Quantity and quality modelling of groundwater to manage water resources in Isfahan-Borkhar Aquifer

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Groundwater resources are increasingly exposed to significant overexploitation in many parts of the world, markedly in Iran, one of the most arid...     

Synthesis,Characterization and Application of α, β, and γ Cyclodextrin-Conjugated Graphene Oxide for Removing Cadmium Ions from Aqueous Media

In this study, a novel and facile route for the synthesis of cyclodextrin-conjugated graphene oxide (CDs–GO) nanocomposites by esterification reaction in the presence of EDC/DMAP as catalyst, was developed. The formation of CDs–GO was successfully approved by FT-IR, SEM, TEM, TGA and BET analyses. Then competitive adsorption capacity of cadmium ion by CDs–GO composites and the impact of different empirical parameters like contact time, initial metal ion concentration, and initial pH on the adsorption process were studied. The results showed that β-CD–GO at pH 7 is suitable for removing Cd(II) with 90?% removal efficiency. Also, the adsorption capacity experiment at constant concentration of 50 ppm of Cd(II) showed that more than 50?% of Cd(II) ions could be adsorbed by γ-CD–GO reaching an equilibrium within 2 h. Therefore, the γ-CD–GO and α-CD–GO showed high adsorption capacity toward Cd²⁺ (222.22 mg/g) which were pointedly more than that of β-CD–GO (208.33 mg/g). Furthermore, adsorption kinetics, isotherm studies, and thermodynamic analyses were evaluated. The adsorption data exhibited excellent fit to the pseudo-second-order (R²?>?0.99) and Freundlich isotherm models.

     

Evaluation of physico-chemical properties of biochar-based mixtures for soilless growth media

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - This study was done to evaluate the suitability of biochar-based mixtures for growth media. Biochars from agricultural wastes were produced by slow...     

Graphene and its derivatives: synthesis,modifications, and applications in wastewater treatment

Graphene was discovered in 2004 and has attracted intensive interests because of its unique mechanical, electric, thermal, optical, and structural properties, which makes graphene a potential candidate for various applications. Graphene is being used as a composite or filler material with metals, metal oxides, and polymers for potential advanced applications in solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, photocatalysis and sensing. These applications depend upon the distinctive properties of graphene, which in turn depend on the adopted synthetic approach. This article reviews the recent developments in synthesis of graphene and related composite materials. The synthesis of graphene through exfoliation, epitaxial growth and direct growth via carbon source, and modification approaches by covalent and noncovalent methodologies are discussed. Graphene-based metal and metal oxide composites for the purification of wastewater using photolytic process are also presented.     

Household waste behaviours among a community sample in Iran: An application of the theory of planned behaviour

Understanding the factors influencing recycling behaviour can lead to better and more effective recycling programs in a community. The goal of this study was to examine factors associated with household waste behaviours in the context of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) among a community sample of Iranians that included data collection at time 1 and at follow-up one year later at time 2. Study participants were sampled from households under the coverage of eight urban health centers in the city of Qazvin. Of 2000 invited households, 1782 agreed to participate in the study. A self-reported questionnaire was used for assessing socio-demographic factors and the TPB constructs (i.e. attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and intention). Furthermore, questions regarding moral obligation, self-identity, action planning, and past recycling behaviour were asked, creating an extended TPB. At time 2, participants were asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire on self-reported recycling behaviours. All TPB constructs had positive and significant correlations with each other. Recycling behaviour at time 1 (past behaviour) significantly related to household waste behaviour at time 2. The extended TPB explained 47% of the variance in household waste behaviour at time 2. Attitude, perceived behavioural control, intention, moral obligation, self-identity, action planning, and past recycling behaviour were significant predictors of household waste behaviour at time 2 in all models. The fact that the expanded TPB constructs significantly predicted household waste behaviours holds great promise for developing effective public campaigns and behaviour-changing interventions in a region where overall rates of household waste reduction behaviours are low. Our results indicate that educational materials which target moral obligation and action planning may be particularly effective.