Title: Adsorption Potentials of Plantain Pseudo Stem for Oil Spill Clean Up
Authors: Alphonsus C. Alozie
Pascal C. Madu
Saratu S. Audu
Oluwagbenga Anifowose
Bitrus W. Tukura
Obaje D. Opaluwa
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Pages: 237-242
Publication Date: 2026/01/28
Abstract:
Production and transportation of crude oil has resulted in serious environmental pollution via oil spillage, generating a great burden to humanity. This spillage has induced different kinds of pollution that have serious adverse effects on man, animals and plants. These adverse impacts to the ecosystems and the long-term environmental pollution necessitated an urgent need to develop alternate material for clean-up of oil from affected areas. The methods and developed sorbents have not been inadequate in meeting up with the required efficacy of oil spill removal. Hence, the deployment of plantain pseudo stem, agro waste, that is biodegradable and eco-friendly (green chemistry) becomes a `good option in oil spill remedy. The important contribution of this research to existing knowledge includes modifying the undervalued and neglected agricultural waste residues to valuable sorbents for oil spill clean-up that have the potential of providing economic incentives. Similarly, it substantiated the fact that plantain pseudo stem has well documented capacity for oil sorption and the lack of dimensional stability due to associated hydroxyl functionality was corrected by modification. The adsorbent was subjected to sample preparation by washing, sun dried and crushed to a specific size. It was then oven dried at 350 o C and allowed to cool and subjected to FTIR analysis. It was subjected to modification by a reaction with acetic anhydride with sulpuric acid as catalyst. The modified adsorbent was subjected to crude oil recovery efficiency test. Sample characterization results showed moisture content of 1.370%, ash content of 14.260% and hausner ratio of 1.209. IR result indicated absence of spectra bands at 1740 -1745 cm-1and 1020 -1040 cm-1. The result of the oil removal efficiency was subjected to kinetic models. The high correlation value, R2 (0.9809 for the pseudo second order, PSO and 0.9720 for the film diffusion, FD) obtained in the adsorption kinetics justifies the potency of plantain pseudo stem as a sorbent in oil spill remediation. This work is also an indispensable reference and an essential reading for everyone concerned with oil spill cleanup in mangroves and wetlands, providing strategies for the conversion of agricultural wastes to effective oil spill sorbents.