Theses and dissertations (Engineering and Built Environment)
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Item Evaluating the performance of an eggshell-bagasse biosorption system in removing lead and cadmium from aqueous solutions(2021-02) Harripersadth, Charlene; Musonge, Paul; Isa, Yusuf MakarfiIn this research investigation, the simultaneous use of 2 biomaterials, sugarcane bagasse and eggshells, were applied as biosorbents in the treatment of metal laden effluent. Under the characterisation measurements investigated, it was found that carbon, calcium and oxygen atoms which constitute carboxylic and carbonate functional groups were prominent in eggshells, whereas for bagasse, it was carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms constituting hydroxyl and carbonyl groups. Batch studies were conducted to investigate the effect of fundamental process variables such as particle size (75 – 250 μm), initial metal ion concentration (40 – 240 mg/L), pH (2 – 7) and contact time (0 – 120 min). With respect to the equilibrium studies, the applicability of the Langmuir isotherm implied a monolayer formation of metal ions onto the surface of both biomaterials with the maximum amounts of Pb and Cd adsorbed based on 1 g of biosorbent being 277.8 and 13.62 mg/g for eggshells and 31.45 and 19.49 mg/g for bagasse, respectively. Moreover, kinetic modelling revealed that the process was well described by the pseudo – second order model for both Pb and Cd using eggshells and bagasse. Fixed bed studies were used to assess the dynamic adsorption behaviour of the eggshell – bagasse system using a lab – scale adsorption column of 2.3 cm in diameter and 30 cm in height. The effect of bed depth (4 – 12 cm) on 5 adsorbents (eggshells, bagasse, adsorbent A, adsorbent B and adsorbent C) in the removal of Pb were investigated. Adsorbents A, B and C were a combination of both eggshells and bagasse with adsorbent A constituting 75wt % bagasse and 25wt % eggshells, adsorbent B constituting 50wt % bagasse and 50wt % eggshells and adsorbent C constituting 25wt % bagasse and 75wt % eggshells. The column experiments highlighted an improvement in bed performance with an increase in bed depth resulting in greater mass transfer zones, breakthrough times and larger quantities of effluents treated. Two kinetic models (Thomas and Yoon–Nelson) were used to interpret the breakthrough curves where the data showed good fits to both models used. In determining the efficacy of the eggshell – bagasse biosorption system, adsorbent C was found to be most proficient in the removal of Pb with eggshells, adsorbent B, adsorbent A and bagasse following suit. The results from this investigation strongly suggest the plausible reuse of agricultural waste materials in the treatment of contaminated effluent through the biosorption process.Item Bioremediation of acid mine drainage and crude contaminated soils(2020-09) Anekwe, Ifeanyi Michael; Isa, Yusuf MakarfiPollution is one of the greatest ills plaguing the existence of the ecosystem which could lead to the annihilation of terrestrial and aquatic habitat if not remedied. Acid mine drainage (AMD) and crude oil are among the major land and water pollutants cause by industrial and human activities. The constant exploration, mining, and processing of mineral resources and prevalent use of petroleum products for economic purposes have contributed to contamination of soil and proximate water bodies which results in environmental degradation; thus, remediation becomes necessary. The treatment of AMD contaminated soils using the conventional methods has some room for improvement to meet the remediation purpose. Bioremediation technology provides a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to the treatment of contaminants. This study aims to evaluate the performance of different potential bioremediation techniques and conduct a comparative analysis of these methods for the treatment of AMD and crude oil-contaminated soils. The treatment approach for both pollutants comprises of soils separately contaminated with AMD and crude oil before the application of bioremediation techniques. For the biostimulation study, contaminated soils were amended with varying ratios of the brewery or municipal wastewaters (BWW and MWW), while the bioventing (BVT) treatment involved wastewater amendment and supply of atmospheric air from the vadose zone at 3L/min at 30 minutes intervals every 48 hours. The bacteria strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 used for the study which was inoculated at 5%(w/w) was cultured in two different media for respective treatments and wastewater was amended as an extra energy source for bioaugmentation (BAU) study while Bioattenuation (BAT) which received no amendment was used as a control treatment for the study. The treatments were conducted in plastic bioreactors under mesophilic conditions for 28 days and samples were collected from each treatment system on weekly basis to analyse for sulfate, heavy metals, and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) reduction. The result of the study showed that the amendment of contaminated soils with wastewater increased alkalinity in the system which enhanced microbial activities for effective remediation which recorded 52.43 and 51.23% average TPH and metal removal efficiency for the BSTc treatment. Also, the combined application of bioremediation techniques was more effective than single application as the introduction of oxygen into the treatment system with wastewater amendment increased the TPH and metal removal efficiency by an average of 12.98 and 13.17% respectively but efforts to enhance sulfate removal by air-injection (BVTa) proved abortive with 17.20 and 14.67% removal efficiencies less than BSTa and BAUa respectively as sulfate-reducing bacteria thrive in an anaerobic environment. However, P. aeruginosa ATCC 15442 adopts the sorption process in the reduction of hydrocarbon and metal toxicity with 42.02 and 41.81% average removal efficiencies respectively and the amendment extra nutrient (wastewater) increased the removal efficiency of these pollutants by 25.24 and 16.23% respectively. The results of the study inferred that wastewater (BWW and MWW), air-injection and P. aeruginosa ATCC 15442 showed great potentials in the degradation and removal of TPH, metals and sulfate contaminants, hence, can serve as a viable strategy for the remediation of AMD and crude oil polluted soils while improving waste management and amelioration of pollution aftermath faced by communities involved in mining and oil production and/or processing. There is a need for optimization to ensure effective remediation while further study is required to validate large scale application.