Chemical Engineering Papers & Publications

Water contamination has become a global challenge which must be tackled. This study examined the contamination level of water in four locations at Ogbete area Enugu state. Carters street had the highest pH of 5.23 which is below the WHO standards limits for drinking water. The conductivities ranged from the highest conductivity 1445 μs/cm, which is below the WHO limits (8-10,000 μs/cm), TDS (1000 mg/l., TSS (WHO (500 mg/l). For alkalinity, the four locations were all below the (150 mg/l) standard set by World Health Organisation. Results showed that most of the physicochemical, biological and heavy metals parameters considered in this study were significantly above the permissible or allowed by WHO. It is therefore recommended that the water should be treated before use.

OKECHUKWU OBED CHUKWUEMEKA

Potassium Bromate (KBrO3) is an oxidative agent capable of causing hematological alterations and other toxic effects. Amaranthus Viridis (Inine) is a medicinal plant traditionally used for various therapeutic purposes. This study investigated the ameliorative effect of ethanol extract of Amaranthus viridis (Inine) on the haematological parameters in potassium bromate (KBrO3) intoxicated Albino Rats. Thirty (30) rats divided into six (6) groups consisting of five rats each, group one as the normal control, group two as the negative control (50 mg/kg of KBrO3 only), group three Vitamin C (100 mg/kg) + 50 mg/kg of KBrO3and group four to six (200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and 800 mg/kg) respectively. KBrO3 exposure significantly altered some haematological indices in the rats indicating a haematotoxic effects. The results showed a dose-dependent improvement in several haematological parameters upon coadministration of Amaranthis viridis occurred. The red blood cell count (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (Hb), and white blood cell count (WBC) exhibited notable recovery in comparison to the KBrO3-treated group. Platelet count (PLT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) also demonstrated positive alterations in response to the extract. The group receiving the highest dose of the leaf extract (800 mg/kg) alongside KBrO3 displayed the most significant improvement in the aforementioned parameters, indicating a potential dose-dependent protective effect against KBrO3-induced haematotoxicity. These findings suggest the potential therapeutic efficacy of Amaranthus viridis extract in mitigating KBrO3-induced hematological alterations.

OKECHUKWU OBED CHUKWUEMEKA

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of thermal processing techniques on the nutrient and antinutrient contents of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) flours. The pigeon pea seeds were sorted, cleaned and divided into five equal lots of 0.5kg each. Four lots of pigeon pea seeds were processed into blanched, boiled, roasted, and autoclaved pigeon pea flours, while the fifth lot was processed raw and used as control. The raw and thermally processed samples obtained were analysed for nutrient and antinutrient composition using standard methods. The proximate composition of the samples showed that the flours had a range of 8.61 - 11.46 % moisture, 21.13 - 23.94 % crude protein, 1.26 - 1.68 % fat, 5.12 – 6.10 % crude fibre, 1.74 – 2.97 % ash, 55.56 – 60.41 % carbohydrate and 333.45 - 342.75 kJ/100g energy, respectively. The mineral composition showed that the flours contained 86.24 – 144.72 mg/100g calcium, 137.80 – 170.33 mg/100g magnesium, 125.86 - 156.76 mg/100g potassium, 66.66 – 95.62 mg/100g sodium, 4.38 – 6.64 mg/100g iron and 130.27 – 178.29 mg/100g phosphorus, respectively. The vitamin content of the flours were 3.09 - 4.33 mg/100g ascorbic acid, 0.05 - 0.17 mg/100g thiamine, 0.03 - 0.21 mg/100g riboflavin, 0.13 - 0.28 mg/100g niacin, 3.21 - 6.25 mg/100g vitamin A and 1.10 - 2.70 mg/100g vitamin E, respectively. The antinutrient composition of the flours also showed that the levels of trypsin inhibitor, tannin, phytate, oxalate, saponin and haemagglutinin ranged from, 2.30 – 5.61 Tiu/mg, 0.81 – 1.5mg/100g, 1.12 - 4.18mg/100g, 0.48-4.01 mg/100g, 1.28 – 3.66 mg/100g and 1.30 – 7.44 Hiu/g, respectively. Therefore, the study showed that thermally processed pigeon pea flours could be used as nutrient dense ingredients in the preparation of a wide range of foods for children, adolescents and aged adults especially in developing countries where the problems of protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrients deficiencies are prevalent than the raw sample.

OKECHUKWU OBED CHUKWUEMEKA

Ensuring consistent raw material quality is a significant challenge in chemical manufacturing, particularly for medicinal compounds where safety and efficacy are paramount. In these situations, a unique methodology known as Statistical Process Control (SPC) come into play. This study provides statistical process control analysis of four critical operational parameters for most the raw chemical compounds, especially in the medicinal chemistry— Specific Optical Rotation (SOR), Water Content (WC), RI, and Chromatographic Purity (CP)—derived from a dataset of 26 observations in an applied engineering context. The methodology encompasses descriptive statistics, rigorous distribution identification using Goodness-of-Fit tests, and process stability assessment via Individual- Moving Range (I-MR) and Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) control charts. Descriptive statistics revealed diverse data characteristics, notably the high positive skewness (2.623) and kurtosis (9.386) of WC (Mean ± Standard Deviation: 0.177±0.106987) and the presence of negative values for SOR (Mean: -0.1, Min: -2, Max: 2). Distribution fitting identified Logistic and Normal as the most suitable for SOR, while RI demonstrated a best fit for normal distribution with Johnson Transformation. WC and CP exhibited significant non-normality and challenges in fitting standard distributions, often accompanied by warnings regarding convergence or parameter estimation stability. Crucially, control chart analysis identified significant out-of-control conditions for SOR, WC, and RI, indicating inherent process instability. CP, conversely, demonstrated stability with the optimized EWMA chart. The findings underscore the necessity of tailored statistical approaches for diverse data characteristics in quality control. Implementation of Statistical Process Control should not be underestimated in the chemical manufacturing industry, notably in the developing nations.

Mostafa Eissa