Heavy metals discharge associated with industrial activities constitute serious environmental problems, most especially water pollution. Many materials have been identified for the adsorption of these heavy metals and chitosan, a derivative of natural polymer chitin, has been identified as one of such materials. This study was carried out to investigate the removal of chromium (VI) from chromate solution using chitosan from mussel shell, obtained from Gubi dam in Bauchi Nigeria. Chemical method was used to extract the chitosan from the chitin. The chitosan had degree of deacetylation (DDA) of 60.69% and 60.66% as calculated from elemental analysis and FTIR spectra of chitosan respectively and surface area of 2.77m 2 /g. The chitosan was used for removal of Cr 6+ from dichromate-deionised water solution with initial Cr 6+ concentration of 0.62 mg of Cr 6+ per litre of water and the adsorption isotherm established. Optimum chitosan dosage was found to be 2.5 g at 28 o C with a Cr 6+ removal of 82.3%. The time required for equilibrium to be attained was 80 minutes for batch adsorption study. The Langmuir isotherm was the best fitted isotherm with an R 2 -value of 0.983.

Water pollution is one of the major challenges in cities and industrialized areas of the world. The effluent from Gombe ternary wastewater pollutes the surrounding waters thereby constituting health threat to the populace within its vicinity. In view of the above, a bio-sorption study of zinc and lead ions from Gombe ternary wastewater using doum palm seed kernel was carried out. The wastewater was characterized and was found to contain 0.03 mg/l lead metal ion and 0.81 mg/l zinc ion. The doum palm kernel bio-sorbent was obtained after oil extraction from the seed and processed as contained in the method mentioned in this paper. The kernel residue was characterized for functional groups using FTIR, surface morphology using SEM, surface area using BET, and elemental composition using XRF. The results indicated that the doum palm kernel is harmless, and possesses functional groups on its surface, which may be substituted with the metallic ions present in the wastewater. This gives the kernel the ability to adsorb positively charged ions on its surface by simple chemisorption. This mechanism is supported by the rough surface observed in the scanning electron microscopy. Adsorption and desorption of nitrogen was made at STP and the curve indicated very high correlation of close to unity. The surface area measured by multi BET method was recorded as 13.464 m 2 /g. This value is not high enough to adsorb metals by physical adsorption.

Assessing acidic influence in conversion of hospital plastic waste into liquid fuel with kaolin base supported catalysts was carried out using samples collected from a tertiary University teaching Hospital Sokoto, which encompassed Drip bags (Linear low density polyethylene LLDPE), Hand gloves (Polyethylene terephthalate PET) and Urine bags (Polyureathane PU). Uncatalyzed pyrolysis was first carried out using thermal cracking only at 300, 350, and 4000C. Catalyzed pyrolysis was also carried out using three different active catalyst mounted on same support and equal catalytic ratio of active catalyst to support. CuO/Kaolin-SO4, FeO/Kaolin-SO4 and CaO/Kaolin-SO4. The liquid fuel obtained from uncanalyzed and catalyzed pyrolysis of the sample were all subjected to GCMS and FTIR analysis. Uncatalyzed pyrolysis was first carried out using thermal cracking only at 300, 350, and 4000C. Catalyzed pyrolysis was also conducted using three different active catalyst mounted on same support and equal catalytic ratio of active catalyst to support. Fe2O3/Kaolin-SO4 (CAT.D), CuO/Kaolin-SO4 (CAT.E), and CaO/Kaolin-SO4 (CAT.F). The catalytic activities of all the three synthesized catalysts were successfully tested in the conversion of hospital plastic waste in to liquid fuel. However the conversion using (CAT.D) was found to be more promising and selective to liquid fraction then followed by CAT. E and F. Therefore, the results shows that CAT.D has lower cocking tendency that result to high liquid than the other catalysts. The FTIR and GC/MS analysis revealed that the chemical composition and carbon number distribution of the liquid fraction which indicate the presence of paraffinic, naphthenic and olefins hydrocarbons as the dominant component in the liquid fraction obtained, and high amount of lower hydrocarbon range was also obtained using CAT.D. Thus, sulphated kaolin catalyst (CAT.D) was found to be better in modifying the product than CAT.E and F.

In diversifying the economies of most oil producing countries especially in regions with arable lands, Agriculture becomes the next choice aside mineral deposits. This has led to a search for an alternative to inorganic fertilizers, the alternatives are the biofertilizers. The paper discussed the classification of the anaerobic co-digestion process based on the application of inoculants to the biodigester feedstock to speed up the digestion process and the absence of inoculants. Biodigester feedstock also looked at the various mechanisms in the digestion process which includes hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis, the pathways were illustrated with chemical equations and various microorganisms that take part in the anaerobic process were mentioned and tabulated. The types of biofertilizers, merits, and demerits, the difference between biofertilizers and organic fertilizers were comprehensively discussed. Current trends on the application of the co-digestion technique to improve the yield, nutrient, and safety of biofertilizers and also the recent progression on the technique were mentioned.