LOCALLY SOURCED

Cobwebs are a common nuisance in both residential and commercial spaces, often requiring manual removal that can be time-consuming and tedious especially hard to reach corners. This project focuses on the development of an efficient and cost- ffective cobweb remover using locally available materials like electric motor (rotational motion), brush (removal of the cobweb), Rechargeable Battery (as the power source) and telescopic pole (for high buildings). The primary objective is to design a device that simplifies the process of cobweb removal while minimizing the need for expensive or specialized equipment providing 75% efficiency. The outcome of this project is an innovative cobweb remover that is not only effective but also accessible to a wide range of users, including homeowners, cleaning services, and facility managers. By utilizing locally sourced materials and promoting sustainable design, this project contributes to eco-friendly cleaning practices while improving the quality of life for individuals in various environments. It was successfully fabricated and our results were compared with the traditional methods. And it was observed that the cobweb remover has an efficiency of 78% while the traditional method of removing cobweb was 60.7% which shows that the design is more efficient and reliable.

The continuous discharge of poorly treated produced water from oilfields is a major cause of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta. This study explores a practical, low-cost solution by evaluating the effectiveness of locally sourced Nigerian clays from Ogba River (AG) and Gelegele River (GE) as natural adsorbents for removing heavy metals from real produced water. The clay samples were processed through washing, sun-drying, and chemical activation using a 2M hydrochloric acid solution to enhance their natural properties. We then conducted a series of laboratory batch experiments to test how well these activated clays could remove Iron (Fe) and Copper (Cu) from the water. The study specifically examined how the amount of time the clay was in contact with the water influenced its cleaning power, and we used kinetic and isotherm models to understand the speed and underlying mechanism of the removal process. The results demonstrated that both treated clays were effective, but their performance was highly specific to the metal and the clay's origin. For iron removal, the GE clay showed a slightly higher final efficiency (65.3%) and capacity (0.0243 mg/g) than the AG clay (63.7%, 0.0237 mg/g). In contrast, for copper, the AG clay was markedly superior, achieving 88.5% removal compared to the GE clay's 73.1%. Kinetic studies revealed a clear difference in the removal mechanisms: the adsorption of copper onto both clays was best described by the Pseudo-First-Order model, indicating a physisorption process. However, the adsorption of iron onto the AG clay followed the Pseudo-Second-Order model, suggesting a stronger, chemisorption-driven mechanism. When analyzing the equilibrium data, we found that the classic Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models yielded unrealistic parameters, highlighting their limitation for accurately describing adsorption in such a complex, low-concentration effluent like real produced water. In conclusion, this work confirms that simple, acid-activated local clays are a viable and sustainable material for cleaning heavy metals from produced water. The findings, particularly the distinct kinetic behaviors, are crucial for designing a treatment process. To move this solution forward, we recommend that future research focuses on testing these clays in continuous-flow pilot systems, conducting a detailed cost-benefit analysis, and exploring how to integrate this clay-based polishing step into existing treatment setups in the Niger Delta.