Taxonomic profiling of bacteria and fungi in freshwater sewer receiving hospital wastewater

Consistent discharges of hospital wastewaters (HWWs) pose ecological risk to the biome of the receiving environment with cumulative effect on its healthiness. Understanding the taxonomic profile of microorganisms in the impacted systems is required to establish taxa that are bio-indicators of toxicants, and provide possible taxa for mitigating ecotoxicity of the HWWs. Geochemistry, pollution status and ecotoxicity of heavy metals (HMs) in HWW-impacted sewer (LU) were assessed. The microbiome profiling was based on 16S rDNA and ITS of 18S rDNA metagenomes. The degree of HMs contamination exceeded 50 and HMs pollution load index of LU was severe (1,084), which consequently exerted severe risk (1,411,575 toxic response factors) with very high toxic responses of Co, Cu, Pb, and Cd. Eco-toxicological impact of the HMs on LU skewed microbiome towards Proteobacteria (43%), Actinobacteria (18%), and about 5% apiece for Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Plantomycetes, and Bacteroidetes. Likewise, the relative abundance of in LU inclined towards Ascomycota (59%), Basidiomycota (17%) and unclassified Eukarya_uc_p (16%). Exclusively found in LU sediments were 44,862 bacterial species and 42,881 fungi taxa, while 72,877 and 53,971 species of bacteria and fungi, respectively, were found missing. Extinction and emergence of bacteria and fungi taxa in LU were in response to HMs ecotoxicity and the need for natural attenuation processes respectively. The profiled taxa in LU may be plausible in bioremediation strategies of the impacted system, and in designing knowledge-based bioreactor system for the treatment of HWWs before discharge into the environment

Sustainable generation of bioethanol from sugarcane wastes by Streptomyces coelicolor strain COB KF977550 isolated from a tropical estuary

The damaging effect and challenges associated with the use of fossil fuel is enormous and very costly. Biofuels could be obtained from plant biomass wastes which are known to be sources of environmental pollution and breeding grounds for vectors of diseases. Sugarcane bagasse was exploited as a renewable substrate for obtaining bioethanol using Streptomyces strain COB KF977550 as inoculum. Submerged aerobic batch fermentation was performed in flasks containing mineral salts medium supplemented with 5.0 g (w/v) sugarcane bagasse. Incubation was done in a shaker (150 rpm) at 30 oC for 21 days. Microbial growth was assessed by measurement of the optical density (O.D 600nm) at 3-day intervals. Fractional distillation was carried out in batch mode using a simple fractional distillation setup. Metabolic products were determined using GC-FID. Further analyses were performed using FTIR and GC-MS. The optical density of S.coelicolor strain COB KF977550 increased from 0.9 to 1.41. The GC-FID showed that 43.08 g/L ethanol was generated. Interestingly, the results showed the presence of diverse biochemicals released into the medium in addition to the main product ethanol. Ten carboxylic acids including formic acid, glycolic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, lactic acid, n-valeric acid, and 3-hydroxybutyric acid were identified as biochemical organic acids by-products

Microparticles and microplastics contamination in African table salts

Staff PublicationThe presence of micro/plastic particles has been reported in various seafood products. However, information on microplastics contamination in salts from African continent is very limited. This study analysed 23 brands of table salts from 8 African countries for microplastics using microscopic/spectroscopic techniques. South Africa showed the highest microplastics concentration (0–1.33 ± 0.32 particles/kg), Nigeria, Cameroun, and Ghana (0–0.33 ± 0.38 particles/kg each); characterized as polyvinyl acetate, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Other countries have no detectable microplastics at 0.3 μm filter pore size. To our best knowledge, this is the first study to characterize micro-fibres/plastics in table salts across African countries, confirming that it is an emission source of micro-fibres/plastics into the human food chain, highlighting the overarching need to understand their effects on human health

Performance Characteristics of a Single-Cylinder Two-Stroke Diesel Engine using Diesel-RK Software

The demand for software that is capable of solving internal combustion engines (ICEs) simulation problems is increasing on a daily basis. Thus, this article presents the application of Diesel-RK in investigating the performance characteristics of a single cylinder two- stroke turbocharged Hesselman’s diesel engine with direct fuel injection. Three different engine operating speed 1500, 2000 and 2500 rpm, respectively were utilized and their effects on certain engine performance parameters were investigated numerically. The highest overall specific fuel consumption and engine efficiency of 0.53342 kg/kWh and 0.1588, respectively were obtained at 2000 rpm. More power was delivered at 2000 rpm as a result of the highest value of engine torque obtained at that speed. The cylinder pressure increases significantly as the engine speed increases at ivc (2.0451 bar), evo (3.7801 bar) and tdc (60.141 bar), respectively. This indicates that the pressure developed when the inlet valve closes increases as the piston translate from bdc to tdc on compression, to the value required for combustion and this value dropped as the exhaust valve opens. However, the optimal values corresponding cylinder temperature increases significantly at ivc (717.24 K), evo (1088.5 K) and tdc (1560.8 K), respectively at a speed of 2500 rpm. Also, the engine speed had appreciable impact on the heat exchange parameters, because the values of those parameters increases as the engine speed increases. The effect of engine speed on the ecological, combustion, turbocharged and gas exchange parameters were also studied using Bosch, Hartridge and Strouhal dimensionless numbers and it is evident that engine speed is significant in the study of engine performance parameters and the best values of those parameters were obtained at 2000 rpm

Extraction of Cu, Zn, and Ni from waste silica-rich integrated circuits by sulfation roasting and water leaching

Staff PublicationHigh-tech electrical and electronic equipment contain large numbers of silica-rich integrated circuits (SRICs) which after its end of life generate huge amount of waste; however, its valuable metal contents can be properly recycled. Extraction of Cu, Ni, and Zn from pulverized SRIC obtained from discarded waste electrical and electronic equipments (WEEE) by sulfation roasting followed by water leaching was studied. Co-extraction of other metals such as Fe, Al, and Pb present in the sample was also explored. Effects of H2SO4/SRIC ratio, roasting temperature, time, and varying water leaching conditions on the extraction efficiencies were evaluated. The optimum conditions for Cu, Zn, and Ni extractions were determined as H2SO4/SRIC ratio 0.5, roasting temperature 300 °C, roasting time 60 min, leaching temperature 50 °C, leaching time 60 min, and liquid–solid ratio = 10:1 (i.e., 100 mL/10 g) with extraction efficiencies of 61.9, 84.9, and 93.6% for Cu, Ni, Zn, and co-extractions of Fe and Al were 71.1 and 55.6, respectively. Under the optimum conditions, approximate 20% Fe3+ was naturally precipitated which is advantageous for the subsequent step. Comparatively, higher extraction efficiencies of Cu, Zn, and Ni were observed in water leaching of H2SO4-roasted sample than direct H2SO4 leaching of raw sample keeping other leaching conditions constant. Lead retained in the roasted–leached residue was extracted with dilute HCl leaving silica and Al in the final leached residue. Process flow sheet for the extraction of Cu, Ni, Zn, and Pb and reuse of silicon from waste SRICs was proposed

Poverty Eradication: The Role of Nigerian Libraries towards the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Poverty has been identified as the major source of widening global inequalities and underdevelopment at individual, organizational and national levels. The UN Sustainable Development Goals placed a great deal of priority in the eradication of all forms of poverty by the year 2030. The paper examined the roles of Nigerian libraries towards the achievement of this laudable goal. It canvasses the idea that poverty eradication is possible through the availability, accessibility and utilization of appropriate information resulting in requisite capacity building and empowerment of the Nigerian citizens. The paper identified specific interventions to be used by libraries in poverty alleviation to include: entrepreneurship empowerment, information literacy skills, information repackaging for the illiterate, lifelong learning initiatives, agricultural extension services, consultancy services, information dissemination services, provision of ICT skills education, improving reading culture and mobile library services. It concluded that libraries have the unlimited propensity to catalyse human capital development, productivity and reduction of poverty

Optimization study of bioethanol production from sponge gourd ( Luffa cylindrica )

Staff Publicationily available and under-utilized. In this study, SG as a potential source for production of ethanol was studied under statistically optimized conditions. SG was collected, peeled, dried, milled and sieved (1mm). Several pretreatment methods were employed on SG namely: steam explosion, alkaline, combination of alkaline and steam explosion, zinc chlo- ride and sodium sulphite. Central Composite Design (CCD) of Response Surface Methodol- ogy (RSM) was used to design and determine the optimum parameters for glucose yield as well as the fermentation for bioethanol production. The best pretreatment method for sponge gourd was investigated to be sodium sulphite pretreatment with a glucose yield of 6.65 kgm −3 . The sodium sulphite pretreated SG was modelled, optimized and validated with R 2 of 0.9974 at p < 0.05. Glucose production was optimal at conditions: sodium sulphite (9% w/w), temperature (100 °C) and reaction time (60 min) resulting in glucose yield of 6.673 kgm −3 . From the CCD, the factors that gave the highest ethanol concentra- tion of 6.84kgm −3 were inoculum size (7.5 v/v), fermentation time (24 h) and nitrogen source (inorganic). The study concluded that sponge gourd could be a potential feedstock for bioethanol production and would prevent under-utilized agro-waste materials

Science communication and collaboration for Open Science: Tools and Platforms for Internationalising Nigerian Research

A presentation.The presentation covers the following concepts – Science Communication (Science In-reach) – Open science – Internationalisation and other Issues with African research • Way Forward for Nigeria • Platforms and Tools for Collaboration and Visibility – Open Journal System – Open Science Framewor

Adsorption isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamic studies of methylene blue dye removal using Raphia taedigera seed activated carbon

Staff PublicationThis present work revealed the isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic behaviour of methylene blue (MB) dye adsorbed onto acidic activated carbon (AAC) and base activated carbon (BAC) prepared from Raphia taedigera seed by carbonization and chemical activation. AAC and BAC were activated with sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide respectively. Batch equilibrium studies were done under different experimental conditions such as MB dye concentration and temperature. The equilibrium data were modelled using Langmuir, Freundlich, Elovich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms. The Langmuir isotherm model best describes the uptake of MB dye onto AAC and BAC with R 2 > 0.998 in all cases. The pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion equations were used to evaluate the kinetic properties. It was observed that the adsorption of MB dye onto the two activated carbons could best be described by the pseudo-second order equation with 0.999 < R 2 ≤ 1. Thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs free energy (ΔG0 ), standard enthalpy (ΔH0 ), standard entropy (ΔS0 ), and activation energy (Ea) were determined. The results of ΔG0 indicated a spontaneous and feasible for AAC and non-spontaneous but feasible for BAC. Results of ΔH0 confirmed that the adsorption of MB onto AAC and BAC are endothermic and physical in nature. It can be concluded that AAC and BAC prepared from Raphia taedigera seed could be used as low-cost adsorbent for the removal of MB dye from the wastewater

Librarians’ perception of disaster preparedness as precursor for effective preservation and conservation of library resources in Nigerian university libraries

The study examined librarians' perception of disaster preparedness and its effect on effective preservation and conservation of library resources, focusing on university libraries in the Southwest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. The survey research design was adopted. The university libraries that provided the data and institutional setting for the study were randomized using the ballot system after which total enumeration technique was employed to take complete census of the population. The population comprised 327 librarians and library officers drawn across federal and state university libraries in the region. The questionnaire and interview methods were used for data collection. Results affirmed, as postulated, that preservation and conservation of information resources would be more effective if disaster preparedness measures are incorporated into the process. As a result, both approaches were found to be complementary. It was also discovered that the core digital preservation strategies are not being practiced in university libraries in the studied region. Consequently, it was recommended that effort aimed at all forms of preservation strategies should be employed to ensure the longevity and sustainability of all information resources