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Recent Submissions
Comparative analysis of rice husk ash and saw dust ash on tensile strengths of concrete
(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2015-12) Ezenkwa, Chidiebere Sampson
This study focuses on the comparative analysis of rice husk ash (RHA) and saw dust ash (SDA) on tensile strengths of concrete. RHA and SDA were obtained from open burning. The physical properties and chemical composition of the ashes were investigated. Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) was replaced with RHA, SDA, and RHA-SDA at 5%, 10%, and 15%. Concrete mix design was done using SCALE149 (Structural Calculations Ensemble) Software. Nine concrete cylinders of dimension 150×300mm with 100% OPC or 0% replacement with pozzolan were produced. Eighty one concrete cylinders were also produced for each of the percentage replacement of OPC with RHA, SDA, RHA-SDA, making a total of 252 concrete cylinders. The concrete cylinders were cured by immersion and tested for split tensile strength at 28, 90, and 150 days. The results showed that RHA is a better pozzolana with combined (SiO2 + Al2O3 + Fe203) of 87.67% compared to SDA which was 50.03% . The Split tensile strength decreased with increasing RHA, SDA, and RHA-SDA OPC percentage replacement. Laboratory values of 0.86N/mm2 and 0.78N/mm2 were obtained at 5% and 10% RHA-OPC replacement, 0.77N/mm2 and 0.58N/mm2 were obtained at 5% and 10% SDA-OPC replacement. Similarly, 0.82N/mm2 and 0.64N/mm2 were obtained at 5% and 10% RHA-SDA-OPC replacement. Split tensile strength of concrete with RHA, SDA, and RHA-SDA were lower at early age of curing but improved at later ages of curing. For example, at 5% RHA-OPC replacement, 1.42N/mm2 and 1.85N/mm2 were obtained at 90 and 150 days of curing. At 5% SDA-OPC replacement, 1.28N/mm2 and 1.65N/mm2 were obtained at 90 and 150 days of curing. Similarly, at 5% RHA-SDA-OPC replacement, 1.35N/mm2 and 1.66N/mm2 were obtained at 90 and 150 days of curing, as against 1.34N/mm2 and1.61N/mm2 attained by the control at 90 and 150 days of curing. Models were developed to predict the tensile strengths of concrete containing RHA and SDA as binary and ternary blend with OPC at varying percentage replacements and curing ages. The models were tested and found to be adequate.
Online book sales application
(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2018-09) Jibiri, Janefrances Ebere
An online book store is an electronic medium in which books can be bought by customers at their own comfort. The online business transaction can be business to business, business to consumer, consumer to consumer or consumer to business. It also pertains to any form of business transaction in which the parties interact electronically rather than by physical exchanges or direct physical contact. The application provides the user with a catalog of different books available for purchase. The primary goal of this study buys and sells goods and services online. The problem of the study is that customers are not satisfied with the mode of payments, customers do not know the preferable web site to purchase book and they are not safe because of faceless sellers. This work aim at developing an application for Online Book Sales, which will solve the problems by getting the aggregate percentage of customers who preferred online stores and the best book site to buy books, to know the most preferred product purchase and also provide a satisfied mode of payment for customers. The research methodology used is explorative study which includes primary data and secondary data. The sample size chosen are 50 customers of Powell’s Books, Ebay, Abe Books, Amazon, Book Scouter and Cash4Books. The survey is based on questionnaire method. A Comparative Analysis on customer’s Preferences towards online book sales such as Powell’s Books, Ebay, Abe Books, Amazon, Book Scouter, and Cash4Books. In order to develop an application for online book sale, using a backend database, a middle tier of Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), a web browser as the front end client, Cascading Style Sheet (CSS), Active Server Pages (ASP).NET, Visual Basic (VB).NET as the programming language, Structural Query Language (SQL) Server Database and WAMP (Windows/Apache/MySQL/PHP) as the local server. The development of this work results are most of the customers are satisfied with the mode of payment, easy return facilities are enjoyed by most of the customers, due to privacy policies provided, almost all the customers feel safe while shopping online, customers feel that products are delivered to them on time and customers most frequently purchase academy books than other categories of books. The benefit of this work if implemented will improve cost control, improve high rate of success, security and quick delivery.
Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons metals and heavy metals concentrations in cassva tubers within Okigwe Mechanic Village, Imo State
(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2016-09) Udoh, Utip-Mfon Christopher
Soils and cassava tubers in Okigwe auto-mechanic village of Imo state were investigated for presence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. Six soil samples of 0 - 15 cm and 15 - 30 cm in depth were collected each, at 3 sites, in close proximity to selected automobile workshops. A distant location was used as the control site. Physicochemical properties of soils from this study area were investigated using standard methods, PAHs in the soil and cassava tubers were determined using Gas chromatography (GC) system equipped with flame ionization detector (GC/FID), Agilent Technologies 7890B, while heavy metals were analysed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The results showed that, of the sixteen USEPA target PAHs (EPA-16) examined, PAHs showed in varying concentrations in mg kg ̵ ˡ except naphthalene that was not detected in all the soil samples. There were significant variations in the concentration of the eight (8) heavy metals (Fe, Ni, Pb, Cu, Cr, Cd, Mn and Zn) and PAHs between the experimental and control sites at 0.05 confidence level. Correlation analysis was done on physiochemical parameters with heavy metals and PAHs to establish the relationship of the data with one another. Fe had the highest mean concentration of 5278.74 mg kg ̵ ˡ and the least concentration was Cr and Cd with the mean concentration of 0.01. The concentration of total PAH components detected in the samples ranged from 122.2 mg kg ̵ ˡ to 17.1 mg kg ̵ ˡ. Implications of PAHs on health were discussed. It is recommended that mechanic villages should be sited far from residential areas, and such places should not be used as farmlands for the cultivation of edible crops. Also continuous education and trainings should be provided for automobile workers, emphasizing on the environmental implications of poor occupational waste management.
Assesment of heavy metal contamination and hydrocarbon content in selected aquatic resources in great Qua River, Calabar Nigeria
(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2016-04) Etinosa-Okankan, Osarenaye Peter
Assessment of heavy metal contamination and hydrocarbon content in selected aquatic organism in the Great Qua River was studied. The Great Qua River receives effluents from industries, human settlement, nearby farms and runoff from towns. Water, sediment and aquatic biota (Typanotonous fuscatus, Macrobrachium macrobrachion and Notropis atherinoides) obtain from the Great Qua River was analyzed for heavy metals and total hydrocarbon content (THC). The mean heavy metal concentration values in water across stations were in the range: (Cd), 0.012±0.06 – 0.087±0.06 mg/l; (Cr), 0.017±0.06 – 0.316±0.06 mg/l; (Mn), 0.067±0.02 – 0.071±0.06 mg/l; (Ni), 0.013±0.06 – 0.083±0.01 mg/l; (Cu), 0.092±0.06 – 0.113±0.06 mg/l; (Pb), 0.064±0.12 – 0.081±0.06 mg/l; (Zn), 0.022±0.06 – 0.098±0.06 mg/l; (Fe) 0.048±0.029 – 0.082±0.06 mg/l. The mean heavy metal concentration in sediment were in the range: (Cr), 0.053±0.06 - 0.193±0.06 mg/kg; (Cd), 0.152±0.06 – 0.188±0.06 mg/kg; (Mn), 0.096±0.06 - 0.185±0.06 mg/kg; (Ni), 0.112±0.06 – 0.782±0.06 mg/kg; (Cu) 0.145±0.06 – 0.167±0.06 mg/kg; (Pb), 0.075±0.06 – 0.098±0.06 mg/kg; (Zn), 0.164±0.06 – 0.179±0.06 mg/kg; (Fe), 0.150±0.06 – 0.377±0.06 mg/kg. The mean heavy metal concentration in Macrobrachium macrobrachion were in the range: (Cr), 0.012±0.06 – 0.019±0.06 mg/kg; (Cd) 0.043±0.06 – 0.681±0.06 mg/kg; (Mn), 0.015±0.06 – 0.314±0.06 mg/kg;
(Ni), 0.044±0.06 – 0.073±0.06 mg/kg; (Cu), 0.113±0.06 – 0.275±0.06 mg/kg; (Pb), 0.042±0.06 – 0.108±0.06 mg/kg; (Zn), 0.201±0.06 – 0.369±0.06 mg/kg. The mean heavy metal concentration in Typanotonus fuscatus were in the range: (Cr), 0.057±0.06 – 0.120±0.06 mg/kg; (Cd), 0.049±0.06 – 0.169±0.06 mg/kg; (Mn) 0.163±0.01 – 0.241±0.06 mg/kg; (Ni), 0.183±0.06 – 0.215±0.06 mg/kg;(Cu) 0.155±0.06 – 0.179±0.06 mg/kg; (Pb), 0.144±0.06 – 0.147±0.06 mg/kg; (Zn), 0.106±0.06 –0.217±0.06 mg/kg; (Fe), 0.163±0.06 – 0.247±0.06 mg/kg. The mean heavy metal concentration in Notropis atherinoides were in the range: (Cr), 0.011±0.06 – 0.137±0.06 mg/kg; (Cd), 0.133±0.06 – 0.86±0.06 mg/kg; (Mn), 0.082±0.06 – 0.195±0.06 mg/kg; (Ni), 0.029±0.06 – 0.267±0.06 mg/kg; (Cu), 0.106±0.06 – 0.129±0.06 mg/kg; (Pb), 0.138±0.06 – 0.203±0.06 mg/kg; (Zn), 0.123±0.06 –0.207±0.06 mg/kg; (Fe), 0.111±0.06 – 0.337±0.06 mg/kg. The results showed that the mean heavy metal concentration statistically differ significantly across stations in all samples analysed when
compared to control (P<0.05) except in the case of cadmium (Cd) in water and Iron (Fe) insediment and T. fuscatus where there was no statistical significance when compared to control
(P>0.05). The profile of heavy metal bioaccumulated was in the order Typanotonous fuscatus>Macrobrachium macrobrachion>sediment>Notropis atherinoides>water. The mean
THC value in water were in the range: 0.215±0.06 – 0.395±0.06 mg/l; sediment, 0.379±0.06 - 0.481±0.06 mg/kg; Macrobrachium macrobrachion, 0.106±0.06 – 0.167±0.06 mg/kg; Notropis atherinoides, 0.0063±0.06 – 0.288±0.06 mg/kg and Typanotonus fuscatus, 0.142±0.06 –0.157±0.06 mg/kg.The total hydrocarbon content statistically differ significantly in all samples analysed across stations (P<0.05) and the order of THC bioaccumulation was in the order sediment>water>N. atherinoides>T.fuscatus>M. macrobrachion. The result from the correlation analysis between heavy metals, THC and physicochemical properties revealed that there was a perfect relationship between the uptake of these heavy metals / hydrocarbons by these aquatic organisms and the physicochemical properties of the water. Apart from Mn, Zn and Fe that were below the WHO acceptable limit, all other metals analysed were slightly above the WHO acceptable limit. The THC values in all samples analysed were above the WHO acceptable limit. These suggest that the river has been polluted by anthropogenic activities around its environs. Close monitoring of pollution stress, public enlightenment and appropriate laws should be put in place to avert possible metal and hydrocarbon compound induced health hazards from the consumption of the aquatic biota from the river.
Influence of chelating agents and nickel on phenol utilization by pseudomonas species
(Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2016-08) Ahumibe, Nkenna Chinonyerem
The effects of nickel and four chelating agents, trisodium citrate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, tannic acid and potassium ferricyanide, at different concentrations in nutrient broth and a mineral salts medium supplemented with phenol, on the dehydrogenase activity of a Pseudomonas species, as well as the effects of nickel and trisodium citrate on phenol
biodegradation were investigated. The results showed that the bacterium was sensitive to nickel with an observed half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.613 mM and 0.0017 mM in nutrient broth and mineral salts medium, respectively. Trisodium citrate and ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid were most efficient in reducing the inhibitory effect of nickel mwhile the effects of tannic acid and potassium ferricyanide were not very pronounced. Nickel inhibited phenol degradation by Pseudomonas sp. The addition of trisodium citrate stimulated 84 the growth rate of the bacterium but had no significant effect on phenol degradation rate. The progress of growth was described by the integrated Haldane model with kinetic constants of µm 0.0967 h-1, Ks 78.289 mg/l, and Ki 346.687 mg/l at 500 mg/l initial phenol concentration. Maximum specific growth rate (µm) decreased in the presence of nickel, and increased with trisodium citrate addition. The results of the study showed that chelating agents could mitigate nickel toxicity. Also, they suggest that trisodium citrate could be used as a possible carbon
source in biodegradation studies.