This comprehensive review examines hydrogen’s potential as a pivotal clean energy carrier, focusing on its role in replacing fossil fuels across various industries. This study also examines recent advancements in hydrogen production technologies, including electrolysis, steam methane reforming, and biomass gasification, emphasizing their economic and environmental impacts. Special attention is given to hydrogen produced from renewable sources like solar and wind energy, emphasizing its benefits in reducing carbon emissions and contributing to a sustainable energy future. The review discusses technological challenges, cost factors, and the necessary infrastructure for hydrogen production and storage, particularly in relation to achieving global energy transition goals. Furthermore, the study stresses the importance of government policies and international collaboration to drive the adoption of hydrogen technologies. The study concludes by outlining the transformative potential of hydrogen in decarbonizing key sectors such as transportation and heavy industry. It demonstrates the significant contribution of hydrogen to a low-carbon global energy system and provides valuable insights into its role in improving grid stability, energy security, and supporting sustainable industrial practices.

Global environmental pollutants are becoming intense because of the increasing human population, urbanisation, and industrialisation. Human health and the ecosystem are affected by soil and water contamination. Therefore, creating strategies is essential to tackle this persistent issue. In the process, the health and environmental risk associated with these pollutants can be signifi-cantly reduced. Previously, traditional remediation techniques have been employed in combating these environmental pollutants, proving ineffective. Mycoremediation, which uses fungi or their compounds to remediate environmental pollutants, has shown to be a cost-efficient, environmen-tally friendly, and effective method of environmental remediation that includes organic, inorganic, and emerging contaminants (antibiotics, pharmaceuticals). This review provides an overview of various mycoremediation approaches through fungi for biosorption, precipitation, biotransfor-mation, and sequestration of environmental pollutants. In addition, the removal of metals, persis-tent organic pollutants, and other emerging contaminants by mycoremediation was highlighted. For example, fungi such as Pleurotusdryinus, Trameteshirsuta MK640786, and Aspergillusniger shows 91%, 94%, and 98.4% degradation of pollutants ranging from pesticides to azo dyes, respectively. Furthermore, prospects of mycoremediation to remove heavy metals and emerging pollutants from waters and soils were discussed. It was elucidated that fungi have great potential for the mycoremediation of emerging pollutants such as heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, and weedicides. The findings suggested a knowledge gap exists to enhance the rate of the mycoremediation process. Therefore, a possible framework of mycoremediation was proposed to facilitate this promising technology for rectifying global environmental problems. For mycoremediation procedures to be as effective as possible, further studies are needed on fungal enzymes’ role, activities, and regulation.

The role of methane (CH₄) in the 21st century presents a critical dilemma. Its abundance and clean-burning nature make it a promising energy source, while its potent greenhouse effect threatens climate stability. Despite its potent greenhouse gas (GHG) nature, CH₄ remains a crucial energy resource. However, advancements in CH₄ capture, utilization, and emissions mitigation are rapidly evolving, necessitating a critical assessment of the advances, their potential, and challenges. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the current state of the art in these advancements, particularly focusing on the emissions trends, with corresponding global warming potentials of projected CH₄ emissions, and a discussion on the advances that have been made towards reducing the impacts of CH₄ emissions. The areas of these advances include measurement, computational, numerical modeling, and simulation studies for CH₄, emerging technologies for CH₄ production, management and control, the nexus of CH₄ –X, and case study applications in countries. This study reports on these advances, which involves a technical review of studies, mainly from the last decade, discussing the technical feasibility, economic viability, and environmental impact of these advancements. Our trend analysis reveals that even though the share of CH₄ in the GHG mix has been around 19% compared with carbon dioxide (CO₂), still, CH₄ reduction would need to be highly subsidized because of the high global warming potential it has, compared with CO₂. We conclude that while significant progress has been made, further research and development are essential to optimize the performance, scalability, and affordability of these advancements. Additionally, robust policy frameworks and international collaborations are crucial to ensure widespread adoption and maximize the potential that comes with the advancements in the mitigation of the impact of CH₄ emission. This study contributes to the ongoing dialogue on balancing the potentials of CH₄ with its environmental footprint, paving the way for a future where this versatile resource can be utilized sustainably.

This research work designed, developed and assessed the performance of a co-pyrolysis system generating waste-plastic extract fuels from mixed Municipal Waste Plastics (MWP) while evaluating High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polypropylene (PP) and Polystyrene (PS) as the main municipal waste plastic sources. The materials selected for the reactor were carefully studied to meet the pyrolysis system's strength, operability and safety requirements. The equipment was put through its paces in three trials, using 2kg of mixed municipal waste plastics each. The temperature was optimally constant at 450°C for three hours. The equipment had a functional conversion efficiency (wt %) of 73.17%, a waste reduction efficiency (wt %) of 86.3% and oil recovery of 0.90L oil/kg MWP, according to the test results. As a result of its re-cracking process, which recycles heavy molecular weight compounds back into the reactor, this reactor was built in such a manner that only compounds in the carbon range of C1 20 may be created. This process was discovered to have a major impact on the product's distribution. Plastic fuels generated from co-mingled municipal waste plastics had similar characteristics with diesel and based on the characterization and comparative research done in this study.

This work compares various waste sources of feedstock (cassava peels, sugarcane bagasse, and rice husks) for the co-production of bioethanol and single cell protein using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae as fermentation enzyme. Sulphuric acid solution was used for the pre-treatment, dilute hydrochloric acid was used for hydrolysis, temperature, time, and pH of 131.8 °C, 1 hr, and 5.3 respectively. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was used to adjust the pH of the hydrolysate to neutral (6.7). The primary component of the single-cell protein was ammonia (NH3), which was quantified using Kjeldahl's technique of analysis, while the bioethanol produced was assessed using the colorimetric and colored reaction method using a spectrophotometer. Sugarcane bagasse showed the highest amount of bioethanol (36.57 %) while Rice husks and Cassava peels showed 30.97 % and 29.31 % respectively. The greatest bioethanol production (47.85 %) was achieved by combining feedstock, cassava, and sugar cane feedstocks. The percentage of single cell protein generated from individual feedstock was the highest using sugarcane bagasse (29.4 %) while a sugarcane bagasse and cassava peels combination gave the highest concentration for single cell protein (43.6 %). The study has demonstrated efficient bioethanol and single cell protein (SCP) co-production from Saccharomyces Cerevisiae using sugarcane bagasse, cassava peels, and rice husk as feedstock.

In order to prevent microbial spoilage and degradation responses during storage, agricultural products are typically dried to eliminate moisture from them. The removal of moisture is required for the preservation of this substance (drying). Under- or over-drying a product might result in loss through product damage. This work therefore focuses on the drying of two major crops grown by local farmers and agricultural companies; Musa paradisiaca and Theobroma cacao, obtained from a local farmer within Auchi, Edo state. The drying characteristics, including moisture content, moisture loss, and drying rates, were examined experimentally in this study at the university laboratory and Pax Herbal Clinic & Research Laboratories Ltd. This was obtained with the use of a locally fabricated cross and through circulation dryer for drying and a moisture analyzer to obtain moisture contents while taking into account temperature ranges between 40 and 80°C and time intervals from 5 to 40 minutes. The result of the experiment showed that, the crops' moisture loss and drying rate depend on the time and temperature they are exposed to. The Musa paradisiaca crop has more natural moisture than Theobroma cacao and hence, it takes a longer time to dry with a rapid moisture loss in the early 40 minutes of drying time and at temperatures within 40 and 70°C. Theobroma cacao dries more rapidly with a 72% moisture lost at temperatures between 40 and 60 C. A temperature range of 60 to 70°C at any drying time would therefore be sufficient to dry Theobroma cacao and Musa paradisiaca for their drying preservation.