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Assessment and modeling of air quality in quarry sites in Abia State
Get PDFThis thesis is for the award of Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) in Water Resources EngineeringThis study focused on the assessment and modeling of air quality in selected quarry sites located in Lokpaukwu, Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State. Ambient air samples were taken in the major activities areas of the quarry site, such as the generator house, the weight bridge, the primary crusher, the secondary crusher, the administration block and the site main gate. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis. The study revealed a positive correlation between the observed and predicted pollutants concentration. It also shows the concentration of the pollutants between the model calculation and the actual monitoring are basically consistent. From the results the error of estimate gotten is within the specific range of statistical analysis. Eluama quarry site recorded 120.28/3 as the highest predicted concentration in the month of January, 2015 and 54.07/3 as the lowest predicted concentration in the month of May, 2015. Eziama quarry site recorded 104.22/3 as the highest predicted concentration in the month of March, 2015 and 59.05/3 as the lowest predicted concentration in the month of July, 2015. The result shows that the level of concentration of the particulates in air will be highest during the dry season and lowest during the rainy season or weather. It is therefore wise to say that the concentrations of the particulates will be severer during the dry season than the rainy seasons. Thus, suppression of dust must be effectively monitored during the dry season. From the predicted pollutants concentration, the two communities will be safe from the adverse effects of the pollutants, as the highest predicted concentration of the pollutants recorded is 120.28/3 which is below the permissible limits of NESREA and WHO (150/3 250/3 ). Also Concentrations decrease rapidly on moving away from the source, due to dispersion and dilution, which means there will be more reduction in concentration of the pollutants before it reaches the host communities. Overall, the model performance is satisfactory and this would provide reliable results in predicting or determining the air quality in Quarry Sites
Customer relationship management information system for GSM operators: A case study of MTN and Azash connection, Oyigbo, Rivers State
Get PDFThis thesis is for the award of the Master of Science (MSc.) in Project Management TechnologyCustomer Relationship Management (CRM) is an integrated approach to identifying, acquiring partnering and tracking customers to create value for the company and the customers. The aim of this work is to analyze the impact of CRM on Customers value and organizational operations with reference to GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) operators. The objectives of this study includes the following; To examine Improvement in customers’ relationship, to examine the company’s progress against their goals, to determine how to provide customer with experience and quality service in order to move them ahead and to determine how to improve the Customers value. Definitional aspect of CRM was explored, leading to the identification of three alternatives perspectives and variations of CRM. The study process of this work is designed from the study of the integration parts of CRM which includes some CRM theories, various CRM architectures and CRM processes. This study involved the use of hypotheses to investigate CRM as applied to GSM operators (MTN and AZASH connection), a questionnaire was administered to a sampled population and the feedbacks from the respondents were analyzed to prove or disprove each of the hypotheses using ANOVA and t-test sample test analysis. From the findings there was significant improvement of organizational operations when CRM software are used/deployed. Also deployment of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has significantly improved customer’s value. The study recommends therefore the need to improve customer relationship in order to boost broad based customer’s confidence and hence encourage competitive trading in GSM market. Also for CRM implementation to be successful and thus achieve co-operate objectives, the right mix of CRM components and all the key factors strategy, leadership and integration need to be given due attention. There are basically 2 hypothesis which were used in this thesis work. They include, H0: There is no significant difference in the improvement of organizational operations when CRM software are used and H0: Deployment of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software does not significantly improve customer’s value
Adsorption of dye-extract from peristophe roxburghiana onto cotton fabric: Kinetic, thermodynamic and isothermic evaluation
No full textThis thesis is for the award of Master of Science (MSc) in Textile Science and EngineeringAdsorption of dye-extract from Peristophe roxburghiana onto cotton fabric: Kinetic, thermodynamics and Isothermic evaluation was studied at different temperatures (50°C, 60°C, and 70°C) and concentration (2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5g/l). Peristophe roxburghiana (PR) plant leaf sample was extracted using aqueous extraction method for 40mins at 70°C. The plant extract was characterized using UV-VIS spectrophotometer and FTIR. The wavelength of maximum
adsorption was at 580nm and the functional group identified at 1200.2 cm-1 , 1.323.3 cm- , and 3272.6 cm-1 in the plant extract showed that the dye is an Anthocyanin dye as it contains hydroxyl (OH+ ), ketone (CO- ), hydroxylated aromatic ring. The adsorption mechanism was affected by temperature and concentration while its kinetic pattern obeyed pseudo second order model and type 1 Langmuir isotherm model perfectly. Thermodynamic parameters values 3438.4J/Mol for (ΔH°) and -9.991 J/Mol/K(ΔS°) respectively revealed the reaction was endothermic in nature. This study also showed that the reaction of the dye is chemisorption with a definable adsorption mechanism. In conclusion, a design for colour control and colour optimization can be achieved with proper understands of the adsorption behavior of the dye extract from this plant leaf
Analysis of the contributing factors to construction schedule overrun in selected public sector projects in Imo State
No full textThe Master's Thesis contains tablesThis work seeks to analyze the Contributing Factors to Construction Schedule Overrun in Selected Public Sector Projects in Imo State. The objectives are to: determine and analyze the factors responsible for project schedule overrun in construction projects in Imo State; examine possible individual and collective significant effects of the factors on successful project delivery; examine the impact of schedule overrun on construction projects and; identify the causes of schedule overrun in construction projects and proffer workable solution to them. Questionnaire was developed using the 5-point Likert scale for the collection of primary data. Multiple regression analysis was adopted for the analysis of the collected data. The result obtained shows that government policies and project funding/finance, are significant factors that contribute to construction projects schedule overrun while project technology, force majeure and corruption are not significant. Funding/finance has the highest ranking, project technology ranks the least. Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that proper planning should be encouraged; government policies and programmes should be made in such a way that favours timely execution of projects. Adequate financial provisions should be made available to contractors by the government. The use of local raw materials should be encouraged in the execution of contracts. The selection of contractors and other major stakeholders should be based on competence and realistic tender quotations. All efforts should be made to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of design modifications during the project execution
A Transient performance evaluation of a porous evaporative cooler for preservation of fruits and vegetables
Get PDFA Master’s Thesis on "porous evaporative cooler for preservation of fruits and vegetables" It contains diagrams, pictures and tables.Post harvest loss is a major factor affecting commercial farming. Efforts to reduce it using the conventional cooling systems have not been successful to cost and unavailability of grid connected electricity. Evaporative cooling is a promising alternative but this work is required to improve on its overall performance. To do this, the transient performance under different climatic conditions is required for better understanding and possible system components optimization. This work therefore presents the transient performance evaluation of a porous evaporative cooler carried out using a mathematical model developed from first principle. The model is based on an energy balance and mass transfer analysis on different parts of the evaporative cooler. The developed model was solved using FlexPDE computational fluid dynamics analyser based on the finite element numerical approach. The numerical solution was validated using experimental data. Results obtained showed that the model very closely predicted the actual system performance with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.205. In general it was observed that the evaporative cooler maintained a significantly lower storage temperature (20.9 – 24 )OC compared to the ambient temperature (27 – 33)OC for all climatic seasons of the year with the best performance recorded during the late dry season (January). Temperature difference between ambient and storage space during the hot periods of the day was in the range of 3 – 9 OC. Thus, the evaporative cooler has good potentials for all year round reduction of post harvest losses and the developed model is a good tool for the evaporative cooler performance optimization
Assessment of streamflow relationship models of selected rivers in Southern Nigeria
Get PDFThis thesis is for the award of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD.) in Civil Engineering (Water Resources Engineering Option)This study focused on Assessment of Streamflow Relationship Models of Selected Rivers in Southern Nigeria. The rivers include; Cross River, River Niger, Owena River, Owan River, Ikpoba River, Ossiomo River and Imo River. Statistical methods of least squares (regression analysis) were used to develop streamflow mathematical models (Power model, Polynomial model and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) model for regression) of the selected rivers. Models performance in calibration and verification were evaluated by means of coefficients of determination, coefficients of correlation, Nash– Sutcliffe model efficiency, mean absolute relative error, percentage bias, root mean square error or standard error of estimate and mean of residues or mean absolute error. Verification results exhibited a similar pattern in model performance to the calibration results, indicating that the models have good curve fitting. Comparisons of the streamflow models were carried out using One-way ANOVA F-Test, Variance Ratio Test or Snedecor’s F-distribution (F-Test). Further comparisons using graphs and a final comparison using Student’s t-Test were done. The models developed will serve useful purposes in the design of dams, estimation of the sizes of reservoirs, public water supply, flood control and hydropower generation, pisciculture, recreation, irrigation, wild life protection, water sports and tourism thus ushering in an era of socio-economic and industrial development for the Southern Nigeria. This research will play an important role in ensuring that water resources management processes in the Southern Nigeria are scientifically based and efficiently used so as to satisfy the needs of both natural systems and humanity, as being demonstrated in the applications of the calibrated models
Biomass and eco- friendly additives blends for steel protection in acidic media: experimental and computational study
Get PDFA Master's thesis in Corrosion Technology.The blends of ethanol extract of Pterocarpus santalinoides, PS (Nturukpa leaves), Piper guineense, PG (Uziza seeds), Picrilima nitida, PN (Akuama leaves) and potassium iodide, KI and sodium alginate, SA respectively were investigated as green corrosion inhibitors for the protection of mild steel in 0.5 M HCl and 0.25 M H2SO4 using experimental and computational approach. Results of gravimetric technique revealed corrosion inhibition efficiency (IE) of 63 % and 43 % at 120 h for mild steel in the presence of 1000 mg/L of PS concentration in 0.5 M HCl and 0.25 M H2SO4 respectively, 81 % and 86 % at 120 h for mild steel in the presence of 1000 mg/L of PG concentration in 0.5 M HCl and 0.25 M H2SO4 respectively, 77 % and 64 % at 120 h for mild steel in the presence of 1000 mg/L of PN concentration in 0.5 M HCl and 0.25 M H2SO4 respectively. progressively the corrosion inhibitor formed by optimal combination of PS, KI, and SA exhibited IE of 97 % at 120 h at room temperature in 0.25 M H2SO4. In addition, characterization studies done on the extracts using GC-MS and UV-Vis equipment revealed the phytochemical constituent’s presence in the extracts, some were selected for theoretical computations based on their abundance. Furthermore, the density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the chemical indicators responsible for the adsorption and inhibition process within the inhibitor molecules and the binding energy of interaction (that is, adsorption strength) between the inhibitive molecules and Fe crystal (1 1 0) surface. FTIR spectra analysis revealed the possibility of adsorption and interaction of active elements heteroatoms on the mild steel surface. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was also obeyed. Conclusively, SI shows a cooperative synergistic effect as the SI values are above unity
Hygiene sanitary practices of meat handlers and antibiogram of microorganisms associated with abattoir facilities in Owerri Municipal, Imo State
Get PDFThis thesis is for the award of Master of Public Health (MPH) in Public HealthThis study Assessed the Hygiene Sanitary Practices of Meat Handlers and Antibiogram of Microorganisms Associated with Abattoir Facilities in Owerri, Imo State. Cross-sectional and experimental designs were adopted in this study. Two abattoirs (Somachi and Relief abattoirs) were used in this study. 200 samples of meat handlers were randomly drawn from the 400 population of meat handlers in the 2 abattoirs. For the experimental study, 40 swab samples were obtained from; floor, walls, knives, hooks and workers hands from the two abattoirs. Standard microbiological methods were adopted in the isolation, identification, antibiogram and pathogenicity testing of the isolates. The data obtained from completed questionnaires were collated, analyzed, using statistical package for social sciences, (SPSS version 23) using chi-square analysis. Results of the cross sectional study indicated that there is a statistically significant association between the age of respondents and their perception of safe and hygienic handling of meat (P = 0.0037), as well as between the gender of respondents and their perception of safe and hygienic handling of meat (P = 0.0041). However, there is no statistically significant association found between educational attainments and safe and hygienic handling of meat. Microbiological examination of the abattoir facilities revealed the presence of; Escherichia,Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Klebsiella species. There was a significant relationship between hygiene practices and the presence of certain microorganisms (P<0.005). Specifically, the, presence of Penicillium species and Mucor species appears to have a positive relationship with hygiene practices, while the presence of other microorganisms like Streptococcus species, Salmonella species, and Klebsiella species is associated with lower hygiene practices. Most of the microorganisms from the abattoir facilities were resistant to different antibiotics. Pathogenicity testing with the microbial isolates showed that most of the isolates produced beta and alpha haemolysis. The findings show the need for interventions by providing food safety training to meat handlers to improve hygienic meat handling practices
Evaluation of leadership styles for effective construction project delivery in Nigeria
Get PDFA Master's thesis on leadership styles for effective construction project deliveryLeadership has been identified as a key factor in project management. This study is therefore focused on an evaluation of leadership styles for effective delivery of construction projects in Nigeria. To achieve this objective, a quantitative research design was adopted for the study on a secondary data of forty (40) projects executed by four construction companies in Abuja spanning from 1999 to 2017. The study is anchored on visionary leadership, contingency, agency and stakeholder theories as the framework through which leadership styles were evaluated for effective construction projects delivery. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and project earned values were adopted as statistical tools for the analysis of the data. The earned values of the projects were analysed to determine the respective contribution of the leadership styles to construction project delivery. The findings indicated that project managers for different construction projects adopted specific leadership styles with autocratic leadership being the prevalent leadership style employed by the project managers. Autocratic leadership style gave rise to high compliance from project team members. Application of appropriate leadership styles by project managers for different construction projects is recommended for effective project delivery. The study further provided a basis for project leadership as a construct in project management curriculum
Medical waste generation, collection and storage practices among primary health centres in Owerri zone, Imo State
No full textA master's thesis on "medical waste generation, collection and storage practices" It contains tables, maps, and graphsMedical waste management is to ensure that healthcare facilities are clean and equally to eradicate nosocomial infections. The study aimed to determine medical waste generation, collection and storage practices among Primary Health Centres in Owerri Zone, Imo State. The study employed descriptive cross sectional study, because it examined medical waste generation, collection and storage practices among Primary Health Centres. The survey was designed to use an observation checklist and questionnaires which was administered to 380 participants (nurses, lab technicians, doctors, community health officers, cleaners, environmental health officers) from a sample size of 38 Primary Health Centers. The collected data was entered into computer Software called Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21.0 and analysed using descriptive statistical analysis. The results were displayed in frequency tables and charts. The association between variables was determined with chi-square statistical test to show that there is a relationship between the location of primary health centers and the type of medical waste generated, significant relationship between knowledge of health workers and waste collection practices, significant relationship between the type of primary health center and medical waste storage. Other findings observed that most 121(31.8%) of the respondents were junior community health officers who had about 6- 12 years work experience. Majority 160 (42.1%) reported facilities had between 6-10 beds with an average of 5-10 bed occupancy in a week. Many facilities 224 (58.9%) do not weigh their waste but in all, general waste (45.0%) was the highest contributor of solid waste stream. More facilities 213 (56.1%) showed that there was no proper collection plan though waste was collected in a variety of receptacles. A fewer facilities 171 (45.0%) practiced waste segregation though poor colour coding was observed. Very many of the respondents 295 (77.6%) reported their facilities had inadequate storage containers and many were without lids. Many of the facilities 224(58.9%) have no specific/designated area for waste storage and 57(36.5%) of the respondents reported open dumping and 55(35.2%)store waste behind buildings. In conclusion, out of the 380 participants, 329 (86.6%) had no knowledge of any policy regarding waste management in their establishment hence, fair knowledge of the risks associated with poor waste handling was observed. There is a need for regular staff training
and retraining in medical waste management and the use of personal protective equipment