This review investigates scalability, environmental performance, and socio-economic sustainability of biochar production in sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on traditional/low-tech solutions. Low-tech methods, including open pits, metal drum kilns, and earth mounds, are easily accessible and reasonably priced, but they can have high emissions, uneven biochar quality, and poor thermal efficiency. Standardizing enhanced low-technology designs, putting strong quality assurance systems in place, mobilizing underutilized biomass streams, and using digital monitoring and artificial intelligence to optimize pyrolysis operations are some of the main strategies proposed to achieve scalable and sustainable biochar production in the region. Retort kilns or sophisticated pyrolysis units with gas recirculation are considered medium-to-high technology to stabilize product qualities, lower emissions, and call for a moderate amount of capital and technical know-how. Along with evaluating feedstock possibilities such as invasive species, forestry wastes, and crop residues, the review incorporates techno-economic analysis, climate-smart forestry tools, and circular economy principles. Economically viable biochar systems in Sub-Saharan African contexts require either (i) integration with existing agro-industrial waste streams (e.g., rice mills, sugarcane processing) where collection infrastructure already exists, or (ii) decentralized production using low-cost kilns (< US500 capital cost) that eliminate transport through on-farm processing. To align waste management and forest conservation with goals for negative carbon soil enhancement, the paper recommends policymakers support standardized low-technology designs, create frameworks for ensuring the quality of biochar, increase the use of underutilized biomass streams, and use digital monitoring and artificial intelligence to optimize pyrolysis processes.
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), complex polychlorinated alkanes, are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) of growing concern. They are used as flame retardants, plasticizers, and lubricants, and enter agroecosystems via wastewater irrigation, sewage sludge, atmospheric deposition, and industrial runoff, exhibiting strong sorption, long half-lives, and bioaccumulative potential. While short-chain CPs (SCCPs) are regulated under the Stockholm Convention, medium- and long-chain CPs (MCCPs, LCCPs) are increasingly detected in soils, sediments, and crops but remain poorly categorized for toxicity and environmental fate. Evidence indicates that CPs can alter soil microbial diversity, inhibit enzymatic activity, disrupt nutrient cycling, and accumulate in plants, posing risks of food-chain transfer and human exposure. However, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding their long-term ecotoxicological impacts, degradation and transformation processes, and interactions with soil organic matter that govern their mobility, persistence, and bioavailability. This review discusses the existing literature on CP occurrence, fate, and ecological effects in agricultural environments, emphasizing analytical techniques and monitoring approaches for assessing soil-plant-human exposure, and identifies key research needs. Addressing these gaps is essential for improving risk assessment, guiding regulatory development, and protecting soil health, crop productivity, and food safety. CPs represent a “silent contaminant” in agriculture, threatening soil health, crop productivity, and food safety. Future research should integrate advanced detection methods, pilot-scale remediation strategies, and comprehensive risk assessments to inform policy, protect vulnerable populations, and safeguard sustainable agricultural production.
As a result of elevated inherent flammability of polyethylene (PE) matrices during fire condition and their increasing applications in heat and fire prone sectors, it has become imperative to alleviate and mitigate their inherently high flammability in order to enlarge their scope of applications. Herein, the cone calorimetric parameters of PE including rapid time to ignition (Tign), elevated smoke production rate (SPR), high peak heat release rate (PHRR), high total heat release rate (THR), low limiting oxygen index (LOI), rapid heat release rate (HRR), high carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) release rates, high fire growth index (FGI), and UL-94-V-0 status, and so on, are analyzed to ascertain the degree of flame retardancy achieved for expanded multifunctional applications due to the inclusion of nanoparticles (graphene and derivatives, carbon nanotubes and derivatives, nanoclay and derivatives, and so on) within the polymeric matrices. However, this work is limited to interpretation of cone calorimetric parameters relative to thermal and flame retardant properties. Therefore, this paper investigates the thermal and flame retardant (FR) calorimetric parameters of PE nanocomposites for multifunctional applications especially in segments where heat inhibition and flame retardancy are essential.
The current therapeutic agents for diabetes provide glycemic control but not without adverse effects, necessitating the investigation of safe and effective alternatives. This research investigated the potential of a flavonoid-rich extract of Pteridium aquilinum (PAFRE) in the treatment of diabetes, employing an integrated in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approach. The DPP4 inhibitory potential of PAFRE was studied using an in vitro and in silico model, while the antihyperglycemic effect of PAFRE was studied in an alloxan-induced diabetic rat model. Thirty albino rats randomly assigned to five groups were used and given different treatments: Group 1, normal control; Group 2, diabetes control; Groups 3 and 4, diabetic rats treated with 100 mg/kg b.w. and 200 mg/kg b.w. of PAFRE, respectively; Group 5, diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide (5 mg/kg b.w.) for 14 days. The compounds of PAFRE identified by GC-MS were docked for inhibitory potential against DPP-4 using AutoDock in PyRx and Discovery Studio. In vitro assays revealed that PAFRE possesses potent inhibitory activity against DPPH and DPP-4. The in silico molecular docking supported these findings, showing high binding affinity of identified phytocompounds to the active site of DPP-4, comparable to that of a standard inhibitor (Alogliptin). An in vivo study showed that PAFRE administration significantly (p < 0.05) reduced fasting blood glucose, modulated antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GPx), and suppressed lipid peroxidation (MDA), thereby mitigating oxidative stress while attenuating dyslipidemia, liver enzyme dysfunction, and renal damage. These findings suggest that PAFRE exhibits antidiabetic effects by attenuating oxidative stress and inhibiting DPP-4 activity, highlighting P. aquilinum flavonoids as promising candidates for the development of natural therapeutics for managing diabetes mellitus.
Edible salts locally mined and processed in Awe and Keana communities of Nasarawa State, Nigeria are consumed without proper purification, thus posing possible health risks to consumers. This study evaluates metals/metalloids and natural radionuclides concentration in 75 composite salt samples from 15 different sources. Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Gamma Spectrometry equipped with NaI (Ti) detector, were used to analyze metals/metalloids and natural radionuclides, respectively. The results showed that the average levels of Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Pb in the unrefined salts exceeded regulatory permissible limits, with several containing 238U. In contrast, refined salt samples showed most metal and natural radionuclide levels below the regulatory permissible limits. Hazard Index levels for most unrefined salts exceeded unity, indicating potential non-carcinogenic health risks for both adults and children. Specific exposure to high cancer risk comes from As, Cd, Cr, and Ni in the unrefined salt samples studied. The presence of Cr (average CR values = 1.04 × 10− 4) in the investigated refined salts posed an increased carcinogenic risk in children. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that metal contamination in the salts was from multiple sources. The evaluated radiological health hazard indices of the salt samples were within the permissible limit set by the UNSCEAR, indicating no significant ionizing radiation health risk. Therefore, it is recommended that future studies should consider organ – specific cancer risk assessment to provide more detailed toxicological insight on the consumption of unrefined edible salts from Awe and Keana.
