Application of Mangifera indica (mango) and Phoenix dactylifera (dates) seeds powders as coagulants in wastewater treatment

This research was aimed at studying the possibility of efficiently combining Mangifera indica and Phoenix dactylifera seeds powders as coagulants in wastewater treatment. The seeds were characterized for their composition, active compounds and proximate constituents using atomic adsorption spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and X-ray Diffraction analysis. Jar test was carried out using the seeds extracts separately and in combination at varying dosages and the Electrical Conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Turbidity, Temperature, pH, and Total coliform were measured with every varying dosage. Statistical tools were used to validate the results of the Jar test. The sludge from the Jar test experiment was analyzed for its total nitrogen, organic carbon, organic matter, total volatile solids, and carbon: nitrogen ratio. Mangifera indica removed 89% turbidity, 96% BOD, 84% COD and 99% total coliform of the wastewater. Phoenix dactylifera removed 75% turbidity, 85% BOD, 78% COD and 88% total coliform of the wastewater. Their combination removed 96% turbidity, 96% BOD, 87% COD and 98% total coliform of the wastewater. Keywords: Mangifera indica, Phoenix Dactylifera, Coagulants, Wastewate

Local controls on sediment accumulation and distribution in a fjord in the West Antarctic Peninsula: implications for palaeoenvironmental interpretations

We analyse surface sediment and its distribution in Flandres Bay, West Antarctic Peninsula, in order to understand modern day sediment dispersal patterns in a fjord with retreating, tidewater glaciers. The surface sediment descriptions of 41 cores are included in this study. The sediment facies described include muddy diatomaceous ooze, diatomaceous mud, pebbly mud, sandy mud and mud, with scattered pebbles present in most samples. In contrast to a traditional conceptual model of glacial sediment distribution in fjords, grain size in Flandres Bay generally coarsens from the inner to outer bay. The smallest grain size sediments were found in the bay head and are interpreted as fine-grained deposits resulting from meltwater plumes and sediment gravity flows occurring close to the glacier front. The middle of the bay is characterized by a high silt percentage, which correlates to diatom-rich sediments. Sediments in the outer bay have a high component of coarse material, which is interpreted as being the result of winnowing from currents moving from the Bellingshausen Sea into the Gerlache Strait. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of glacial environments often use grain size as an indicator of proximity to the ice margin. After a detailed analysis of a large number of cores collected in the study area, our findings highlight the variability in sedimentation patterns within a fjord and provide a valuable evidence of the complexity that may occur in the sedimentary record