ARID ZONE JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Optimization of Periwinkle Shell Ash and Sawdust Mixture as Additives in Fired Clay Brick Using Grey Relational Analysis in Taguchi Methodology

S. O. Jimoh — 2026-09-01

The use of additives remains one of the methods of enhancing compressive strength and thermal conductivity of a clay bricks used for various applications in the construction industry. However, obtaining the right mixtures of additives remain a concern by most researchers. In this study, an experimental and modelling approaches were used to determine optimum mixture of periwinkle shell ash (PSA) and sawdust (SD) additives at 5-20 % by weight at 900-1100oC firing temperature on fired bricks. The objective of the study was to evaluate the thermo-mechanical properties of the additives with a view to minimizing thermal conductivity and enhancing compressive strength. Consequently, an optimal thermal conductivity of 0.3486 W/mK was obtained for the additives using a control factor setting of SD10PSA15FT1100. In case of an optimum value for a compressive strength, a value of 8.2234 MPa was obtained employing a control factor setting of SD10PSA10FT1100. The estimated values obtained in the present study aligned with the suggested thermal conductivity of less than 0.6 W/mK and the proposed minimum compressive strength of at least 7 MPa. This fulfils the "Lower the Better" and "Higher Better" criterion for thermal conductivity and compressive strength respectively. In addition, a close relationship between predicted and experimental values of thermal conductivity affirmed the acceptance of the prediction model with an R-squared value of 96.25%. Conversely, as for the compressive strength, the predicted and experimental values exhibited a close relationship where the prediction model also boasts an R-squared value of 89.93%, signifying its strong acceptability for accurate predictions. The present study will be utilized in optimizing the quantity of additives used in the production of clay fired bricks for various industrial heat containment and eco-friendly applications.

Crowd-Induced Vibration Serviceability of Reinforced Concrete Lecture Theatre Floors: Taraba State University

K. U. Unamba — 2026-09-01

Overcrowding in Nigerian public university lecture theatres has created a severe structural loading problem that engineers have rarely confronted systematically: crowd-induced dynamic loading that far exceeds the live loads assumed at the design stage. This study investigates the vibration serviceability of reinforced concrete floor systems in six lecture theatres at Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo, where observed peak occupancies reached as high as 211% of design capacity. In-situ ambient vibration testing via the Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) algorithm, calibrated finite element modelling in ETABS, and multi-harmonic crowd load simulation were combined to characterise structural responses across six loading scenarios. Fundamental floor frequencies of 4.08 to 6.83 Hz were recorded, with the lowest values concentrated in flat-slab theatres whose wide spans placed them squarely in the resonance band for the second harmonic of rhythmic crowd activities near 4.2 Hz. Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC) values of 0.84 to 0.97 across the first three bending modes confirmed adequate model fidelity beyond the fundamental frequency alone. A supplementary boundary condition study showed that semi-rigid column base assumptions improved the mean frequency prediction error from 4.8% to 2.1%, though serviceability classifications were unaffected. Parametric sensitivity analysis for three theatres whose structural details were estimated rather than drawing-verified showed that natural frequency predictions varied by no more than 4.9%, with compliance classifications unchanged across every perturbation. Under rhythmic crowd loading at 150% of design capacity, peak floor accelerations reached 0.61 m/s2 in the most critical theatre, exceeding the ISO 10137:2007 assembly area limit of 0.45 m/s2 by 36%. Dynamic amplification factors of 1.42 to 3.89 were recorded, driven primarily by near-resonance excitation of flat-slab floors. The study recommends graduated interventions ranging from administrative occupancy limits to structural retrofitting, and makes a case for explicit vibration serviceability provisions in Nigerian design standards for educational facilities of this nature.

Design and Implementation of An Offline-Optimized Web-Based Course Material Management System for Engineering Education in Resource-Constrained Universities

O. O. Ashama — 2026-09-01

Access to structured academic materials has been a major problem for engineering education in university system. This is because students always depend on fragmented channels, including social media groups, photocopied handouts, and peer-to-peer sharing to obtain learning resources. This study aims to design, implement and evaluate an offline-optimized web-based course material management system for engineering education in resource-constrained universities. The design of this system was carried out by mixed-method research design in combination with questionnaire-based needs assessment, and software development. Furthermore, post-deployment performance evaluation was carried out for the research design. The study collected a total population consisting of six hundred and forty (640) valid student responses,. The system development was carried out using ReactJS for the frontend interface, Flask for backend services, PostgreSQL for structured data management, and Amazon Web Services S3 for secure cloud storage. Other tools included in the development of the system were Docker and Digital Ocean hosting. Security features such as password hashing, HTTPS communication, and role-based access control. The usability post-deployment test was carried out at score rate of 5, the results showed that respondents’ (students) experienced difficulty in accessing academic materials at 95%. In addition, students expressed willingness to adopt the proposed platform at 91%. The usability post-deployment test showed a high overall satisfaction score of 4.62 of 5 score, at strong ratings for navigation, file accessibility, and download speed. The technical evaluation result showed reliability of system performance at an average response time of 1.84 seconds and 99.2% uptime. Hence, the system developed has provided a sustainable model that could be replicated across engineering faculties and similar higher education institutions in need.

Hybrid Incremental Conductance–Model Predictive Control for Maximum Power Point Tracking Under Varying Irradiance and Temperature Conditions

M. A. Jada — 2026-09-01

Photovoltaic systems experience variations in irradiance and temperature that continuously shift the maximum power point, making effective MPPT essential for maximizing energy extraction. Conventional methods such as Perturb and Observe and Incremental Conductance are simple to implement but may suffer from slow convergence, oscillations, and reduced accuracy under rapidly changing conditions. Model Predictive Control offers faster dynamic response but at the cost of higher computational requirements. This study developed a hybrid Incremental Conductance–Model Predictive Control algorithm for photovoltaic MPPT. The Incremental Conductance stage generated the reference voltage, while the finite-control-set predictive controller selected the switching state of the boost converter that minimized the voltage-tracking error. The controller was implemented in MATLAB/Simulink and evaluated at irradiance levels of 1000, 800 and 500 W/m², with cell temperatures ranging from 25°C to 35°C. Its performance was compared with that of a conventional Perturb and Observe–Model Predictive Control method. The proposed controller achieved a tracking efficiency of 98.8%, compared with 96.9% for the conventional controller. In addition, the overall settling time decreased from 100 ms to 70 ms, while the steady-state power oscillation was reduced from 8.5 W to 2.3 W. Similarly, the controller was observed to have produced lower overshoot and a faster rise time. These simulation results show that the hybrid IN-MPC method improved energy extraction, transient response and steady-state stability under the investigated operating conditions. However, this study recommends both eexperimental and hardware-based studies to confirm its real-time performance.

Characterisation of Benue Trough Coals for Efficient Utilisation

M. K. Galadima — 2026-09-02

Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy, and coal is the country’s most abundant fossil fuel. Its utilisation in Nigeria faces significant challenges due to limited data on its characterisation and properties. The research looks at the physicochemical, mineralogical, functional groups, and thermogravimetric properties of three Nigerian coals—Gombe coal, Kogi coal, and Lafia-Obi coal—using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to examine their morphological structures, FTIR spectroscopy to identify the functional groups and cross-linked molecules, and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) to monitor the changes in sample weight with time and temperature. The mineralogical analysis showed that graphite, quartz, and goethite are present in all three of the coals examined. Orthoclase is found in both the Gombe and Kogi coals, while microcline is only present in the Lafia-Obi coal. Moreover, anatase is also found in Gombe coal. Interestingly, since it has a high sulphur content (0.83%), low aromatics, a high oxygen content (5%), and minerals such as anatase (0.96%) and orthoclase (10%), this coal is not suitable for coke production. On the other hand, the Kogi coal was found to contain a high amount of fixed carbon (52.40%), have low sulphur (0.23%), and possess prominent graphite, which means it can be used for coking when blended. Furthermore, it was noted that Lafia-Obi coal is the most appropriate for coking, as it has a high fixed carbon content (56.40%), low moisture (2.96%), a high aromatic content, and contains the minerals graphite, quartz, and microcline. Hence, this study presents important insights into the characteristics of coals widely available in Nigeria and could help support industrial applications and more efficient use.

Production of Bio-Fertilizer Grade Derived from Biochar and Agricultural By-Product

U. S. Kyari — 2026-09-02

Methods that are cost-effective for making organic fertilizers from agricultural waste which is locally available obstruct the development of environmentally sound farming practices. This study developed a complementary nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) biochar-based fertilizer using four materials that are locally available: chicken manure, bone meal, banana peel, and biochar made from black currant leaves. The materials were examined using proximate and ultimate analyses as well as BET, SEM-EDX, and ED-XRF techniques in order to evaluate their suitability as sources of nutrients and as soil conditioners. The carbonization of the black currant leaves yielded a mesoporous biochar having a BET surface area of 140.06 m²/g, a micropore volume of 0.122 cm³/g, and a pore diameter of 3.02 nm, thus confirming its effectiveness as a nutrient-retention agent. Once more, the ultimate analysis of chicken manure revealed it to have the highest nitrogen content (20.25%), while bone meal was found to have a high phosphorus content (26.0% P₂O₅ according to ED-XRF) and high calcium levels (73.92% Ca according to SEM-EDX). Furthermore, banana peels are rich in potassium, with 71.0% K₂O as determined by ED-XRF analysis. A mixture of 2000 g was prepared consisting of 1000 g of chicken manure, 500 g of bone meal, 200 g of banana peel, and 300 g of biochar, the amount of biochar being deliberately set at 15% of the total mass in order to act as a soil enhancer and as a medium for nutrient retention. The NPK composition of the resulting product was 2.4:5.1:2.1, an indication of the high nutrient density of the feedstocks chosen and showing that the fertilizer is appropriate for use with phosphorus-demanding crops such as legumes, tubers, and fruiting plants during their flowering phases. The study shows that it is feasible to turn agricultural waste into an environmentally friendly NPK bio-fertilizer and helps to improve crop productivity.

Valorisation of Agricultural Wastes to Biocomposite Materials for Industrial Application: A Review

D. M. Ayuba — 2026-09-02

In recent years, the market has seen a gradual movement towards a circular economy model that uses materials efficiently, minimises waste and focuses on reuse and recycling, which has contributed to the emergence of interest in finding sustainable alternatives to traditional synthetic materials made from petroleum. This review attributes evidence on the viability and sustainability of hybrid bio-composite materials from agricultural wastes as an alternative to synthetic materials. Along with this, valorisation of these easily obtainable, cheap by-products like rice husk, sugarcane bagasse, coconut coir, etc., as reinforcement fibres embedded in a polymer matrix is highlighted. The review highlighted the latest knowledge regarding the chemical composition of natural fibres, surface modification methods for enhancing the fibre-matrix compatibility and selection of polymer matrices (thermosets and thermoplastics). In addition, the sound-absorbing characteristics of these biocomposites are extensively discussed, with particular focus on their porous structure and ability to absorb sound energy, which is crucial for their use in various applications, including the automotive and construction industries. Also, the review encompassed the formulation techniques, characterisation (physical, mechanical, acoustic and thermal) and new industrial applications in automotive, construction, furniture and packaging industries. A total of 100 journal papers and conference proceedings were sourced from Science Direct, Research Gate, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar, mostly published between 2021 and 2025, were reviewed using the inclusion/exclusion criteria method. This study included peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, review papers, and technical publications that reported pertinent experimental results. For this purpose, publications were excluded if they did not provide sufficient methodological details or if they were not related to the valorisation of agricultural waste for bio-composite materials development. Finally, it identified major challenges such as moisture absorption and fibre inconsistency and outlined future research directions, including the optimisation of hybrid composites and advanced manufacturing processes, to improve the performance of agricultural waste as an eco-friendly material, such as rice husk-palmyra fruit fibre reinforced in a thermoplastic matrix, such as polypropylene.

Durable and Low-Carbon Concrete: Engineering Properties of Cement Blended with Soybean Husk Ash and Sugarcane Bagasse Ash

T. Kassar — 2026-09-02

The growing demand for sustainable, low-carbon construction materials has sparked interest in using crop residues in replacing supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). This study evaluated the Engineering performance and durability under Sulphate attack using a ternary blend of cement, with SHA and SBA fully and partially replaced. Four agricultural residues, soybean husk, Bambara nut shell, melon husk, and sugarcane bagasse, were screened using the modified Chapelle test at calcination temperatures of 500, 600, 700, and 800°C. Soybean husk and sugarcane bagasse were the most reactive when calcined at 700°C, fixing 1620.19 and 879.99 mg Ca(OH)2 per gram, respectively, and were consequently selected and processed into SHA and SBA for physical and chemical characterization, including oxide composition, particle-size distribution and specific gravity. Concrete was proportioned as one OPC control and nine ternary OPC SHA SBA blends spanning 5-35% total ash replacement, mixed at three water-cement ratios (0.30, 0.40 and 0.45). Each mix was evaluated for fresh-state performance (initial and final setting time, slump) and for hardened compressive strength after 28 days of water curing followed by prolonged exposure to magnesium sulphate. The inclusion of SHA and SBA progressively retarded both the initial and final setting and reduced the slump from 58 mm (control) to 45 mm at the highest replacement level, indicating reduced workability at high ash contents. Cubes were monitored for compressive strength at nine ages up to 360 days. Under sulphate exposure, all mixes lost strength over time; the control (100-0-0) at 0.30 w/c fell from 33.86 MPa (1 day) to 19.82 MPa (360 days). The ternary 75-15-10 blend (75% OPC, 15% SHA, 10% SBA) showed the best long-term sulphate resistance, retaining 20.52 MPa at 360 days and exceeding the control's 360-day strength by about 12% (0.45 w/c). The combined SiO2 + Al2O3 + Fe2O3 content was 85.42% for SHA and 91.26% for SBA, both exceeding the 70% threshold specified in ASTM C618-19. The findings demonstrate the viability of soybean husk ash and sugarcane bagasse ash as eco-friendly cement replacements, with moderate replacement levels (≤15% of total) offering the best balance of strength and sulphate resistance.

Wearable Multistage Fall Detection and Emergency Alert System for Assisted-Living Older Adults

E. O. Agwu — 2026-09-02

Falls are becoming increasingly serious issues for elderly people. In fact, one out of three individuals aged 65 and older will sustain at least one fall per year. Unfortunately, existing fall detection systems still have to overcome problems of false alarms and sensitivity in order to be effectively employed. This article introduces a new smart wearable device with an advanced multi-stage fall detection algorithm that successfully distinguishes between falls and ordinary actions. This system is based on the ESP32 DevKit V1 microcontroller, MPU6050 inertial measurement system (accelerometer and gyroscope), SIM800L GSM module, buzzer, pushbutton, and LED indicator, powered by 3500 mAh rechargeable battery. The fall detection system works by sequentially analyzing free-fall, impact, orientation change, inactivity after fall, and final standing position with regard to the user-calibrated reference. The results show that the accuracy of readings in tests reached 96.0%, with false alarms rate equal to 4.0% based on 150 simulated experiments. In addition, it was observed that system could send emergency SMS alerts within 12 seconds of confirming a fall. Another benefit is that the Wi-Fi dashboard facilitates remote management of contacts as well as monitoring contacts in real time. This inexpensive prototype offers an innovative means for ensuring a high level of safety among the elderly and providing them with an independent lifestyle, with the future upgrades in plans, such as the addition of GPS and memory capabilities for storing contacts.

Mechanical Characterization and Performance Evaluation of Reinforced Osseous Materials for High-Friction Automotive Brake Pad Applications

L. Anwule — 2026-09-02

Composite brake pad as an alternative to existing conventional brake pads were designed and produced with the aim of addressing the need for ecologically friendly and asbestos-free environment. The brake pads were made via compression molding having cow bone particles reinforced with mild steel chippings. In this study, properties such as density, hardness, tensile, shear, and compressive strength were tested to establish their appropriateness for friction applications in automotive settings. The results showed that the density values varied from 1.566 to 1.801 g/cm³, showing strong compaction and low porosity. Similarly, Hardness tests produced values between 60 and 70 Shore D, demonstrating outstanding resistance to wear, with higher cow bone content resulting in improved hardness compared to metallic chips. It was also observed that the Shear strength ranged from 23.0 to 41.03 MPa while tensile strength ranged from 38.4 to 40.8 MPa, outperforming conventional brake pads and exhibiting sufficient resistance to deformation under load. Also, compressive strength varied from 10.05 to 11.95 MPa indicating adequate resistance to deformation under load. The findings show that cow bone particles greatly improve the mechanical performance of brake pad composites by improving stress transmission, structural stiffness, and resistance to deformation. Overall, these composites have competitive, and occasionally better qualities than traditional and bio-based materials, based on comparisons with previous research. This study provides information on waste valorization with clear understanding by presenting cow bone as a viable, affordable, and environmentally friendly material in the production of high-performance non-asbestos car brake pads.

Performance Evaluation of a Co-Precipitated Magnetic Activated Carbon Column for Heavy Metal Removal from Synthetic and Spiked Municipal Wastewater

A. Musa — 2026-09-02

Residual heavy metals in municipal wastewater effluents remain an environmental issue of concern to wastewater treatment plants. This is because it is difficult to achieve complete removal by conventional treatment processes. The performance of a co-precipitated magnetic activated carbon (CP-MAC) fixed-bed adsorption column was evaluated for chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) removal in synthetic wastewater (SWW) and spiked municipal wastewater (SPWW) samples. Continuous flow experiments were conducted using a 8.50 g of CP-MAC bed at an optimized bed height of 18 cm. Also, the influent metal concentration used was 11 mg/L and flow rate of 6.30 mL/min. Performance was evaluated using breakthrough curve analysis, adsorption capacity, treated volume, removal efficiency, and bed utilization parameters. The results show that Pb consistently exhibited better adsorption behaviour than Cr under both wastewater conditions. Under SWW conditions, exhaustion adsorption capacities of 1.78 and 1.65 mg/g were obtained for Pb and Cr, respectively, while corresponding values under SPWW conditions decreased to 1.27 and 1.13 mg/g. In comparison to SWW, the more complex SPWW led to a decline in performance, with adsorption capacity reductions ranging from 28.65% to 31.51 %. Additionally, the breakthrough time decreased by 29.15% to 36.70%, and the total volume of wastewater treated before exhaustion dropped by 20.42% to 28.88%. These changes indicate a faster saturation of the adsorption bed and a shorter operational duration for the column. In addition, removal efficiencies of around 54.07% for Pb and 44.97% for Cr were maintained, demonstrating that the CP-MAC column retained its effectiveness even with the presence of competing ions and constituents in the wastewater. It becomes clear that wastewater matrix composition plays a significant role in fixed-bed adsorption performance and the results obtained using SWW alone are likely to overestimate treatment efficiency under practical operating conditions. Therefore, these results support the use of CP-MAC as a tertiary polishing adsorbent for the removal of residual heavy metals from municipal effluents.

Wind Resource Assessment and Energy Potential for Institutional Electricity Generation at Federal University of Technology Akure

A. Y. Abubakar — 2026-09-02

There are challenges in providing sufficient power supply in Nigerian universities as it often leads to disruption in learning processes. Therefore, alternative energy sources such as renewable sources need to be studied. This study focused on assessing the availability of wind energy and its potential for power generation at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, Nigeria. The availability of wind was done through wind speed measurements using a calibrated anemometer mounted on a 10 m mast, along with an Onset HOBO U30 Data Logger, which recorded wind speed for 8,760 hours for the whole year 2024. The measured wind speeds were extrapolated to 30 m, 50 m, and 100 m hub heights using the power law equation for the atmospheric boundary layer, where the wind shear exponent is set as α=0.20, considering the roughness nature of the study area. The wind climate was statistically modeled through the use of the Weibull probability distribution model using a shape factor of k = 2, an estimation based on both the empirical observations and previous wind studies in south-western Nigeria. The Weibull scale parameter increased from c = 5.08 m/s at 10 m to c = 8.05 m/s at 100 m with the goodness of fit statistics indicating R² of 0.5561 and RMSE reducing from 0.0707 to 0.0446 confirming that the model worked satisfactorily at all hub heights considered. Annual mean wind speed climbed from 4.50 ????/???? at 10 ???? to 7.13 ????/???? at 100 ????, a rise of roughly 58%. Correspondingly, wind power density grew from 69.7 ????/????² at 10 ???? (a low-resource classification) to 277.6 ????/????² at 100 ???? (bordering on a moderate-resource classification), while annual wind energy density quadrupled, moving from about 610.9 ????????ℎ/????²/???????????????? to approximately 2,432 ????????ℎ/????²/???????????????? over the same range. Annual energy production (AEP) at each hub height was obtained by combining the site-specific Weibull probability density function with representative turbine power curves. The results showed that FUTA holds a wind resource that is technically usable from 50 ???? upward, making the site suitable for small- to medium-scale variable-speed turbines. Harnessing this resource could meaningfully cut the institution's reliance on diesel generators, reduce running costs, and support its broader sustainability goals. The study provided a quantitative basis for follow up techno-economic feasibility work, turbine selection, and the design of a wind-solar hybrid system at FUTA.

Sustainable Corrosion Protection of Steel Using Plant Extracts: A Review of Neem, Cashew, and Ziziphus-Derived Inhibitors

B. L. Usman — 2026-09-02

The increasing demand for environmentally benign corrosion protection methods has led to the exploration of plant-based (green) corrosion inhibitors over toxic and non-renewable synthetic chemicals. This study presents a comprehensive review of empirical studies reported on the application of plant extracts to prevent corrosion of mild and carbon steels in acidic and saline media. Special emphasis is placed on the extracts from Azadirachta indica (neem), Anacardium occidentale (cashew) and Ziziphus species because of their availability, richness in phytochemicals and proven inhibitory performance. A critical review of published studies utilising gravimetric, electrochemical, surface analytical and computational techniques was performed. The results suggest that inhibition efficiencies higher than 80-90% are generally achievable under optimised conditions and adsorption of phytochemicals such as polyphenols, alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and phenolic lipids is the dominant mechanism. Most of the extracts are mixed type inhibitors following Langmuir, Temkin or Freundlich adsorption isotherms with physisorption and chemisorption processes. Despite their efficacy challenges exist regarding extract stability, standardisation and long-term performance. In general, the review confirms the huge potential of neem, cashew and Ziziphus based inhibitors for sustainable corrosion control in industrial applications.

Reactor Engineering of Salt-Hydrate Thermochemical Heat Transformers for Industrial Waste-Heat Upgrading: A Systematic Review

M. O. Ibraheem — 2026-09-02

Low- and medium-temperature industrial waste heat below about 200 °C remains an underutilised energy resource because its temperature is often too low for direct reuse. Salt-hydrate thermochemical heat transformers (TCHTs) have been investigated as a means of upgrading this heat through reversible gas-solid hydration and dehydration reactions. This systematic review examined reactor engineering aspects of salt-hydrate TCHTs, including reactor configurations, reaction-transport modelling, reactor performance, exergy, techno-economic considerations and technology readiness. The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guideline. Relevant publications between 2012 and July 2026 were identified through searches of Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and relevant MDPI journals, and 30 studies met the predefined inclusion criteria. The literature indicated that reactor engineering has become a greater challenge to practical deployment than material selection alone. Packed-bed, fluidised-bed and moving-bed reactors were compared in terms of heat and mass transfer, operating characteristics and suitability for continuous operation. Among the reactor concepts reviewed, crossflow moving-bed reactors appeared to offer the greatest potential for industrial waste-heat upgrading, although the available evidence is still based largely on modelling studies. Experimental validation under industrial operating conditions, reactor-scale exergy analysis, techno-economic assessment and consistent performance reporting remained limited. These areas require further investigation before the technology can be evaluated confidently for large-scale industrial application.

Evaluation of Different Sweet Sorghum Cultivars for Sugar Characterization and Theoretical Bioethanol Yield in a Semi-Arid Sub-Saharan Environment

M. H. Ayagi — 2026-09-02

Growing demand for sustainable energy has increased attention toward non-food feedstocks for bioethanol production that places pressure on food resources. Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is increasingly considered as an alternative bioethanol feedstock due to its favourable agronomic and sugar-yield characteristics, such as its short growing cycle, high sugar content, drought resistance, and adaptability to marginal lands, as well as its ability to drastically reduce the ‘food versus fuel’ crisis. Despite global advances and although Nigeria ranks among the world’s leading sorghum-producing countries, the use of sweet sorghum for bioenergy applications remains limited. This study evaluated thirteen sweet sorghum cultivars grown under rainfed conditions in Kano, Nigeria, a semi-arid environment in sub-Saharan Africa during the rainy season between June and October 2023. A randomized block design (RBD) consisting of three replications were used. Sugar characterization parameters such as °Brix content, sugar content, and fermentable sugar concentration were determined. Theoretical bioethanol yield was calculated using a glucose-to-ethanol conversion factor. Results revealed significant varietal differences in the sugar characterization parameters as well as theoretical bioethanol yield. Among the cultivars, SAMSORG 50 SW and Sugar Drip recorded the highest theoretical bioethanol yield values of 98.1 g/L and 95.0 g/L, respectively, indicating their strong potential for bioethanol production in Nigeria’s dryland zones. The findings demonstrated the prospects of utilizing sweet sorghum for bioethanol production in semi-arid Nigerian environment and provided a basis for selecting cultivars for subsequent field-scale evaluation.

Microbial Contamination of Surface Water Sources in Nigeria: A Review

G. U. Fayomi — 2026-09-02

The microbiological quality of surface water has become a determining factor in water safety, usability and ecological sustainability. Surface water in most developing countries is frequently contaminated by faecal waste because of the typically poor sanitation practices both in rural and urban areas. This has resulted in water-related illnesses, including cholera, typhoid, polio, diarrhoea, dysentery, gastroenteritis, and wound infections, which are caused by water-borne microorganisms. This study investigated perspectives on microbial pollution of surface water sources in Nigeria. The objectives examined pollution pathways, public health implications, and management strategies. This study utilized the PRISMA 2020 systematic literature review methodology, which helped to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of research in microbial contamination of surface water sources. A wide-ranging literature search identified 82 records from different electronic databases including Scopus, Research Gate, Google Scholars and Web of Science, the screening of subject title and abstract including the elimination of duplicates and irrelevant records. The outcome clearly revealed that Nigerian surface water resources are grossly contaminated with microorganisms exceeding water quality standards for surface water in most cases. The potential pollution sources and pathways identified included areas with high commercial activities around river catchments and direct exposure to open defecation. There was a high prevalence of microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Klebsiella spp, Proteus spp., Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus spp. and several coliform bacteria including Faecal and total coliforms across the investigated water bodies. Microbial pollution pathways identified in this investigation were linked to indiscriminate waste disposal, runoff from agricultural lands, untreated domestic wastewater, and commercial activities occurring near water bodies. Therefore, developing and implementing efficient strategies to prevent and control microbiological pollution through routine water monitoring plans, improved water safety plans, sanitation, and waste management including real-time monitoring technologies is essential for the reduction of microbial contamination as well as protecting public health in Nigeria.

Upscaling the Hardness, Corrosion and Structural Stability of Chloride Based Induced Coating via Ecofriendly Constituents

O. S. I. Fayomi — 2026-09-02

This subject of this study was the combination of zinc oxide coatings combined with unripe plantain peel particulates on mild steel. ASTM A795 mild steel was used as the subject substrate with the goal of enhancing its ability to resist corrosion. Zinc anodes as well as varying amounts of UPP particulate ranging from 0-9g/L were employed during an electrodeposition technique. A uniform voltage of 0.5 V, a temperature of 42oC, a current density of 1.5 A/cm2 and a deposition period of 15 minutes was adopted after optimization for this work. The developed samples were characterized for hardness, microstructure and electrochemical studies. The hardness responses were evaluated using a Rockwell hardness tester in accordance with ASTM E18, while corrosion behaviour was investigated using linear sweep potentiodynamic polarization following ASTM G5. From the outcome, excellent enhancement was seen all through the coated developed alloys performance of the coated samples compared with the uncoated control sample. The microhardness rate improved from 62.5 HRB for the control sample to 66.1 HRB for the treated alloy, signifying improved mechanical and structural properties. Corrosion study exposed a decrease in corrosion rate and corrosion current density with variation in absorption of unripe plantain peel constituent. The deterioration rate occurred from 0.0403 mm/yr for the as-received sample to 0.0181 mm/yr for the developed coated sample, indicating better corrosion properties. The enhanced performance was ascribed to the establishment of a robust protective mechanical and corrosion properties of mild steel.

Production of Activated Carbon from Pineapple Crown Waste for the Development of a Fuel Filter

E. I. Awode — 2026-09-08

In this study, pineapple crown waste from pineapple farms is used to produce activated carbon, and the resulting product is applied in a fuel filtration system to overcome the problems of agricultural waste disposal and the lack of affordable means to purify fuels. Pyrolysis and chemical activation with potassium hydroxide (KOH) were used to produce activated carbon, and characterization of the material using BET surface area analysis (335.379 m²/g), SEM images, and adsorption tests was successfully conducted. It was found that when 400g of dried pineapple crown was used, 70g of activated carbon was synthesized and tested to improve fuel clarity and contaminant removal. The fuel filter developed has been found to have up to 75% efficiency in filtering up to 10 μm dirt. These fuel filters with activated carbon may be used for a variety of fuels, including diesel, kerosene, petrol and biofuels. The findings support the use of pineapple crown as a sustainable and economical source to produce activated carbon for use in fuel filtration systems, in line with the Waste to Wealth concept and promote environmental sustainability and resource recovery. Future studies should consider testing for the percentage removal of specific contaminants, such as a count of the particulates or dye concentration reading by spectrophotometric analysis.

Effects of High Temperature on High-Performance Concrete Produced from Cement Partially Replaced with Sugarcane Bagasse Ash

B. Kadai — 2026-09-08

Conventional concrete deteriorates under fire, leading to strength loss, durability and reduction in performance of concretes. High-Performance Concrete (HPC) concrete mix designs are limited and constrained by the type of aggregates and Cementous materials used. There is a need to explore mix-design that can incorporate Sugar Cane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) and local aggregates as viable alternative for HPC with fire resistance properties. This study investigated the effect of elevated temperatures on the performance of High-Performance Concrete (HPC) with cement partially replaced with Sugar Cane Bagasse Ash (SCBA). HPC mixes for grades 50, 60, and 65 N/mm² were prepared with varying replacement levels of cement with SCBA up to 20%. The mix ratios used included grade 65 N/mm², 1:0.34:0.19:0.68 and 0.21% water by weight basis. A total of 162 concrete samples were cast and subsequently cured for 28 days, then exposed to fire in brick incinerator for 100 to 220 minutes. Weight loss, residual compressive strength, physical changes, and calcination time were evaluated. Results showed that fire exposure caused irreversible damage with losses increasing at higher concrete grades and SCBA levels. At 1000°C, concrete samples with 20% SCBA disintegrated into powder at slight touch. The maximum strength loss (81.46%) occurred for Grade 65 HPC with 20% SCBA. Control samples (0% SCBA) performed best with lowest strength losses. The study concluded that while SCBA was viable under ambient conditions, it did not enhance fire resistance. However, the predictive model could serve as a starting guide in the design of fire-prone concrete applications. The findings highlighted a significant limitation of SCBA in HPC intended for fire-prone applications.