Environmental Chemistry Research Papers/Topics

Pollution status of shooting range soils from Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn found in ammunition

Abstract: Evaluation of concentration of heavy metals found in shooting range soil is important in assessing the pollution risk posed to biota. Soil samples from five shooting ranges found in Botswana were used in this study. All the five shooting ranges accumulated high concentration of Cu ranging from 67.4 ± 0.05 mg/kg to 1569 ± 13 mg/kg followed by Mn (25.9 ± 0.1–953.8 ± 2.8 mg/kg). Pollution risk indices were used to quantify the environmental pollution risk posed by the differ- en...

A phytolith supported biosphere-hydrosphere predictive model for southern Ethiopia: insights into paleoenvironmental changes and human landscape preferences since the last glacial maximum

Abstract: During the past 25 ka, southern Ethiopia has undergone tremendous climatic changes, from dry and relatively cold during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 25–18 ka) to the African Humid Period (AHP, 15–5 ka), and back to present-day dry conditions. As a contribution to better understand the effects of climate change on vegetation and lakes, we here present a new Predictive Vegetation Model that is linked with a Lake Balance Model and available vegetation-proxy records from southern...

Source identification, pollution status, and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals contamination in a highly populated unplanned industrial area (Wadi El-Qamar), Alexandria, Egypt

Based on the contents of heavy metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Mn, Pb, and Zn) in 22 road dust samples, the urban environmental quality of Wadi El-Qamar area was evaluated. It is a residential area suffering from unplanned industrial activities, overpopulation, and uncontrolled urbanization. Heavy metal sources and geochemical associations were deciphered using a multivariate statistical approach, while the contamination degree and ecological risks were identified using various pollution indices....

Adsorption and Kinetic Optimization Study of Acetic Acid from Aqueous Solutions Using Activated Carbon Developed from Vernonia amygdalina Wood

In this study, the adsorption of Acetic acid from an aqueous solution is investigated using activated charcoal prepared from Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) that is activated by tap water. Carbonizations at different activation temperature with constant flow of air are used to examine for accepted accessibility of sorbent material. The optimum  conditions obtained from this batch adsorption experiments highest adsorption capacity is recorded at activation temperature=400°C, contact ti...

Carbothermal Reduction Synthesis of Eggshell-Biochar Modified with Nanoscale Zerovalent Iron/Activated Carbon for Remediation of Soil Polluted with Lead and Cadmium

Pollution of soil with lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) has been gaining researchers’ attention because of their adverse health effects on the safety of the food chain and environmental health. Hence, their immobilization in the soil is of great interest to environmental scientists globally. In this study, eggshell-biochar modified with nanoscale zerovalent iron/activated carbon (ESB-nZVI/AC) were synthesized via carbothermal reduction synthesis and compared their immobilization efficiency at...

Adsorption Kinetics of Toxic Metals from Brewery Waste Water Using Adsorbent Prepared from Borassus aethiopum

A comparative study was carried out on the remediation of brewery effluent (Beff) using derived adsorbent (Untreated and treated) and commercial activated carbon. Preliminary study and characterization of the brewery effluent, derived adsorbent and commercial activated carbon was recorded, with result showing physico-chemical properties of the effluent falls within, lower and higher than discharge limit outlined by NESREA and WHO. Result of the physico-chemical and instrumental character...

Bioelectricity Production from Abattoir Wastewater Using Microbial Fuel Cells Connected in Series

In a bid to further study the possibility of producing bioelectricity from microbial fuel cell (MFC), this study aims at increasing the production of bioelectricity in abattoir wastewater. The wastewater from abattoir was used to construct three different microbial fuel cells and they were connected in series. The voltage of electricity produced was recorded over the period of three days. The physiochemical property of the wastewater was determined. Also the microorganisms present in t...

BIOELECTRICITY PRODUCTION FROM WASTEWATERS USING MICROBIAL FUEL CELL

Electricity supply in Nigeria has been a recurring decimal as huge amount of capital is involved. The aim of the study is to produce bioelectricity in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) from wastewaters. Wastewater from abattoir, fish pond, and stream were used to construct a microbial fuel cell and their physiochemical and microbiological properties were determined and the voltage of electricity produced was measured. Wastewaters were separately inoculated using pour plate to determine bacterial...

SAVING THE DYING PLANET EARTH

Planet  earth  is  being  endangered  by anthropogenic  activities  ranging from industrial  activities  to  seemingly innocous activities  such  as  use  of  herbicides  on  farms.There  are possibilities  that the  resources  of the  earth  may  not be  sufficient   to  sustain the  needs   of  future  generations.There  are  also possibilities  that the  earth may become in conducive for human habitation  due  to  emission of  dangerous  gases  and...

SOLAR ENERGY: POTENTIAL FOR MITIGATING DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

ABSTRACT Climate change has been identified as one of the greatest challenge by all the nations, government, business and citizens of the globe. The threats of climate change on our green planet ‘Earth’ demands that renewable energy share in the total energy generation and consumption should be substantially increased as a matter of urgency. Nigeria’s energy development programme has been put under severe pressure with the ever-increasing demand supply gap. Due to predominance of fossil...