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Access status: Open Access ,
The Environmental occurrence of pharmaceutical residues, agrochemical contaminants, and antimicrobial resistance in a wastewater-impacted urban water system: a one health assessment
(MDPI, 2026-07-08) Misi, Amos; Mushonga, Paul; Mari, Thelma; Zinyengere, Greathyl T.; Njenje, Trinity; Mhungu, Mary Chipo; Dzomba, Pamhidzai; Zhou, Rudo; Zaranyika , Mark F.
Urban water security in many cities in the Global South is increasingly challenged by ageing infrastructure and the presence of persistent chemical contaminants. This study investigated the Harare metropolitan water continuum between 2020 and 2024 using a longitudinal, systems-oriented observational framework encompassing wastewater discharge, surface water reservoirs, drinking water treatment, and municipal distribution networks. A three-stage approach was employed, comprising qualitative screening for selected pharmaceuticals at the Lake Chivero water–sediment interface in 2020, spatial assessment of physicochemical stability across the treatment and distribution system in 2021, and targeted qualitative evaluation of pharmaceutical and agrochemical occurrence in wastewater-impacted matrices in 2024. Sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim were qualitatively identified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while atrazine was confirmed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). These analyses indicated the continued presence of pharmaceutical and agrochemical residues within wastewater-impacted aquatic compartments associated with the Harare water supply. Physicochemical monitoring revealed elevated ammonia concentrations and reduced free residual chlorine across sections of the distribution network. These conditions coincided with detectable heterotrophic bacterial regrowth at distal consumer endpoints. Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacterial isolates recovered at the source interface showed limited inhibition responses to sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim under the experimental conditions used. While the observational nature of this study precludes causal inference, the co-occurrence of chemical residues, physicochemical instability, and bacterial isolates exhibiting reduced inhibition responses highlights conditions of potential relevance for antimicrobial resistance risk within wastewater-influenced urban water systems. These findings underscore the importance of integrated water management strategies addressing wastewater control, source water protection, and distribution system integrity within a One Health context.
Access status: Open Access ,
Future climatically stable habitat of a vulnerable medicinal tree, Warburgia salutaris (Pepper-bark tree), overlaps with some protected areas in southern Africa
(Universidade Estadual da Paraiba/Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco., 2026-06-10) Jinga, Percy; Manyangadze, Tawanda
Climate change will affect the distribution of medicinal plant species in sub-Saharan Africa, with potential negative consequences to especially rural and poor communities that depend on them for traditional medicines. The aim of the study was to determine future climatically stable habitat of Warburgia salutaris, a commonly used vulnerable medicinal plant species. An ensemble species distribution model (SDM) was built from eight algorithms and used to estimate the current and future distributions of the species. Six environmental variables and 146 occurrence records were used to calibrate individual SDMs before combining them into the ensemble SDM. The ensemble SDM was projected to 2041‒2060 and 2081‒2100 under two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), namely SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5. The projections were made under three general circulation models (GCMs), which were CanESM5, IPSL-CM6A-LR and MIROC6. Results show that the current suitable habitat of the species occurs in South Africa, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Under both time periods and SSPs, the suitable habitat of the species will markedly contract, especially under SSP5-8.5 in 2081‒2100 (CanESM5 = -79 %, IPSL-CM6A-LR = -87 %, MIROC6 = -71 %). Climate refuges that overlap with the future suitable habitat of W. salutaris were identified in protected areas (PAs), such as Malalotja Nature Reserve (Eswatini), Itala Nature Reserve (South Africa), and Nyanga National Park (Zimbabwe). The climate refuges in PAs may be priority areas to introduce the species.
Access status: Open Access ,
Prevalence, knowledge and awareness of computer vision syndrome among students in a tertiary academic institution
(Springer Nature, 2026-07-09) Kwarteng, Michael Agyemang; Tagoh, Selassie; Chisayinyerwa, Vongai Carol; Chashamba, Rutendo Enia; Masiwa, Lynett Erita
Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is a common oculo-visual problem reported among active screen users. This study reports the prevalence of CVS among university students in a tertiary institution in Zimbabwe. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design with eligible participants recruited using convenience sampling. Data was collected using a self- administered online questionnaire comprising three sections: socio-demographic information, verified prevalence of computer vision syndrome (CVS-Q), and knowledge and awareness of CVS. Data was collected from 374 undergraduate students, the majority of whom were from the Faculties of Science and Engineering (30.7%) and were in their second year (32.1%). The prevalence of CVS was 35.6% (n = 133), with a slightly higher prevalence among females (38.7%) compared to males (31.5%, p = 0.158). Most affected students reported moderate symptoms, with headaches, dryness, and blurred vision being the most frequent complaints. Although 48.4% of participants had heard of CVS, detailed knowledge remained limited. While significant associations were found between CVS symptoms and several variables tested, using a digital device (p = 0.009) and a history of refractive errors (p = 0.010) were the main independent predictors of CVS knowledge. A considerable number of university students experience CVS with various common symptoms. The presence of limited knowledge and common modifiable risk factors among these students underscores the importance of targeted education and ergonomic interventions, in addition to routine vision screening within university settings, to mitigate the burden of CVS.
Chatikobo, Monica
Access status: Open Access ,
An Adaptation of a macroscale methodology to assess the direct economic losses caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe
(AOSIS, 2022-09-26) Mavhura, Emmanuel; Aryal, Komal R.
Tropical cyclones are among the costliest disasters in the world, with reported losses amounting to billions of US dollars on an annual basis. To reduce the impact of disasters including cyclones, Zimbabwe signed the Sendai Framework whose Target C is aimed at reducing the direct economic losses of disasters. Under the direction of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), an open-ended intergovernmental expert working group (OIEWG) developed a simple methodology for estimating direct disaster-economic loss. Therefore, this study tested the applicability of the OIEWG methodology in assessing the direct economic losses induced by Tropical Cyclone Idai (TCI) in Zimbabwe. The results revealed that TCI inflicted huge losses in most sectors of the economy, notably the housing, agriculture and the critical infrastructure. The sectoral analysis approach of the OIEWG methodology worked well in distinguishing direct and indirect loses as well as in underlining the need to adopt and effectively implement adequate risk reduction strategies in the built environment. Strengthening such strategies such as the ‘build back