Lok Ranjan Bhatt, Prabin Dawadi, Gopiram Syangtan, Mohammad Ataullah Siddiqui, Bhupendra Lama, Kaushal Nepal, D. Joshi
Cannabis seeds have been recognized as one of the most nutritionally complete food sources which are also used for medicinal as well as recreational purposes. In the present study, nutritional, phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of seeds of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica, collected from Makawanpur district, central Nepal were evaluated. Nutritional and phytochemical analysis was mainly based on the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods, while antibacterial activity was tested using the agar well diffusion method. The results revealed that Cannabis seeds contain considerable amount of protein (32.08% to 43.04%), fat (30.86% to 42.40%), carbohydrate (8.39% to 13.79%), total phenolics (701.05 mg/100g to 1312.72 mg/100g), and total flavonoids (366.29 mg/100g to 385.12 mg/100g). The radical scavenging activity of the seeds ranges from 37.83% to 54.84% at the concentration of 6.25 µg/mL. The results indicate that both the species hold high and substantial antioxidant activities.
{"title":"Nutritional value and antioxidant properties of Cannabis seeds from Makwanpur district of central Nepal","authors":"Lok Ranjan Bhatt, Prabin Dawadi, Gopiram Syangtan, Mohammad Ataullah Siddiqui, Bhupendra Lama, Kaushal Nepal, D. Joshi","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45657","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45657","url":null,"abstract":"Cannabis seeds have been recognized as one of the most nutritionally complete food sources which are also used for medicinal as well as recreational purposes. In the present study, nutritional, phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of seeds of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica, collected from Makawanpur district, central Nepal were evaluated. Nutritional and phytochemical analysis was mainly based on the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods, while antibacterial activity was tested using the agar well diffusion method. The results revealed that Cannabis seeds contain considerable amount of protein (32.08% to 43.04%), fat (30.86% to 42.40%), carbohydrate (8.39% to 13.79%), total phenolics (701.05 mg/100g to 1312.72 mg/100g), and total flavonoids (366.29 mg/100g to 385.12 mg/100g). The radical scavenging activity of the seeds ranges from 37.83% to 54.84% at the concentration of 6.25 µg/mL. The results indicate that both the species hold high and substantial antioxidant activities. \u0000 \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"83 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83885228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Present study deals with the preparation of activated carbons from banana peels. The banana peels were subjected to pyrolysis at 700 ℃ for 1 hour in open air (O2-BP), nitrogen gas (N2-BP) and mixture of nitrogen gas and water steam generated to 60-70 ℃ (N2+H2O-BP). The raw and activated carbons from banana peels were characterized by XRD, FTIR and methylene blue adsorption methods.The N2+H2O-BP was used for the adsorption of As (III) ions from aqueous solution. Various parameters affecting the adsorption process like pH (4 to 10), contact time and initial metal ion concentration were varied during the adsorption process. The optimum pH for As (III) adsorption was at 7. An equilibrium time of 2 hours was required for adsorption of As (III) ion. The adsorption isotherms were determined by using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and the experimental data were better fitted to Langmuir equation with high coefficient of determination value (R2 = 0.9934). The experimental data fitted well to pseudo second order kinetic model with rate constant value of 0.0111 g/ (mg˖min). The adsorption of As (III) on banana peels was spontaneous and followed physiosorption mechanism. The value of separation parameters (RL) was found to be 0 < RL > 1 for all initial As(III) ion concentrations showed good adsorption of As(III) into banana peels.
{"title":"Activated carbon obtained from banana peels for the removal of AS (III) from water","authors":"V. Jha, Jasana Maharjan","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45665","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45665","url":null,"abstract":"Present study deals with the preparation of activated carbons from banana peels. The banana peels were subjected to pyrolysis at 700 ℃ for 1 hour in open air (O2-BP), nitrogen gas (N2-BP) and mixture of nitrogen gas and water steam generated to 60-70 ℃ (N2+H2O-BP). The raw and activated carbons from banana peels were characterized by XRD, FTIR and methylene blue adsorption methods.The N2+H2O-BP was used for the adsorption of As (III) ions from aqueous solution. Various parameters affecting the adsorption process like pH (4 to 10), contact time and initial metal ion concentration were varied during the adsorption process. The optimum pH for As (III) adsorption was at 7. An equilibrium time of 2 hours was required for adsorption of As (III) ion. The adsorption isotherms were determined by using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and the experimental data were better fitted to Langmuir equation with high coefficient of determination value (R2 = 0.9934). The experimental data fitted well to pseudo second order kinetic model with rate constant value of 0.0111 g/ (mg˖min). The adsorption of As (III) on banana peels was spontaneous and followed physiosorption mechanism. The value of separation parameters (RL) was found to be 0 < RL > 1 for all initial As(III) ion concentrations showed good adsorption of As(III) into banana peels.","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89506959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cross-linked carboxymethyl starch of different degrees of substitution-DS (DS, 0.14, and 0.49) was synthesized and investigated the effect of DS on cross-linking of starch derivatives. Native corn starch was first carboxymethylated in an alkaline condition of the alcoholic medium using sodium chloroacetate as a carboxymethylating agent. The aqueous Carboxy Methyl Starch (CMS) solutions (15 and 50%, w/w) were then irradiated by electron beam (EB) radiations at 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, and 50 kGy dosages and underwent radiation cross-linking, resulting in a Cross-linked Carboxymethyl Starch (CCMS). The gel content to be estimated in the CCMS of different DS (0.14 and .049) with 50% (w/w) CMS was 1.3 and 19.2%. These are the maximum degrees of cross-link achieved with 50% (w/w) aqueous CMS irradiated at 5 and 2 kGy dosages. Our results showed that the cross-linking of CMS depends on the DS of carboxyl groups and the concentration of CMS. Maximum cross-linking observed with CMS of DS, 0.49, and 50% (w/w) concentration demonstrates that the increased DS and concentration of CMS are favorable for cross-linking of CMS.
{"title":"Effect of degree of substitution of carboxyl groups on cross-linking of carboxymethyl starch","authors":"B. R. Pant, J. Upadhyaya","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45670","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45670","url":null,"abstract":"Cross-linked carboxymethyl starch of different degrees of substitution-DS (DS, 0.14, and 0.49) was synthesized and investigated the effect of DS on cross-linking of starch derivatives. Native corn starch was first carboxymethylated in an alkaline condition of the alcoholic medium using sodium chloroacetate as a carboxymethylating agent. The aqueous Carboxy Methyl Starch (CMS) solutions (15 and 50%, w/w) were then irradiated by electron beam (EB) radiations at 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, and 50 kGy dosages and underwent radiation cross-linking, resulting in a Cross-linked Carboxymethyl Starch (CCMS). The gel content to be estimated in the CCMS of different DS (0.14 and .049) with 50% (w/w) CMS was 1.3 and 19.2%. These are the maximum degrees of cross-link achieved with 50% (w/w) aqueous CMS irradiated at 5 and 2 kGy dosages. Our results showed that the cross-linking of CMS depends on the DS of carboxyl groups and the concentration of CMS. Maximum cross-linking observed with CMS of DS, 0.49, and 50% (w/w) concentration demonstrates that the increased DS and concentration of CMS are favorable for cross-linking of CMS. \u0000 \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76156533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Natural background radiation level within Darchula district of Nepal was measured using a simple portable Geiger-Müller counter. Data were collected along six different directions at different places (three-five places) of the sample sites of the district and was averaged. The average data value with their standard deviation was used for analysis. In this study, the maximum radiation counts of 51.16 2.30 CPM were reported at Satan and the minimum counts of 25.96 2.30 CPM at Gokuleshwar. The observed radiation level of the Darchula district shows that the district is below the radiation risk level (nearly 100 CPM).
{"title":"Measurement of natural background radiation level in Darchula district, Nepal","authors":"B. Joshi, Akkal Dhami, Prithivi Raj Joshi","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45664","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45664","url":null,"abstract":"Natural background radiation level within Darchula district of Nepal was measured using a simple portable Geiger-Müller counter. Data were collected along six different directions at different places (three-five places) of the sample sites of the district and was averaged. The average data value with their standard deviation was used for analysis. In this study, the maximum radiation counts of 51.16 2.30 CPM were reported at Satan and the minimum counts of 25.96 2.30 CPM at Gokuleshwar. The observed radiation level of the Darchula district shows that the district is below the radiation risk level (nearly 100 CPM).","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79113458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. R. Pokhrel, Sujata Adhikari, Krishna Subedi, Sabin Dhungana, B. R. Poudel
A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been optimized for the determination of phosphate in the presence of arsenate. This method is based on the formation of phosphomolybdate complex from phosphate and added molybdate ion in an acidic medium, followed by the reduction of the complex with hydrazine hydrate. The system obeys Lambert-Beer’s law in the concentration range 60-1080 ppb. The optimized volume of different reagents was 3.5 mL of 0.25% ammonium molybdate, 1.5 mL of 0.25 N sulfuric acids, and 1 mL of 0.5 M of hydrazine hydrate. The time required for the full-color development was 15 minutes at 30oC. The arsenate interference was successfully removed by using sodium thiosulphate and sodium metabisulfite below the arsenic concentration of 100 ppb. 0.2 mL of 1 M sodium metabisulfite and 1 mL of 0.1 M sodium thiosulphate were found to be the optimum volume for inhibiting arsenate interference below 100 ppb arsenate concentration.
{"title":"Spectrophotometric determination of phosphate in presence of arsenate","authors":"M. R. Pokhrel, Sujata Adhikari, Krishna Subedi, Sabin Dhungana, B. R. Poudel","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45636","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45636","url":null,"abstract":"A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been optimized for the determination of phosphate in the presence of arsenate. This method is based on the formation of phosphomolybdate complex from phosphate and added molybdate ion in an acidic medium, followed by the reduction of the complex with hydrazine hydrate. The system obeys Lambert-Beer’s law in the concentration range 60-1080 ppb. The optimized volume of different reagents was 3.5 mL of 0.25% ammonium molybdate, 1.5 mL of 0.25 N sulfuric acids, and 1 mL of 0.5 M of hydrazine hydrate. The time required for the full-color development was 15 minutes at 30oC. The arsenate interference was successfully removed by using sodium thiosulphate and sodium metabisulfite below the arsenic concentration of 100 ppb. 0.2 mL of 1 M sodium metabisulfite and 1 mL of 0.1 M sodium thiosulphate were found to be the optimum volume for inhibiting arsenate interference below 100 ppb arsenate concentration.","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88637080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The aim of this research is to collect Zingiber officinale from the different altitudes of Nepal for the study of antioxidant activity, quantification of phenolic and flavonoid content, α-amylase enzyme inhibition and the toxicity test. The phenolic and flavonoid content in methanol extracts of Z. officinale was estimated by Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method and aluminium chloride colorimetric assay. The antioxidant potential was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging assay and the toxicity of the extracts was performed by brine shrimp lethality assay. Similarly, the antidiabetic activity of extracts was evaluated by the α-amylase enzyme inhibition assay. The antioxidant potential of Zingiber officinale was evaluated as inhibitory concentration IC50 values which were found to be in the range from 44.43 µg/mL to 65.71 µg/mL in the sample collected from the different regions of Nepal. The total phenolic content in Z. officinale collected from different regions was found to be in a range from 118.19±3.32 mg GAE/g to 222.04±24.93 mg GAE/g. The total flavonoid content was found to be lower than that of total phenolic content in Z. officinale collected from different altitudes of Nepal. The total flavonoid was found to be in a range from 42.10 ± 4.48 mg QE/g to 62.95 ± 0.70 mg QE/g. The brine shrimp lethality LC50 in Z. officinale collected from the different regions was found to be higher than 1000 µg/mL. The α-amylase enzyme inhibition IC50 of Z. officinale growing in different regions of Nepal was found to be in a range from 161.25 µg/mL to 216.59 µg/mL. This study is the first attempt for comparing the antioxidant and α-amylase enzyme inhibition activity of Z. officinale growing at different altitudes of Nepal.
{"title":"Comparative investigation on antihyperglycemic and antioxidant activity of Zingiber officinale growing in different regions of Nepal","authors":"K. Sharma, Navaraj Khanal","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45644","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45644","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this research is to collect Zingiber officinale from the different altitudes of Nepal for the study of antioxidant activity, quantification of phenolic and flavonoid content, α-amylase enzyme inhibition and the toxicity test. The phenolic and flavonoid content in methanol extracts of Z. officinale was estimated by Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method and aluminium chloride colorimetric assay. The antioxidant potential was determined by DPPH free radical scavenging assay and the toxicity of the extracts was performed by brine shrimp lethality assay. Similarly, the antidiabetic activity of extracts was evaluated by the α-amylase enzyme inhibition assay. The antioxidant potential of Zingiber officinale was evaluated as inhibitory concentration IC50 values which were found to be in the range from 44.43 µg/mL to 65.71 µg/mL in the sample collected from the different regions of Nepal. The total phenolic content in Z. officinale collected from different regions was found to be in a range from 118.19±3.32 mg GAE/g to 222.04±24.93 mg GAE/g. The total flavonoid content was found to be lower than that of total phenolic content in Z. officinale collected from different altitudes of Nepal. The total flavonoid was found to be in a range from 42.10 ± 4.48 mg QE/g to 62.95 ± 0.70 mg QE/g. The brine shrimp lethality LC50 in Z. officinale collected from the different regions was found to be higher than 1000 µg/mL. The α-amylase enzyme inhibition IC50 of Z. officinale growing in different regions of Nepal was found to be in a range from 161.25 µg/mL to 216.59 µg/mL. This study is the first attempt for comparing the antioxidant and α-amylase enzyme inhibition activity of Z. officinale growing at different altitudes of Nepal.","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"118 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90315300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Antimicrobial activity of invasive alien plant species Ageratina adenophora (Sprengel) R. King & H. Robinson was evaluated against six human pathogenic bacteria. The aqueous (distilled water) and alcoholic (methanol) crude extracts from the leaves of the plant were tested against three gram negative bacteria: Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Klebsiella pneumoniaea (ATCC 15380) and Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 49132) and three gram positive bacteria: Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC29212) Bacillus subtilis (ATCC6633) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) using disc diffusion method. Different concentrations of plant extracts (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%) were applied and diameter of zone of inhibition (ZOI) of bacterial growth were recorded. Plant extract in both solvent exhibited pronounced results against tested bacteria. Methanolic extract of plant exhibited good activity against tested bacteria when compared with aqueous extract. The zone of inhibition of bacterial growth increased with increasing concentrations. Phytochemical screening of plant exhibited alkaloids, saponin, tannin and flavonoids and plant sample contains higher amount of alkaloid. The demonstration of activity against all tested organisms had shown that Ageratina adenophora can be used to produce raw materials/substances for further development of diverse antibiotics with broad spectrum of activity.
{"title":"Phytochemical screening and in-vitro evaluation of antimicrobial activity of invasive species Ageratina adenophora collected from Kathmandu valley, Nepal","authors":"A. Devkota, Ritu Das","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45660","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45660","url":null,"abstract":"Antimicrobial activity of invasive alien plant species Ageratina adenophora (Sprengel) R. King & H. Robinson was evaluated against six human pathogenic bacteria. The aqueous (distilled water) and alcoholic (methanol) crude extracts from the leaves of the plant were tested against three gram negative bacteria: Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Klebsiella pneumoniaea (ATCC 15380) and Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 49132) and three gram positive bacteria: Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC29212) Bacillus subtilis (ATCC6633) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) using disc diffusion method. Different concentrations of plant extracts (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%) were applied and diameter of zone of inhibition (ZOI) of bacterial growth were recorded. Plant extract in both solvent exhibited pronounced results against tested bacteria. Methanolic extract of plant exhibited good activity against tested bacteria when compared with aqueous extract. The zone of inhibition of bacterial growth increased with increasing concentrations. Phytochemical screening of plant exhibited alkaloids, saponin, tannin and flavonoids and plant sample contains higher amount of alkaloid. The demonstration of activity against all tested organisms had shown that Ageratina adenophora can be used to produce raw materials/substances for further development of diverse antibiotics with broad spectrum of activity.","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77130471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sony Bajracharya, P. Shakya, R. Shrestha, Nishana Shrestha, Hrejon Tiwari, Ajay Jha, Achut Ram Pradhananga, Prem Kumar Shrestha
Total 79 water samples were collected from dug wells located in five different municipal wards of Lalitpur Metropolitan City for assessment of water quality during pre-monsoon season. Physico-chemical parameters (temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total hardness (TH), total alkalinity (TA), chloride, nitrate, ammonia and iron) and microbiological parameters (total coliform and protozoan parasites) were determined using standard protocols. The range and mean concentrations of the selected parameters in the water samples were found to vary among the selected wards under investigation. The physico-chemical parameters were compared with National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS) of Nepal and WHO standards. Parameters like pH, chloride, nitrate and iron were found within the permissible limits of NDWQS and WHO guidelines whereas parameter such as ammonia exceeded the maximum permissible limits. Turbidity, EC and TH however showed variable levels within NDWQS and WHO standards. Total coliform count showed only 4 (5.1%) of the total water samples were risk free whereas 43 (54.4%) samples demonstrated maximum microbial contamination and high risk level. Three types of protozoan parasites viz., Cyclospora, Cryptosporidium and Giardia were detected in the water samples. Among the five municipal wards, W. No. 16 has the highest percentage (66.7%) of total coliform contamination in dug wells. Pearson’s correlation analysis was also performed to understand the relationships among the selected water quality parameters. Presence of total coliform and protozoan parasites and exceeding the maximum permissible limits by some physicochemical parameters shows the water quality of dug wells of Lalitpur Metropolitan City is not satisfactory. But, the quality can be improved by effective treatment technologies, planning and policies, strategies and management practices.
{"title":"Assessment of traditional dug well water of Lalitpur metropolitan city in pre-monsoon season","authors":"Sony Bajracharya, P. Shakya, R. Shrestha, Nishana Shrestha, Hrejon Tiwari, Ajay Jha, Achut Ram Pradhananga, Prem Kumar Shrestha","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45661","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45661","url":null,"abstract":"Total 79 water samples were collected from dug wells located in five different municipal wards of Lalitpur Metropolitan City for assessment of water quality during pre-monsoon season. Physico-chemical parameters (temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total hardness (TH), total alkalinity (TA), chloride, nitrate, ammonia and iron) and microbiological parameters (total coliform and protozoan parasites) were determined using standard protocols. The range and mean concentrations of the selected parameters in the water samples were found to vary among the selected wards under investigation. The physico-chemical parameters were compared with National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS) of Nepal and WHO standards. Parameters like pH, chloride, nitrate and iron were found within the permissible limits of NDWQS and WHO guidelines whereas parameter such as ammonia exceeded the maximum permissible limits. Turbidity, EC and TH however showed variable levels within NDWQS and WHO standards. Total coliform count showed only 4 (5.1%) of the total water samples were risk free whereas 43 (54.4%) samples demonstrated maximum microbial contamination and high risk level. Three types of protozoan parasites viz., Cyclospora, Cryptosporidium and Giardia were detected in the water samples. Among the five municipal wards, W. No. 16 has the highest percentage (66.7%) of total coliform contamination in dug wells. Pearson’s correlation analysis was also performed to understand the relationships among the selected water quality parameters. Presence of total coliform and protozoan parasites and exceeding the maximum permissible limits by some physicochemical parameters shows the water quality of dug wells of Lalitpur Metropolitan City is not satisfactory. But, the quality can be improved by effective treatment technologies, planning and policies, strategies and management practices.","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82221252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nano additives were successfully synthesized in laboratory by precipitation technique. The XRD showed crystalline nature of ZnO with the average crystallite size of 16 nm. The stretching band of ZnO was found at around 400 cm-1 to 600 cm-1 wave number in FTIR. The prepared nano particle have been used as nano additive and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) as surfactant, in base oil to improve physio-chemical parameter of lubricants. The result revealed that the additive blended base oil (lubricant) has shown excellent lubrication properties. The higher kinematic viscosity of 90.72 and 10.40 were obtained at 40oC and 100o C respectively. Similarly, viscosity index were found to be 96 which was improved indicating the use of lubricant in slightly high temperature is possible. The pour point was found to be decreased to -9.2oC which was quite significant and could be used in cold environment. The flash point was also found to be increased from 225o C to 230oC which indicated that the prepared nano additive ZnO acts as flash point enhancer. The corrosion test done by copper strip comparative method and was found to be 1b for additive indicating the non-corrosive nature. The absence of moisture and pH around the neutral range 6.65 showed that the additive blended lubricant is not harmful for machinery devices.
{"title":"Nano zinc oxide additive for the enhancement of lubricant properties","authors":"A. Rajbhandari Nyachhyon, Sanoj Hajam, H. Trital","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45643","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45643","url":null,"abstract":"Zinc oxide (ZnO) nano additives were successfully synthesized in laboratory by precipitation technique. The XRD showed crystalline nature of ZnO with the average crystallite size of 16 nm. The stretching band of ZnO was found at around 400 cm-1 to 600 cm-1 wave number in FTIR. The prepared nano particle have been used as nano additive and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) as surfactant, in base oil to improve physio-chemical parameter of lubricants. The result revealed that the additive blended base oil (lubricant) has shown excellent lubrication properties. The higher kinematic viscosity of 90.72 and 10.40 were obtained at 40oC and 100o C respectively. Similarly, viscosity index were found to be 96 which was improved indicating the use of lubricant in slightly high temperature is possible. The pour point was found to be decreased to -9.2oC which was quite significant and could be used in cold environment. The flash point was also found to be increased from 225o C to 230oC which indicated that the prepared nano additive ZnO acts as flash point enhancer. The corrosion test done by copper strip comparative method and was found to be 1b for additive indicating the non-corrosive nature. The absence of moisture and pH around the neutral range 6.65 showed that the additive blended lubricant is not harmful for machinery devices.","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91182465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lightning is an extremely complex electrical discharge that occurs within the earth’s atmosphere. It is the biggest threat to communication and transmission towers and damages electronic and electrical equipment beyond repair directly or indirectly. Although the protection against the lightning hazards can be achieved with the available technology and knowledge, such measures are largely overlooked in the developing countries in particular. Protecting communication & transmission towers, communication & transmission systems from the direct lightning strikes and saving human lives, livestock and other property damages from indirect lightning is a big challenge to the service providers. Nepal is a lightning prone country where the communication towers and system are often the victims of lightning strikes. In this study, we have made field assessment at the various sites of Nepal Telecom’s Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and Repeater towers for investigating their status pertinent to lightning threat and protective measures adopted in those sites. The main objectives of the field assessment were to investigate the effectiveness of the protective measures adopted, identify their inadequacies and hence to provide appropriate solutions as per the international standards (IEC 62305-4), in order to improve the quality of telecom services. The lightning strikes to the towers inside the Kathmandu valley were recorded to be rare, however it was common in the outskirts. Although, severe damage to the towers were not observed neither were recorded, the status of the towers in the perspective of lightning hazards were not found to be in the sound state. Contact resistance of the earthing system, installation of SPDs and equipotential bonding of the system need to be improved. Further, the protective measures against the hazards due to indirect effects of lightning strikes were found to be extremely poor. We recommend the improvements in protective measures against lightning in the neighborhood of the towers for the human as well as equipment safety.
{"title":"Telecom towers under the threat of lightning hazards","authors":"Shriram Sharma, Prabidhi Shrestha, Pitambar Shrestha","doi":"10.3126/sw.v15i15.45666","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3126/sw.v15i15.45666","url":null,"abstract":"Lightning is an extremely complex electrical discharge that occurs within the earth’s atmosphere. It is the biggest threat to communication and transmission towers and damages electronic and electrical equipment beyond repair directly or indirectly. Although the protection against the lightning hazards can be achieved with the available technology and knowledge, such measures are largely overlooked in the developing countries in particular. Protecting communication & transmission towers, communication & transmission systems from the direct lightning strikes and saving human lives, livestock and other property damages from indirect lightning is a big challenge to the service providers. Nepal is a lightning prone country where the communication towers and system are often the victims of lightning strikes. In this study, we have made field assessment at the various sites of Nepal Telecom’s Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and Repeater towers for investigating their status pertinent to lightning threat and protective measures adopted in those sites. The main objectives of the field assessment were to investigate the effectiveness of the protective measures adopted, identify their inadequacies and hence to provide appropriate solutions as per the international standards (IEC 62305-4), in order to improve the quality of telecom services. The lightning strikes to the towers inside the Kathmandu valley were recorded to be rare, however it was common in the outskirts. Although, severe damage to the towers were not observed neither were recorded, the status of the towers in the perspective of lightning hazards were not found to be in the sound state. Contact resistance of the earthing system, installation of SPDs and equipotential bonding of the system need to be improved. Further, the protective measures against the hazards due to indirect effects of lightning strikes were found to be extremely poor. We recommend the improvements in protective measures against lightning in the neighborhood of the towers for the human as well as equipment safety.","PeriodicalId":21637,"journal":{"name":"Scientific World","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79698345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：