Kinetic Modelling of Vitamin C Degradation in Selected Fruits under Market Storage Conditions

The degradation kinetics of vitamin C in three fruits namely; orange, banana and apple under different market storage conditions prevalent in Nigeria were investigated. Orange and banana samples were stored in sacks and open air at ambient conditions, while open air and refrigerator were used for apple samples. Storage was for 6 days duration. .Iodometric titration was used to determine vitamin C content of the fruits on a daily basis. Regression analysis was employed to fit the variations in vitamin C concentration in the different samples with time, to three kinetic models, to determine which model best describes the degradation trend. Results showed that vitamin C concentration in all the fruit samples reduced over time following zero order kinetics. Kinetic studies obtained the following degradation rate constants: orange 0.44g.L-1.s-1 and 0.29 g.L-1.s-1, for sack and open air storage respectively, banana 0.316 g.L-1.s-1 and 0.264 g.L-1.s-1, for sack and open air, and apple 0.122 g.L-1.s-1 and 0.188 g.L-1.s-1, for refrigerated and open air respectively. The study indicated that with respect to vitamin C retention, open air storage is preferable to sack for oranges and bananas while apples are preferably stored in refrigerator

Water Quality Impact of Flow Station Effluent in a Receiving Creek

The physicochemical quality of a crude oil flow station effluent and water of an effluent receiving creek were investigated. Samples were characterized by laboratory analysis. High concentrations of some toxicants exceeding environmental standards were observed in the effluent and water samples, which include BOD5 (544mg/L), COD (650mg/L), salinity (3162mg/L), copper (2.3mg/L), TDS (18900 mg/L), lead (0.51mg/L), and cadmium (0.04mg/L). The study underscored the need for proper treatment and monitoring of effluent to ensure compliance with statutory standard, before discharge into the environment to safeguard the ecosystem, as continued discharge of improperly treated effluent may compound the ecological problem of the receiving water environmen

The Influence of Biostimulator in the Remediation of Petroleum Sludge Polluted Clay Soil: The Concept of Moringa Application

The Bioremediation of Petroleum Sludge (PS) in a clay soil environment of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria using Moringa Seed oil extract (MO) as a Biostimulator (BS) has been investigated, with a view to studying the mitigation impact on the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content of the petroleum sludge. Two Bioreactors labeled R1 (with MO treatment) and R2 (control: No treatment) containing 3.0kg of clay soils were polluted with 300ml of petroleum sludge. 50ml of MO was added to R1 as a biostimulator. R2 received no form of treatment. Bioremediation extent monitoring was carried out bi-weekly by sampling of the bioreactors contents and analyzing for the individual petroleum hydrocarbon using a gas chromatography (GC). Analysis of the samples at two weeks intervals for a period of 12 weeks reveals that bioremediation occurred in the treatment reactor and the control reactor to which no biostimulator was added. Most of the Hydrocarbon degradation occurred within the first four weeks of the experiment. It was found that moringa seed oil extract was very effective and suitable for remediation of petroleum sludge polluted clay soils due to the high degradation rates of the individual hydrocarbons recorded in the biostimulated reactor against the low degradation rates of those of the control reactor with no form of bio-treatment

Environmental Assessment of Vehicular Emission in Port-Harcourt City, Nigeria

Port Harcourt is a coastal city located in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, with very short dry season and long heavy rainy season periods. The objective of this study was to assess air pollution level from vehicular emission during the rainy season period. Three locations in the city noted for high traffic congestion were selected for the study. Air sampling in these locations were carried out for 11 days, covering peak and off peak periods. The following air pollutants were measured namely; nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbons (CxHy), as well as climatic elements – ambient temperature and relative humidity. The air pollutant levels obtained were compared with local and International standards. CO complied with International standard, but exceeded local standard. There is need for effective air pollution monitoring and control, this will go a long way to reduce the health risk associated with air pollution in the city

Low-cost, deep-sea imaging and analysis tools for deep-sea exploration: a collaborative design study

A minuscule fraction of the deep sea has been scientifically explored and characterized due to several constraints, including expense, inefficiency, exclusion, and the resulting inequitable access to tools and resources around the world. To meet the demand for understanding the largest biosphere on our planet, we must accelerate the pace and broaden the scope of exploration by adding low-cost, scalable tools to the traditional suite of research assets. Exploration strategies should increasingly employ collaborative, inclusive, and innovative research methods to promote inclusion, accessibility, and equity to ocean discovery globally. Here, we present an important step toward this new paradigm: a collaborative design study on technical capacity needs for equitable deep-sea exploration. The study focuses on opportunities and challenges related to low-cost, scalable tools for deep-sea data collection and artificial intelligence-driven data analysis. It was conducted in partnership with twenty marine professionals worldwide, covering a broad representation of geography, demographics, and domain knowledge within the ocean space. The results of the study include a set of technical requirements for low-cost deep-sea imaging and sensing systems and automated image and data analysis systems. As a result of the study, a camera system called Maka Niu was prototyped and is being field-tested by thirteen interviewees and an online AI-driven video analysis platform is in development. We also identified six categories of open design and implementation questions highlighting participant concerns and potential trade-offs that have not yet been addressed within the scope of the current projects but are identified as important considerations for future work. Finally, we offer recommendations for collaborative design projects related to the deep sea and outline our future work in this space

Predictive Analysis of Homosexualism as the Prime Cause of HIV/AIDS Outbreak

In this work, HIV/AIDS data from homosexuals, heterosexuals and lesbians were obtained from the internet. Computational tablenbsp ofnbsp ratiosnbsp ofnbsp homosexualsnbsp to heterosexuals,nbsp lesbiansnbsp tonbsp homosexualsnbsp fornbsp bothnbsp HIVnbsp andnbsp AIDSnbsp patientsnbsp asnbsp a functionnbsp ofnbsp timenbsp werenbsp madenbsp andnbsp plottednbsp usingnbsp shapenbsp preservingnbsp interpolantnbsp in MATLAB 7.9 toolbox. Observations were made of those ratios, as a function of time, that are above and below y-axis = 1. It was seen that homosexual to heterosexual HIV shoots off in 1998 and continues to rise. Homosexuals to heterosexual AIDS ratio are to cross y=1 line and continue to rise in the future (fig.2). Also in fig. 4, Hho/Nho rises geometrically, showing HIV as the cause of the rise. In fig 5, plots of HIV to normal people and AIDS to normal people show another geometric rise indicating that HIV and AIDS are responsible for the rise.nbsp From the foregoing observations, it is therefore imperative to assert that homosexualism has a big and major role to play in the advent of HIV/ AIDS. This result can be used by World Health Organisation (WHO), Centre for Disease Control (CDC) for the control of the spread of HIV/AIDS, and also by hospitals for those treating HIV/AIDS, especially those practicing homosexualism