, and altered immune responses, appear to underlie the development of diverse organ-specific diseases. This review integrates current epidemiological findings with mechanistic experimental evidence to provide a comprehensive understanding of the systemic consequences of particulate matter exposure. By highlighting the convergence of common biological pathways across different organ systems, the review reinforces the concept of particulate matter as a ubiquitous systemic toxicant with broad and far-reaching implications for human health.

Chemical Evaluation on Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Composition in Freshwater and Saltwater Media Using Gas Chromatographic Analysis

2026-02-18T09:00:53+00:00

Temperature is a critical factor influencing the fate, distribution, and persistence of petroleum hydrocarbons in aquatic environments. This study investigates the effect of temperature and exposure time on the compositional variation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in saltwater and freshwater media using gas chromatography (GC). Crude oil-contaminated water samples were subjected to controlled temperatures ranging from 15 to 120°C and analyzed at 1-hour and 6-hour exposure intervals. GC results revealed distinct temperature-dependent changes in hydrocarbon profiles, characterized by the progressive depletion of low-molecular-weight alkanes (C₈–C₁₂) and the relative persistence of higher-carbon fractions (C₂₀–C₃₁). At lower temperatures (15–30°C), mid-range hydrocarbons such as n-undecane (C₁₁), n-decane (C₁₀), and n-tridecane (C₁₃) dominated the TPH composition. As the temperature increased to 45–75°C, isoprenoids such as pristane (Pr) and phytane (Ph) became increasingly dominant, indicating preferential volatilization and degradation of straight-chain alkanes. At elevated temperatures (90–120°C), the hydrocarbon spectrum narrowed significantly, with TPH profiles dominated by Pr, C₂₀, C₂₇, and C₃₁ fractions. The findings demonstrate that temperature and exposure duration play decisive roles in controlling hydrocarbon fractionation and environmental persistence, with important implications for oil spill modeling, remediation strategies, and ecological risk assessment in aquatic systems.

The Importance and Impact of Environmental Sustainability in Industries and its Current Scenario

2026-01-13T09:24:13+00:00

Environmental sustainability is critical in the current scenario for preserving planetary health and human well-being by balancing resource use with the needs of future generations. Its importance is evident in mitigating climate change, protecting ecosystems and biodiversity, and ensuring access to clean air and water. Globally, there is an increasing effort to move away from unsustainable practices such as fossil fuel dependence and transition toward cleaner energy sources. This shift not only promotes environmental protection but also fosters technological innovation and economic resilience. The word “sustains” literally means “to keep going”, reflecting the ongoing effort to maintain balance between human progress and the planet’s capacity to support life. The study demonstrates that implementing planned energy-efficiency measures can significantly reduce electricity consumption in paper mills. Installing high-efficiency motors and variable frequency drives on key equipment, such as pumps, fans, and paper-making machinery, resulted in measurable energy savings, with some systems achieving reductions of 10 to 18 percent compared to their baseline consumption. Correcting power factors and mitigating electrical noise improved overall power quality, reducing additional energy requirements and losses caused by voltage fluctuations. Energy monitoring and audits played a crucial role in identifying peak usage periods and underperforming equipment, enabling adjustments in process operations and better management of energy loads. Upgrading lighting systems to LED fixtures and incorporating sensor-based controls further contributed to reducing unnecessary energy use. Collectively, the combination of these strategies resulted in overall energy savings of 15 to 25 percent, delivering significant cost reductions and enhancing operational efficiency. These findings illustrate that a comprehensive approach integrating equipment modernization, process optimization, and continuous energy monitoring is highly effective for enhancing energy performance in paper mills.