JMU-UCC REU Program - Summer 2005
Abstracts of Projects
Determination of cadmium concentration in water and blackchin tilapia in the Fosu Lagoon, Cape Coast (Elizabeth Gingold) The purpose of this project was to determine whether the level of cadmium present in the water and blackchin tilapia in the Fosu Lagoon in Cape Coast, Ghana exceeds international standards for aquatic health and human consumption. Six sites along the lagoon where chosen for water sampling, based on land use at each site and samples were collected weekly over a 4-week period in June. Blackchin tilapia were purchased from local fishermen weekly. Fish and water samples were prepared using an acid digestion procedure (Forson, 2005) and cadmium content was determined using flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). No statistically significant difference between cadmium levels at the different sites was found. Average cadmium levels in the water did not exceed the U.S. E.P.A.'s Criterion Continuous Concentration for water quality in saltwater (0.0088 mg/L), and the concentration of cadmium in the tilapia was found to be significantly lower than the EC's maximum for fish muscle for human consumption (0.05 mg/kg). While the data suggests that cadmium in the lagoon is unlikely to be a threat to aquatic or human health, other indications of different types of pollution have been observed and should be more thoroughly investigated.
Assessment of the Pollinator Diversity on Agricultural and Forest Habitats of Coastal Ghana. (Willa Brown) The study was an examination of the diversity and abundance of the insect and pollinator community on two habitats in the Central Region of Ghana. I compared the insect communities collected from the fringes of the University of Cape Coast Nature Reserve with that of a plot of the cucumber Cucumis sativus at the University School Farm. The data was gathered using a variety of different sampling methods, including pan- traps, a malaise trap, sweep nets, and observations made of individual flowering plants. Analysis of the data included the classification and identification of the specimens retrieved from the traps, statistical comparisons of the insect populations, and the calculation of several indices measuring species diversity. I found the uncultivated forest site to be the more diverse of the two habitats, both in terms of the general insect population and the known pollinators. The honeybee, Apis melifera, was the most frequent floral visitor on the farm site while in the forest, native bees and other insects were more common. A further study of the pollination structure of the local community is recommended due to its important in both agricultural and conservational issues.
The Isolation of Alkaloids from Cryptolepis sanguinolenta: A Plant Used in the Treatment of Malaria (Sharonda Johnson) Cryptolepis sanguinolenta is a plant found in Western Africa and tests have shown that it contain alkaloids such as cryptolepine and quindoline. Through various extraction techniques and column chromatography, five compounds were isolated from C. sanguinolenta and they were labeled E1, E2, E3, H1, and H2. The compounds tested positive for the presence of alkaloids when undergoing the Drangendorff test and, therefore, each compound has been identified as being an alkaloid. The melting point of H2 was determined to be between 270.2 and 273.7 degrees Celsius. Further research will enable the identification of the alkaloids present in Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, eventually allowing for tests to be conducted determining each alkaloid's pharmacological effect on the parasite causing malaria as well as on other medical conditions anddiseases.
Production and characterization of biodiesel fuel from plant species available in the coastal region of Ghana. (Megan Dudevoir) Biodiesel is an alternative to petrol diesel derived from the oils of plants. It consists of mono-alkyl esters of fatty acids from plant oils. The mono-alkyl esters are produced through a catalyzed transesterification reaction of the oil's triglycerides and alcohol. Three plant species from the coastal region of Ghana, West Africa, Ricinus communis, Jatropha curcas, and Azadirachta indica, were investigated to determine their feasibility as feedstock of biodiesel. The oils were extracted and underwent transesterification. In order to characterize the viability of the fuels, the kinematic viscosity was determined and compared to that of petrol diesel.
