Chemically modified biochar produced from conocarpus waste increases NO<Subscript>3</Subscript> removal from aqueous solutions

Biochar has emerged as a universal sorbent for the removal of contaminants from water and soil. However, its efficiency is lower than that of commercially available sorbents. Engineering biochar by chemical modification may improve its sorption efficiency. In this study, conocarpus green waste was chemically modified with magnesium and iron oxides and then subjected to thermal pyrolysis to produce biochar. These chemically modified biochars were tested for NO₃ removal efficiency from aqueous solutions in batch sorption isothermal and kinetic experiments. The results revealed that MgO-biochar outperformed other biochars with a maximum NO₃ sorption capacity of 45.36 mmol kg^?1 predicted by the Langmuir sorption model. The kinetics data were well described by the Type 1 pseudo-second-order model, indicating chemisorption as the dominating mechanism of NO₃ sorption onto biochars. Greater efficiency of MgO-biochar was related to its high specific surface area (391.8 m² g^?1) and formation of strong ionic complexes with NO₃. At an initial pH of 2, more than 89 % NO₃ removal efficiency was observed for all of the biochars. We conclude that chemical modification can alter the surface chemistry of biochar, thereby leading to enhanced sorption capacity compared with simple biochar.     

Kinetic,equilibrium and thermodynamic studies for the sorption of metribuzin from aqueous solution using banana peels,an agro-based biomass

Banana peels were employed for the removal of metribuzin from aqueous solution. Sorption in the batch mode was optimized regarding pH, contact time, sorbent dose, initial pesticide concentrations, and temperature. The sorption data were fitted to pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion, Elovich, and liquid film diffusion model, the pseudo-second-order exhibiting best fit (R² = 0.9803). Of the four most common sorption isotherm models (Langmuir, Freundlich, Tempkin, and Dubinin–Radushkevich), the data followed the Langmuir isotherm with highest correlation. The maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 167 mg g^?1. Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy showed that the sorption was exothermic and spontaneous.     

Low-cost and efficient adsorbent derived from pyrolysis of Jatropha curcas seeds for the removal of Cu2+ from aqueous solutions

Biochar, is a low-cost material that can be used as an alternative adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals. In this study, a low-cost and efficient adsorbent synthesised from Jatropha curcas seeds was used for the uptake of Cu²⁺ from aqueous solutions. The as-prepared adsorbent was characterised by scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis post calcination at 500 °C, its BET surface area and total pore volume were 39.62?m²?g^?1 and 0.049?m³?g^?1, respectively. Subsequently, the effects of initial pH of the solution, contact time, and adsorbent material dosage on the adsorption of Cu²⁺ by the prepared adsorbent were investigated. The as-prepared adsorbent exhibited a high performance, with a maximum adsorption amount of 32.895?mg?g^?1 for Cu²⁺ at pH 5.0 and 25 °C, owing to the presence of ?OH, C=O, C–O, Si-O-Si, and O-Si-O on its surface. The predominant Cu²⁺ adsorption mechanism was assumed to be ion exchange. Notably, the Cu²⁺ adsorption could attain equilibrium within 90?min. In addition, the fact that the Langmuir model was a better fit than the Freundlich model for the isotherm data of Cu²⁺ adsorption by the as-prepared adsorbent suggested that the adsorption of Cu²⁺ was a monolayer adsorption process.     

Removal of Novacron Golden Yellow dye from aqueous solutions by low-cost agricultural waste: Batch and fixed bed study

The present work describes the removal of Novacron Golden Yellow (NGY) dye from aqueous solutions using peanut hulls. The experiments were performed with native, pretreated and immobilised forms of peanut hulls. The effect of various operational parameters (pH, biosorbent dose, initial dye concentration and temperature etc.) was explored during batch study. NGY showed maximum removal at low pH and low biosorbent dose. High initial dye concentration facilitated the biosorption process. Maximum dye removal with native, pretreated and immobilised biomass was found to be 35.7, 36.4 and 15.02 mg/g respectively. The experimental data were subjected to different kinetic and equilibrium models. The kinetic data confirmed the fitness of pseudo-second-order rate law for NGY biosorption. The equilibrium modelling was carried out by Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin models. The isothermal data of NGY removal were best described by Freundlich adsorption isotherm. Negative values of Free energy change (Δ G⁰) for NGY with native and pretreated biomass depicted the spontaneous nature of biosorption process. In column mode, the effects of bed height, flow rate and initial dye concentrations were optimised. Maximum NGY biosorption (7.28 mg/g) was observed with high bed height, low flow rate and high initial concentration in continuous mode. Bohart–Adams model best fitted to the data obtained from column studies. The results indicated that the peanut hulls could be used effectively for the removal of dyes containing wastewater.     

A review for chromium removal by carbon nanotubes

Water pollution is still a serious problem for the entire world. Adsorption technology is a promising process which is based on the fabrication of novel, cheap, non-dangerous and highly sorptive materials for application in wastewater purification processes. Nanomaterials are functional groups which find use in many important fields such as medicine, food processing and agriculture. This review collects information from published works about the use of carbon nanotubes as efficient and promising adsorbents in chromium removal from (real or synthesised) wastewater. For this purpose, isotherm (Langmuir, Freundlich, etc.), kinetic (pseudo-first-, second-order, etc.), thermodynamic (free-energy Gibbs, enthalpy, entropy) and desorption–regeneration studies were discussed in detail. Moreover, significant factors such as pH, agitation time, temperature, adsorbent dosage and initial dye concentration are also reported extensively. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacities of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) ions were 0.39–238.09 and 1.26–370.3?mg/g, respectively. The absolute values of ΔG⁰ and ΔH⁰ ranged 0.237–48.62 and 0.16–58.43?kJ/mol, respectively.     

Investigation of acetaminophen adsorption with a biosorbent as a purification method of aqueous solution

ABSTRACT

Pharmaceutical compounds are considered emerging environmental pollutants that have a potential harmful impact on environment and human health. In this study, the spiky green horse-chestnut shell was used for the biosorption and removal of acetaminophen from aqueous solution. It was analysed how the parameters, like contact time, pH, mass of biosorbent and temperature, influence the effectiveness of acetaminophen removal from aqueous solutions. The equilibrium was quickly achieved after 10?min (～60%). The amount of acetaminophen adsorption slightly increased with the increase of the mass of biosorbent, and for example for an aqueous solution containing 10?mg/L of acetaminophen adsorption was increased from 62% to 81%. The promising results obtained at pH ranged between 2 and 9, which shows that the adsorption of acetaminophen did not depend on the pH and it may be a consequence of the predominant microporous sorbent and its surface charge. The result is better correlated to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model of type 2 (r ²?=?0.9992) than pseudo-first-order. A sorption mechanism of acetaminophen on biosorbent was also proposed. The sorption of acetaminophen over biosorbent is mainly preceded by hydrophilic interactions between hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in pharmaceutical molecules and hydroxyl and carboxyl groups on the surface of biosorbent.     

Lead(II) and cadmium(II) removal from aqueous solution using processed walnut shell: kinetic and equilibrium study

The biosorption potential of processed walnut shell for Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions was explored. The effects of pH, contact time, initial ion concentration, and amount of dried adsorbent were studied in batch experiments. The maximum adsorption was achieved within the pH range 4.0–6.0. The equilibrium data were well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacities were found to be 32?g?kg^?1 and 11.6?g?kg^?1 for Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions, respectively. Kinetic data were best described by the pseudo-second-order model. The structural features of the adsorbent were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which confirmed the involvement of hydroxyl (–OH), carboxyl (–COO^–), and carbonyl (C=O) groups in metal sorption. This readily available adsorbent is efficient in the uptake of Pb(II) and Cd(II) ions from an aqueous solution and could be used for the treatment of wastewater streams bearing these metal ions.     

Nanoscale zero-valent iron supported on biochar for the highly efficient removal of nitrobenzene

• Biochar supported nanoscale zero-valent iron composite (nZVI/BC) was synthesized. • nZVI/BC quickly and efficiently removed nitrobenzene (NB) in solution. • NB removal by nZVI/BC involves simultaneous adsorption and reduction mechanism. • nZVI/BC exhibited better catalytic activity, stability and durability than nZVI. The application of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) in the remediation of contaminated groundwater or wastewater is limited due to its lack of stability, easy aggregation and iron leaching. To address this issue, nZVI was distributed on oak sawdust-derived biochar (BC) to obtain the nZVI/BC composite for the highly efficient reduction of nitrobenzene (NB). nZVI, BC and nZVI/BC were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For nZVI/BC, nZVI particles were uniformly dispersed on BC. nZVI/BC exhibited higher removal efficiency for NB than the simple summation of bare nZVI and BC. The removal mechanism was investigated through the analyses of UV-Visible spectra, mass balance and XPS. NB was quickly adsorbed on the surface of nZVI/BC, and then gradually reduced to aniline (AN), accompanied by the oxidation of nZVI to magnetite. The effects of several reaction parameters, e.g., NB concentration, reaction pH and nZVI/BC aging time, on the removal of NB were also studied. In addition to high reactivity, the loading of nZVI on biochar significantly alleviated Fe leaching and enhanced the durability of nZVI.     

Enhanced nutrients removal from municipal wastewater through biological phosphorus removal followed by partial nitritation/anammox

Conventional biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorus is usually limited due to the lack of biodegradable carbon source, therefore, new methods are needed. In this study, a new alternative consisting of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) followed by partial nitritationanammox (PN/A), is proposed to enhance nutrients removal from municipal wastewater. Research was carried out in a laboratory-scale system of combined two sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). In SBR1, phosphorus removal was achieved under an alternating anaerobic-aerobic condition and ammonium concentration stayed the same since nitrifiers were washed out from the reactor under short sludge retention time of 2–3 d. The remaining ammonium was further treated in SBR2 where PN/A was established by inoculation. A maximum of nitrogen removal rate of 0.12 kg N?m^–3?d^–1 was finally achieved. During the stable period, effluent concentrations of total phosphorus and total nitrogen were 0.25 and 10.8 mg?L^–1, respectively. This study suggests EBPR-PN/A process is feasible to enhance nutrients removal from municipal wastewater of low influent carbon source.

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Impacts of mussel dredging on sediment phosphorus dynamics in a eutrophic Danish fjord

Effects of mussel dredging on sediment metabolism (oxygen uptake and sulfate reduction rates) and phosphorus dynamics (flux across sediment-water interface and sequential extraction) were examined in Limfjorden (Denmark) during spring (May) and summer (August). Sediment samples were taken during mussel dredging and in addition an experimental simulation of the dredging was performed to investigate short-term changes in phosphorus (P) dynamics. Iron-bound P was reduced by up to 2/3 in the surface layer in the dredging track (from 31 to 8?mmol?P?m^?2), whereas the dissolved P-pools and less reactive particulate pools were not affected by dredging. Sediment oxygen consumption was enhanced immediately after dredging, but returned to the initial level after 4 days (20–40?mmol?m^?2?d^?1). The enhanced consumption was attributed to reoxidation of reduced compounds released during dredging. Sulfate reduction rates were high in the area (13–15?mmol?m^?2?d^?1) and sulfides competed with P for oxidized iron resulting in low iron-bound pools in the area (<4% of total P pools). Sulfate reduction rates were stimulated by the resuspension of sediments, especially in August, where a subsurface maximum was found, possibly due to a mixing of labile organic matter into these layers. In contrast sulfate reduction rates were reduced in the dredging track due to removal of labile organic matter from the surface layers. The loss of P during dredging was to some extent counteracted by regeneration of iron-bound P pools in the surface layers. The release of P due to mussel dredging was estimated to be in the same order of magnitude as the annual loading from the catchments and point sources to Limfjorden.     

Simultaneous removal of Co,Cu, and Cr from water by electrocoagulation

This study provides an electrocoagulation process for the removal of metals such as cobalt, copper, and chromium from water using magnesium as anode and galvanized iron as cathode. The various parameters like pH, current density, temperature, and inter electrode distance on the removal efficiency of metals were studied. The results showed that maximum removal efficiency was achieved for cobalt, copper, and chromium with magnesium as anode and galvanized iron as cathode at a current density of 0.025?A?dm^?2 at pH 7.0. First- and second-order rate equations were applied to study adsorption kinetics. The adsorption process follows second-order kinetics model with good correlation. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models were studied using the experimental data. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm favors monolayer coverage of adsorbed molecules for the adsorption of cobalt, copper, and chromium. Temperature studies showed that adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous in nature.     

Optimisation of bisphenol A removal from water using chemically modified pine bark and almond shell

The ability of pine bark and almond shells to remove bisphenol A (BPA) from aqueous solutions was evaluated. Samples of these traditional agro-forestry by-products were milled, sieved into different particle size fractions (0.10–0.15 and 1.5–2.0 mm) and submitted to two different types of treatment. Sorption experiments were conducted in a batch system at room temperature and natural pH. Sorption equilibrium was attained after 48 h for all systems under study. Bisphenol A was adsorbed more effectively on the smaller particles of the sorbents. Pine bark and almond shell pretreated with formaldehyde presented higher sorption efficiency (95%), followed by almond shell (87%) and pine bark (82%) washed with hot water. All the sorption isotherms were found to fit a Freundlich equation, with correlation coefficients (R ²) between 0.823 and 0.989. The sorption coefficient (K _F) ranged from 0.06 to 0.74 (mg^1?1/n ·L ^1/n ·g ^?1). These results indicate that utilisation of both materials as an alternative sorbent for the removal of bisphenol A from contaminated waters is promising because they are available in large amounts and have an acceptable cost–efficiency ratio when compared with traditional adsorbents.     

Modelling the kinetics and equilibrium properties of cadmium biosorption by river green alga and water hyacinth weed

Cadmium biosorption properties of non-living, dried river green alga from a river source, and water hyacinth weed, Eichhornia crassipes from a lake in Zimbabwe have been investigated. The cadmium uptake was found to depend on initial pH, uptake being apparently minimal at low pH values and increasing with an increase in pH. Cadmium biosorption kinetics by both samples is fast, with 80% of total uptake occurring within 60?min. The effect of initial solution pH and initial cadmium concentration on cadmium biosorption from a cadmium solution has been studied. The data for algal biomass fitted the Langmuir monolayer adsorption isotherm, while the biosorption of the metal by water hyacinth weed fitted the Freundlich adsorption isotherm with 1/n values all less than 1. Maximum metal uptake capacities were recorded using 0.35?g of biomass and a 250?mg?L^?1 cadmium solution at pH 6.5 and at 25°C and these were about 85 and 50?mg?L^?1 for water hyacinth weed and green alga, respectively, showing that water hyacinth weed offered a greater potential for cadmium uptake. The absorption was described by pseudo-second order rate model and the rate constant and equilibrium sorption capacity are reported.     

Cadmium removal mechanistic comparison of three Fe-based nanomaterials: Water-chemistry and roles of Fe dissolution

● nZVI, S-nZVI, and nFeS were systematically compared for Cd(II) removal. ● Cd(II) removal by nZVI involved coprecipitation, complexation, and reduction. ● The predominant reaction for Cd(II) removal by S-nZVI and nFeS was replacement. ● A simple pseudo-second-order kinetic can adequately fit Fe(II) dissolution. Cadmium (Cd) is a common toxic heavy metal in the environment. Taking Cd(II) as a target contaminant, we systematically compared the performances of three Fe-based nanomaterials (nano zero valent iron, nZVI; sulfidated nZVI, S-nZVI; and nano FeS, nFeS) for Cd immobilization under anaerobic conditions. Effects of nanomaterials doses, initial pH, co-existing ions, and humic acid (HA) were examined. Under identical conditions, at varied doses or initial pH, Cd(II) removal by three materials followed the order of S-nZVI > nFeS > nZVI. At pH 6, the Cd(II) removal within 24 hours for S-nZVI, nFeS, and nZVI (dose of 20 mg/L) were 93.50%, 89.12% and 4.10%, respectively. The fast initial reaction rate of nZVI did not lead to a high removal capacity. The Cd removal was slightly impacted or even improved with co-existing ions (at 50 mg/L or 200 mg/L) or HA (at 2 mg/L or 20 mg/L). Characterization results revealed that nZVI immobilized Cd through coprecipitation, surface complexation, and reduction, whereas the mechanisms for sulfidated materials involved replacement, coprecipitation, and surface complexation, with replacement as the predominant reaction. A strong linear correlation between Cd(II) removal and Fe(II) dissolution was observed, and we proposed a novel pseudo-second-order kinetic model to simulate Fe(II) dissolution.     

The sorption of selenite from aqueous solutions by pyrite

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace nutrient for mammals; however, the range between deficit and toxic levels is narrow. In this study, the potential sorption of selenite onto pyrite particles from an aqueous solution was investigated. An intraparticle diffusion model was used to describe kinetic data of sorption, yielding diffusivity values of 5 × 10^?7 cm²/s. The Langmuir isotherm equation could be used to describe the experimental data. The fitting results indicated that b and {Se(IV)}_max have values of 0.37 L/mg and 3.49 mg/g, respectively. The sorption of selenite onto the surface of pyrite particles was dependent on a pH range of 2–12, and the quantity of sorption onto pyrite was negatively correlated with pH; that is, the amount of sorption onto pyrite increased with a decrease in pH. In addition, organic matter did not exert a significant effect on removal of selenite. With a reaction time greater than 1 week, sorption of selenite onto pyrite particles was found to partially reduce the amount of elemental Se.     

膨润土负载纳米铁用于降解水体中阿莫西林

采用液相还原法合成膨润土负载纳米铁(B-nZVI)和纳米铁(nZVI)并用于降解水中的阿莫西林.实验结果表明,无论是单独nZVI还是B-nZVI都能有效降解阿莫西林.在25 mL浓度为20 mg.L-1的阿莫西林溶液中加入0.1 g的B-nZVI(其中nZVI的含量为0.05 g),溶液的初始pH值为6.65,摇床的振荡速率为250 r.min-1,反应温度为25℃,反应时间为120 min的条件下,B-nZVI对阿莫西林的降解效率高达93.1%,在此实验条件下,单独nZVI(0.05 g)对阿莫西林的降解效率只有82.3%,这是由于膨润土对nZVI起到分散作用,从而使B-nZVI的反应活性得到提高.降解动力学研究表明,B-nZVI对阿莫西林的降解过程符合表观一级反应动力学规律,相关系数R2均大于0.945.B-nZVI可多次重复用于降解阿莫西林.     

Removal of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) by sepiolite-supported nanoscale zerovalent iron

Nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) synthesized using sepiolite as a supporter was used to investigate the removal kinetics and mechanisms of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209). BDE-209 was rapidly removed by the prepared sepiolite-supported nZVI with a reaction rate that was 5 times greater than that of the conventionally prepared nZVI because of its high surface area and reactivity. The degradation of BDE-209 occurred in a stepwise debromination manner, which followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The removal efficiency of BDE-209 increased with increasing dosage of sepiolite-supported nZVI particles and decreasing pH, and the efficiency decreased with increasing initial BDE-209 concentrations. The presence of tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a cosolvent at certain volume fractions in water influenced the degradation rate of sepiolite-supported nZVI. Debromination pathways of BDE-209 with sepiolite-supported nZVI were proposed based on the identified reaction intermediates, which ranged from nona- to mono-brominated diphenylethers (BDEs) under acidic conditions and nona- to penta-BDEs under alkaline conditions. Adsorption on sepiolite-supported nZVI particles also played a role in the removal of BDE-209. Our findings indicate that the particles have potential applications in removing environmental pollutants, such as halogenated organic contaminants.     

Effect of metallic cations on the sorption of pesticides on soil

We studied the adsorption and desorption of two pesticides, namely isoproturon and dimetomorph, onto a model soil sample. We first show that the adsorption of isoproturon depends on pH, from 1 mg g⁻¹ at pH 4 to 2 mg g⁻¹ at pH 10, contrary to the adsorption of dimetomorph (5.8 mg g⁻¹). We also studied the influence of metallic cations, copper(II), iron(III), manganese(II), and chromium(III), on the sorption of isoproturon and dimetomorph. We found that in the case of isoproturon, the presence of metallic cations does influence the retention capacity of the soil sample. The sorption becomes very weak in the presence of copper and chromium, whereas in the case of iron and manganese the sorption properties are slightly modified.