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Monitoring the in-situ Bioremediation of Spend engine-oil contaminated soil After Irrigation with Fermented Chicken-droppings
No full textPreparation for the bioremediation of petroleum contaminants is
explored to provide a low-cost and capable strategy for biodegradation
of contaminants and renewal of soil fertility. In this study, fermented
chicken droppings were used as novel in-situ bio-stimulants and
bio-augmentation materials. The investigation determines the capability
of fermented chicken droppings to biodegrade the residual total
petroleum hydrocarbon compounds in-used engine oil contaminated soil
\u2013 in the case of auto mechanic shops. The soil was collected at
10 cm depth from the ground, air-dried and sieved with 2.5mm mesh. A 4
kg of soil was weighed into 13 perforated buckets to allow aeration and
prevent waterlogging. The setup consists of three replicates that were
spiked with 150 ml of used engine oil. 500 ml of the fermented chicken
droppings were used to irrigate the contaminated soil at ratio 1:8
periodically for every 3 days per irrigation for 21 days. The
uncontaminated soil used as the control group was irrigated with normal
water. The TPH composition of the contaminated and remediated soil
samples was screened using gas Chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy.
Results show that the uncontaminated soil (A-group) had C10 - 24.058
\ub1 0.02 ppm, C12 - 37.327 \ub1 0.01 ppm, C14 - 28.515 \ub1 0.02
ppm and C16 - 12.097 \ub1 0.02 ppm, respectively out of about 35 TPH
compounds that ought to be detected from C8 to C40. The Concentration
of TPH in Contaminated soil before irrigation with Chicken droppings
\u2013 positive control (ppm) B-group gave a significant qualitative
and quantitative presence of TPHs in contaminated soil at varying
concentrations. 36 TPHs were detected out of forty, starting from C10 -
1.836 \ub1 0.01 ppm to C38 - 50.150\ub10.01 ppm. Whereas, the
Concentration of residual TPH in Contaminated soil after irrigation
with Chicken droppings gave varying levels of residual TPHs ranging
from C8 - 1.519 \ub1 0.02 ppm to C38 - 41.487 \ub10.02 ppm. This
also gave a resultant/differences in the degradation level of TPHs.
Differences in TPH Concentration between before the irrigation and
after irrigation of contaminated soil were calculated, C8 had - 0.317
ppm while another TPHs concentration varies accordingly. From the
results, one can be deduced that despite other environmental factors
that influence the degradation of TPHs, fermented chicken droppings
showed great capability in the degradation of TPHs in the contaminated
soil
Effect of Fungal Infection on Defence Proteins of Musca domestica L. and Variation of Virulence with Temperature
No full textWith the current global drive for alternative control measures that are
safer in comparison to synthetic insecticides, it was considered
necessary to assess some fungal entomopathogens for efficacy against
the house fly, Musca domestica. The effect of fungal infection on
activity of two detoxification enzymes (esterase [EST] and
glutathione-S-transferase [GST]) was determined in the laboratory.
Effect of temperature on progression of mycosis was also investigated
between 15 and 35\ub0C to determine the optimum temperature necessary
for successful fungal infection. Two Beauveria bassiana strains
(ARSEF 1564 and ARSEF 8891), Metarhizium robertsii (ARSEF 1057) and
M. anisopliae s.s. (ARSEF 5471) were evaluated in this study as
potential sources of mycoinsecticide formulations. The fungal strains
infected larval and adult house flies successfully by inhibiting
activity of EST and GST with a concomitant insect mortality of >
90%. A significantly higher number of dead specimens (80-100%) had
fungal growth between 20 and 25\ub0C with a noticeable level of
mycosis also at 30\ub0C. The evaluated fungal strains showed good
insecticidal efficacy and could, therefore, serve as good sources of
mycoinsecticide formulations against house fly. If this area of
biological control is well explored it would reduce reliance on
synthetic insecticide formulations
Chemical Speciation of some Heavy Metals in Sand Filter Media [SFM] Waste Dumpsite in Yenagoa, Nigeria
No full textThe chemical speciation of five heavy metals [HMs] in spent
sand-filter-media [SFM] waste dumpsite was investigated with a view to
ascertain their distribution and chemical availability of the heavy
metals in the dumpsite. Samples were collected at the surface, 100cm
depth of the dumpsite and 100m away from the dumpsite and analysed
using FAAS for total concentration of Cr, Fe, Mn. Ni and Pb. Speciation
analysis was carried out using modified Tessier\u2019s sequential
extraction method. The percentage concentrations showed that Pb
occurred more at the exchangeable fraction with 90.6% at the top,
91.34% at 100cm depth. This signifies that Pb is biochemically
available for in-take by living organisms. Fe had the highest
concentration by mass 12mg/g but its occurrence of between 22-28% is in
the residual/inert fraction. Ni had 40% in the exchangeable and
carbonate fractions at the surface and at 100cm depth. Cr had highest
exchangeable fraction of 46.29% and 45.59% at the surface and 100cm
depth of the SFM. Mn had 37.30% and 42.26% at the surface and at 100cm
depth of the SFM. Although Fe had highest concentration by mass, it is
least biochemically available occurring more at the residual/inert
fraction while the other four metals [Pb, Ni, Cr, Mn] are all
biochemically available for intake by organisms and may enhance
biochemical accumulation overtime and finally become harmful to living
organisms around that dumpsite
Ameliorating Effects of Aqueous Extract of Tetracarpidium conophorhum against Iron- Overload Induced damage in Rats
No full textIron, though an important nutrient but in excess can produce serious
damaging effects on organs of the body. Intake of plants and or plant
products with iron chelating ability, instead of synthetic iron
chelators, can produce less adverse effects and may be more effective.
The potential effect of Tetracarpidium conophorhum (T. conophorhum) as
a chelating agent of plant origin has not been determined hence the
present study. Iron overload condition was induced by oral
administration of iron II chloride in the rats. Twenty five rats were
randomly divided into five groups. Groups A and B were the normal and
negative control (iron overload only) respectively. Groups C-E were the
iron overload induced rats treated with 250, 500 and 1000mg/kg body
weight of T. conophorhum extracts. Animals in groups C-E received daily
oral administration of extracts for thirty days. Thereafter, we studied
the effects of T. conophorhum on liver function enzymes, antioxidant
enzymes, hematological parameters and lipid peroxidation. Iron
overloaded rats showed significant increase (p<0.05) in aspartate
aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total
and direct bilirubin levels and a significant decrease (p<0.05) in
total protein, albumin, antioxidant enzymes. T. conophorhum extract at
a high dose of 1000mg/kg body weight was able to restore the levels of
these parameters to normal. These findings therefore suggest that high
dose of T. conophorhum seed extract may be effective in reducing the
resultant effects produced in the iron overload-induced liver damage
Development of a Model and Sensor Based Smart Irrigation System
No full textWater availability is a critical variable for virtually every economic
activity, including agriculture and industry, the energy sector and
public use. Specifically, Farmers could waste thousands of cubic meters
of water daily through Irrigation. This project developed a smart
irrigation system capable of making autonomous decision of irrigating
the soil with an appropriate amount of water required through
monitoring of soil irrigation factors. The soil moisture level and the
rainfall status were the soil irrigation factors considered. The
threshold values of the irrigation factors required for soil to be
irrigated were established. Subsequently, a system was developed to
sense the soil irrigation factors and monitor when the threshold values
are reached so that necessary information is communicated to switch on
or off a water pump designed for irrigation purpose. The system is
implemented with a PIC16f876A microcontroller. The results of
performance evaluation conducted on the system revealed that the system
is able to monitor and estimate the soil irrigation factors with good
accuracy. Also, the system is able to start the water pump to irrigate
soil and stop it as appropriate depending on whether the soil
irrigation factors value indicates need for irrigation or not
A Mathematical Model of a Tuberculosis Transmission Dynamics Incorporating First and Second Line Treatment
No full textThis paper presents a new mathematical model of a tuberculosis
transmission dynamics incorporating first and second line treatment. We
calculated a control reproduction number which plays a vital role in
biomathematics. The model consists of two equilibrium points namely
disease free equilibrium and endemic equilibrium point, it has been
shown that the disease free equilibrium point was locally
asymptotically stable if the control reproduction number is less than
one and also the endemic equilibrium point was locally asymptotically
stable if the control reproduction number is greater than one.
Numerical simulation was carried out which supported the analytical
results
Water Level and the Potentials for Wetland Formation and Sustainability in Lower Ogun River Floodplain, Nigeria
No full textIdentification, delineation and monitoring of wetlands which requires
the understanding and application of their ecological characteristics
are critical factors in wetland management and conservation. This study
assessed the potentials of wetland formation and sustainability in the
lower Ogun river basin by determining the levels of surface and ground
water. The study area was divided into 1 km2 grids of 67 units using
0.052 % sampling intensity for the assessments in dry and wet seasons.
Monthly water table levels were assessed in 50 cm soil pit while
inundation levels were measured during the flooding event using staff
gauge. Assessment was carried out for one year during which frequency
and periodicity of water table and inundation events were recorded.
Results revealed that low water table level ranged from 5 to 45cm of
soil depth and occurred between August and September within 6 grids.
Water table and surface water was recorded within a period of 2 \u2013
10 weeks during the rainy season. The peak of water levels coincided
with the peak of precipitation (> 200 mm) ranging from 30 to 280 cm
between September and October while covering 28.75 km2. Conclusively,
surface and groundwater levels were recorded during the rainy season
having direct variation with the volume of precipitation for a duration
that is long enough to support the formation of wetland hydrophytes and
hydric soil
Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO-MMT Nanocomposite for Antibacterial Activity Studies
Get PDFZnO oxide Nanoparticle and ZnO oxide with Montmorillonite nanocomposite
were prepared by an environmentally friendly, efficient, and
inexpensive method that was synthesized using the chemical method. ZnO
nanoparticles as an effective antibacterial material were immobilized
on the surface of montmorillonite (MMT). The objectives of this paper
are to summarize our research activities in (a) developing processes to
disperse nanomaterials (undoped and doped zinc oxide powders) in the
polymers matrix, (b) using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform
Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and
Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) techniques to characterize polymer
matrix structures, (c) studying structure-property relationship of
these types of new materials, and (d) evaluating the antibacterial
performance of these materials for different applications. The results
showed that the ZnO nanocomposite was uniformly dispersed in the
polymer matrix and the particles remained their average size (20 - 150
nm) before incorporation into the polymer matrix
Use of Sedimentological and Geochemical Parameters to Evaluate the Lithologies and Geochemical (Na/Zn and K/Mn) Ratios of OGE-1 Well, Niger Delta Basin
Get PDFThis work focuses on subjecting ninety (90) sidewall core well samples
to sedimentological and geochemical parameters to determine the
lithologies and the geochemical ratios of the OGE-1 Well in the Niger
Delta Basin. The sedimentological analysis with sample description
yielded lithologies that are sand, shaly sand, sandy shale and shale.
The sand lithologies ranged from fine to coarse grained, well sorted to
poor sorted at different depths, while the shale lithologies ranged
from light to dark coloured shales which is controlled by the organic
matter content in the shale. This finally produced a lithologic frame
work of the well. The result of the geochemical analysis led to the
creation of the geochemical ratio of Na/Zn (0.739 \u2013 5.610) and
K/Mn (21.170 \u2013 69.37) for 90 side wall core samples. Na and K had
variations in their graphs showing intermittent alternating abundance
downhole. Na and K being components of the weathering of feldspars are
indicative of abundance of clay minerals. The variation of the Na/Zn
and K/Mn profile indicates the alternate deposition of clay and sand
size deposits giving the environment of deposition to be paralic
Assessment of Physicochemical Characteristics of Lower River Niger at Kpata, Adankolo and Gadumo Stations in Kogi State, Nigeria
Get PDFThe present work was conducted to study the physicochemical parameters
of lower River Niger at Lokoja and Ajaokuta local government area of
Kogi state, with the aims to determine the physical and chemical
situation of the River at this point in time, compare the physical and
chemical situation of the river with earlier work done on River Niger
and other relevant water bodies by relevant authors also to determine
its suitability for fish growth and survival at this point in time.
Water samples were collected for four month (January to April) at three
sampling site (two site from Lokoja and one from Ajaokuta local
government area) and analysed for various physicochemical parameter.
The mean temperature values ranged from 23.55 - 28.350C at Kpata
station, 24.65- 29.750C at Adankolo station and 23.90-28.900C at Gadumo
station. The mean pH values ranged from 6.69-8.15 at Kpata station,
6.60-8.30 at Adankolo station and 6.10-8.20 at Gadumo station. The mean
electrical conductivity values ranged from 68.50-135.50\u3bcS/cm at
Kpata station, 68.00-122.50 \u3bcS/cm at Adankolo station and
68.00-122.50 \u3bcS/cm at Gadumo station. The mean dissolved oxygen
(DO) values ranged from 6.10-9.30 mg/l at Kpata station, 5.65-7.78 mg/l
at Adankolo station and 6.10-9.30 mg/l at Gadumo station. The mean
transparency values ranged from 0.31-0.60m at Kpata station, 0.31-0.60m
at Adankolo station and 0.30-0.44m at Gadumo station. The mean
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) values ranged from 2.10-2.95 mg/l at
Kpata station, 2.05-3.25 mg/l at Adankolo station and 2.10-4.00 mg/l at
Gadumo station. The mean nitrate values ranged from 0.02-0.05 mg/l at
Kpata station, 0.02-0.03 mg/l at Adankolo station and 0.02-0.04 mg/l at
Gadumo station. The mean phosphate values ranged from 0.48-0.61 mg/l at
Kpata station, 0.51-0.65 mg/l at Adankolo station and 0.49-0.64 mg/l at
Gadumo station. The study indicated that the mean value of the studied
parameters which include pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, Electrical
conductivity, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate, transparency and
phosphate of the River compares slightly favourably with the work of
other researchers and within the range that support fish growth and
survival. This indicates that the river is in a healthy state and is
favourable for fish growth and survival