Taiwo Abadunmi

Most rural dwellers in Nigeria are living in areas where tap water are not available and they depend mainly on ponds and streams water for drinking which in most cases the water have been contaminated with pathogens, guinea-worm and agricultural waste products. This study was conducted to develop simple ceramic filters for purification of water. Two ceramic water filters were produced using kaolinite-clay and sawdust. Percentage compositions of sawdust to kaolinite-clay for the ceramic water filters by volume were 40%-60% (F1) and 50%-50% (F2). The Sawdust (from hardwood) and kaolinite-clay were ground and sieved through 0.075 mm sieve. The kaolinite-clay and sawdust were thoroughly mixed, soaked in water for 24 hours, mixed again and heated inside a furnace at 900-950°C for 8 hours. Each filter has 220mm diameter at the top, 180mm diameter at the bottom, 240mm in height and 20 in thickness. Water samples were collected after filtration and analyzed. The flow rate of F1 and F2 were ...

Empirical observations and theory both discourage the production and use of chemical fertilizers as they can lead to environmental pollution, soil degradation and reduction in soil fertility in the long term. In certain cases, excess nutrients from chemical fertilizers such as nitrogen and phosphorus can leach into nearby water causing eutrophication. Also, the production process requires large amounts of energy, which often comes from burning fossil fuels contributing significantly to greenhouse gas concentration. Biofertilizers present a promising alternative to chemical fertilizers and improve agricultural sustainability and reduce environmental pollution. However, there is still more to learn about the potential benefits of biofertilizers based on factors such as soil type, crop species, and environmental conditions. This review shows the Trichoderma species as one of the most prominent biofertilizers that can help in plant growth promotion and serve as a biocontrol agent agains...

The study investigated poultry waste effect on water quality of shallow wells in Asa and Ilorin, south local government areas of Kwara State. The factors considered are the number of birds (N), years of existence of the farm (Y), and the distance between the shallow wells and the poultry dump sites (D). Physicochemical parameters of the water collected were analyzed. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS Software (Version 16.0). For the number of birds, the result shows that the mean turbidity, Chemical Oxygen Demand COD, and fecal coliform were between 23.25 -101.92 NTU, 85.22-111.56 mg.L-1, and 0.00-0.34 cfu.mL-1 respectively. For the year of existence of the farm, the mean turbidity, phosphate, COD were between 14.10-56.6 NTU, 1.07-2.30 mg.mL-1, 88.00-95.43 mg.mL-1 respectively. The mean turbidity was found to be between 11.81 NTU and 58.85 NTU, phosphate 1.09-2.06 mg.mL-1, COD 86.73-94.57 mg.mL-1, and fecal coliform 0.00-0.24 cfu.mL-1 for the distance between dumpsites and ...

The use of agricultural wastes as additives for other valuable products has been the focus of many research efforts because of their availability, inherent properties, and environmental friendliness. Palm kernel shells (PKS) and coconut shells (CNS) are agricultural solid end products obtainable from the cracking of their fruit nuts. In this study, PKS and CNS were used to produce abrasive sandpaper following established procedures. The mechanical properties of the sandpaper produced were established. Material for application in abrasive operations must exhibit maximum hardness and compressive strength, minimal wear rate, water absorption, and density. Results showed a 20% and 25% increment in specimen hardness values for PKS and CNS respectively in samples with polyester resin content weight composition range of 7.8–22.2% based on sieve size of 250 μm. Similarly, 29.23% and 32.44% increment for PKS and CNS respectively was recorded for a sieve size of 420 μm. Samples with a high pe...