Characterization of ash made from oil palm empty fruit bunches (oefb).

This study elucidated the chemical composition of ash made from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OEFB). Results of chemical analyses on the sample revealed that it contains metals such as Chromium, Zinc, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, and Magnesium with the following concentrations: 0.088mg/kg, 0.38mg/kg, 146.15mg/kg, 139.35mg/kg, 0.63mg/kg and 1.68mg/kg respectively. It also showed that anions such as Phosphate, Nitrate, Sulphate and Chloride were constituents of the sample. Chloride had the highest concentration of 2280mg/kg while Phosphate had the least concentration of 47.5mg/kg. Physicochemical parameters such as Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Total Organic Matter, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Salinity and Conductivity were also analyzed and the result shows that TOC content of the sample was 100mg/kg, TOM content was 172.4mg/kg, TDS was 2371mg/kg, Salinity was 2500mg/kg while Conductivity of was 4735μScm⁻¹. pH of the sample was 10.9, which shows that the sample is alkaline. The results justify the use of this sample as organic manure and suggest that the sample may be useful in conditions where reduction reactions are paramount. It also suggests that with the good concentrations of nitrate, phosphate and potassium presents in the sample, it may be used in enhancing the hydrocarbon degrading potentials of hydrocarbon degraders since the mentioned parameters are applied in bioremediation.