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The quality of non-alcoholic beverages consumed in Aba, Abia State, southeastern Nigeria and health risk assessment of heavy metals required periodic evaluation so as to avert potential health hazard. Hence, the objective of this paper as to evaluate the hazard and health risk assessment of heavy metals in non-alcoholic beverages consumed in Abia State, Nigeria using health risk assessment models. Heavy metals concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Agilent 280FS AA). The average heavy metal concentrations of non-alcoholic drink samples ranged from 0.040 - 1.132 mg/l in ascending order of Zn < Cd < Co < Cu < Pb 1.0), signifying potential chronic health risk as a result of combine effects of these heavy metals. The incremental life cancer for Cr, Cd and Pb ranged from 2.59E-05 - 1.79E-03, 1.35E-04 - 2.81E-04 and 3.92E-06 - 3.24E-05 respectively. The incremental life cancer values of Pb were within the recommended safe limit of not greater than 1.0 x 10-4 and has the least likelihood of any potential cancer risks. However, Cd, and Cr had cancer risk values higher than the save limits, indicating potential life cancer health risks in both children and adult population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study a comparative assessment was conducted between chicken feather and a conventional synthetic sorbent mat used in the oil industry to clean-up oil spill. The result of the study shows that chicken feather has higher oil sorption capacity and sorbed oil recoverability than the standard (synthetic sorbent mat), and competes well with the standard in terms of sorbed oil retainability. Chicken feather sorbed per unit mass 13.10±0.67g/g of crude oil, 11.15±0.84g/g of diesel and 9.70g/g±0.91 of kerosene while the standard sorbed per unit mass 11.50±0.54g/g of crude oil, 10.35±0.77g/g of diesel and 8.20±0.93g/g of kerosene. Sorbed oil recovered from a unit mass of chicken feather and standard are 12.25±0.38g/g of crude oil, 10.30±0.91g/g of diesel, 8.50±0.27g/g of kerosene and 9.67±0.36 g/g of crude oil, 8.40±0.95 g/g of diesel and 6.50±0.49 g/g of kerosene respectively. Langmuir adsorption model and pseudo second order models fitted the process more precisely. Chicken feather competed favourably with the standard and both can be applied on land and aqueous environment in oil spill cleanup. It is an effective and viable sorbent for oil spill clean-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil (crude oil, diesel and kerosene) sorption capacity, sorbed oil recoverability and retainability by sawdust was determined under the same experimental condition and compared with that of a standard. The result of the study shows that the sawdust has lesser oil sorption capacity and sorbed oil recoverability than the standard, but higher sorbed oil retainability than the standard. Sawdust sorbed per unit mass 5.50g of crude oil, 4.50g of diesel and 4.20g of kerosene while the standard sorbed per unit mass 11.50g of crude oil, 10.35g of diesel and 8.20g of kerosene. Sorbed oil recovered from sawdust and standard are 9.67g of crude oil, 8.40g of diesel, 6.50g of kerosene and 2.90g of crude oil, 2.50g of diesel and 2.90g of kerosene respectively. 2.60g, 2.00g and 1.30g of sorbed crude oil, diesel and kerosene were retained by a unit mass of sawdust while 1.83g, 1.94g and 1.70g of sorbed crude oil, diesel and kerosene were retained by a unit mass of the standard. Adsorption isotherm and kinetic studies shows that the sorption process of crude oil, diesel and kerosene onto sawdust is by Langmuir model and intraparticle diffusion and liquid film diffusion mechanism were parts of the rate determining steps. Sawdust could be employed to clean oil spill on land and aqueous environment. Sawdust is not a very effective oil spill clean-up sorbent, but can be useful when oil recovery is not required but disposal after oil spill clean-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timber has always played an influencing role in human lives. The quality of timber and its behavior in response to fire depends on many parameters. As a result Hymenocardiaacidawood was studied in terms of thermal, chemical, physical and variable techniques. The results obtained were as follows: afterglow time 58.33sec, flame duration 271.67sec, flame propagation rate 4.4x10-2cm.s-1, ignition time 3.67sec, thermal conductivity14.37 x 10²Umoh/cm, electrical conductivity 4.4x10-3Sm-1, ash content 0.95%, moisture content 12.67%, oven dry density 78.7x10-2g.cm-3, water imbibitions (at different time intervals: 30mins 11.1%, 5hrs 13.8% and 24hrs 22.3%), etc, These results showed it to be a good timber suitable for various construction purposes. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of saponins, tannins, steroids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, proteins, resins, terpenoids, glycosides and alkaloids. The Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) of the sample showed the presence of some metals such as Na, K, Pb, Ca, As, Zn, Mg, and Cu in the decreasing order of their concentrations. The thin layer chromatographic analysis of the chloroform and chloroform-methanol extracts which gave three spots with Rf values of 0.7, 0.6 and 0.5 was further characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared and Ultraviolet Spectroscopic methods. The Fourier Transform Infrared and Ultraviolet spectra suggested a 1, 2, 3-trisubstitutedphenylamide with OH, CO and CN groups attached as the functional groups present. The chemical components analysis showed the presence of cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin and other constituents in their right proportion. The results provided the required information on the properties of Hymenocardiaacidawood. It also confirmed the efficiency of the wood for various construction purposes and its medicinal ability due to the presence of the secondary metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chicken feather is a poultry waste. With the recent development of waste management strategy viz; waste recycle, re-use and waste reduction e.t.c., chicken feather has been put to various uses such as in the production of animal feed, organic fertilizer, biodegradable plastic and others. It has been mentioned in some text/resource that chicken feather can be used to mop oil spill. However, there is scarce literature on the mopping account of hydrocarbon oil by chicken feather. This led to the study. In this study the equilibrium adsorption capacity (qe) of diesel onto chicken feather, the amount of adsorbed diesel recovered from chicken feather and the amount of diesel retained by chicken feather was determined by simple kinetic studies and compared with that of a conventional synthetic sorbent used in mopping oil spill in the oil industry. This conventional synthetic sorbent served as standard. Both sorbents were compared under the same experimental condition and the experiment was carried out at room temperature 290 C. Linearized adsorption isotherms of Langmuir, Freundlich, Elovich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich were used to verify the adsorption process of both sorbents. The result of the study shows that the equilibrium adsorption capacity (qe) of diesel onto chicken feather is 11.04g/g, the time required to attain equilibrium adsorption is 80 minutes, while that of the standard is 10.20g/g at 60 minutes. This shows that chicken feather has a higher adsorption capacity. The best fitting isotherm for the adsorption process of both sorbents is the linearized form Ce/qe versus Ce of the Langmuir adsorption isotherm with coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.999 for both sorbents (chicken feather and standard). The validity of Langmuir model was check by calculating the average percentage error (APE %). The APE values obtained for chicken feather and standard are 0.0024 and 0.005 respectively. The low APE values show that Langmuir model is valid in describing the experimental data. This indicates that, one molecule of diesel is adsorbed on a layer of ground chicken feather/synthetic and there is no interaction between the adsorbed molecules of diesel. The constants of Langmuir isotherm; maximum adsorption capacity (qm) and intensity of adsorption/affinity constant (b) for chicken feather are 11.49g/g and 1.00 while for the standard they are 10.20g/g and 1.00 respectively. The b and qm values indicates that both sorbents have same affinity for diesel however, chicken feather has a larger surface area than standard and therefore adsorbs more diesel than standard. The favourable nature of the adsorption process of both sorbents was confirmed from the values of dimensionless separation factor equilibrium parameter KR . The KR values for both sorbents are 0.0022. The value shows that the adsorption process is favourable. About 10.00g/g and 8.00g/g of the adsorbed diesel can be recovered from ground chicken feather and conventional synthetic sorbent, while, 1g/g and 2 g/g of the adsorbed diesel can be retained respectively. This make chicken feather a better sorbent when diesel recovery is required. To determine the mopping profile of diesel on water by chicken feather and synthetic sorbent, the experiment was repeated with mixture of diesel on water. The amount of water adsorbed together with diesel on water was negligible; 0.08dm3 adsorbed onto synthetic and 0.05 dm3 adsorbed onto chicken feather, which means that both sorbents can be used to mop diesel spill on land and water. The result of the study shows that chicken feather adsorbed more diesel per unit mass than the conventional synthetic sorbent used as standard in this study. Chicken feather is an efficient natural sorbent that can be used to mop diesel spill on land and water, and it is efficient for diesel recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that potassium bromate KBrO3 an oxidizing agent used in bread-making process is a possible human carcinogen. For this reason, it has been banned by some countries including Nigeria, while other countries such as United State of America set permissible limit for its use in flour, bread and other bakery products. Bread is commonly eaten by all socioeconomic class in Nigeria. Due to the adverse health effect of consumption of potassium bromate by humans, it became necessary to investigate its usage in bread making process in the area of study; Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria. Twenty brands of bread sample were obtained from the area of study and analyzed for the presence and concentration of potassium bromate using David Pearson 1976 method. Five brands of bread sample amongst the twenty brands of bread sample tested positive to the presence of potassium bromate. The quantity of potassium bromate present in the five brands of bread sample was determined using spectrophotometer (spectrum Lab 21A) at 620nm. The result showed that the samples contained 3.8µg/g, 1.4µg/g, 5.1µg/g, 1.7µg/g and 3.7µg/g of potassium bromate. These results are above the permissible limit allowed for potassium bromate in flour, bread and other bakery products by US Food and Drug Agency (FDA)) and contravenes the non usage of potassium bromate in bread making in Nigeria, stipulated by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) of Nigeria. The result of the study shows that the five brands of bread sample are unsafe for consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]