School’s energy breakthrough will help tackle environmental challenges
Samuel, who is also a lecturer at the institution’s Biological Science Department made this known in Omu-Aran.
Samuel, who is also a lecturer at the institution’s Biological Science Department made this known in Omu-Aran on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The lecturer said that poultry meat due to its inexpensiveness and preference globally, had been a major pollutant of soil and water resulting in outbreak of diseases.
Samuel said that the institution’s major concern and strategy in dealing with the challenges had prompted its researchers to explore the production of bio-gas and bio-fertiliser from such waste.
He attributed the breakthrough to the collaborative efforts from his research cluster group in Landmark and other colleagues from Covenant University in Ota, Ogun.
Samuel disclosed that turning poultry wastes into bio-fuel was achieved by mixing the waste with Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower) also regarded as an invasive weed affecting agricultural production in Africa.
The don listed the benefit of the feat as helping researchers in the country to see reasons in exploring opportunities in bio-gas and bio-fertiliser production.
According to him, the application of this research feat will be more beneficial in Nigeria, a country that turns out millions of tonnes of solid wastes annually without appropriate measures to manage them.
“The lack of effective management of wastes has led to the surge of environmental pollution evident in most major cities with its attendant outbreak and spread of diseases and other environmental hazards."
“Nigeria’s environmental pollution dilemma is further complicated by the nation’s overdependence on fossil fuels which are not environmentally sustainable since they are not renewable,” he said.
Samuel said that the institution’s advancement on bio-fuel had been published by an America Chemical Society in its journal – Energy and Fuel.
He said that the publication is entitled: “Bioconversion of Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower) and Poultry Droppings for Energy Generation: Optimisation, Mass, Energy and Economic Balances”.
Samuel said the research entitled: “Turning chicken poop and weeds into biofuel” also appeared on May 3, on the American Chemical Society (ACS) website (www.acs.org).
He said the breakthrough, which was the first of its kind globally, had attracted several calls and messages from different countries interested in the new findings and seeking collaboration with the researchers.
“It was also included in the ACS office of Public Affairs Weekly Presspac."
“A package of announcements that ACS sends to thousands of journalists around the world,” Samuel said.
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