Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

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Browsing Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering by Author "Adewuyi, Adewale"

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    Emergence of microplastics in African environmental drinking water sources: A review on sources, analysis and treatment strategies
    (Elsevier, 2024) Adewuyi, Adewale; Li, Qilin; NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment
    The emergence of microplastics (MPs) as microcontaminants in environmental drinking water sources is a problem in Africa that requires immediate action. Therefore, this review focused on understanding the sources of MPs in African water systems, treatment strategies, analytical methods for identification and quantification, and Africa's pollution index. From the findings, the source of MPs in African water systems was attributed to unregulated importation of plastic products, poor waste management, lack of awareness, poor environmental value system and the inability of local polymer industries to adjust to new policies on plastic management. Most studies identified microfibers and microbeads to be the primary sources of plastics that break down to MPs in African drinking water sources, with polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE) being frequently detected. Current methods for identification, and quantification of MPs in most studies conducted in Africa were not developed in Africa but was adopted from developed countries and, in some cases, modified to meet specific analytical requirements. More studies are necessary for in-depth understanding of the fate and pollution index of MP in African environmental water systems. Furthermore, the interaction between MP and other pollutants in the water system still needs to be better understood. This review suggests membrane and rapid sand filtration methods as promising methods that may be considered for removing MPs from water systems in Africa.
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    Emergency of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water: Status, regulation, and mitigation strategies in developing countries
    (Elsevier, 2024) Adewuyi, Adewale; Li, Qilin; NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment
    The detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water presents a significant challenge for developing countries, requiring urgent attention. This review focuses on understanding the emergence of PFAS in drinking water, health concerns, and removal strategies for PFAS in water systems in developing countries. This review indicates the need for more studies to be conducted in many developing nations due to limited information on the environmental status and fate of PFAS. The health consequences of PFAS in water are enormous and cannot be overemphasized. Efforts are ongoing to legislate a national standard for PFAS in drinking water. Currently, there are few known mitigation efforts from African countries, in contrast to several developing nations in Asia. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop economically viable techniques that could be integrated into large-scale operations to remove PFAS from water systems in the region. However, despite the success achieved with removing long-chain PFAS from water, more studies are required on strategies for eliminating short-chain moieties in water.