Aeropalynological Investigation of the University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

Hay fever allergy could either be from pollen or fungi spores. Using the Hirst model of pollen trap, pollen buckets were constructed; with pollen trap solutions inside them, they were placed in specific locations in the University of Ilorin for four months (December 2012/January 2013 to March/April 2013). Using acetolysis reaction, pollens and spores were recovered from the trap solution and were analyzed and identified in the microscope. Pollen/spore were counted and compared with meteorological parameters i.e. rainfall, sunshine, wind speed, humidity, and temperature. It was observed that pollen/spore concentrations were influenced by these meteorological factors. Hence there is need for us to always determine the amount of these pollen/spore concentrations all year round as it will help to predict the vegetation of a given area as well as helping hay fever sufferers manage their allergies effectively

Review of biomass derived-activated carbon for production of clean fuels by adsorptive desulfurization: Insights into processes, modifications, properties, and performances

Sulfur remains the universally acknowledged most populous element in crude oil after carbon and hydrogen. The deleterious impact of sulfur emission from transportation fuels on both the environment and the psychological well-being of humans is becoming worrisome due to the geometric increase in energy demands. Sulfur in liquid fuel oils combusts in the automobile engine to give oxides of sulfur (SOx) resulting in acidic rain, poisons catalytic converters used to reduce oxides of carbon (COx) and cut short the engine’s life due to corrosion. Additionally, heavier thiophenes are carcinogenic and mutagenic. Owing to these detrimental effects of sulfur contents present in the fuel, the concerned regulatory agencies set the minimum allowable sulfur concentration in transportation fuels to 10 ppmw and 15 ppmw for gasoline and diesel respectively. ADS process has been gaining an attractive interest towards achieving ultra-low sulfur removal from fuels due to its simplicity, fastness, environmental friendliness, reliability, and the use of cost-effective materials. This outstanding performance is due to its excellent adsorption affinity for recalcitrant sulfur compounds under moderate conditions. The ADS adsorption capacity is a function of the material used and AC produced from lignocellulosic biomass has proved to be a unique candidate for ultra-deep desulfurization applications. This review aims to expound researchers' views at a greater length on the recent development of ADS as a complementary process to traditional HDS or a freestanding technique using AC. This meticulous work would also serve as a guide to beginners who have picked an interest in material design and its applicability for pollutant control

Interpretation of aeromagnetic data over Abeokuta and its environs, Southwest Nigeria, using spectral analysis (Fourier transform technique)

This study presents the results of spectral analysis of magnetic data over Abeokuta area, Southwestern Nigeria, using fast Fourier transform (FFT) in Microsoft Excel. The study deals with the quantitative interpretation of airborne magnetic data (Sheet No. 260), which was conducted by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency in 2009. In order to minimise aliasing error, the aeromagnetic data was gridded at spacing of 1 km. Spectral analysis technique was used to estimate the magnetic basement depth distributed at two levels. The result of the interpretation shows that the magnetic sources are mainly distributed at two levels. The shallow sources (minimum depth) range in depth from 0.103 to 0.278 km below ground level and are inferred to be due to intrusions within the region. The deeper sources (maximum depth) range in depth from 2.739 to 3.325 km below ground and are attributed to the underlying basement

Low cost MXene synthesis for regenerative adsorption of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX)

MXenes, a group of emerging 2D metal carbides with unique properties and expanding potential applications, have attracted researchers’ interests. However, high synthesis costs and safety concerns have imposed limitations on their research and development. Here, we report a low-cost and safer synthesis method for a titanium-MXene, which we then test for its efficacy as an adsorbent for organics contamination in water. For the synthesis, we examine how different carbon forms (graphite and activated charcoal (AC)) impact the MXene properties and application. Instead of expensive and high-risk pure titanium as a precursor, cheap and easy-to-handle titanium oxide was used, while achieving lower-temperature synthesis through the molten-salt shielded synthesis approach. The resulting 3D MAX phases were separately etched into 2D-MXenes and characterized extensively. The synthesised MXenes were tested as adsorbents in adsorption experiments under various conditions. The data obtained were fitted to isotherm and kinetic models to understand the adsorption mechanisms. Although the AC-based MXene exhibited a much larger BET surface area compared to the graphite-based MXene (24 m2/g vs 2 m2/g respectively), other characterization results indicated that both materials had remarkably similar morphological and functional properties. Additionally, both MXenes effectively removed at least 80 % of the initial contaminant concentration. However, AC-based MXene is cheaper to produce and demonstrated superior regenerative capabilities over three cycles of regeneration and reuse. Also, its reuse potential is less affected by oxidation during the regeneration process. This study concludes that MXenes can be synthesized at a lower cost and highlights the crucial role of the carbon form used in synthesis for the MXene subsequent application. Specifically, AC-based MXenes show great potential for clean water recovery applications and could be a good candidate for analytical chemistry purposes

Modulating the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO via surface reconstruction of ZnO nanoshapes

The electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable chemicals presents a promising strategy for closing the carbon cycle. In this study, we synthesized zinc (Zn) catalysts through hydrothermal methods using either polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as stabilizing agents. These catalysts proved highly efficient in converting CO2 into carbon monoxide (CO). Our findings revealed that ZnO, synthesized with different morphologies—namely, nanoneedles (ZnO-NN) and nanorods (ZnO-NR)—underwent significant electro-reconstruction, ultimately leading to the formation of hexagonal metallic Zn crystals, regardless of their initial characteristics. Utilizing ex-situ operando techniques, we elucidated that metallic Zn serves as the active phase for the CO2-to-CO conversion process. In a comparison, ZnO-NN catalysts demonstrated superior selectivity and stability, achieving 91.3% CO selectivity at a potential of −0.88 V vs. RHE (Reversible Hydrogen Electrode) due to the facile transformation of ZnO to metallic Zn. Remarkably, these catalysts maintained this level of performance for more than 17 h. Conversely, ZnO-NR catalysts exhibited a lower CO selectivity of 62.5% at a relatively higher potential of −0.98 V vs RHE

Toxicological assessment of ZnO-Vernonia amygdalina nanoparticle-treated Asa River water in albino rats

Traditional water purification methods are increasingly inadequate, leading to the exploration of novel approaches. This study investigated the application of plant-derived nanomaterials for heterogeneous photocatalytic water treatment using ZnO-Vernonia amygdalina nanoparticles (ZVAN). The study evaluated the efficacy of ZVAN in purifying Asa River water (ARW) and assessed its toxicological profile in rats. Synthesized ZVAN was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). ARW samples were collected according to standard guidelines and their physicochemical and bacteriological properties were analyzed. ARW was treated with ZVAN and alum separately. The effects of both treatments on various hematological, liver, and kidney parameters in albino rats were compared after 30 days of daily administration. The total suspended matter (TSM) levels in untreated and treated ARW exceeded approved standards. ZVAN treatment effectively eliminated cadmium (Cd) from the water (from 0.1 ppm to 0). Thermotolerant coliforms and enteric bacteria were also undetectable in ZVAN-treated samples. Compared to the control group, untreated ARW significantly decreased red blood cell (RBC) count (6.86±0.56 vs 2.75±0.11, p<0.05), hemoglobin (10.68±0.81 vs 3.80±0.22, p<0.05), hematocrit (40.78±2.49 vs 15.15±0.95, p<0.05), white blood cell (WBC) count (9.85±0.73 vs 1.60±0.08, p<0.05) and platelet count (377.75±26.96 vs 55.25±15.78, p<0.05). Additionally, statistically significant differences were observed in enzyme activities between experimental and control groups. This study demonstrates the high level of pollution in ARW. ZVAN treatment significantly reduced pollution and mitigated its associated detrimental effects, with minimal to no observed toxicity compared to alum treatment. These findings suggest the potential of ZVAN as a promising alternative for water purification