Groundwater quality using indices for domestic and irrigation purposes in Akure, Nigeria

Groundwater exploration has become more critical for agricultural and domestic purposes due to the over�exploitation, depletion and widespread pollution of surface water bodies. The study is focused on evaluating these groundwater sources for their suitability for domestic and irrigation applications, as well as a quality-based investigation of these sources. Thirty (30) boreholes were investigated across the study area Akure, Ondo State to achieve the aforemen�tioned aim. This was carried out by the analysis of physico-chemical parameters, determination of water quality index and evaluating irrigation indices. Moreover, Gibbs diagram was used to characterize ground water samples. Results: show the groundwater to be slightly acidic in nature with pH values falling below the 6.5 benchmark. According to evaluated indices, Sodium ratio also showed that 76.7% of the water samples is in “good” category, 20% is in “permissible” category, and 3.3% is in the “poor” category. the water is suitable for irrigation and can support plant yield. Based on Water Quality Index (WQI) assessment, majority of the water samples (82%) can be classified as “good”, 16% of the samples were excellent, while 2% were found to be moderate indicating that the water quality in terms of its drinking standard is generally good as obtained from this study. Data plotted in Gibbs diagram reveal that the groundwater chemistry is primarily controlled by rock-water interaction

Preparation and Characterization of Biochar and Activated carbon derived from Cashew Bagasse Waste

Biochar and Activated carbon derived from cashew bagasse waste (CBB and CBAC), are veritable materials produced from agro-waste. They are currently under-utilized owing to paucity of information in their recycling methods which reduces agricultural waste from the environment. This study investigates the use of under-utilized cashew bagasse waste in the production of biochar and activated carbon using pyrolysis and chemical activation methods, respectively. Cashew bagasse waste was pyrolysed at 4000C for 20mins at 100C/min. The biochar was chemically activated using 0.3M orthophosphoric acid (H3PO4) at an impregnation ratio of 1:2.36(w/w). It was heated at 1000C to form a paste and placed in a muffle furnace at 5000C for 30 mins. This was cooled and washed until pH was neutral. It was oven dried at 1050C for 24 hours to a constant weight to produce CBAC Characterization of CBB and CBAC for its pH, bulk density, and moisture content, dry matter, volatile matter, and fixed carbon were determined. FTIR and SEM analysis on CBB and CBAC was done to determine the functional groups and surface morphology, respectively. The Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at P value < 0.05. This study, therefore, revealed CBAC to have better characteristics than CB