Preparation and characterization of steam activated chicken eggshell for gaseous pollutant adsorption

Air pollution is a major issue because it can immediately cause health problems. The primary pollutants are oxides of nitrogen, Sulphur, carbon, and oxidants. The collection, preparation, and characterization of chicken eggshell for the production of activated carbon useful in air purification, was carried out. The preparation was done in succession from raw uncarbonized to carbonized and then to steam activated form for adsorption of air pollutants. Powdered Eggshell was Carbonized at different temperatures in the range of 150-600 ºC to achieve optimum and effective temperature for best carbon content from its char. The best carbon yield was gotten at 450 ºC/1 hour in a carbolite type muffle furnace which gives less room for air flow. Thermal / steam activation of the carbonized eggshell was done at 500 ºC for 1 hour. The ash content, bulk density, electrical conductivity, pH, and moisture contents were analyzed respectively. The samples were characterized for their surface area and pore volume. The ash contents for the three samples were in the order Uncarbonized (41.76 %) > Carbonized (32.62 %) > Stean Activated (29.47 %) while the bulk density followed Carbonized (1. 19 g/ml) > Steam Activated (1.11 g/ml) > Uncarbonized (0.79 g/ml). All the three samples had the same value of 0.31 mS/cm for the electrical conductivity while two of the samples (carbonized and activated) had the same pH (8.1) and uncarbonized had a lower pH (7.9). The moisture contents ranged from 2 to 9 % with steam activated sample having the least and uncarbonised, the highest. Tapping density, surface area, pore volume, iodine number, % iodine absorbed values followed the order Steam active > Carbonized > Uncarbonized samples. The steam activated sample having the highest values of all these parameters showed it possesses high adsorption capacity for gaseous pollutants

Farmers’ Behaviour towards Utilisation of Jatropha Curcas for Environmental Mitigation in Oyo State, Nigeria

The dysfunctional environment caused by soil erosion, wind erosion, deforestation, desertification, issues of flood was due to the effect of greenhouse gases emanating as a result of various activities of man and industries. Consequently, this has prompted the exploitation of Jatropha curcas for mitigating the environment. Therefore, this study was carried out to examine farmers’ behaviour towards utilisation of Jatropha curcas for mitigation of environment in the study area. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting 120 farmers from 217 trained Jatropha farmers across Ido and Akinyele Local Government Areas in Oyo State. The data was analysed using frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and pearson product moment correlation. The result for the study showed that majority of the respondents had mean age of 44.4± 10.8 with majority also being male (66.7%) and formal education (91.7%). The result revealed that there was significant relationship between socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and farmers’ behaviour towards utilization of Jatropha curcas for environmental mitigation. There was correlation between farmers’ awareness on cultivation of Jatropha curcas and their behavior towards utilisation of Jatropha curcas for environmental mitigation (r = 0.399**, p < 0.05). The respondents’ attitude was significantly related to their behavior towards utilization of Jatropha curcas for environmental mitigation (r = - 0.182*, p < 0.05). The study showed that awareness and attitude of farmers strongly influence their behaviour towards utilization of Jatropha curcas for environmental mitigation. The implication of this study is to ensure that the environment becomes free of hazards and degradation which affect survival of the ecosystem and biodiversity. Hence, government should join in the advocacy to open continuous channels of communication on the importance of Jatropha to motivate farmers to having right behaviour towards utilization of Jatropha curcas as a measure to mitigate the environment. Keywords: Behaviour, utilisation, Jatropha curcas, farmers, mitigation, environmen

Growth Pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different wastewater media

Restaurant wastewater are a major cause of environmental pollution with the indiscriminate release of the effluent to the environment resulting in blocking of drainages and eutrophication thereby causing serious threat to aquatic life. The growth pattern of a dietary rich oily wastewater degrading bacteria strain, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in different wastewater media composed to mimic the possible constituents of restaurant wastewater was investigated in this study. There was noticeable microbial growth in the synthetic and domestic wastewaters after 48h while the detergent wastewater and heated oil-detergent wastewater did not support the strain's growth. The decrease in the fat content with a corresponding increase in the ash content after 120h was due to the test strain's metabolic activity, which is slightly higher in domestic wastewater than the heated oil-detergent solution. Also, the potassium (K+), Mg2+, Fe2+ and Ca2+ contents increased within the same period in both media except in the domestic wastewater where the Ca2+ content reduced. Protease enzyme activity (46.440mM/min) was considerably higher in the domestic wastewater than lipase (3.322mM/min) and amylase activity (14.244mM/min) after 72 hours of incubation. The pristine genetic properties of Pseudomonas aeruginosa altered when cultured in various wastewaters probably due to variation in the composition of the substrates

Rainfall Variability and Trend Analysis over Lokoja, Nigeria

Studies on rainfall variability and trends are of great importance, particularly to the nations where rainfed agriculture is predominant. This study used CRU data (CRU_TS 4.01) to examine the temporal variability of rainfall data over Lokoja. Statistical tests were employed to examine variability and trend in monthly, seasonal and annual time series. Analysis of variability showed that the rainy seasons and annual rainfall had less variability (CV 30) in some months in the rainy season (April, July and August). Standardised precipitation index showed alternation of wet and dry period conditions had been witnessed in the study area. Trend analysis showed more positive trends had been experienced from 1970 through 2010. The variability in rainfall and the increasing trend may have a tremendous effect on water resources availabilities and vulnerabilities of Lokoja

The Use of Hybrid System of Classification for the retrieval and modification of Mechanical Products

ABSTRACT With people becoming more individualistic i

Incorporation of Silica Fume and Metakaolin on Self Compacting Concrete

This study carried out an experimental design investigating the reaction of mineral admixtures on fresh and hardened properties of sustainable self compacting concrete (SCC). Silica fume (SF) and metakaolin (MK) were partially replaced by Portland cement at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% in varying proportions. The workability on the fresh concrete was examined and the strength performance. The water cement ratio of 0.38 was kept constant for all the samples tested. The compressive strength was measured at 7, 14, 21 and 28 curing days. The test results indicated that with the influence of 2% superplasticizer, the fresh concrete showed a satisfactory workability, decreased the segregation to resistance, ease of flowing ability with the addition of silica fume and metakaolin. It was concluded in this study that, the replacement with silica fume was found to have an early strength gain in the compressive strength of SCC samples and a decrease at varying dosages. However, 15% metakaolin was considered to be a suitable replacement with 49.08 MPa at 28days compared with the control mix.

Simulated Design of a Flow Control Valve forStroke Speed Adjustment of Hydraulic Power of Robotic Lifting Device

A novel method of design for a hydraulic robotic lifting equipment (HRLE) was modelled, commonly used by marinas and Automobile industries. Lifting appliances have different working principles because of their individual characteristic behaviours. This work analysis a characteristic curve made from values obtained from various adjustments of the stroke working speed of the hydraulic lift system and the time used. A hydraulic lift of an experimental setup was developed for different adjustable heights and speeds and simulated to get the actual optimum value of operation under different loading conditions. The motion was free of inconsistent movement and a steady speed was attained after a 0.6s maximum timelimit. A flow control valve and a pressure relief valve were used to adjust the speed without any extreme irregular high pressure. A demonstration for possibilities and applicability of HRLE is presented whichis applicable both in industries and institutions for learning

Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in Sub-Saharan Africa:A Health Economic Evaluation to Assess the Feasibility in Nigeria

Background: Cardiovascular disease reflects a major burden of non-communicable disease in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Early detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), as a preventive measure against stroke, is currently not in the scope of the World Health Organization recommendation to reduce cardiovascular disease. Objective: We hypothesized that screening for AF would be an important approach to determine the true AF prevalence in the general population in African countries and to identify asymptomatic AF patients at risk for stroke to optimize prevention. Methods: A decision analytic model was developed to study the health-economic impact of AF screening in Nigeria over a life-time horizon. The patient population explored in the model was a population of newly detected AF cases that would be diagnosed with a one-time systematic screening for AF with a single lead ECG device in community health centres across Nigeria. Conclusions: The health gain per newly detected AF patient (N = 31,687) was 0.41 QALY at a cost of $5,205 per patient with 100$12,587 per QALY gained. The intervention was cost-effective with a 99.9% warfarin use with an ICER of $1,363 per QALY gained. The total cost of a single screening session was$7.3 million for the total screened population in Nigeria or $1.60 per patient screened. Screening for AF to detect AF patients in need for stroke prevention can be a cost-effective intervention in the Sub-Saharan region, depending on type of anticoagulant used and drug costs

Nutritive Quality of Hay and Silage from Natural Grazing Land in South Western Nigeria

In the tropics, inadequate nutrition caused by scarcity of forages and its low quality constitutes a major constraint to good performance of ruminant animals (Lukuyu et al. 2011). Herbage availability during the wet season often exceeds animal requirements (Chakoma et al. 1999). As the dry season sets in, the protein level of the accumulated forages drops and the fibre level increases, with an increase in lignin content while voluntary intake decreases. Due to lack of quality forage especially in the dry season, animals feeding on them tend to lose weight and their productivity will be negatively affected. In order to reduce the limitations of feeds for ruminant animals especially during dry season, there is need to develop feed conservation strategies. The use of high quality forages appears to be the most feasible option to serve this purpose. Therefore, conservation of excess forages produced in the rainy season can be utilized as supplements during the dry season to be able to alleviate poor performance of ruminant animals and will also enhance incomes of small-scale farmers. The aim of this study was to determine the suitability of conserved forages (hay and silage) from the natural grazing land as dry season supplementary feed for ruminant animals grazing in natural pastureland