Unactivated adsorbent was prepared from Moringa oleifera seed shells precursor, characterized and evaluated for aqueous phase removal of phenol. The effects of operational parameters such as initial phenolic solution pH and adsorbent dosage on equilibrium sorption were studied. Adsorption isotherms and kinetic experiments performed at (25 oC) furnished some equilibrium and kinetic parameters, respectively. UAMSS shows favorable attributes on (pH, bulk density, attrition, iodine number/surface area, surface charge/functional groups and Fourier transform infrared FTIR). Phenol uptake decreases with increase in solution pH for the adsorbent. Maximum adsorption capacity Qmax (mg/g) was (6.95). The optimal pH for phenol adsorption was attained at pH 3, adsorption kinetics obeyed closely pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption of phenol was well described by Langmuir isotherm. The adsorbent shows a promise of applicability in dephenolation of aqueous effluents/wastewater.

This study aims at determining the concentration of heavy metal contaminants in the soil around Dangote cement factory Kogi State, Nigeria. It also seeks to understand the relationship between the heavy metals and the level of concentration with respect to distance and direction as well as the ecological risk it poses. The monitoring and assessment of soil pollution have over the years become a very important area of study due to the significant threat it poses to the food web. A total of 33 soil samples were collected in the Northern, Eastern and Western axis within a radius of 4km of Dangote cement factory at a depth of 0-15cm using a stainless steel auger. The contamination factor indices for Cr and Cu show moderate pollution across all the samples collected from different axis at a different distance from the factory. Zn also pose a moderate pollution across the samples except for WK4 and NK4 where it is in a low level of contamination. The geo-accumulation indices for Pb and Cr show unpolluted to moderately polluted across all samples at different locations expect for sample location EK4. The results of the ecological risk assessment revealed that Cd poses the highest ecological risk of all the five heavy metals investigated.

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