The study determined the levels of some heavy metals and pH, organic matter and particle size distribution of soil within the vicinity of Gboko abattoir. Soil samples were collected at depth of 0-20 cm and analyzed using standard laboratory methods. The results of AAS analysis of the heavy metals showed that the soil had mean value of Zn2+ 3.0195 ppm, Pb2+ 0.5413 ppm, Ni2+ 0.1949 ppm, Cr3+ 0.1134 ppm and Cd2+ 0.0185 ppm. These values were higher than similar results obtained from the control soil but the mean levels of the metals were lower than the permissible limits set by the Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources (NDPR) and European Union (EU) respectively. The soil heavy metals were positively correlated. The mean pH of the soil (6.03) indicates acidity, the organic matter was very high and the particle size distribution revealed sandy-loam texture. The results of the analysis showed some levels of pollution which indicated that the activities at the abattoir were contributing to the pollution load of soil in the environment. It is therefore, recommended that the activities at the abattoir should be monitored closely by relevant agencies in order to prevent full-blown environmental problems in the near future and avert the attendant health hazards.
Five yam tuber varieties were investigated for microorganisms that cause yam tuber rot from five local government areas of Benue State, Nigeria, between the months of March 2014 to March 2015. Five fungi species: Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifera, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium marnessei and four bacteria species: Serratia marcescens, Erwinia carotovora, Klebsiella oxytoca and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were consistently isolated. Pathogenicity test carried out confirmed these organisms as the pathological agent of the rot. Antimicrobial activity of five plant aqueous extracts: Terminalia catapa (common name fruit), Passiflora edulis (passion fruit), Daniella oliveri (Chiha-Tiv), Ceiba pentandra (Vambe-Tiv), Jatropha tanjorensis (Catholic plant) was carried out on the isolated microorganims and they showed varing degrees of inhibition, the aqueous extract from Passiflora edulis, Ceiba pentandra and Jatropha tanjorensis were able to inhibit all the fungi completely.
Gelatinization temperature of starches from different varieties of cereals, deep-red sorghum, red sorghum, white sorghum, mixed sorghum, white fonio (Digitaria exilis), black fonio (Digitaria iburua), Eleusine coracana (tamba), proso millet (p. miliacium), brown top millet (p. ramosum) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana) were determined by electrical conductivity (EC) method. Among the untreated starches, the results showed that tamba recorded the least onset and peak gelatinization temperatures of 53.0 o C and 63.0 o C respectively while the highest onset gelatinization temperature, 76 o C was recorded with proso millet. Proso millet and finger millet had the highest peak gelatinization temperature. deep-red sorghum and red sorghum had the least end gelatinization temperature while proso millet recorded the highest value. The 0.1MKCl treatment of cereals starches produced elevated onset gelatinization temperatures (62.0-78.0 o C). Mixed sorghum had the least onset gelatinization temperature while proso millet and finger millet recorded the highest gelatinization temperature. Following the 0.1MKCl treatment, starches from tamba and proso millet recorded the least and highest peak gelatinization temperatures respectively. Deep-red and red sorghum recorded the least end gelatinization temperatures while proso millet, brown top millet and finger millet recorded the highest end gelatinization temperatures. The treatment of the cereals starches with 0.10MKCl significantly (p < 0.05) delayed the onset gelatinization temperature of the starches and narrowed the gelatinization temperature range. The results of the conductivity of both the 0.1MKCl treated and untreated starch showed nonlinearity within the gelatinization range. This finding has important implication on the energy and time requirement to gelatinize the starch for specific industrial use.
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