An Overview of the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Groundwater Resources

Climate change has been consistently observed over the past decades to be associated with changes and/or modifications of components of the hydrological systems. Observational records and global and regional climate projections indicate that both surface-water and groundwater resources are vulnerable to climate change and variability. Thus, understanding the impacts of climate change and variability on groundwater systems is integral to better planning and efficient management of groundwater resources. However, assessing and predicting the effects of climate change on groundwater systems is relatively difficult due to the uncertainties associated with the spatial and temporal prediction of future climates. This review provides an overview of the key components of groundwater hydrology in relation to climate change. The effects of changes in climate on groundwater in soil, deep vadose and saturated zones are assessed. The responses of groundwater recharge, discharge, quality and changes in storage to climate change are assessed on inter-annual to multi-decadal or longer geologic time scale

Particle Counts and Size Distributions in Local Garri Processing Environment

Previous studies have linked morbidity and mortality of individuals to airborne particles resulting from anthropogenic sources. Fine particles (particles < 2.5 μm) are known to have harmful effects on human health and environment compared to the coarse particles (2.5 μm < dp <10 μm). Sadly, developing countries experiencing rapid growth are characterized with inadequate environmental action and policy. Garri processing has been linked to contribute to ambient particulate matter pollution. The present study investigates the number and sizes of particulate emitted as a result of this anthropogenic activity. Continuous measurement of number concentration and size distributions of particles of diameters 0.3 μm, 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 2.0 μm and 5.0 μm were conducted, using a GT -321 particle counter for day and night cases November 2012 at four major local garri processing locations in the ancient city of Oyo, Nigeria. On the average, the total particle number concentration for the selected four locations were 2.3 × 106 – 8.9 × 106 ; 0.085 × 106 – 4.487 ×106; 0.073 × 106 – 0.912 × 106; 0.022 × 106 – 0.654 × 106; and 0.002 × 106 – 0.155 × 106 for particle size 0.3μm, 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 2.0 μm and 5.0 μm respectively for day time readings and 1.021 × 106 –8.793 × 106; 0.071 × 106 – 3.323 × 106; 0.051 × 106 – 1.903 × 106; 0.012 × 106 – 0.278 × 106;and 0.003 × 106 – 0.015 × 106 for particle size 0.3μm, 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 2.0 μm and 5.0 μm respectively for night time measurements. Daily cycle of particle numbers were obvious with high concentrations recorded during day time but lower level at night time which is consistent with the trend of the garri processing activity. The findings suggested that higher fraction of fine particles (0.3 - 2 μm) are produced and retained in the ambient air from this activity

Bridging the performance gap between electric double-layer capacitors and batteries with high-energy/high-power carbon nanotube-based electrodes

Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) store electrical energy at the interface between charged electrodes and electrolytes and are higher-power devices than batteries. However, the amount of energy stored in EDLCs cannot compete with that in batteries. In this contribution, we describe the development of new EDLCs that can store about as much energy as lead-acid and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries but operate at much higher power densities than achievable using batteries. The electrode materials are derived from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) synthesised from CCl4 and ferrocene at 180 °C, which is drastically lower than the temperatures usually used to synthesise CNTs. By chemically activating the CNTs using KOH, Bruneuer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas reach ~3000 m2/g, which is orders of magnitude higher than those typical of CNTs, and exceeds even that of pristine graphene. Gas sorption analysis shows that the samples activated at 900 °C contain a mix of micropores and small mesopores, while the samples activated at lower temperatures are predominantly microporous. In EDLCs containing aqueous H2SO4 as the electrolyte, the mesoporous carbons exhibit mass-specific capacitances up to 172 F/g, while in the presence of the ionic liquids 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [EMIM][BF4], and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [BMIM][BF4], capacitances up to 150 F/g are measured. Due to the wide potential window of the ionic liquid electrolytes and the unique morphology of the electrode materials, 3-V devices with volume-specific energy densities of the order of 6 Wh/L and mass specific energy densities up to about 15 Wh/kg can be fabricated. The energy stored can be delivered at power densities >1 kW/kg meaning that the performance of these devices bridges the performance gap between those of EDLCs and batteries. The use of this novel electrode material not only allows the fabrication of high- energy/high-power energy storage systems, the methods used to fabricate the electrode materials are inexpensive and can readily be scaled to industrial levels

Ambient noise from off-grid diesel engines electric power generators in an urban environment

Abstract Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the impacts of the noise from the diesel engine power generators used for production activities in an urban environment. Design/methodology/approach – This study has used the Enterprise Edition of NoiseMap 2000 Version 2.7.1 to investigate the impacts of the noise from the diesel engines electric power generators used in a factory in Ikorodu, an urban environment in Lagos, Nigeria. Five sections of the factory with diesel engines electric power generators were considered. The immediate and distant environments covering about 10 km of the factory host environment were considered as receptors to the noise for this study. Findings – It was found out that when all the generators operate simultaneously in the factory, the ambient noise was 30.0-152.5 dB(A) with the minimum contribution within the factory being 70.0-84.4 dB(A) and the maximum contribution of 57.2-70.8 dB(A) outside the factory fence line. Though the maximum noise is 152.5 dB(A), the maximum noise of 70.8 dB(A) beyond the fence line shows a compliance with 70 dB(A) industrial and commercial area limit but breaches the 45 dB(A) and 55 dB(A) residential area limit of the World Bank. Research limitations/implications – As much as it would be desirable ambient noise level could not be measured in all the receptors’ locations covered by the modeling. However, the capability of themodeling software adopted makes this to have no negative impact on the quality of the findings of this study. Practical implications – The study will assist the public to determine the noise level safe region around diesel engine electric power generators. Originality/value – The paper highlights the challenges in which ambient noise from the use of off-grid generators used for industrial purposes could pose to the neighboring receptor environments

Comparative Quality Evaluation of Oven-Roasted and Honey-Coated Cashew (Anarcadium occidentale, L.) Nut produced using Locally Fabricated Cashew Nut Processing Machine in Nigeria

— Raw cashew nuts were processed to obtain cashew kernels. Part of the kernels was roasted using mud oven while another part was honey coated and dried. The two samples were subjected to chemical, microbial and sensory analysis to compare their quality attributes. Differences were observed in some chemical compositions of the two samples; moisture content value of the oven roasted kernel was significantly (

AIRBORNE PARTICULATE MATTER IN THE ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT OF A TOBACCO MANUFACTURING PLANT

Quarterly concentrations of ambient particulate matter mass ranges PM1, PM2.5, PM7, PM10, and Total Suspended Particles (TSP) were measured in a major cigarette manufacturing company in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria. The samplings were carried out in both the indoor and outdoor environment of the study location. During the study, the ambient measured microclimatic parameters agreed with the weather historical data of the area. Measured and extrapolated 24-hr concentration of the PM2.5,PM10, and TSP were compared with the World Health Organization, Federal Ministry of Environment (FMENV), and the World Bank Standards. Particulate matter (PM) was measured with GT-331 Particle Mass Monitor while weather tracker Kestrel 4500 was used for the measurements of microclimatic parameters. It was found that some of the PM ranges measured fall within standard while some exceeded the set standards. The highest measured concentrations of the particulates were noticed in the first quarter which could be attributable to the prevailing microclimatic conditions during the quarter. PM10 and TSP gave the highest measured and 24-hr extrapolated concentrations for all the quarters in the indoor and outdoor environments. Seasonal/quarterly variation and compliance with cleaner practice were found to be associated with PM10 and TSP concentration

Perceived quality of life following falls: Voices of community-dwelling older adults

The purpose of the study was to document the voices of community-dwelling older adults perceived quality of life following the experience of falls

Performance of No-Filter Smooth Drain Pipe on Clayey Loam

The performance of smooth drainage pipes fitted with no-filter material as against those with nylon, rice husks and cowpea chaffs were investigated. The study was conducted on a clayey loam during the 2005, 2006 and 2007 rainy seasons.  The experimental design was completely randomized design replicated three times.  The treatments applied include drains installed with cowpea chaff, rice husks, no-filter and nylon drainage filter materials.  The filter materials were compressed using locally available materials and installed manually to a soil depth of 25 cm using ASABE Standards (2006). The drainage area was about 180 m2 (0.432 ha) with a buffer zone of 1m allowed in between the plots.  The slope along the length was 3.90 % and across the length was 1.63 %.  The soil physical characteristics like the texture, moisture content, field capacity and bulk density were determined.  Properties such as load at peak, strain at peak, energy at peak, load at yield and energy at yield were highest for sand samples collected from no-filter treated pipes with recorded average values of 958.5 N, 36.53 Nm, 22.45 %, 195.63 N, and 0.93 Nm respectively.  Nylon filter pipes gave the highest strain at yield recording an average value of 8.54 mm.  Rice filter samples recorded the highest deformation at yield value of 9.29 mm. Results of the drainage yield showed that during the 2005 rainy season, plots treated with no-filter material gave the highest discharge of 56.3 l/day, while plots with rice husk gave a discharge of 44.8 l/day. For the 2006 rainy season, plots treated with no-filter material gave the highest discharge of 500.4 l/day, while plots with bean chaff gave the lowest discharge of 60 l/day.  For the 2007 rainy season, for first 11 days plots treated with no-filter recorded the highest amount of discharge recording the highest value of 110.8 l/day while plots treated with rice husk gave the highest drainage yield for the remaining 19 days recording the highest amount of 120.9l/day. The results showed that for the same rainfall amount and pattern, plot with rice husk gave the highest drainage yield of 148.9l/day, while plot with control (no-envelope) gave the lowest drainage yield of 99.4 l/day. The plots treated with nylon-synthetic material produced the best water quality because it was free of debris, smell and the discharge was clear, while that of the others were loaded with debris and discharge has a foul smell.  The study shows that drainpipes can be installed successfully in the area under study without using filter material because of the high drainage discharge and also because there is no decay of material with time

Relative Effectiveness of Water Hyacinth, Bacteria and Fungi in Purifying Sewage

The relative effectiveness of water hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes) (phytoremedian), bacteria and fungi (bioremedians) used for the purification of domestic sewage was carried out using Completely Randomised Design (CRD) replicated three times. Treatments imposed include: no treatment (control), 1kg and 2kg water hyacinth, bacteria and fungi cultures. Physical, bacteriological and chemical properties of domestic sewage were investigated before and after purification. The results show that for suspended solids, cultured tanks treated with 2kg water hyacinth reduced the sewage concentration from 73mg/l to 37.5mg/l, dissolved solids was reduced from 312mg/l to 266mg/l, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) was reduced from 11.2mg/l to 4.37mg/l, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was reduced from 7.6mg/l to 2.7mg/l. Dissolved Oxygen increased from 6.8mg/l to 7.17mg/l for 2kg hyacinth treatment due to photosynthesis but reduced to 3.7 for fungi. The cultured tanks treated with bacteria performed best in reducing turbidity and bacteriological properties of sewage. Turbidity was reduced from 5.8NTU to 1.2NTU for tanks cultured with bacteria. During the first three weeks, the hyacinth's growth was very rapid. It effectively depleted the nutrients present in the sewage, by the 4th week, gradual wilting of water hyacinth was noticed and by the end of the 5th week, serious wilting occurred due to deficiency in essential nutrients. The 2kg water hyacinth tanks wilted permanently due to total consumption of sewage. The results show that purification potential of water hyacinth is related to plants population with the 2kg hyacinth's tanks purifying better than the 1kg hyacinth density and also that bacteria purifies sewage better than fungi. Generally the 2kg water hyacinth was best in reducing the physio-chemical properties of the sewage better than the other treatments applied while the tanks treated with bacteria performed best in reducing bacteriological properties of sewage. Keywords:-Purification, sewage, phytoremediation, water hyacinth, bioremediation, bacteria and fungi.