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Exiguobacterium acetylicum transformed poultry feathers into amino acids through an extracellular secretion of keratinolytic enzymes
(AIMS Press, 2024-11-19) Dlume, Tutuka; Nnolim, Nonso E.; Nwodo, Uchechukwu U.
The transition from a traditional linear economy to a circular model aims to create a more sustainable future by reducing the adverse effects of agro-waste on the environment. The present study evaluated the metabolic diversity of bacterial isolates from municipal dumpsites for keratinase production and poultry feather valorization. The bacterium with the highest keratinolytic activity was identified through 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene sequencing. The exo-keratinase production by the bacterium was optimized, and the feather hydrolysate obtained from the fermentation process was analyzed for amino acids. Among the twelve bacteria isolated from the dumpsite’s sample, three showed significant feather degradation and keratinase production of 89% (744.5 ± 9.19 U/mL), 58% (269 ± 15.55 U/mL), and 46% (195 ± 7.07 U/mL) for SSB-03, SSB-02, and HSB-02, respectively. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that SSB-03 has high sequence homology with Exiguobacterium acetylicum, and thus, it was identified as Exiguobacterium acetylicum FHBD (accession number MW165834). Strain FHBD fermentation medium exhibited the maximum keratinase activity (2934.54 ± 38.56 U/mL) and sulfhydryl group content (3.09 ± 0.02 mM) at 72 h under optimal process conditions of pH 5.0, temperature (35 °C), inoculum size (2% v/v), and feather (15 g/L). Amino acid analysis of the feather hydrolysate showed significant levels of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glycine, arginine, serine, and proline, with respective concentrations of 1.58, 1.34, 1.29, 1.20, 1.12, and 0.93 (g/100 g of sample). The study’s findings emphasize the potential of E. acetylicum FHBD in poultry feather valorization and keratinase production.
Dairy farmers’ knowledge about milk-borne zoonosis in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa
(PAGEpress, 2024-01-22) Diniso, Yanga Simamkele; Jaja, Ishmael Festus
Foodborne zoonosis is a longstanding global issue that limits and continues to threaten the food production industry and public health in several countries. The study’s objective was to evaluate the dairy farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices about milkborne pathogens in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. A total of 139 dairy farmers were interviewed using a semi-structured online questionnaire. The pathogens of interest were Brucella spp., Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Cryptosporidium. Only 20.9% of dairy farmers reported knowledge of Brucella spp. as a milk-borne pathogen. The most known pathogen was E. coli (54.7%), followed by Listeria spp. (41.0%), Staphylococcus spp. (38.8%), and Salmonella spp. (35.3%). In this study, knowledge of milk-borne pathogens was statistically associated (p<0.05) with workplace position. Only a few participants (37.2%) showed knowledge of abortion as an important clinical sign of foodborne pathogens. Also, 84.1% of dairy farmers indicated that they consume unpasteurized milk and sour milk (77%). Some respondents (18.0%) do not believe assisting a cow during calving difficulty without wearing gloves is a risk factor for zoonosis. Knowledge assessment is essential in developing countries that have experienced a foodborne outbreak, such as South Africa. There is an urgent need to educate dairy farmers about milk-borne zoonosis to minimize the threat to food security and public health.
Long term trends in extreme daily temperature and precipitation on sub-Antarctic Marion Island from 1950 to 2020
(University of Fort Hare, 2024) Kabase, Zenande; Hedding, D.W.
Sub-Antarctic Marion Island (46° 54’ S, 37° 53’ E) has experienced notable changes due to global climate change in recent decades. Records indicate a gradual increase in mean annual air temperature, with a rise of 2.4°C per century. Both maximum and minimum temperatures have increased by over 1°C, while annual rainfall has decreased to less than 2000 mm over the past seventy-one years. The onset of extreme events in the Antarctic Peninsula and subAntarctic region was observed in the early 2000s, and forecasts suggest these events will become more frequent, intense, and prolonged in the future. The objective of this study was to analyse the trends and patterns of daily extreme climatic parameters, specifically air temperature and precipitation, on Marion Island from 1950 to 2020. This analysis aimed to contextualize these changes within the observed alterations in the island's synoptic weather, providing insight into the underlying drivers. Daily temperature and precipitation data were obtained from the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and analysed. Linear regression statistics were employed to evaluate trends and patterns in the daily extremes, utilizing 25 extreme indices developed by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection Indices (ETCCDI). The results spanning 71 years revealed a consistent climate shift on Marion Island. Mean annual air temperatures and daily maximum temperatures increased by 1.2°C (p < 0.01), while daily minimum temperatures rose by 0.9°C (p < 0.01). There was a significant rise in warm spells (p < 0.05) and warm nights (p < 0.01), accompanied by a notable decrease in cold spells (p < 0.01), cold nights, and annual frost days. The annual precipitation trend indicated a decline, with a significant reduction of 1042.3 mm (p < 0.01) in mean annual rainfall, along with a decrease in heavy precipitation events over the study period. Additionally, the occurrence of consecutive dry days increased by an average of 5 to 7 days between 1950 and 2020. Anthropogenic forcing, particularly the positive phase of the Southern Antarctic Mode, is identified as the primary cause of ocean and atmospheric warming in the sub-Antarctic region. The positive shift of the Southern Antarctic Mode due to anthropogenic forcing is a significant impact of how climate change is affecting the region and surrounding areas, and how frequent the phase could be due to an intensification of climate change conditions in the region. This phenomenon leads to the intensification and poleward migration of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds. Changes in wind patterns, such as prolonged exposure to warm north-westerly winds and reduced exposure to post-cold front sectors associated with passing cyclones, likely contribute to the observed trends in temperature extremes and precipitation on Marion Island. Continued elevation of daily air temperature extremes and reduction in daily precipitation extremes may result in abnormal warming, further deglaciation, further retreat of the permanent snowline, disruption of soil frost and needle ice processes, and prolonged drying of the mires on this periglacial sub-Antarctic island.
Water scarcity and small-scale maize farming at the rural household level: A case study of Matatiele Local Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa
(University of Fort Hare, 2024) Jikwana, Kholekile; Mazinyo, S.P.; Ngavara, S.
The impact of water scarcity on maize production and other agricultural products at the rural household level can affect food security as many small-scale farmers depend mostly on their farm produce for sustenance. Unpredictable changes in rainfall are known to impact the water supply for irrigation purposes. Moreover, Matatiele, the area under investigation is prone to periods of droughts and floods. The researcher investigated the effects of water scarcity on small-scale maize farming at the rural household level in the Matatiele area. The research objectives were to:
1) Describe and discuss the average monthly rainfall in the Matatiele area between 1993 and 2022.
2) To determine the rural household’s food security status.
3) To determine the effect of water scarcity on rural small-scale crop farming and,
4) to identify coping mechanisms on how to deal with water scarcity and food insecurity.
A quantitative descriptive survey was employed to elicit information from participants. The rainfall pattern information was obtained from South African Weather Services, interpreted and described. A non-probable sampling technique was used to interview 140 household heads, using a structured questionnaire. The results demonstrated that the rainfall patterns in the Matatiele area vary from year-to-year. The lowest rainfall precipitation between 1993 and 2022 was 470.7 mm in 2015, and the highest was 1135 millimetres in 2022. The small-scale farmers experience moderate food security, as 67.9% of the participants stated that they never had to skip a meal, 70% never had to ration the size of meals, and 77.1% never went without food for a whole day. Most (82.9%) of the participants in this study reported that water access and water scarcity are their most considerable constraints when it comes to farming maize and other agricultural produce. They do not have access to municipal water, so most use private water sources such as boreholes. Only 18.6% use communal water sources, and only 5.7% use government-provided water sources. The variability impacts small-scale farmers, as they need long-term coping strategies to cope with the year-on-year variability yearly in rainfall patterns. They rely on shortterm strategies such as borrowing food from neighbours during hard times. Water scarcity is a reality and impacts small-scale farming at the rural household level negatively, which leads to food insecurity. A needs assessment is recommended to determine how the local government can assist small-scale farmers in dealing with the erratic rainfall pattern, which displays periods of droughts and floods. Long-term strategies are recommended, such as implementing water tanks and building dams and irrigation systems, to support small-scale farmers during periods of food insecurity.
Petrographic and Petrophysical Characterization of Sandstone Reservoir Rocks for CO₂ Geological Storage in the Bredasdorp Basin, offshore South Africa
(University of Fort Hare, 2024-11-26) Hoza, Siyamtanda; Magoba, M.
This study aimed to integrate the petrophysical and petrographic analyses to characterize the Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs for CO2 geological storage in the Bredasdorp Basin offshore South Africa. These reservoirs are excellent for studying the potential CO2 storage, since they are depleted oil and gas reservoirs with vast exploration data available. Four wells intersecting the Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs were selected for this study, namely E-AQ1, E-G2, F-A10, and F-A13. Dataset use for the study included wireline logs, geological well completion reports, 1393 conventional core analysis, 13 core samples, 16 thin section slides, and micromorphology images for 8 core samples. Interactive Petrophysics software was utilized to evaluate the petrophysical parameters. Gamma ray logs were used to identify and delineate the sandstone reservoirs above 800 m depth to determine the reservoirs' porosity, clay volume, water saturation, and permeability. Data from core samples and well logs were used to estimate the pore throat size and to compute storage and flow capacity. The thin-section petrography combined with the Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) was employed to assess the influence of clay minerals on reservoir characteristics. The average calculated values for volume of clay, effective porosity, water saturation, and permeability varied between 12.66 - 30.73 %, 9.37 - 13.6 %, 6.17 - 68.88 %, and 6.68 – 502 mD, respectively. E-AQ1 and E-G2 exhibited low porosity of less than 10 %, whereas F-A10 and F-A13 showed good porosity of more than 10 %. F A13 showed the highest permeability of 502.47 mD, while E-G2 showed the lowest value of 6.68 mD. E-G2 showed the highest clay volume at 30.73 %, while F-A13 showed the lowest value at 12.66 %. Furthermore, F-A10 showed the highest water saturation of 68.88 %, whereas well F-A13 showed the smallest value of 6.17 %. The pore throat radius revealed that F-A10 and F-A13 have a higher heterogeneity in the pore throat size distribution, and E-AQ1 and E-G2 showed the lowest heterogeneity, indicating that EAQ1 and E-G2 will have a consistent fluid flow when CO2 is injected. The storage and flow capacities ranged from 5.45 – 666.65 m and 12.43 – 9949.23 mD*m, respectively. Comparing the storage and flow capacities of E-G2, F-A10, and F-A13, E-G2 has the lowest storage capacity, and F-A10 has the highest. F-A13 has the lowest flow capacity, and F-A10 has the highest. The core description results for E-AQ1 showed a fine to medium-grained sandstone with glauconite, which is very calcareous. It has a calcite cement characterized by fracturing and tight cementation. E-G2 showed light grey, fine-grained sandstones, highly glauconitic, and visible bitumens. F-A10 showed medium to fine-grained, glauconitic, calcareous sandstones with better-preserved cross-bedding and heavily burrowed zones, indicating a high-energy depositional environment. F-A13 showed medium grey sandstones with varying grain sizes, visible pore spaces, and bioturbation, transitioning from fine-grained to medium-grained with depth. Thin section and SEM-EDS results show that the porosity for E-AQ1 was affected by quartz overgrowth and calcite cementation. E-G2 had carbonaceous material filling the pore spaces and compaction, thus affecting porosity. Feldspar overgrowth was observed from the intervals chosen for F-A10 and F-A13. Coarse grains were identified in F-A10, and they improved the overall porosity by creating larger spaces between particles. Glauconite was identified in all the wells. The most influential diagenetic processes impacting porosity, permeability, and water saturation included cementation (calcite and hematite), quartz and feldspar overgrowth, compaction, clay mineral authigenesis, and feldspar alteration. E-AQ1 showed poor reservoir quality due to quartz overgrowth reducing porosity and calcite cementation reducing permeability. On the other hand, F-A13 displayed a very porous sandstone reservoir containing smectite with a swelling nature, a needle-like illite, and an angular quartz grain, with calcite cementation and minimal compaction. The presence of clay minerals in the reservoir sands had a great impact on permeability and porosity. Based on the results and the criteria used, F-A10 and F-A13 are the most favourable reservoirs for CO2 storage due to their high porosity, permeability, storage and flow capacities, low volume of clay and water saturation and favourable mineralogical characteristics that enhance reservoir quality. The results from this study can help guide future CO₂ storage projects by offering a clear understanding of the reservoir quality and how well these sandstone reservoirs can hold and transport CO₂. By knowing more about factors like porosity, permeability, clay volume, and water saturation changes over time, this study can help choose the best areas for CO₂ injection and predict how CO₂ will move through the rocks. This information can also help evaluate other similar reservoirs for CO₂ storage, supporting efforts to safely store carbon in South Africa and contribute to the global climate change mitigation and the transition to a low-carbon future.