Insights into purification of contaminated water with activated charcoal derived from hamburger seed coat.

Hamburger seed coat is a readily available agricultural waste product generated in large quantities annually. In this study, activated charcoal was produced using hamburger seed coat activated with zinc chloride and its physicochemical properties such as fixed carbon, specific surface area, volatile matter, ash and moisture content were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry techniques were used to study the surface morphology and variations in the absorption bands of functional groups, respectively. The adsorbent biosorption of pollutants abilities from contaminated water was investigated using standard methods with a view to ascertaining the adsorbent purification potential. The results showed that the adsorbent was of high porous structure with adsorption capacity significantly correlated with iodine value. The physicochemical properties of the contaminated water treated with the adsorbent were comparable with commercial activated charcoal (control)-treated water but indicated a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the pH, temperature, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, conductivity, turbidity, alkalinity, hardness, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, anions and heavy metal ions when compared to the untreated water. With the exception of alkalinity, other parameters investigated in the water treated with the test adsorbent fell within the standards set for potable water. Results of this study therefore revealed possibility of converting large quantities of hamburger seed coat wastes that could constitute environmental pollution to a profitable product that could be employed for treatment of wastewater. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13762-021-03577-8.

Metal pollution and human health risk assessment of soils and edible plants in farmlands around Enyigba lead-zinc mining site, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

This study evaluated the level of metals in edible plants, their chemical forms in the soil, and the associated health risk in Enyigba lead-zinc mining vicinity in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Soil sample, Telfairia occidentalis and Amaranthus hybridus were collected from mining sites (Ishiagu-Enyigba and Elinwobvu-Enyigba) and non-mining site (Ekawoke-control) and analyzed using standard protocols. The results showed that a high percentage of Cd, Pb, Fe, and Zn were associated with non-residual fraction, while Cu, Cr, and Ni were bounded with residual fraction. The order of mobility and bioavailability of the metals was as follows: Pb > Cd > Fe > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu. Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated moderate to strong pollution of the mining sites with Cd Cu, Pb, and Zn. The most significant contributor to hazard index (HI) was ingestion of edible plants; followed by ingestion, dermal-contact, and then inhalation of soil particles. HI values for Cd (1.32), Cr (1.05), and Pb (1.97-2.04) for children in the sites exceeded United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) safe limit (HI > 1). Total cancer risk (TCR) for adults and children via soil inhalation or soil ingestion were below USEPA safe limit (TCR < 1.0 × 10-4). TCR for adults and children via consumption of T. occidentalis or A. hybridus exceeded USEPA safe limit (TCR > 1.0 × 10-4). These results strongly indicated associated noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk of these metals from the soil and the edible plants around Enyigba mining sites vicinity to humans especially children, this calls for concern.

Anti-arthritic potential of ethanol and aqueous extracts of stem bark of Cleistopholis patens on complete Freund's adjuvant-induced rheumatoid arthritis in rats.

BACKGROUND: Traditional medicine intervention has been used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment due to limitations of conventional drugs. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at evaluating the anti-arthritic potentials of ethanol and aqueous extracts of stem bark of Cleistopholis patens (SBCP) in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced rheumatoid arthritis in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rheumatoid arthritis was induced in groups 2 to 9 by intradermal injection of 0.1 mlkg-1 chicken type II collagen in CFA into the left hind paw of the rats. Group 1 served as normal control. Group 2 (negative control) received 5 mlkg-1 body weight normal saline while group 3 (positive control) received 10 mg/kg body weight standard drug (indomethacin). Groups 4 to 9 received varied doses of the extracts. After 10 days of RA induction, rats were treated with ethanol and aqueous extracts of SBCP orally at a dose of 400, 600 and 800 mgkg-1 for 21 days. The paw size, body weight changes, inflammatory parameters, lipid peroxidation maker and malondialdehyde (MDA) were assessed. RESULTS: Rheumatoid arthritis induction caused marked (p < 0.05) increase in paw size, inflammatory makers and MDA while significant (p < 0.05) reduction was observed in body weight relative to normal control. Treatment with extracts analogous to indomethacin markedly (p < 0.05) decreased the paw size and caused weight gain while the altered inflammatory parameters and MDA were reversed relative to negative control. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the extracts of SBCP have good antiarthritic potentials comparable to indomethacin and hence could be used in rheumatoid arthritis management.

Proximate composition, extraction, characterization and comparative assessment of coconut (Cocos nucifera) and melon (Colocynthis citrullus) seeds and seed oils.

Proximate composition, extraction, characterization and comparative assessment of Cocos nucifera and Colocynthis citrullus seeds and seed oils were evaluated in this work using standard analytical techniques. The results showed the percentage (%) moisture, crude fibre, ash, crude protein, lipids and total carbohydrate contents of the seeds as 7.51 and 4.27, 7.70 and 5.51, 1.02 and 2.94, 10.57 and 11.67, 47.80 and 50.42 and 32.84 and 29.47 while the calorific values were 553.99 and 567.32 Kcal/100 g for C. nucifera and C. citrullus, respectively. The two seed oils were odourless and at room temperature (30 degrees C) liquids, with a pale yellow to yellowish colouration. Lipid indices of the seed oils indicated the Acid Values (AV) as 2.06-6.36 mg NaOH g(-1) and 2.99-6.17 mg NaOH g(-1), Free Fatty Acids (FFA) as 1.03-3.18 and 1.49-3.09%, Saponification Values (SV) as 252.44-257.59 and 196.82-201.03 mg KOH g(-1), Iodine Values (IV) as 9.73-10.99 and 110.93-111.46 mg of I2 g(-1) of oil and Peroxide Values (PV) as 0.21-0.21 and 1.53-2.72 mg O2 kg(-1) for soxhlet-mechanical extracted C. nucifera and C. citrullus seed oils, respectively. The studied characteristics of the oil extracts in most cases compared favourably with most conventional vegetable oils sold in the Nigeria markets; however, there were some observed levels of significant differences in the values at p < or = 0.05. These results suggest that the seeds examined may be nutritionally potent and also viable sources of seed oils judging by their oil yield. The data also showed that the seed oils were edible inferring from their low AV and their corresponding low FFA contents. Industrially, the results revealed the seed oils to have great potentials in soap manufacturing industries because of their high SV. They were also shown to be non-drying due to their low IV which also suggested that the oils contain few unsaturated bonds and therefore have low susceptibility to oxidative rancidity and deterioration as confirmed by their low PV which also serves as indicators of the presence or high levels of anti-oxidants in the oils.