Acta Chemica Malaysia

Journal: Acta Chemica Malaysia (ACMY)
Author: Ameet Kumar, Aamna Balouch, Ashfaque Ahmed Pathan, Abdullaha, Muhammad Saqaf Jagirani, Ali Muhammad Mahar, Muneeba Zubair, Benazir Laghari
ISSN: 2576-6732
e-ISSN: 2576-6724

This is an open access journal distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/acmy-2019-0001

The remediation of organic and inorganic pollutants from the aqueous environment has touched a certain level with the development of research. Environmental pollution is increasing day by day due to industrial activities which cause a negative effect on human health and the ecosystem. Nowadays, heavy metals have a special concern due to its toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation in nature. Toxic metals like chromium, nickel, arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium are the main contaminants of water because they are non-biodegradable in nature. Nickel is also a toxic metal, mostly used in industries because of its anticorrosion behaviour. As a consequence nickel is present in the wastage of electroplating, tableware, metal finishing, plastics manufacturing, nickel-cadmium batteries, fertilizers and mining industries and these waste have dangerous impact on the human health and environment and causes the diseases i.e. diarrhea, anemia, hepatitis, kidney damage, gastrointestinal distress, skin dermatitis, and central nervous system dysfunction. In the present review article, several techniques are discussed for the treatment of nickel from the industrial environment. The elimination of nickel from wastewater is not important only for economic purposes but also for environmental safety.

Journal: Acta Chemica Malaysia (ACMY)
Author: Chima Maximus Ejimadu, James M. Okuo, and Felix Ebhodaghe Okieimen
ISSN: 2576-6732
e-ISSN: 2576-6724

This is an open access journal distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

DOI: 10.26480/acmy.02.2025.122.130

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties and structures of coconut shell biochar. Biochar was produced by slow pyrolysis of coconut shell at different heat treatment temperatures (350, 400, 400, 500, 600 and 700°C) and were designated BC350, BC400, BC500, BC600 and BC700 respectively for heat treatment duration of 30mins. The biochar samples obtained were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties; quantitative surface oxygen groups, surface morphology/elemental composition (SEM/EDX), Brunauer-Emnett-Teller (BET) surface area and ultimate composition (%) C,O,H,N, and S. The physicochemical properties of the biochar sample; yield (wt %), bulk density (g.cm-3) decreased by about 40% with increase in heat treatment temperature, while the pH, cation exchange capacity (cmol.kg-1) and electrical conductivity (mS.cm-1) increased with heat treatment temperature and tended to attain maximum values at about heat treatment temperature 400 – 500° C. The total oxygen containing groups in the biochar samples decreased with increase in heat treatment temperature by up to 56%, from 4.94 mmol.g-1 for BC350 to 2.17 mmol.g-1 for BC700. Scanning electron micrograph of the biochar samples revealed largely mesoporous surface structures, that varied somewhat with the heat treatment temperature, while the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) showed that the elemental content of the biochar samples decreased markedly with increase in heat treatment temperature and that carbon was the predominant element, contributing more than 60% of the total elements in the samples. The evolution of surface area of the biochar samples followed two patterns: an initial increase in surface area with heat treatment temperature from 282 m2.g-1 for BC350 to 712 m2.g-1 for BC450 followed by gradual decrease from 618 m2.g-1 for BC 500 and then to 220.7 m2.g-1 for BC 700. The changes in the pore volume (cm3.g-1) of the biochar samples with heat treatment temperature were found to be synchronous with the observed changes in BET surface area. The pore volume of the biochar samples increased almost two-fold with increase in heat treatment temperature, varying from 2.8nm for BC350 to 4.9nm for BC700 indicating that the biochar samples were mesoporous. These results suggest a range of potential benefits; agronomic, environmental, including carbon sequestration in soil remediation and wastewater treatment using coconut shell biochar.

Journal: Acta Chemica Malaysia (ACMY)
Author: Dibie N. Edward, Esther C. Dibie
ISSN: 2576-6732
e-ISSN: 2576-6724

This is an open access journal distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

DOI: 10.26480/acmy.02.2025.115.121

Vernonia amygdalina Leaves is a common additive used for diet and ethnomedicinal purposes. This work entailed the investigations of Vernonia amygdalina Leaves for its levels of copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), chromium (Cr) and selenium Se) levels, as well as the levels of ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin and pantothenic acid. Also, the study investigated the responses of the studied vitamins to processing and storage. All investigations were carried out using standard methods. Samples were stored in the open laboratory and at water activities (aw) of 0.23, 0.52 and 0.97. Duration of storage was two months. Findings indicated that the ranges of occurrence of the examined mineral elements were K: (8,905.987±39.374 -11,698.115±25.293) mg/kg; Ca: (750.627±31.279 – 965.987±29.169) mg/kg; Mg: (322.607±7.389 – 423.650±26.115) mg/kg; Na: (21.927±3.843 to39.308±3.572) mg/kg; Zn: (14.258±2.297 – 26.403±1.712) mg/kg; Fe: (9.914±1.298 – 27.580±4.267) mg/kg; Cu: (1.917±0.186 -5.143±0.257) mg/kg; Cr: (1.283±0.317 – 3.378±0.422) mg/kg; Se: (0.310±0.062 – 0.394±0.085) mg/kg and Co: (0.145±0.018 – 0.241±0.098) mg/kg. Additionally, the values obtained for the examined vitamins were: ascorbic acid (14.948±0.188 – 24.849±0.739) ppm; thiamine (2.278±0.174- 3.284±0.069) ppm; riboflavin (3.285±0.491 – 4.685±0.277) ppm and pantothenic acid (2.481±0.152 – 2.481±0.152) ppm .Results further revealed that processing and storage negatively affected the values of the studied vitamins. Statistical analysis P<0.05 revealed significant differences between the values of the investigated mineral elements, as well as those of the vitamins. Significant differences (P<0.05 ) were also indicated among the processing and storage values obtained for the examined vitamins in the processed and stored Vernonia amygdalina leaves. Hopefully, these findings will be useful in policy formulation of standard methods for handling of Vernonia amygdalina leaves.