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Mbeya University of Science and Technology Repository (MUST Repository) is an open-access digital platform dedicated to the collection, preservation, management, and dissemination of the University’s official scholarly and institutional resources. Authorized by the University and aligned with national academic and research objectives, the repository ensures that valuable institutional knowledge remains securely preserved and easily accessible to researchers, students, staff, and the wider public.
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Evaluation Of Biochar Derived from Mango and Banana Peels for The Removal of Selected Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds from Wastewater
(Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology., 2026-01-31) Kasambala, Hildegard R.
Wastewater pollution by endocrine-disrupting compounds poses a significant environmental and public health risk due to their ability to interfere with hormonal systems in living organisms even at trace levels. Conventional removal methods of endocrine-disrupting compounds from wastewater often fail to effectively eliminate these pollutants, encouraging the search for sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. This study evaluated the potential of biochar derived from banana and mango peels, both in mono- and hybrid forms, to remove progesterone and bisphenol A from synthetic and real wastewater. It also examined the impact of the coexistence of progesterone and bisphenol A on hybrid biochar removal efficiency. Biochar was produced through pyrolysis at temperatures of 300, 550, 700 and 800°C for a duration of two hours. Batch adsorption experiments in varying conditions revealed that biochar produced at 700°C yielded the most effective adsorbent. Optimal removal was achieved with a 0.5 g dose of biochar, pH 8, an adsorbate concentration of 12.50 mg L⁻¹, a temperature of 25°C and agitation of 140 rpm. Under these conditions, the hybrid biochar demonstrated the highest removal efficiency of 97.80% of progesterone and 91.80% of bisphenol A, compared to banana peels biochar (92.80% and 87.90%) and mango peels biochar (80.50% and 90.40%), respectively. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, indicating chemisorption as the rate-limiting step. Isotherm models showed that bisphenol A followed the Freundlich model (R² = 0.99), indicating multilayer adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces, while progesterone fit the Langmuir model (R² = 0.98), indicating monolayer adsorption. The hybrid biochar had a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 652 m² g⁻¹, outperforming banana (481 m² g⁻¹) and mango (562 m² g⁻¹) biochar. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy confirmed the presence of functional groups and Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed a highly porous structure that facilitates the entrapment of pollutants. Thermodynamic analysis showed that adsorption was spontaneous, endothermic and involved both strong physisorption and weak chemisorption. The hybrid biochar maintained high performance over four reuse cycles, although it shows slightly less efficiency in real wastewater due to the presence of competing solutes. Therefore, hybrid agro-waste biochar is a promising, reusable material for removing endocrine-disrupting compounds. Further research is recommended to optimize its properties and evaluate its performance against a broader range of organic pollutants in full-scale field applications
Integrated Computational Fluid Dynamics and Space Syntax Simulation of Evacuation Efficiency and Fire Spread in Informal Local Markets
(FACULT OF ARCHITECTURE(FA), 2026-05-20) Mkumbo,Hadija; Tibesigwa,Buberwa Mukyamo
Local markets make a significant contribution to urban livelihood and eco-nomic development, especially in low-income areas. This research evaluates the contri-bution of the spatial design of a local market to reducing fire risk in the urban areas of low economies. Fire calamities in regional local markets have caused extensive eco-nomic losses and property damage, resulting from ineffective spatial organisation, inad-equate fire safety measures, and combustible building materials. Supported by inter-views, field observations, and QGIS mapping, the study has integrated Space Syntax anal-ysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation to quantify both human evac-uation performance and environmental fire spread within the same context. Though both CFD modelling and Space Syntax have long-established applications in formal building design, the study denotes the integrated application of both techniques to as-sess fire safety in informal market contexts. The study revealed low visual integration, critical vulnerabilities, narrow aisles, and a lack of evacuation routes as significant prob-lems. The findings have shown difficulties in firefighting equipment and combustible building materials present for rapid fire spread. The evacuation simulations through Pathfinder and CFD have identified bottlenecks in most of the high-density areas, caus-ing delays in escape. The research proposes a spatial design intervention in terms of the use of fire-resistant materials, zoning of highly combustible commodities, evacuation routes optimised, and signage and awareness provided to the occupants. The results highlight essential policy implementation via the Fire and Rescue Force Act and practical redesigning of local market structure to promote safety. It is about guiding fire risk re-duction policy measures to provide solutions to policymakers and urban planners to protect economic stability and livelihoods in low economies.
Urban Form Through Adaptation of Informal Spatial Dynamics
(Liombo, Emmanuel John, 2025-11-30) Liombo, Emmanuel John
This study analyses the informal processes of production of dwelling spaces to capture inherent dynamics governing the rationality of the process, the way the government adapt the informal spatial dynamics, and the essence and the impacts of adaptation attempts on resulting urban forms by drawing on a case study of Kilungule "A" and Mamboleo "B" informal urban residential neighbourhoods in the rapidly urbanizing city of Dar es Salaam. The interest in this study stems from modern global policies for inclusive and sustainable cities, that are pushing governments to adapt some traditions of informal space production without compromising the resilience of the resulting urban spaces - a situation that continues to challenge the formal traditions of space production. Further, though some studies on informality have taken place and produced valuable insights, they have rarely discussed the aspect of informal spatial dynamics, their adaptation and the impacts on urban forms, which is the focus of this study.
The research methodology involved a mixed method where the data collection tools included questionnaires, interviews, document analysis, map-reading and physical observations. Cultural- Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was used to organize the information collected, illuminate the contradictions in the activity systems and guide analysis of the activities to gain their significance in the production of urban dwelling spaces. The Systems Evaluation Theory was involved in evaluating the informal spatial dynamics adaptation systems to determine their efficiency, effectiveness and impacts on urban forms. Snowball and purposive sampling techniques were involved in selecting the respondents, with the first being used to determine the individual dwelling owners and the private sector practitioners while the latter choosing the public sector urban planning officials.
The study established that the dynamic structures are crucial to the survival of the informal dwellers as they were observed to provide a fertile ground for the survival of the informal processes of production of space together with their associated spaces. The flexibility and adaptability of resulting spaces and dwellings were observed to support the socio-economic realities of most urban dwellers. The ability of spaces to adapt quickly to changing situations makes their urban forms resilient. The study concludes that the understanding of the dynamics and rules governing spatial changes in informal urban spaces is critical to achieving complex urban spaces and successful spatial interventions in informal urban areas.
FUZZY AND CONCEPTUAL-FUZZY MODELLING OF COMPLEX RIVER SYSTEMS WITH SCARCE DATA: CASE OF LETABA RIVER
(University of the Witwatersrand, 2011) Katambara, Z.
The investment in water infrastructure on a number of river systems in South
Africa and many other regions of the world so as to meet the ever growing
demands for water over the last few decades, has not been matched by the
implementation of adequate hydrometric data collection and water-use
accountability practices. This has resulted in complex rivers systems with scarce
data. A typical example in South Africa is the Letaba River system.
The main objective of this research was to investigate the applicability of fuzzy
inference based and hybrid fuzzy inference-conceptual modelling approaches to
highly developed and complex river systems with scarce data using Letaba River
as a case study. For completeness, a standalone conceptual model was included
and three models were therefore studied; a fuzzy inference, a hybrid fuzzy
inference-conceptual, and a standalone conceptual model
TIMETABLE FOR CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT (TEST 02) - FOR SEMESTER II 2025/2026
(DICT, 2026-06-16) HEAD OF EXAMINATION