Effects of Crude Oil contaminated Water on the reproductive system of Female Wistar Rats

The rising level of infertility in the females have been associated with environmental pollutants and one such pollutants is crude oil. Crude oil pollution occurs in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria and interaction with this toxicant by both humans and animals may adversely the female reproductive system. This study was designed to investigate the effect of crude oil contaminated water on reproductive functions in female Wistar rats. Fifteen (15) female rats weighing between 140g-230g were used for this study and the rats were divided into three (3) groups (1, 2 and 3) and each group had five rats. Group 1 was the control group while group 2 and 3 were the test groups receiving 2.5mls and 5mls of crude oil contaminated water twice daily for four weeks. The stages of Oestrus cycle of the rats were checked daily. The rats were sacrificed after four weeks and the blood collected were used for hormonal assays (Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH), Testosterone). The uterus and ovaries were used for histology (Haematoxylin and Eosin staining), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration. The results were analyzed using GraphPad Prism software for windows and data were expressed as mean±standard error of mean. Statistical significance was accepted at p<0.05. There was no significant changes (p>0.05) in the weights and relative reproductive organ weights (uterus and ovary) of among the three groups. FSH and LH in the test group of rats fed with crude oil contaminated water when compared with the control were not statistically significant (p<0.05). Oestradiol was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the test group whereas progesterone and progesterone-oestradiol ratio was significantly elevated (p<0.05) in the test groups when compared with the control. There were degenerative changes in the ovaries and uterus of rats fed with crude oil contaminated water when compared with the control. SOD was significantly reduced (p<0.05) in the test group while MDA was elevated in the ovaries and uterus of the test group. The oestrus cycle was irregular in the test groups.   Crude oil contaminated water has endocrine disrupting effects on the female reproductive system as well as inducing oxidative stress and this may adversely affect female reproductive functions and fertility. KEY WORDS: Crude oil contaminated water, Endocrine disruptor, Female reproductive functions, Oxidative stress DOI: 10.7176/JMPB/72-05 Publication date: June 30th 202

Effect of Monoazo Dye on The Mechanical Properties of Low Density Polyethylene and Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride

A red coloured monoazo dye (1-Phenylazo-2-naphthol) has been synthesized from aniline and 2-naphthol at a temperature of 5oC. UV spectrum of the dye showed the presence of azo group and naphthalene chromophores at wavelength of 285-400nm and 200nm respectively. The effect of the dye on the mechanical properties of UPVC film obtained by solvent casting and LDPE film obtained by compression moulding using standard hot melt compounding technique shows that the dye has no significant effect on the tensile properties of UPVC. However, addition of the dye to LDPE reduces the elongation – at – break, ultimate tensile strength and modulus properties. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 7(2) 2003: 55-5

Coconut coir dust as a low cost adsorbent for the removal of cationic dye from aqueous solution

Adsorption of methylene blue from aqueous solution onto coconut coir dust (CCD) a low cost agricultural waste material in a batch process was investigated. Adsorption was studied as a function of amount of adsorbent, pH and concentration with time. It was found that percentage adsorption varied linearly with the amount of adsorbent and concentration with time but varies non-linearly with pH. Adsorption equilibrium data were represented by isotherm, kinetics and thermodynamics models. Three isotherm models namely Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin were tested and adsorption was found to fit well into these models with R2 ⩾ 0.90. The kinetic data were well described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The adsorption process was endothermic with a mean change in enthalpy (ΔH) (+17.87 KJ mol−1) and spontaneous with a mean free energy change (ΔG) (−9.69 KJ mol−1). FTIR analyses of the adsorbent suggest that adsorption of the dye was through a chemical interaction of the functional groups on the surface of the adsorbent

Corrosion inhibition by leaves and stem extracts of Sida acuta for mild steel in 1 M H2SO4 solutions investigated by chemical and spectroscopic techniques

Corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 1 M H2SO4 by leaves and stem extracts of Sida acuta was studied using chemical (weight loss and hydrogen evolution) and spectroscopic (AAS, FTIR and UV-V) techniques at 30–60 °C. It was found that the leaves and stem extracts of S. acuta inhibited the acid induced corrosion of mild steel. The inhibition efficiency increases with increase in concentration of the extracts but decrease with rise in temperature. Inhibitive effect was afforded by adsorption of the extracts’ components which was approximated by Freundlich adsorption isotherm. Inhibition mechanism is deduced from the temperature dependence of the inhibition efficiency and also from spectroscopic results

Process optimization for the application of carbon from plantain peels in dye abstraction

Activated carbon obtained from plantain peels was applied to the optimization of the adsorption process parameters for abstraction of colour from simulated dye effluent. The activated carbon was prepared and characterized using nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Equilibrium isotherms were modelled using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich and Temkin models; the Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich models provided the best fit for the sorption process, with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.95. The D–R model suggested a chemical process. The pseudo second-order kinetic model agreed well for fitting experimental data with the calculated adsorption capacity, qe, (46.5 mg/g), which was reasonably close to the experimental value (47.3 mg/g). Optimization of the process parameters was achieved using response surface methodology (RSM) – Box–Behnken design, where factors considered are represented on three levels: (−1), (0) and (+1) for high, mean and low levels, respectively. ANOVA fits a quadratic model with prob > F less than 0.05 (<0.0001) at 95% confidence level. From this modelling, significant factors for dye removal have been identified