This study deals with the enhancement of chromium (VI) removal by vacuum drying and plasma pre-treatments of cocolumber (Cocos nucifera) sawdust. For fixed adsorbent dose and pH, the effects of important parameters such as initial adsorbate concentration and contact time are determined. Results show that both pre-treatments increased the adsorption efficiency of the sawdust. The adsorption data...

The efficiency of two methods of pretreatment (NaOH and H2O2) on lignocelluloses-saw dust, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse and rice bran-was compared in the present study. Alkali treatment of lignocelluloses relatively removed more hemicelluloses and lignin leaving behind cellulose content in the residues than peroxide treatment. Crude cellulase of Aspergillus niger, produced on the pretreated s...

Mechanical densification is a process of transforming loose biomass into dense pellets. In this study, a wood pelleting plant was chosen to evaluate the total energy consumption, environmental emissions and cost of pellet production using different alternative fuels for the drying process. The fuels compared were natural gas, coal, dry and wet sawdust, and ground wood pellets. The process model...

We investigated the effects of particles of sawdust delivered through a special device at known concentrations (close to the threshold limit value-short term exposure limit (TLV-STEL) of 10 mg.m-3) on FEV1 and PC20 in 12 asthmatic subjects free of clinical sensitization to this product. Subjects were studied over two days (day 1: exposure to sawdust; day 2: sham exposure) in random order with a...

Frequent increase in the price of cement and other building materials across Nigeria has reawakened serious need to relate research to production, especially in the use of locally available materials as alternatives for construction of functional but low-cost dwellings in both rural and urban areas in the country. This article aimed at prediction and optimizing compressive strength of concrete ...

This study examined the responses of two termite species, the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, and the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), to three types of wood decay fungi: a brown rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum (Persoon: Fries) Murrill; a white rot fungus, Phanerochaete chrysosporium Burdsall; and a litter rot fungus, Marasmiellus t...

In an outside pot experiment, dry pig manure processed on pine sawdust litter and fermented for seven days by house fly larvae (fermented manure), and pine sawdust applied alone, and in combination with a spring application of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer were used to determine their effects on plant parasitic and free-living soil nematodes on sugar beets (cv. Antek). Non amended soil was used...

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of clinoptilolite (a natural zeolite) on growth and performance of broilers as well as on the quality of their litter. A total of 5,200 one-day old broiler chickens (Cobb 500) were used in two consecutive rounds lasting 42 days each. The broilers were given free and continuous access to a nutritionally non-limiting diet (in meal form) that wa...

The adsorption of chromium(VI) ions from aqueous solutions has been investigated on Neem sawdust (NS), Mango sawdust (MS), Wheat shell (WS), Sugarcane bagasse (SB) and Orange peel (OP). The adsorbent which showed highest chromium(VI) removal was Neem sawdust. The influence of pH, contact time, biomass dosage and initial metal concentration on biosorption was investigated. The biosorptive capaci...

Accumulation of sawdust and sugarcane bagasse can cause serious problems for the environment. In this study, we examined the growth and reproductive performance of Eisenia foetida in cow manure, cow manure + sugarcane bagasse (4:1, V/V) and cow manure + sawdust (4:1, V/V) waste and its effects on CO2 evolution. The results showed that the weight gain for E. foetida (live weight) per gram of dry...