ANKO OLUWAFUNMILOLA SENAMI

Chemistry

At the Chemistry department office

Appointment on Visitation important

Topic: Production Of Organic Fertilizer From The Mixture Of Blended Plantain Peels And Fish Scales, Using Corn Cob As A Binder

Description: There exists the problem of waste management, especially food waste. Most domestic waste are disposed indiscriminately, thus, they end up in the streets, in the drainages, etc., which cause contamination and pollution of soils and ultimately, water systems. This project aims to utilise technology to solve the problem of food waste in Africa, through the manufacture of organic fertilizer in form of waste valorization. Plantains add potassium and phosphorus to the soil which are key components of fertilizers. The solid fertilizers are produced by drying the plantain peels in a vacuum oven/air-drying space. After drying, the peels are blended in an electric grinder machine. Then, blended fish scales, which are a good source of nitrogen, are added to the blended peels. The blended fish scales add sufficient amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to the soil. Milled corn cobs when added to the mixture of plantain peels and fish scales, act as a binder, and aid firmness of the soil during planting. This project addresses Goals 2, 3, and 12, as food waste, while decomposing, gives off methane gas and CO2, known as Greenhouse Gases GHG which affect the Ozone layer and environment adversely. Therefore, the conversion of these plantain peels considered as waste, into fertilizer, helps to reduce the emission of these greenhouse gases, which in turn influence climate change.

#	Certificate	School	Year
1.	M.Sc (Chemistry)	Lagos State University	2023

Levels of Emerging Contaminants and Modelling of Environmental Impacts on Groundwater Quality around Two ‘Closed’ Dumpsites in Lagos State, Nigeria

Groundwater serves as the indispensable primary source of water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use across Lagos State, Nigeria, but its quality is under constant threat from unchecked urbanization and the extensive leaching from numerous uncontrolled dumpsites. This study investigates the levels of emerging contaminants in groundwater and soil around two closed dumpsites, Gbagada and Isolo, and modelling of the data generated to determine the future fate and consequences. Twenty (20) groundwater samples were collected seasonally (wet and dry) from twenty hand-dug wells/boreholes each, around the two sites. The groundwater samples were analysed for physicochemical parameters (pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, acidity, alkalinity, total hardness, chloride, nitrate, sulphate, and phosphate) and metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Na, K, Ca and Mg), using standard analytical procedures. The soil samples were analysed for metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) using acid digestion, and quantification was done with a Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS).  Multivariate statistics, including Descriptive Analysis, Correlation Analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Cluster Analysis, and Piper diagram were used to interpret the data generated. For the Gbagada groundwater samples, most of the parameters were found to be within the WHO standard limits, except pH, NO3-, PO43-, Fe, and K, which had elevated values above the limits, during the wet season. During the dry season, all parameters had concentrations within the WHO limits, except pH, NO3-, Fe and K. pH showed slight acidity in few samples. The findings of this study demonstrate that the Gbagada and Isolo dumpsites pose an alarming, ongoing threat to public health, as the groundwater is chemically polluted and presents a significant health risk. This research strongly advocates immediate, comprehensive remediation, continuous monitoring, and the establishment of urgent regulatory standards for key parameters such as NO3- and PO43-.

ANKO SENAMI is a Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry

ANKO has a M.Sc in Chemistry from Lagos State University