Production of Biodiesel from Nonedible Parkia biglobosa Oil under Acidic Condition.

In this study, biodiesel was produced from Parkia biglobosa oil via optimization of transesterification reaction conditions, (methanol to oil ratio, catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time) under sulphuric acid catalyst (H2SO4). The oil was first extracted from Parkia biglobosa seeds using the Soxhlet extraction method. The physicochemical properties of the biodiesel were analysed and then compared to international standards. Subsequently, the oil was then used to produce biodiesel at optimized transesterification reaction conditions. The free fatty acid (FFA) content of the oil was 1.61% w/w, while the saponification value (mgKOH/g) was 191.65. The maximum yield (percentage weight) of the biodiesel produced was 93.4% at the maximum transesterification conditions of methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 6 : 1, sulphuric acid catalyst amount of 3 wt%, reaction temperature of 65°C, and reaction time of 1.5 h. The biodiesel produced was within the limits of international standards as per the specification by ASTM D6751 (American standard), EN 14241 (European standard), and Ghana Standard Authority. It was therefore recommended that biodiesel from Parkia biglobosa seed oil under acidic catalytic condition is a potential new substitute for petroleum diesel for commercialization purposes.

Modeling water inequality and water security: The role of water governance.

Water Inequality, Water Security and Water Governance are fundamental parameters that affect the sustainable use of water resources. Through policy formulation and decision-making, Water Governance determines both Water Security and Water Inequality. Largely, where Water Inequality exists, Water Security is undermined through unsustainable water use practices that lead to pollution of water resources, conflicts, hoarding of water, and poor sanitation. Incidentally, the interconnectedness of Water Governance, Water Inequality and Water Security has not been investigated previously. This study modified the Gini coefficient and used a Logistics Growth of Water Resources Model (LGWR Model) to access Water Inequality and Water Security mathematically, and discussed the connected role of Water Governance. We tested the validity of both models by calculating the actual Water Inequality and Water Security of Ghana. We also discussed the implications of Water Inequality on Water Security and the overarching role of Water Governance. The results show that regional Water Inequality is widespread in some parts. The Volta region showed the highest Water Inequality (Gini index of 0.58), while the Central region showed the lowest (Gini index of 0.15). Water Security is moderately sustainable. The use of water resources is currently stress-free. It was estimated to maintain such status until 2132 ± 18 when Ghana will consume half of the current total water resources of 53.2 billion cubic meters. Effectively, Water Inequality is a threat to Water Security, results in poverty, under-development heightens tensions in water use, and causes instability. With proper Water Governance, Water Inequality can be eliminated through formulating and implementing approaches that engender equal allocation and sustainable use of water resources.

Nutritional status of school children in the South Tongu District, Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a major public health problem because of the devastating consequences it has on children, their families, and society at large. Our study, therefore, sought to determine the prevalence of undernutrition and overweight/obesity and its associated factors among children aged 6-12 in the South Tongu District, Ghana. METHODS: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 school children aged 6-12 years in the South Tongu District of Ghana. A multistage sampling method was employed to recruit the school children for the study. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. We used a dual-purpose (height and weight) measuring scale to obtain the anthropometric data. The World Health Organization's AnthroPlus software was used to generate the z-scores for determining the nutritional status. Percentages were used to present the results of the prevalence of undernutrition and overweight/obesity among school children. Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression were used to examine the factors associated with undernutrition and overweight/obesity among school children. The results were presented as crude odds ratios (CORs) and adjusted odds ratios (AORs), with their 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Stata 16.0 was used to perform the analyses. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of undernutrition and overweight/obesity were 21.5% (CI = 17.7, 25.7) and 24.8% (CI = 20.8, 29.2), respectively. Specifically, the prevalence of stunting, thinness, underweight, overweight, and obesity were 10.4%, 12.1%, 3.8%, 11.1%, and 13.7%, respectively. School children whose household used water from non-portable sources were more likely to be undernourished [AOR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.13, 3.63]. The odds of overweight/obesity was higher among school children whose mothers had attained formal education [AOR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.09, 4.06], those who consumed beverages between meals per day [AOR = 1.87, CI = 1.08, 3.24], and those who had adequate dietary diversity score [AOR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.02, 2.67]. School children aged 10-12 were less likely to be overweight/obese [AOR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.35, 0.94] compared to those aged 6-9. CONCLUSION: The study showed a relatively high prevalence of undernutrition and overweight/obesity among school children in the South Tongu District. The identified risk factor(s) for undernutrition was the usage of water from non-potable sources whilst those of overweight/obesity were age (10-12 years), maternal formal education, beverage consumption between meals per day, and adequate dietary diversity. The findings reaffirm that malnutrition is still prevalent among school children. Hence, there is a need for the Ministry of Health, Ghana Education Service, and other Non-Governmental Organizations to pay critical attention to these factors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 2, target 2.2. Nutritional behavioural change education should be carried out among parents and school children. School health service activities should be intensified with a special focus on nutritional screening.

The Value Chain of Moringa oleifera Plant and the Process of Producing Its Biodiesel in Ghana.

Moringa oleifera grows well in different parts of Africa, including Ghana, and throughout the world as it can tolerate moderate cold and severe drought. Dubbed as the "Miracle Tree," Moringa has a number of nutritional, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. It is also used as a cure for diabetes and various forms of cancer. Another promising use of this plant is the production of biodiesel. However, such application demands vast cultivation areas and this can lead to competition with the cultivation of crops for food, forestry, and environmental protection. Furthermore, it requires suitable cultivation schedules that favor the growth of pods containing oil-rich seeds. The present work investigates the availability of land for Moringa cultivation in Ghana to increase the energy production from the plant. The study reports on an overview of the soil, water, and climatic conditions that favor Moringa oleifera cultivation and oil production, the conversion of Moringa oleifera oil to biodiesel, and the performance of Moringa oleifera biodiesel versus mineral diesel as well as the commercial enhancement of the Moringa product.

Impact of Small-Scale Mining Activities on Physicochemical Properties of Soils in Dunkwa East Municipality of Ghana.

The quality of soils in rehabilitated small-scale mined sites needs thorough investigation since a lot of changes do occur. The study assessed the impacts of small-scale mining activities on concentration and distribution of soil physicochemical properties and heavy metals. The soil samples were collected from 120 (50 m × 50 m) plots. The concentrations of soil physicochemical properties (Ca, Mg, Na, N, P, K, and OC and EC) varied significantly (p < 0.05) between unmined and mined soils. However, there were no statistically, significant differences (p < 0.05) observed in the concentrations of Cd, Hg, Pb, As, and Cu between the unmined and mined soils. Despite the generally poor (33.8%) soil quality in the study area, mining activities further reduced it by 24.2%. Soils from mined sites with unfilled/partially filled pits had higher levels of K, Mg, and Na. As mined sites fallow period increased, concentrations of OC and Cd increased, while Ca, Mg, pH, Cu, Pb, and As and value of EC decreased. The number of years that mined land remained fallow, and whether the pits were filled or unfilled during this period should be factored into the mined land rehabilitation processes.

Groundwater pollution assessment in a coastal aquifer in Cape Coast, Ghana.

This work presents an assessment of the chemico-physical and microbial quality of water samples from hand-dug wells in the shallow aquifer of three communities neighbouring the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Sanitary risk inspection was undertaken at each well location and the physical parameters including electrical conductivity, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and etc. were measured in situ via probes. Microbial groundwater quality was analysed using membrane filtration method. Samples of water were analysed for the pollution indicator anions including chloride and nitrate. In addition, the possible persistence of bacteria in groundwater environments in the absence of predator organisms were studied and results fitted with exponential, second-order polynomial and linear distribution models. Sanitary risk inspection and microbial quality results indicate that all the wells were at risk and polluted with total coliforms from on-site sanitation. Twenty-five percent (7 out of 28) of the wells recorded DO concentration within acceptable limits of drinking water standards (> 5 mg/L). Average chloride concentration, 360.5 mg/L (range: 46 mg/L to 844 mg/L) and average electrical conductivity value of 1.5 mS/cm (range: 213 µS/cm to 2.7 mS/cm) were both higher than WHO recommended limits. Acidic conditions (pH < 6.5) were observed in water samples, indicating mineralisation of the aquifer. The high EC values and chloride content in groundwater were attributable to dry atmospheric aerosol deposition and possible mineral dissolution in the aquifer. Bacteria re-growth experiment results indicate that second-order polynomial distribution best describes bacteria inactivation rates in the absence of antagonist predators in our work. Extrapolation of time for complete inactivation of bacteria under groundwater environment ranged from 0.1 to 4 years indicating bacteria can persist in aquifers for long period of time. It was concluded that all the wells are at risk of pollution and polluted with faecal matter and atmospheric aerosols.

Preparation of charcoal briquette from palm kernel shells: case study in Ghana.

In Ghana, the potential of palm kernel shells as renewable energy in charcoal production has not been exploited adequately. Using a low-cost instrument (kiln and compressor box) built from local resources, we produced charcoal briquette from palm kernel (Elaeis guineensis) shells. Further, we measured and compared its efficiency using starch as a binder to traditional charcoal and commonly used fuelwood (Acacia) in Cape Coast. Following the American Standards for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the proximate analysis was conducted for all fuels with results indicating that palm kernel shell (PKS) briquette produced had a moisture content of 1.08 %, as compared to 9.25 % in charcoal and 16.00 % in fuelwood. The volatile matter, ash content and fixed carbon recorded were 71.80 %, 0.06 %, and 27.07 % in PKS briquette, 86.00 %, 0.78 %, and 3.97 % in charcoal and 80.50 %, 2.04 %, 1.46 % in fuelwood respectively. The calorific values for charred PKS increased after binding to form the PKS briquette with the highest value among the other fuels. The calorific value for the other fuels were 17.5 MJ/kg for charcoal, 18.72 MJ/kg for charred PKS, and 18.72 MJ/kg for PKS briquette. We also conducted an ignition test, combustion test, fuel burning rate (FBR), and specific fuel consumption (SFC) on PKS briquette and charcoal to determine their suitability as cooking fuels. Charcoal readily ignited as compared to PKS briquette with respective fuel mass of 5.08 g and 25.5 g. The resultant briquette possesses desirable combustion characteristics such as no smoke emissions and ash formation. The FBR and SFC in PKS briquette recorded the highest in comparison with charcoal. The values recorded were 2.84 g/min and 20.05 g/ml respectively while that of charcoal was 0.42 g/min and 3.48 g/ml respectively. PKS briquette produced from this study showed high calorific value, low moisture content, and a fast burning rate amongst other excellent properties. These properties are potential indicators that the proper utilization and production of PKS briquette as renewable energy in Ghana would contribute to solving the existing energy crisis. Additionally, reduce climate change impacts, via the reduction in the over-dependence on fuelwood and charcoal for domestic and commercial heating.

Preparation, characterization, and anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of Bi3+-Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide complex.

Two new Bi3+-Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide (BiHEP) complexes were prepared using Bi3+ and two purified polysaccharides from H. erinaceus (HEPs), respectively. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, CD, SEM, AFM, XRD, and TG. The anti-Helicobacter pylori (Hp) activities in vitro by agar dilution assay of the complexes were evaluated. The molecular weights of HEPs were 197 and 20 kDa, respectively. All the analyses confirmed the formation of new BiHEP complexes with lower content of Bi3+ compared with colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS), the most utilized bismuth preparation clinically. Furthermore, HEPs themselves have definite inhibition effects on Hp, and BiHEP complexes have lower content of Bi exhibited strong inhibition effects on Hp (MIC=20 µg/mL), similar to that of CBS with higher content of Bi. The study provides a basis for further development of multiple treatments of Hp infection or new medicines.

Biodiesel production from non-edible Silybum marianum oil using heterogeneous solid base catalyst under ultrasonication.

The aim of this study is to investigate modified TiO2 doped with C4H4O6HK as heterogeneous solid base catalyst for transesterification of non-edible, Silybum marianum oil to biodiesel using methanol under ultrasonication. Upon screening the catalytic performance of modified TiO2 doped with different K-compounds, 0.7 C4H4O6HK doped on TiO2 was selected. The preparation of the catalyst was done using incipient wetness impregnation method. Having doped modified TiO2 with C4H4O6HK, followed by impregnation, drying and calcination at 600 °C for 6 h, the catalyst was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, BET, TGA, UV and the Hammett indicators. The yield of the biodiesel was proportional to the catalyst basicity. The catalyst had granular and porous structures with high basicity and superior performance. Combined conditions of 16:1 molar ratio of methanol to oil, 5 wt.% catalyst amount, 60 °C reaction temperature and 30 min reaction time was enough for maximum yield of 90.1%. The catalyst maintained sustained activity after five cycles of use. The oxidative stability which was the main problem of the biodiesel was improved from 2.0 h to 3.2h after 30 days using ascorbic acid as antioxidant. The other properties including the flash point, cetane number and the cold flow ones were however, comparable to international standards. The study indicated that Ti-0.7-600-6 is an efficient, economical and environmentally, friendly catalyst under ultrasonication for producing biodiesel from S. marianum oil with a substantial yield.

Purification, characterization and immunomodulating activity of a polysaccharide from flowers of Abelmoschus esculentus.

A water-soluble polysaccharide (OFPS11) was obtained from okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) flowers using aqueous extraction and purification with DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephacryl™ S-500 column. Its preliminary characterization and immunomodulating activity were investigated. Results showed that OFPS11 is mainly composed of galactose and rhamnose in a molar ratio of 2.23:1 with molecular mass of 1,700 kDa. RAW264.7 cells pretreated with OFPS11 significantly inhibited the proliferation of HepG-2 cells. Additionally, OFPS11 enhanced the phagocytic ability and induced the elevation of NO production, TNF-α and IL-1ß secretion of RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, OFPS11 promoted both the expression of iNOS protein and of iNOS and TNF-α mRNA. OFPS11 can strongly increase NF-κB levels in nucleuses, which is an important transcription factor that can modulate expressions of iNOS, NO and TNF-α. These outcomes support that OFPS11 exerts its antitumor activity by probably stimulating macrophage activities through nuclear NF-κB pathway.

Solid-state fermentation of industrial solid wastes from the fruits of milk thistle Silybum marianum for feed quality improvement.

The industrial solid wastes generated during the production of silymarin from the fruits of milk thistle Silybum marianum was used as the substrate. Preparation and evaluation of the feeds produced by solid-state fermentation (SSF) of the industrial solid wastes was carried out. The protein content of the fermented feed (FF) from a combination of Aspergillus niger and Candida tropicalis was the highest among the examined strains. The optimal process parameters for protein enrichment with SSF using A. niger and C. tropicalis included incubation temperature of 30.8 °C, fermentation time of 87.0 h, and initial moisture content of 59.7 %. Under these conditions, the value additions of FF occurred. The fiber of FF was decreased by 25.07 %, while the digestibility of protein, protein content, and the ratio of total essential amino acids to total amino acids were increased by 79.85, 16.22, and 8.21 %, respectively. The analysis indicated that FF contained 1.44 mg/kg flavonoids and 0.5 mg/kg silybin, which significantly increased by 2.42 and 1.63 times, respectively than those in unfermented substrates. FF recorded reduced molecular weight of proteins from 20.1 to 44.3 kDa to below 14.3 kDa. The results of feeding trial of FF replacement with soybean meal in broilers diets for 8 weeks showed that FF significantly improved carcass characteristics including abdominal fat rate, serum biochemical parameters including aspartate transaminase, blood urea nitrogen and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and immune responses of broilers. A potential feed quality improvement was achieved through mixed strains SSF of industrial solid wastes of S. marianum fruits.