Determination of Some Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of Sewage Samples from Domestic, House-boat and Off-shore Facilities Discharge Point.

Test was conducted to determine some physico- chemical and microbiological parameters from samples of sewage effluent collected from domestic, house-boat, and offshore facilities respectively at the discharge point to the recipient environment. Among the parameters determined included: Total chlorine, Biological Oxygen demand (BOD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and faecal coliform. Test results indicated that the total chlorine had values which ranged from (<0.01-0.10)mg/l for the domestic facilities, the house-boat facilities values ranged from (0.01-0.12)mg/l. The values for the offshore facilities ranged from (<.01-4.0mg/l). The BOD5 values for the domestic facilities ranged from (<0.01-240) mg/l, the house \u2013boat facilities ranged from (45.6080.00)mg/l. The value of the offshore facilities was 20mg/l for all the three points tested. The result of the TSS indicated that for the domestic facilities, the values ranged from (75.0-115) mg/l, the house-boat facilities values ranged from (66-182) mg/l. and for the offshore facilities, results ranged from (60- 265) mg/l. The DO results from the domestic facilities indicated a range of (0.18-5.92) mg/l. The result from the house \u2013boats ranged from (2.02.90) mg/l, the offshore facilities results ranged from (3.21-5.32)mg/l. The faecal coliform for the domestic facilities had a value which ranged from (14-1600) cfu/100ml. the house-boat facilities values ranged from (180-290) cfu/100ml. The offshore facilities had values which ranged from (14-1600) cfu/100ml. Most of these results were higher than limits specified by the regulatory level (DPR) and an indication that the recipient environment was polluted and poses a great concern. In a place like Nigeria, where there are no sewerage treatment systems, it is indiscriminately disposed into rivers without treatment and such rivers serve as sources of drinking water. This water pollution is of great concern and has resulted to diseases such as typhoid and cholera. Therefore, proper treatment of sewage before discharging into the recipient environment is imperative. @ JASE

Evaluation of some of the Metal Levels at Different Depths from Gulf of Guinea Offshore Location

Study area is in the Nigeria continental shelf of the Atlantic Ocean, located within seawater depths of 20 – 25 m and geographic X and Y coordinates 337896 – 356905 and 469773 – 482786, offshore Nigeria respectively. Test was conducted to evaluate some of the metal levels at different depths from Gulf of Guinea offshore location. Samples were collected from the depth of 5m, 10m, 15m and 20m respectively and tests were conducted over a one year period on a quarterly basis. Test result indicated that mean value over the period for the metals tested was: Mg(1160mg/l), K(369mg/l), Na(8062mg/l), Ca(380mg/l), Al(<1.0mg/l), Fe(0.05mg/l), Cu(<0.05mg/l), Mn(<0.10mg/l), Zn(<0.05mg/l), Ba(<0.03mg/l), Si(<0.01mg/l), Sr(0.569mg/l), Li(0.559mg/l). This project therefore will help to provide a base-line data on the metal constituents of the Gulf of Guinea offshore location, thereby helping framework for environmental protection for offshore oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Guinea @ JASE

Biodegradation of premium motor spirit (PMS) by lipase from Bacillus thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus

This study reported production of lipase by Bacillus thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus. Bacteria isolates were screened on Bushnell-Hass Mineral Salt medium containing 1% PMS for oil degradation. Two potent isolates were identified using 16S rRNA as Bacillus thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus. They were cultured for lipase production in a submerged medium. The crude lipases extracted were used for degradation of PMS. Optimum degradation of PMS 44.5% and 37.4% were obtained by lipase from Bacillus thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus respectively at pH 7 and 35 in 20 days. This study therefore presented the use of bacterial lipase in degradation of PMS as a simple and effective approach.Keywords: Bacillus spp., biodegradation, lipase,

Differences in sensory characteristics among various mango cultivars in the form of fresh sliced mango, mango purée, and mango sorbet

Master of ScienceFood Science Institute, Human NutritionDelores H. ChambersFresh mangoes are highly perishable, and therefore, they are often processed to extend shelf-life and facilitate exportation. Studying the transformation that mango cultivars undergo throughout processing can aid in selecting appropriate varieties for products. In the 1st part of this study, the flavor and texture properties of 4 mango cultivars available in the United States (U.S.) were analyzed. Highly trained descriptive panelists in the U.S. evaluated fresh, purée, and sorbet samples prepared from each cultivar. Purées were made by pulverizing mango flesh, passing it through a china cap, and heating it to 85 °C for 15 s. For the sorbets, purées were diluted with water (1:1), sucrose was added, and the bases were frozen in a batch ice cream freezer. Much of the texture variation among cultivars was lost after fresh samples were transformed into purées, whereas much of the flavor and texture variation among cultivars was lost once fresh mangoes and mango purées were transformed into sorbets. Compared to the other cultivars, Haden and Tommy Atkins underwent greater transformations in flavor throughout sorbet preparation, and processing reduced the intensities of some unpleasant flavors in these cultivars. Tommy Atkins was the only cultivar that had flavor differences from other cultivars when it was in sorbet. Results suggest that cultivar variation is generally not detectable in mango sorbet unless the cultivar has a distinct initial flavor. In the 2nd part of this study, descriptive panelists in Thailand evaluated the flavor and texture properties of fresh samples and purées prepared from 6 cultivars grown in Thailand. Thermal processing had unique effects on the flavor of each cultivar, especially Nam Dok Mai and Chok Anun; Nam Dok Mai significantly decreased in mango identity and peach flavors after processing, whereas Chok Anun significantly increased in sweet, mango identity, and pineapple flavors. Although a slight amount of flavor variation among cultivars was lost because of thermal processing, most of the texture variation was eliminated. Because of significant changes in flavor and texture after heat treatment of mango cultivars, manufacturers should select cultivars for mango purées based on their properties after thermal processing

A Comprehensive Analysis of Groundwater Quality in The Barnett Shale Region

The exploration of unconventional shale energy reserves and the extensive use of hydraulic fracturing during well stimulation have raised concerns about the potential effects of unconventional oil and gas extraction (UOG) on the environment. Most accounts of groundwater contamination have focused primarily on the compositional analysis of dissolved gases to address whether UOG activities have had deleterious effects on overlying aquifers. Here, we present an analysis of 550 groundwater samples collected from private and public supply water wells drawing from aquifers overlying the Barnett shale formation of Texas. We detected multiple volatile organic carbon compounds throughout the region, including various alcohols, the BTEX family of compounds, and several chlorinated compounds. These data do not necessarily identify UOG activities as the source of contamination; however, they do provide a strong impetus for further monitoring and analysis of groundwater quality in this region as many of the compounds we detected are known to be associated with UOG techniques