- Volume 12, Number 1 (2024)
EVALUATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF AGROCHEMICALS AND LEACHATES ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN NIGER STATE
Fatima Abdullah, Ibrahim Musa, Mariam Suleiman
This study aimed to assess the impact of agrochemicals and leachates on groundwater quality and public health in Niger State and its environs. Water samples were collected from wells in four different areas, namely Minna, Suleja, Bida, and Lapai, between February and November 2019. Thirteen parameters were analyzed to determine the chemical constituents of the water and the level of pollution in the project area. The results indicated that the groundwater quality was within the Nigerian Standard and WHO standard, except for electrical conductivity in one of the areas. However, the study identified that good agricultural practice, proper timing, and...
PRODUCTION OF MAGHEMITE NANOPARTICLES VIA NAOH PRECIPITATION FOR BIOMEDICAL IMPLEMENTATIONS
Maria Santos, Antonio Perez
Maghemite nanoparticles have shown potential as low-cost biomagnetic materials in various biomedical applications. In this study, the compatibility of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a precipitation agent for the synthesis of maghemite nanoparticles using co-precipitation method was investigated. Different concentrations of NaOH were used as the precipitation agent and the resulting maghemite powder was characterized using x-ray diffractometer (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The synthesized maghemite nanoparticles exhibited superparamagnetic properties with an acceptable range of saturation magnetization and negligible coercivity value. Biocompatibility tests with V79-4 cells also showed that the nanoparticles were safe at different dosages....
DEVELOPMENT OF A NO2 GAS SENSOR WITH HIGH SENSITIVITY AND SELECTIVITY UTILIZING ZNO NANOBALLS COATING ON POROUS SILICON SUBSTRATE
Aisha Khan, Mohammad Patel
Air pollution caused by toxic gases has become a major concern for human health and the environment. Among the many hazardous gases, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has been identified as the most detrimental, causing respiratory, lung, and cardiovascular diseases even at low concentrations. Therefore, the development of low-cost and environmentally friendly sensors that can operate at moderate temperatures and consume minimal electric power is highly desirable. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive and selective NO2 gas sensor by depositing zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoballs on porous silicon (PS) substrates using the radio frequency magnetron sputtering technique. The PS substrates were...
SYNTHESIS OF BISMUTH FERRITE NANOPARTICLES VIA ECO-FRIENDLY METHODS AND THEIR INTEGRATION INTO PVA-PANI POLYMER MEMBRANE TO IMPROVE HUMIDITY RESISTANCE AND LOWER IONIC CONDUCTIVITY"
Anna Smith John, Michael Brown
The present study reports the green synthesis of bismuth ferrite (BFO) nanoparticles using Moringa oleifera leaf extract and their incorporation as nanofillers in a polymer membrane consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyaniline (PANI) for potential electrochemical device applications. The PVA-PANI-BFO membrane was prepared using a solution cast technique, and the synthesised nanoparticles and the membrane were characterised using various spectroscopic techniques. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) confirmed the BiFeO3 phase of the synthesised BFO nanoparticles, and the Raman spectrum exhibited characteristic BFO bands. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that the synthesised BFO nanoparticles contained functional groups of phytochemicals. Field emission scanning...