Low-cost adsorbents from bio-waste for the removal of dyes from aqueous solution

Activated carbons (ACs) were developed from bio-waste materials like rice husk and peanut shell (PS) by various physicochemical activation methods. PS char digested in nitric acid followed by treatment at 673 K resulted in high surface area up to ～585 m²/g. The novelty of the present study is the identification of oxygen functional groups formed on the surface of activated carbons by infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and quantification by using temperature programmed decomposition (TPD). Typical TPD data indicated that each activation method may lead to varying amounts of acidic and basic functional groups on the surface of the adsorbent, which may be a crucial factor in determining the adsorption capacity. It was shown that ACs developed during the present study are good adsorbents, especially for the removal of a model textile dye methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. As MB is a basic dye, H₂O₂-treated rice husk showed the best adsorption capacity, which is in agreement with the acidic groups present on the surface. Removal of the dye followed Langmuir isotherm model, whereas MB adsorption on ACs followed pseudo-second-order kinetics.     

Adsorptive removal of Cd2+ ions using dolochar at an industrial-scale process optimization by response surface methodology

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this work, performance of laboratory-synthesized dolochar has been investigated for adsorption of Cd2+ ions in a large-scale process with the...     

Process optimization for enhanced carbon capture and cyclic stability using adsorbents derived from coal fly ash

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Zeolites and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are popular adsorbents when it comes to capturing CO2 from the gaseous feed stream. In this study,...     

Biogeochemical study of termite mounds: a case study from Tummalapalle area of Andhra Pradesh,India

Termite mounds are abundant components of Tummalapalle area of uranium mineralization of Cuddapah District of Andhra Pradesh, India. The systematic research has been carried out on the application of termite mound sampling to mineral exploration in this region. The distribution of chemical elements Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Li, Rb, Sr, Ba, and U were studied both in termite soils and adjacent surface soils. Uranium accumulations were noticed in seven termite mounds ranging from 10 to 36 ppm. A biogeochemical parameter called “Biological Absorption Coefficient” of the termite mounds indicated the termite affected soils contained huge amounts of chemical elements than the adjacent soils.     

Suppression of male reproduction in rats after exposure to sodium fluoride during early stages of development

Sodium fluoride (NaF), a widespread natural pollutant was given to sperm-positive female rats throughout gestation and lactation at a dose of 4.5 and 9.0 ppm via drinking water. The neonates were allowed to grow up to 90 days on tap water, and then sperm parameters, testicular steroidogenic marker enzyme activity levels, and circulatory hormone levels were studied. The sperm count, sperm motility, sperm coiling (hypoosmotic swelling test), and sperm viability were decreased in experimental rats when compared with controls. The activity levels of testicular steroidogenic marker enzymes (3β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) were significantly decreased in experimental animals indicating decreased steroidogenesis. The serum testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels were also significantly altered in experimental animals. Our data indicate that exposure to NaF during gestation and lactation affects male reproduction in adult rats by decreasing spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis.     

Differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of simeton in its formulations and vegetables

A sensitive adsorptive stripping voltammetric method for the determination of simeton with universal buffer solution has been described. The method was based on the adsorption accumulation of simeton at a hanging mercury drop electrode. The overall reduction process is under controlled diffusion. The adsorptive peak was observed at ?0.8 V vs SCE in acidic solution 2 < pH < 6. The peak response was characterized with respect to pH, accumulation potential, time, and scan rate. The calibration plot was found to be linear from 1.13 × 10^???5 to 3.5 × 10^???8 M with a limit of detection of 2.0 × 10^???8 M. Finally, the method has been applied for the determination of simeton in its formulations and vegetable samples.     

Behaviour and Quantification Studies of Terbacil and Lenacil in Environmental Samples Using Cyclic and Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry at Hanging Mercury Drop Electrode

The cyclic voltammograms of terbacil and lenacil at the hanging mercury drop electrode showed a single well defined four electron irreversible peak in universal buffer of pH 4.0 for both compounds. The peak potentials were shifted to more negative values on the increase of pH of the medium, implying the involvement of protons in the electrode reaction and that the proton transfer reaction precedes the proper electrode process. The four electron single peak may be attributed to the simultaneous reduction of carbonyl groups present in 2 and 4 in pyrimidine ring of terbacil and lenacil to the corresponding hydroxy derivative. Based on the interfacial adsorptive character of the terbacil and lenacil onto the mercury electrode surface, a simple sensitive and low cost differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetric procedure was optimized for the analysis of terbacil and lenacil. The optimal operational conditions of the proposed procedure were accumulation potential E _acc = −0.4 V, accumulation time t _acc = 80 s, scan rate = 40 mV s⁻¹, pulse amplitude = 25 mV using a universal buffer pH 4.0 as a supporting electrolyte. The linear concentration range was found to be 1.5 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.2 × 10⁻⁹ mol/l and 1.5 × 10⁻⁵ to 2.5 × 10⁻⁸ mol/l with the lower detection limit of 1.22 × 10⁻⁹ and 2.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol/l. The correlation coefficient and relative standard deviation values are found to be 0.942, 0.996, 1.64% and 1.23%, respectively, for 10 replicants. The procedure was successfully applied for determination of terbacil and lenacil in formulations, mixed formulations, environmental samples such as fruit samples and spiked water samples.     

Synthesis of 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene-functionalized Amberlite XAD-4 resin: Applications for the separation and preconcentration of trace metal ions prior to their determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry

A simple, sensitive column solid-phase extraction procedure for separation and preconcentration of Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), and Cd(II) in spiked and natural water samples using 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene-functionalized Amberlite XAD-4 (XAD-4-DHN) chelating resin prior to their determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry was discussed. The optimum experimental parameters such as pH, volume of sample and eluent, flow-rates of uptake and stripping, and sorption capacity of the chelating resin, were evaluated. The effect of the electrolytes and the cations on the preconcentration of metal ions was also investigated. The chelating resin could be reused for more than 20 cycles of sorption–desorption without any significant change (<1.0%). Recoveries obtained from this method range from 96 to 102% with R.S.D of 2.50 (n = 4). The detection limits for Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), and Cd(II) were found to be 1.9, 0.9, 1.2 µg, and 1.4 µg L^?1, respectively. The proposed method was applied for the determination of Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), and Cd(II) in spiked, tap water, and river water samples.     

Study of the voltammetric behaviour of the ethalfluralin and methalpropalin and its determination in environmental matrices at hanging mercury drop electrode

An electroanalytical method has been developed for the determination of the herbicides ethalfluralin[N-ethyl-N-(2-methyl-2-propenyl)-2,6-dinitro-4-(trifluoromethyl) bezenamine] and methalpropalin [N-(2-methyl-2-propenyl)-2, 6-dinitro-N-propyl-4 (trifluoromethyl) benzenamine] by differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry (DP-AdSV) on a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) with universal buffer as supporting electrolyte. The optimum adsorption conditions were found to be pH 6.0, an accumulation potential of -0.6 V (HMDE vs SCE), an accumulation time of 80 s. and scan rate 45 mVs(-1). Calibration curve is linear in the range 1.30 x 10(-9) to 1.32 x 10(-5) M of ethalfluralin and 1.13 x 10(-5) to 2.0 x 10(-8) M of methalpropalin with detection limits of 1.08 x 10(-9) and 1.87 x 10(-8) M, respectively. The relative SD and correlation coefficients were found to be 1.24%, 0.998 and 1.34%, 0.995, respectively for ten replicates. The method is applied to the determination of the ethalfluralin and methalpropalin in formulations and environmental matrices.