The University of Lomé (French: Université de Lomé; abbreviated UL) is the largest university in Togo. Located in the city of Lomé, it was founded in 1970 as University of Benin (French: Université du Bénin) and changed its name to the University of Lomé in 2001.
To sustain vegetable production and enhance food supply, farmers increasingly rely on intensive pesticide use, raising significant public health and environmental concerns. This study characterized pesticide use patterns in vegetable farming, with emphasis on the prevalence of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), associated risks, and farmer practice profiles in Togo and Kenya, and identified determinants of safe or unsafe behaviors. A total of 219 farmers (162 in Togo and 57 in Kenya) were surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire and respondent-driven sampling. Phytosanitary practice typologies were assessed through Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) followed by hierarchical clustering. The results revealed the use of 157 distinct pesticide products, with Togo recording the highest diversity (105 products, 66.9
Abstract Objective Artisanal gold mining has rapidly expanded in Burkina Faso, but its respiratory impacts remain poorly documented. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of respiratory diseases among differently exposed populations and to identify associated factors. Methods An analytical and comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from 2015 to 2020 in Séguénéga (exposed site) and Gourcy (control site). Patients aged ≥ 15 years with a documented medical diagnosis were included. Multivariate binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with the occurrence of respiratory diseases. Results After exclusions, 1,274 records were retained (629 in Séguénéga, 645 in Gourcy). The overall prevalence of respiratory diseases was estimated at 29.4% (95% CI: 26.9–32.0), significantly higher (p = 0.01) in Séguénéga (32.8%, 95% CI: 29.1–36.6) compared to Gourcy (26.2%, 95% CI: 22.8–29.8). The main symptoms were cough (80.2%) and dyspnea (61.4%). Pulmonary tuberculosis was more common in Séguénéga than in Gourcy (3.2% vs. 0.5%; p = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, the exposed site (aOR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.06–1.87; p = 0.018), age (aOR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01–1.02; p < 0.001), history of asthma (aOR = 9.85, 95% CI: 4.72–20.6; p < 0.001), previous tuberculosis (aOR = 28.1, 95% CI: 8.4–93.5; p < 0.001), and poor nutritional status (aOR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.05–3.56; p = 0.035) were statistically associated with increased odds of respiratory diseases. Respiratory lethality reached 8.0% in Séguénéga compared to 1.2% in Gourcy (p < 0.001). Conclusion Artisanal gold mining is associated with an increased incidence of respiratory diseases and higher lethality in riverside areas, calling for preventive actions.
This study investigates the effect of deposition time on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of ZnO thin films synthesized by single-step chemical bath deposition (CBD) without the use of a seed layer. The films were systematically characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV-Visible spectroscopy in order to establish correlations between growth conditions and film properties. XRD analysis confirmed that all synthesized films are polycrystalline and crystallize in the hexagonal wurtzite structure, with average lattice parameters of a = 3.247 Å and c = 5.209 Å. The crystallite size increased slightly from 13.27 nm to 14.05 nm with increasing deposition time, indicating improved structural ordering and crystallinity. FTIR spectra verified the presence of characteristic Zn–O vibrational modes together with surface hydroxyl groups and other functional bonds related to the growth process. SEM images revealed a strong dependence of surface morphology on deposition time: ZnO microrods evolved from loosely distributed to more compact and densely packed assemblies as the deposition progressed, confirming enhanced film coverage. Optical measurements highlighted significant modifications in the transparency and band structure of the films. The average optical transmittance in the visible range decreased progressively from 68% to 52% when deposition time was extended from 30 to 120 minutes, reflecting increased film density. Concurrently, the optical band gap narrowed from 3.27 eV to 3.22 eV. These findings demonstrate that single-step CBD provides a reliable and controllable route for synthesizing ZnO thin films with tunable physical properties.
Industrial phosphate processing in fragile coastal ecosystems emits toxic stack particles, threatening environmental and human health across boundaries, yet critical knowledge gaps impede mitigation in vulnerable regions like Southern Togo. Current approaches lack high-resolution atmospheric deposition quantification, receptor-specific exposure linkages, secondary resuspension pathway integration, and context-adapted regulatory standards. This study pioneers a receptor-centric modelling framework to establish the first mechanistic chain connecting primary deposition to resuspended dust health risks. We integrate high-resolution (100 m/hourly) AERMOD View deposition modelling using validated hybrid meteorology, derive contextually adapted standards (annual: 31.5 g/m2; daily: 0.26 g/m2; hourly: 0.0036 g/m2) via modular EU benchmark localisation, and quantify resuspension-exposure pathways with calibrated flux modelling (Kres=1.2 & times; 10- 5 m- 1) and EPA risk protocols. Results demonstrate severe exceedances including hotspot (e.g. Zen Nath Nath) deposition at 53.05 g/m2/year (68% above standard) and extreme 1-hour peaks at 15.06 g/m2 (4,183-fold exceedance). Resuspended dust dominates health risks, particularly for children at schools and clinics, with hazard quotients reaching 111.55 (Goumou Kop & eacute; Dispensary) and carcinogenic risks for Cr(VI) at 2.67 & times; 10- 3 (2,670-fold above thresholds). This work redefines particulate risk paradigms by confirming resuspension as a critical exposure vector and provides an adaptable framework for receptor-specific mitigation, advancing science-backed policymaking under SDGs 3 and 11.
We establish the global-in-time existence and uniqueness of classical solutions to the unsteady initial-boundary value problem for the four-velocity planar Broadwell model in a rectangular domain. The result is obtained for sufficiently small initial and boundary data within the framework of discrete kinetic theory.
