Selected physical and mechanical properties of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) were studied at two moisture content levels of 13% and 20% (db). Compression strength characteristics were conducted under quasi-static compressive force at longitudinal and latitudinal (lateral) loading positions and the rupture forces, compressive strength, modulus of deformability, toughness, stiffness and force at bio-yield point determined as the mechanical properties at varying loading positions. Results indicated that volume (7.398 -9.416 mm 3 ), surface area (73.289 -111.782 mm 2 ), geometric mean diameter (9.18 -11.68mm), and weight (0.872 -1.055 g) of the velvet bean seed increased linearly with increase in moisture content. Also, the bulk density, specific gravity (0.118 -0.112 g/mm 3 ), sphericity (0.737 -0.704) and aspect ratio (0.776 -0.719) decreased linearly with increase in moisture content. These indicate that Velvet beans have wide size ranges and no single sample of the grains can effectively represent the other. In the case of the force-deformation characteristics, result indicates that the force and corresponding deformation to rupture of velvet bean seeds were found to vary from 525N, 5mm in longitudinal loading position to 800N, 7mm in lateral loading position at 13% moisture content and 131.25N, 3mm in longitudinal loading to 237.5N, 4.75mm in lateral loading at 20% (wb) moisture content.

The effects of abattoir wastewater pollution at New Artisan River in New Artisan, Enugu East, Enugu State of Nigeria were investigated. The study involved the collection of water samples at the designated points from the New Artisan River where the abattoir wastewaters are discharged. The physical, chemical and bacteriological analyses of the wastewater samples were conducted using standard analytical methods. Results of the laboratory tests were analyzed using statistical tests. The results obtained were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) and other international standards. The results obtained were pH; 6.54 at 25.0 o C, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD); 5009(mg/L),chemical oxygen demand (COD); 3820(mg/L), total suspended solids (TSS); 97.3(mg/L) , total dissolved solids (TDS); 56.7(mg/L) , conductivity; 113(µS/cm) , , dissolved oxygen (DO); 8.60(mg/L) , turbidity; 24.0(NTU), colour; 117(Pt-Co), total solids (TS); 154(mg/L), total hardness (TH); 42.0(mg/L), calcium; 10.4(mg/L), coliforms; 9000(cfu/ml) and E-coli; 7500(cfu/ml) . Analyses of the results showed that the samples were highly polluted. Hence, appropriate measures are herein suggested as a means to control pollution discharge in New-Artisan River in order to enhance the quality of human and aquatic life

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A 2 x 3 factorial experiment was conducted at two sites in Maiduguri, Borno State during the 2009 cropping season. The objective was to evaluate the influence of rice husk-mulch on soil water balance components under sorghum and millet crops. The treatments comprised of two test crops (sorghum and millet) and three rates of application (0, 10 and 15 t ha-1) of rice husk mulch, fitted in a split-plot design. The test crops were assigned to the main plot, while the mulch application rates were assigned to the sub-plot. The treatments were replicated three times.  The components of soil water balance determined were annual rainfall, moisture storage within sorghum and millet root zone, drainage below crop root zone and seasonal crop evapotranspiration. Profile moisture content was measured weekly with the aid of a neutron probe installed at a depth of 2.0 m using access tubes. Also, soil (0 – 30 cm depth) moisture content was determined gravimetrically on weekly basis. Rainfall was measured using a manual rain gauge installed at each of the two sites. Findings in this study indicated that, under the prevailing circumstances, annual rainfall was lower than the amount observed over a ten-year period in Maiduguri. Consequently, soil moisture storage, drainage and seasonal crop evapotranspiration generally declined. An average of over 90 % of this low annual rainfall was lost as seasonal crop evapotranspiration. Sorghum plots stored higher moisture within the root zone, had higher drainage and lower seasonal evapotranspiration than millet plots. Moisture storage and drainage increased with increasing mulch application rate, while, seasonal crop evapotranspiration decreased with it.

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