Human systems-Co-ordination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human systems-Co-ordination - Essay Example The hormones released by the gland effect on growth, sexual development, metabolism and system of reproduction. Pituitary Gland consists of anterior pituitary and posterior Pituitary (Endocrine System) Growth hormone - stimulates growth in early days and is vital for keeping up a strong body composition. In grownups it is also responsible for retaining muscle mass and bone mass. It can influence fat allocation in the body. Antidiuretic hormone - is stored in the posterior pituitary gland and adjusts water balance. Improper release of this hormone, this can lead to salt problems and water balance, and could can affect the kidneys. The hypothalamus is division of the brain that lies just over the pituitary gland. It discharges hormones that begin and end the release of pituitary hormones. The hypothalamus regulates hormone production in the pituitary gland by several "releasing" hormones. Some of these are growth hormone-releasing hormone, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, and corticoptropin-releasing hormone, Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (The hormone Foundation) Humoral factors assist to build up the lymphoid system, which is a system throughout the body that facilitate it to achieve a mature immune response in cells to defend them from attacking germs and bacteria. (Definition of Thymus) Pineal Gland has long been interest for the medical experts. It is located at the center of the brain It secretes a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin regulates sleeping habits. Studies prove an increased production of this hormone when night falls and thus people feel sleepy; when morning arrives the melatonin production drops which triggers alertness. (Dr. Gary Farr 2003) These are male’s twin reproductive glands that produce a hormone called testosterone. Testosterone assist a boy build up and then continue his sexual behavior. Throughout puberty, testosterone aids to carry about the physical modifications that turn a boy into an adult

Court system in England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Court system in England - Essay Example The first right of the defendant starts when the court says that defendant's presence in the court for any indictable offence is necessary. There are cases where the defendants are intimidated, threatened, kidnapped or sometimes even eliminated so that they cannot attend the court. Under such circumstances, these courts order a decree of Habeus Corpus. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, a defendant cannot be tried without being present. Magistrate courts deal with summary offences, which are less serious cases like minor assaults or driving offences and these offences are not eligible to be tried by the jury being rather legally insignificant. They also deal with Either-way offences and they are called so, because they could either be dealt by judge and jury or by a magistrate, which is usually the case. Offences here include theft, handling of stolen goods, etc. Here the right of the defendant is upheld by making the defendant to ask for either a Crown trial or a Magistrate trial and the choice belongs not to the court, but to the defendant. In case if the offence is of a more serious kind, magistrate himself might commit the defendant to a trial by the jury and under those circumstances, defendant's rights are not considered. Magistrate courts cannot try Indictable-only offences, and these are of a more serious kind like murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery. ... There is a distinction between summary and indictable offences. Jurisdiction and procedure usually are affected by this distinction because the distinction is fundamental. "Summary offences can be tried only in magistrate's courts, while indictable offences are triable on indictment before a jury. Summary offences are all creatures of statute, and the particular statute lays down the mode of trial and the appropriate penalty," Arguile (1969, p.41). The decision on bail and other connected legal issues like reporting restrictions are usually conducted by magistrate courts before the case goes to the Crown court. Again there is an option for the defendant. He could opt for a trial at the magistrate court and such a plea could be considered. If the defendant is found guilty, at that stage, or at any other stage, magistrates can impose a sentence up to six months imprisonment along with a fine up to 5000 and if the defendant is acquitted, and if there are no other connected or unconnected cases pending against him the magistrates can set him free as a legally innocent person. There are diverse kinds of legal presence in magistrate courts. There could be three lay magistrates or one District Judge and both the situations are perfectly acceptable to law. The lay magistrates are called Justices of the Peace and are usually the local people who volunteer their services. Despite not having any formal legal qualifications, the legal hist ory says that these magistrates have functioned very well over the years. They are given legal and procedural training and advice by the qualified clerks though. This prompts a question: Do such magistrates command the same respect from clerks, defendants and other legal fraternity Well, this is a different legal matter,

Not Real Apology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Not Real Apology - Essay Example Although both Lewinsky and Clinton initially both refuted the affair before a grand jury. They eventually admitted to the affair on national television. Clinton later on apologized to his family, the American people and to God for the affair. By conducting a rhetorical analysis of the speech that was given by President Clinton as he apologized, this paper will seek to argue that President Clinton did not want to make an apology to his family and country. An analysis of President Clinton’s speech in his apology reveals some elements that hint at the probability that President Clinton did not really want to apologize to his family and America. These elements include: In his speech, President Clinton alludes to the fact that he had just finished testifying before both the grand jury and the Office of Independent Counsel (OIC). He mentioned that although he had answered the questions in a truthful manner, he had answered a number of questions pertaining to his own private life; questions which he points out no American citizen would ever want to answer. This statement hints at the fact that President Clinton might have been forced to answer a number of questions which he was not quite comfortable with answering. The opening statement also suggests that it is quite possible that Clinton was using the speech not as an apology, but as a means to denounce the OIC and the Grand Jury for the fact that he had been forced to answer a number of private questions pertaining to himself. This position is further strengthened by the fact that in his next paragraph, Clinton does not apologize but instead argues that during a deposition that had been conducted in January, although he had not volunteered any information, his answers during the deposition had been legally accurate. Clinton does not apologize for his relationship with Miss Lewinsky but instead terms it as having been wrong. Immediately after terming the relationship as a personal

World Hunger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

World Hunger - Essay Example As George Michael vividly shows in his 1990 song "Praying for Time", "These are the days of the hungry man", with 25 000 thousand daily dying of hunger and 852 million living without adequate food (WFP 2006) - more than the combined populations of the USA, Canada, the EU. While we sit at our tables and splurge on chicken by "Mac" and "Kentucky"; pork ribs and rind; garden and crunchy slaw salads; baked, mashed and fried potatoes, and more, thousands of people in Calcutta are eating lentil stew for their unique daily meal. While our children drink twenty ounces of soda and juice everyday, countless children in Bangladesh would give - and sometimes do give - an arm and a leg for a mouthful of clean water. While we have the luxury of dieting, vegetarianism, anorexia and bulimia, hundreds of people in Darfour only have aid rations spooned out under refugee tents or dropped from whirring helicopters. While we can pick, choose and refuse from the confusion of cow's milk, goat's milk, soy m ilk and rice milk, undernourished mothers in Ethiopia weep in despair over drooping desiccated breasts that have not even an ounce of human milk for their famished babies. It is impossible to wrap one's mind around the 518 billion dollars of US military expenditure in 2005 (Wikipedia 2006): money that could provide food aid to the entire population of hungry, malnourished and undernourished peoples for five hundred years! When we sit and eat our "dollar meals", we don't stop to think that around the world, 1.2 billion people have to survive on only the cost of that meal per day (BOL 2006). Our mindless lavish spending - 400 dollars for an iPod to listen to hours of music, or for a PSP2 to play hours of games - we are oblivious to the fact that the cost of those now-simple pleasures could provide much needed food, employment and medication to four families for a month. Instead, as George Michael bemoans, "The rich declare themselves poor/ and most of us are not sure/ if we have too much, but we'll take our chances/ 'cause God stopped keeping score." Except in the rare music video or news telecast, we no longer are confronted with pictures of pot-bellied children in the shanty towns of Jakarta or Bogot with sore-ravished oversize heads and squall on their mouths who squat by slum drains drinking fly- and disease-infested water just meters downstream from where dead animals lay, women wash dirty clothes, and men dump pails of urine and feces. We cannot imagine the trauma of the 800 million undernourished people eking out an existence in India, China, Africa, Asia, Latin America (WFP 2006), buffeted on all sides: poverty on the right, natural disasters on the left, AIDS, dysentery, typhoid from the front, and ethnic, civil and religious wars from behind. We sometimes purge our consciences with token telethons and all-star songs. Yet for the most part we sit in our comfortable bubbles, isolated and insulated from the suffering multitudes outside our windows and inside our television sets. As George Michael points out, "These are the days of the empty hand/ Oh you hold on to what you can/ And charity is a coat you wear twice a year". Every day we pass hungry people with outstretched palm on the sidewalk as we zing by in our rose-tinted Benzes and Escalades. 'Superstars'

Employment Story Essay Example for Free

Employment Story Essay I first joined the army in 1996 and have been part of what most soldiers probably considers as the most important unit of any command, the Food Supply Unit. My battlefield is the kitchen where I rose from the ranks where my army soldier rank promotions became commensurate to my rise in the kitchen ranks. When I became Private First Class in 98, I also earned the title of First Cook. 2001 saw me become a Staff Sergeant on the field and a Senior First Cook in the Mess Kitchen. Currently, I am now Sergeant First Class and serving as the Dining Facility Manager as well. Being a Dining Facility Manager is not an easy job. I have to know how to manage twenty-five people and multi task between meal planning, cooking, and food distribution at base camp and on the field. Sometimes, it can turn into a real headache, especially when I have to accomplish the job in a war zone situation. I have done everything from planning meal drops to soldiers on the field, preparing the commanding officers meals, and when unavoidable, I can plan wedding receptions for my comrades who get married on base camp as well. I believe that I have served both my country and my fellow soldiers well. Together with my unit, I have done duty on two peace keeping missions as well as served in the war. I know that a soldier cannot fight on an empty stomach that is why my priority on the battle field is to make sure that all the units are well fed regardless of the combat situation. When somebody offers me a new job, I always tell that person the story about how I got to combine my two passions in the world into one very important job. Ive always been a patriot and a cook at heart. Working in the army has allowed me to live my dream job. That is to serve and protect my country and the free world while cooking up a storm and learning new recipes while serving on the field.

Effective Human Resource Planning Essay Example for Free

Effective Human Resource Planning Essay The key to effective human resource management is human resource planning 1.0 Introduction Human Resources (HR) Management is a multifaceted function. This entity has an important place within companies in helping key personnel decide on the best staff for their needs, among other things. Sometimes, the employees chosen are full-time employees already working for the company or they could be contractors. Regardless, the goal of HR Management is to choose the most qualified person for the job. Again, HR Management is a group of professionals that wear many hats, some of which include employee benefits and compensation, hiring and terminating employees, and managing personnel policies and employee records. While smaller companies will often perform the tasks of HR Management on their own, most, larger corporations choose to hire professionals to oversee the entire HR department so we can say that the key to effective human resource management is human resource planning, as it is stated by Mark and Cynthia, it involves strategic plans, then devising ways to meet these objectives . In this essay I will try to focus on strategic planning which is a major factor of planning. 2.0 Aims of strategic plans The history of strategic planning begins in the military. According to Websters New World Dictionary, strategy is the science of planning and directing large-scale military operations, of maneuvering forces into the most advantageous position prior to actual engagement with the enemy (Guralnic, 1986). In an address to the strategic planning workshop director-general of kwazulu-Netal RK Sizani said employees must be able to advise, facilitate, support, consult, guide, monitor, resolve disputes and recommend strategic interventions to government and departments. They must be capable of producing rules, procedures, norms, frameworks, standards, draw common plans and goals which will enhance co-ordination. They require people who are experienced and somewhat capacitated and not junior entry  level officers. As organizations vary in size, aims, functions, complexity, construction, the physical nature of their product, and appeal as employers, so do the contributions of human resource management. But, in most the ultimate aim of the function is to: ensure that at all times the business is correctly staffed by the right number of people with the skills relevant to the business needs, that is, neither overstaffed. The second area should be about identifying which of these plans and strategies are so fundamental that there must be clear plans to address them before the organisation can achieve on any of its goals. These are likely to include: * Workforce planning issues * Progression planning * Staff skills plans * Motivation and fair treatment issues * Pay levels designed to recruit, retain and motivate people * A grading and remuneration system which is fair * Employment issues which impact on staff recruitment, retention, motivation etc. * A performance management framework which is designed to meet the needs of all sectors of the organisation. * Career development framework which look at development within the organisation at equipping employees with employability so that they can cope with increasingly frequent changes in employer and employment patterns * Policies and framework- to ensure that people development issues are addressed systematically: competence frameworks, self-managed learning etc. The HR strategy will need to show that careful planning of the people issues will make it substantially easier for the organisation to achieve its wider strategic and operational goals. 3.0 Recruitment of staff Recruitment should be preceded by an analysis of the job to be done (i.e. an analytical study of the tasks to be performed to determine their essential factors) written into a job description so that the selectors know what physical and mental characteristics applicants must possess, what qualities and attitudes are desirable and what characteristics are a decided disadvantage; * In the case of replacement staff a critical questioning of the need to recruit at all (replacement should rarely be an automatic process). * Effectively, selection is buying an employee (the price being the wage or salary multiplied by probable years of service) hence bad buys can be very expensive. For that reason some firms (and some firms for particular jobs) use external expert consultants for recruitment and selection. Equally some small organizations exist to head hunt, i.e. to attract staff with high reputations from existing employers to the recruiting employer. However, the cost of poor selection is such that, even for the ordinary day-to-day jobs, those who recruit and select should be well trained to judge the suitability of applicants. 3.1 The main sources of recruitment are: * Internal promotion and internal introductions * University appointment boards; * Agencies for the unemployed; * Advertising (often via agents for specialist posts) or the use of other local media (e.g. commercial radio). The organization put its trade mark for rapid attraction and it must take care not to offend the sex, race, etc. antidiscrimination legislation either directly or indirectly. Interviewing can be carried out by individuals (e.g. supervisor or departmental manager), by panels of interviewers or in the form of sequential interviews by different personal skills techniques to aid judgment include selection testing for: * Aptitudes (particularly useful for school leavers); * Attainments; * General intelligence. (All of these need skilled testing and assessment.) In more senior posts other techniques are: * Leaderless groups; * Command exercises; * Group problem solving. (These are some common techniques professional selection organizations often use other techniques to aid in selection.) Training in interviewing and in appraising candidates is clearly essential to good recruitment. Largely the former consists of teaching interviewers how  to draw out the interviewee and the latter how to rate the candidates. For consistency rating often consists of scoring candidates for experience, knowledge, physical/mental capabilities, intellectual levels, motivation, prospective potential, leadership abilities etc. 4.0 Analysis 4.1 Setting the strategic direction This process focuses on aligning human resource policies to support the accomplishment of the Companys mission, vision, goals and strategies. The business goals sit at the heart of any HR plan and in order to align business and HR you need to answer one key question, Can your organisations internal capability deliver the organisations business goals? Many organisations cite their people as their primary source of competitive advantage. Successful companies continuously identify and adopt innovative human resource management policies and practices to sustain that advantage. More importantly, they structure work and design training, performance management, pay, and reward policies to help members of the organization succeed in achieving desired organizational outcomes. In other words, they integrate and align HRM policies and practices to reinforce employee behaviors that can best realize the leaders strategic intent. In the most successful companies, the set of policies and practices that collectively make up a companys HRM system is the critical management tool for communicating and reinforcing the leaders strategic intent. 5.0 Conclusion While Human resource management strategies must be developed to support the achievement of the organisations objectives, it is a two-way process. These strategies can themselves be critical inputs in determining the strategic initiatives for the organisation. A fatal error, however, is to develop and implement Human resource management strategies without thinking of the  organisational strategic planning process. A common mistake is the development of workplace skills plans which are not linked to any strategic goals or objectives or which have no affirmative action components. So, Human resource planning is the key to effective human resource management. 6.0 References 1. http://www.searchbites.com/docs/HR_MANAGEMENT.asp (28th December 2004) 2. Mark Lengnick-Hall and Cynthia Lengnick-Hall. (22 December 2003) Human Resource Management in the Knowledge Economy: New Challenges, New Roles, New Capabilities, 3. Guralnik, D. (Ed.). (1986). Websters New World Dictionary (2nd ed.). Cleveland, OH: Prentice Hall Press. 4. R K Sizani, Workshop of the on implementation and action an address to the strategic planning, (02nd December 2001) 5. Behrman M, (2004), A guide to strategic human resource planning, Workinfor bulletin, south Africa 6. http://www.accel-team.com/human_resources/hrm_02.html, (31 December 2004) 7. A Strategic Human Resource Management System for the 21st Century. Naval Personnel Task Force, September 2000, Story Number: NNS040406-02, 04th June 2004 8. Human Resources, Pay Trends Bulletin ,The employers organisation for local authorities in the south east,(June 2004),

Quality of Artesian Water | Analysis

Quality of Artesian Water | Analysis Evaluation of the microbiological and physicochemical quality of Artesian well water used for irrigation in ArRiyadh Sulaiman Ali Alharbi1*, M.E.Zayed1, Arunachalam Chinnathambi1, Naiyf S. Alharbi1 and Milton Wainwright1,2 Abstract The quality of water from artesian wells used for irrigation was analyzed. Water samples were collected from 12 wells from different farms along a 8.5 km transect of the Hayer which is an area located approximately 35 km south of ArRiyadh. The major parameters for assessment of the groundwater quality used here were analysis of the major cations (K+, Na+and NH4 +) and the major anions (Cl-, SO42-, NO3- and PO43-). A total dissolved solid (TDS) is a summation of the all major constituents. pH, temperature and electrical conductivity (EC) were also measured as important indicators of groundwater quality. The samples were also tested for the presence of total and fecal coliforms bacteria. All the samples were free from contamination by coliforms bacteria; the physicochemical parameters of the all of the samples were not however, within the acceptable limits prescribed by WHO and FAO. Key words: Physicochemical quality, Artesian well water quality, Irrigation, coliforms, Cations      Ã‚   Introduction Water from rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater aquifers is an essential human resource and is needed for direct consumption as well as for recreational purposes1. Groundwater is a vital source for fresh water in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding Gulf states2; groundwater being the major source of both potable and irrigation waters in Saudi Arabia. As the population of Saudi continues to increase, especially in the big cities such as ArRiyadh, the demand for adequate and high-quality groundwater resources continues to increase. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (about 2.25 million km2) is one of hottest and most arid countries in the world, with an average summer temperatures of 46oC and an average rainfall of 120 mm per year over most of the country2. The available surface water and groundwater resources is limited, precipitation rates are low, while evaporation is high. With increasing population and agricultural use there is an increasing need for high quality water in Saudi Arabia 3. The total population of Saudi Arabia has increased from about 7.7 million in 1970 to 11.8 million in 1990 and is expected to reach 19 million in 2010, if the present growth rate of 3 per cent per annum continues. Consequently, domestic water demand has increased from about 446 MCM in 1980 to about 1,563 MCM in 1997, and is expected to reach 2,800 MCM in 20104,5. Agriculture accounts for some 88% of water use, while industry consumes only around 3%6. Saudi Arabia faces severe water problems and as a result, is in need of new water policies to achieve sustainable development in its harsh environment. Problems include balancing supply and demand while facing aridity and water scarcity, nonrenewable supplies, poor quality of ground water, poor distribution of supplies, salt water intrusion, and the overuse and contamination of aquifers7. Available water resources in Saudi Arabia are a) conventional, i.e. groundwater and surface water, and b) non-conventional such as desalinated seawater and treated waste water. About 88 percent of the water consumption in Saudi Arabia is met from groundwater supplies2.Groundwater is generally presumed to be ideal for human consumption and is used as a potential source of drinking water, agricultural development, urbanization and industrialization8. Around 47% of the water supplied in ArRiyadh is groundwater pumped from local aquifers9. It is estimated that 18% of worldwide cropland is irrigated, producing 40% of all food. Irrigation water and any foliar applied water, in intimate contact to the developing or mature edible portions of fresh produce, is likely to lead to contamination with human waste, although irrigation using surface water is likely to pose a greater risk to human health than irrigation water obtained from deep aquifers drawn from properly constructed and protected wells10. Water-borne pathogens infect around 250 million people and result in 10 to 20 million deaths world-wide each year. An estimated 80% of all illness in developing countries is related to water and sanitation, with some 5% of all child deaths under the age of five years occurring in developing countries resulting from diarrheal diseases 11,12. Pathogens pose a risk to human health as a result of the various uses of water (Figure 2). For example, it was suggested that contaminated irrigation water was a possible source of a recent outbreak of E. coli across USA13. Fruit and vegetables are frequently contaminated impacted by fecally-polluted irrigation water14. As a general rule, surface water resources are more susceptible to microbial contamination than are groundwater supplies. Microbial contamination introduced through sprinkler irrigation systems may also affect the surface of a crop for varying periods of time, and the risk is increased when the irrigated crop is consumed raw and so metimes unwashed15. Pathogen-contamination of fresh, ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables is a significant issue in agriculture. In many cases, fecal-oral pathogens such as toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella spp., and norovirus are the causative agents16. Fecally contaminated irrigation water is frequently a possible or likely source of contamination of fresh, ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables17. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)18, at least 12 percent of foods borne outbreaks during the 1990s were attributable to fresh produce, and the economic cost of food borne illness is estimated at around $10 to $83 billion per year19. Water is subject to varying degrees of fecal pollution, and consequently fresh waters are a vector transmission of many pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Fecal pollution can reach water resources as the result of human activities, such as sewage treatment plants and communities where sewage treatment is not available. Many diseases are related to fecal polluted water, but the majority is caused by enteropathogenic microorganisms, and not surprisingly therefore, the presence of enteric pathogens in waters is of considerable concern. For this reason, maintaining the microbiological safety of water is very important issue relating to the protection of public health1. Washing and disinfection practices are less effective against pathogens which in penetrate the plant interior20., and for this reason the prevention of water-borne contamination is considered to be an important primary means of controlling health risk associated with food borne pathogens19. The quality and safety of farm irrigation water determines the quality and safety of the resultant crop, and the safety of water depends on its source. Human pathogens can be introduced into irrigation water via run-off of manure from animal production facilities, from domestic/urban sewage systems or directly from wildlife. Extreme rainfall (which lead to storm overflows), spills of manure, or human waste can all increase the probability of the occurrence of contamination21. The quality of water needed for various uses is determined by its physical characteristics, chemical composition, biological parameters and the conditions of use and all surface or sub-surface waters contain varying amounts of salts which increase in irrigated soil due to evaporation. The aim of the work reported here was to determine the microbiological and physicochemical quality of waters obtained from artesian wells used for irrigation near the city of Riyadh. Materials and methods Description of the artesian wells: The samples were taken from wells of depth ranging from (60-100 m); some wells were open while others were closed. Sampling collection: Sampling: All ground water sampling (chemical or microbial) was conducted with the existing well pumps which were run for a sufficient time (10-15 minutes) in order to replace the old water in the pipes with fresh water and thereby obtain reliably stable readings of pH, specific conductance and temperature. Well water depths were measured with a graduated (l/l00th foot) steel tape. A total of three water samples were collected from 12 different wells located in different farms along a 8.5 km transect of the Hayer, which is an area located some 35 km south of Riyadh, during November 2010. The water samples were collected in plastic bottles, pH, EC and TDS were measured on site; samples were subsequently transported to the laboratory in an ice box. Each sample was divided into three portions; one for cation analysis, one for anion determinations and the third for coliform analysis. The concentration of total dissolved ions, Na, K, P, Cl, S04, NH4 and N03 were determined. The analytical procedures used for these determinations were those described in standard methods or the examination of water and wastewater. The evaluation of the suitability of groundwater for irrigation purpose is based here on the irrigation water specification provided by the Saudi Arabian Standards organization (SASO), irrigation water standards 1993, and water quality for use in agriculture by the FAO (1994). (Table 1) shows the concentration (mg/l) of individual constituents, groundwater, hardness, electrical conductance and pH of the groundwater. Coliform determination: Sample Preparation: The samples were diluted in the range- 10-1 to 10-6 and the original water sample were aseptically diluted into 9 ml buffered peptone prepared in three series. The number of total and fecal coliforms was determined using the MPN method and statistical tables were used to interpret the results. From each dilution, 1ml was removed and added aseptically to triplicate tubes containing 5ml of lauryl tryptose broth (LSB). The tubes were then incubated at 37  °C for 48 hours. Tubes showing color change or gas production were recorded as positive, and the number of positive tubes at each dilution was referred to MPN tables to obtain the number of bacteria present in the original sample. Results and Discussion Microbiological analysis: None of the water samples obtained from any of the wells contained coliforms, a fact which shows that the general sanitary conditions around the wells are excellent. Analysis of physicochemical parameters: Physical Characteristics: Table 1 shows the laboratory determinations used, together with the acceptable range to evaluate common irrigation water quality, as prepared by FAO 1994. Table 1. Laboratory determinations used to evaluate common irrigation water quality problems. Water parameter Symbol Unit1 Usual range in irrigation water SALINITY Salt content Electrical Conductivity ECw dS/m 0 3 dS/m (or) Total Dissolved Solids TDS mg/l 0 2000 mg/l Cations and anions Calcium Ca++ me/l 0 20 me/l Magnesium Mg++ me/l 0 5 me/l Sodium Na+ me/l 0 40 me/l Carbonate CO3 me/l 0 .1 me/l Bicarbonate HCO3- me/l 0 10 me/l Chloride Cl- me/l 0 30 me/l Sulphate SO4 me/l 0 20 me/l NUTRIENTS2 Nitrate-Nitrogen NO3-N mg/l 0 10 mg/l Ammonium-Nitrogen NH4-N mg/l 0 5 mg/l Phosphate-Phosphorus PO4-P mg/l 0 2 mg/l Potassium K+ mg/l 0 2 mg/l MISCELLANEOUS Boron B mg/l 0 2 mg/l Acid/basicity pH 1-14 6.0 8.5 Sodium Adsorption Ratio3 SAR (me/l)1, 2 0 15 1 dS/m = deciSiemen/metre in S.I. units (equivalent to 1 mmho/cm = 1 millimmho/centi-metre) mg/l = milligram per litre à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã†â€™ parts per million (ppm). me/l = milliequivalent per litre (mg/l à · equivalent weight = me/l); in SI units, 1 me/l= 1 millimol/litre adjusted for electron charge. Table 2. Physical parameters of analyzed groundwater samples Sample ID Parameters Temperature (Degree Celsius) pH E.C* (ms/cm) T.D.S** (mg/L) Turbidity (NTU) Total Hardness (mg/L as CaCO3) A 25.0 8.15 3.87 2476 11.30 1800 B 25.5 8.13 8.89 5689 28.70 3000 C 24.5 8.17 4.48 2867 20.50 1200 D 25.5 7.98 3.74 2393 18.00 1400 E 23.5 8.19 5.49 3513 6.24 1000 F 24.5 8.05 9.41 6022 2.98 2600 G 28.0 8.02 9.19 5881 0.73 2800 H 25.0 7.84 10.78 6899 21.90 3600 I 26.5 8.29 9.41 6022 0.94 3200 J 26.0 8.07 10.29 6585 5.78 3200 K 27.0 8.06 11.13 7123 12.30 3800 L 27.0 8.11 10.16 6502 5.63 3600 * E.C = Electrical Conductivity ** T.D.S = Total Dissolved Solids Table 2 shows the physical parameters of the groundwater samples; the data reveals the following: pH: The pH values of all gr the groundwater samples tested was alkaline (around 8); a pH which is generally not conducive to optimal crop plant growth Total dissolved solids (TDS) : Suspended solids and total dissolved solids (TDS) are indicators of polluted water. The value for TDS of the samples ranged from 2393-7123 mg/l. Most of these values are outside the standard values generally considered to be suitable for irrigation purposes. TDS values exceeding 3000 mg/l are high values for irrigation of some crop types. The high TDS values found in groundwater sampled from the study area are likely to be due to high concentrations of sodium, chloride, sulfate and nitrate. Conductivity: Electrical conductivity gives a measure of all of the dissolved ions in solution. Electrical conductivity values measured in this study varied from 3.74 to 11.13 ms/cm with sample-K exhibiting the highest conductivity (11.13) and sample D the lowest, (3.74). The acceptable limit of conductivity is 1.5 ms /cm22. Generally, the conductivity of clean water is lower but as water moves down the soil profile it leaches and dissolves ions and also picks up organic from the biota and detritus23. Generally the conductivity values recorded for wells sampled here were not within the acceptable limit prescribed by WHO and FAO limits. Total Water Hardness: Water hardness is primarily a measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium, and to a lesser extent, iron in a water sample. Water hardness is measured by summing the concentrations of calcium, magnesium and converting this value to an equivalent concentration of calcium carbonate (CaCO3); a value which is expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L) of water. Water with hardness greater than 200 mg/L is considered to be of poor quality and water with hardness greater than 500 mg/L is normally considered to be unacceptable for domestic purposes. The analyzed samples for hardness, had hardness concentrations ranges between 1200 to 3800 mg/L been found then the samples would be assessed as belonging to the fourth category with very hard water and unacceptable for domestic purpose without treatment. Cations and anion loads of the groundwater samples: Table 3 shows the cations and anions loads of groundwater samples, the data shows the following: Sodium: An infiltration problem related to water quality occurs when the normal infiltration rate for the applied water or rainfall is appreciably reduced and water remains on the soil surface for long periods, or infiltrates too slowly to supply the crop with sufficient water to maintain acceptable yields. The infiltration rate of water into soil varies widely and can be greatly influenced by the quality of the irrigation water. The two most common water quality factors which influence the normal infiltration rate are water salinity (total quantity of salts in the water) and sodium content relative to the content of calcium and magnesium. Water which is highly saline will increase infiltration, while a low salinity water, or a sample with high sodium to calcium ratio will decrease infiltration; both of these factors may operate simultaneously. One serious side effect of an infiltration problem is the potential to develop plant disease and vector (mosquito) problems. An infiltration problem related to water quality in most cases occurs in the surface few centimetres of soil and is linked to the structural stability of this surface soil and its low calcium content relative to that of sodium. When a soil is irrigated with sodium-rich water, a high sodium surface soil develops which weakens soil structure. The surface soil aggregates then disperse into much smaller particles which clog soil pores. The problem may also be caused by an extremely low calcium content of the surface soil. In some cases, water low in salt can cause a similar problem but this is related to the corrosive nature of the low salt water and not to the sodium content of the water or soil. In the case of the low salt water, the water dissolves and leaches most of the soluble minerals, including calcium, from the surface soil. Analyses of the ground water samples tested here shows that that all have sodium ranges over 500 (mg/L);sodium contents greater than 500 mg/L are normally c onsidered unacceptable for irrigation according to water quality standards used by the FAO for agricultural use. Table 3. Cations and anion loads of the groundwater samples Sample ID Parameters Sodium Na (mg/L) Potassium K (mg/L) Phosphorus P (mg/L) Sulphate SO4 (mg/L) Ammonia NH3 (mg/L) Nitrate NO3 (mg/L) Chloride Cl (mg/L) A 500 17.0 0.53 1437 0 2.0 1250 B 1375 28.0 0.37 3275 0 10.0 2500 C 750 15.0 0.15 1302 0 5.5 1500 D 500 15.0 0.11 1380 0 2.0 1250 E 750 23.0 0.10 1607 0 4.0 1500 F 1500 27.0 0.00 3675 0 3.5 2850 G 1375 26.0 0.33 3275 0 13.5 2500 H 1375 27.0 0.25 2587 0 49.5 3000 I 1125 30.0 0.81 1737 0 138.0 2750 J 1375 27.0 0.00 2987 0 35.0 2750 K 1375 31.0 0.00 3075 0 142.0 3250 L 1125 30.0 0.25 1595 0 158.0 3000 Nitrates: The nitrate content of the analyzed groundwater samples ranges between 2 mg/l in well A and D and reaches a maximum of 158mg/l in well L .Many of the sampled groundwater wells contain nitrate exceeding the guideline values for irrigation water prescribed by FAO (0-10 mg/l), with most of the nitrogen present being probably derived from the biosphere. The nitrogen originally fixed from the atmosphere, is mineralized by soil bacteria into ammonium, which is converted into nitrate by nitrifying bacteria under aerobic conditions24. The main sources of nitrate result from either natural or anthropogenic activities rainfall and dry fall out, soil nitrogen, nitrate deposit, sewage, septic tank and animal waste, manure or compost, green manure and plant residues, atmospheric nitrogen fixation, fertilizer nitrogen from irrigated overflow water outlets and industrial effluent25. Nitrate is the end product of the oxidation of nitrogen in the environment. Particularly high nitrate concentrations indicate pollution from either sewage or agricultural fertilizer waste. Nitrate is without doubt an essential plant nutrient, but is equally a potential threat to human health when present in excess concentrations in the drinking water 26. The data obtained from the samples tested here shows that the ground waters examined contain high level of nitrate, concentrations which exceed the permissible limits for drinking purposes (Table 3). Ammonia: The term ammonia includes the non-ionized (NH3) and ionized (NH4+) species. Ammonia originates in the environment from metabolic, agricultural and industrial processes and from disinfection with chloramines. Natural levels in groundwater and surface water are usually below 0.2 mg/liter27. Anaerobic ground waters may contain up to 3mg/liter. Intensive rearing of farm animals can give rise to much higher levels in surface water. Ammonia contamination can also arise from cement m