Publications by authors named "Miklos Jakab"

Article Synopsis
  • Pharmaceuticals are commonly found in aquatic ecosystems, highlighting the need for affordable removal methods from water.
  • A novel activated carbon produced from pinewood was developed through a sequence of treatments, showing effective adsorption of the drugs diclofenac and ciprofloxacin.
  • The activated carbon demonstrated over 95% removal efficiency for pharmaceuticals in water and 90% in real wastewater, maintaining its effectiveness across six usage cycles.
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Water pollution remains a pressing environmental issue, with diverse pollutants such as heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and aromatic hydrocarbon compounds posing a significant threat to clean water access. Historically, biomass-derived activated carbons (ACs) have served as effective adsorbents for water treatment, owing to their inherent porosity and expansive surface area. Nanocomposites have emerged as a means to enhance the absorption properties of ACs, surpassing conventional AC performance.

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This study endeavors to develop cost-effective environmentally friendly technology for removing harmful residual pharmaceuticals from water and wastewater by utilizing the effective adsorption of pistachio shell (PS) biochar and the degradation potency of laccase immobilized on the biochar (L@PSAC). The carbonatization and activation of the shells were optimized regarding temperature, time, and NHNO/PS ratio. This step yielded an optimum PS biochar (PSAC) with the highest porosity and surface area treated at 700 °C for 3 h using an NHNO/PS ratio of 3% wt.

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The properties of 3D-printed bodies are an essential part of both the industrial and research sectors, as the manufacturers try to improve them in order to make this now additive manufacturing method more appealing compared to conventional manufacturing methods, like injection moulding. Great achievements were accomplished in both 3D printing materials and machines that made 3D printing a viable way to produce parts in recent years. However, in terms of printing parameters, there is still much room for advancements.

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This study examined the use of modified multiwall carbon nanotubes (M-MWCNTs) with immobilized laccase (L@M-MWCNTs) for removing ciprofloxacin (Cip), carbamazepine (Cbz), diclofenac (Dcf), benzo[a]pyrene (Bap), and anthracene (Ant) from different water samples. The synthesized materials were characterized using an array of advanced analytical techniques. The physical immobilization of laccase onto M-MWCNTs was confirmed through Scanning electron microscope (SEM)-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and Brunner-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area measurements.

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In this study, pomegranate peels (PPs) as an abundant fruit processing waste was used to produce cost-effective, eco-friendly, and high-quality activated carbon. The produced carbon (fossil free activated carbon) was used for immobilizing laccase to remove a range of emerging pollutants namely diclofenac, amoxicillin, carbamazepine, and ciprofloxacin from water and wastewater. The loaded activated carbon by laccase (LMPPs) and the unloaded one (MPPs) were characterized using advanced surface chemistry analysis techniques.

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Several conventional methods are employed to remove numerous pollutants from oily wastewater discharged from oil-field activities. The purpose of this study is to use a new design of an electrocoagulation reactor (ECR) to treat oily wastewater effluents from the Al-Muthanna petroleum plant to minimize a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) to levels suitable for employment. In a continuous ECR, a One-Sided-Finned cathode tube (1SF) made of aluminum was inserted between a pair of aluminum-cylindrical anodes.

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Titanium-dioxide-based semiconductors proved to be appropriate for photocatalytic application to efficiently degrade emerging organic pollutants such as various herbicides, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals in waters of environmental importance. The characterization of various TiO2 catalysts, both bare and modified (Ag- and/or N-doped), by mechanochemical treatment was carried out in this work, regarding their structure, morphology, and photocatalytic activity. For the latter investigations, carbamazepine, an antidepressant, proved to be applicable and versatile.

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In recent years, enzymatic remediation/biocatalysis has gained prominence for the bioremediation of recalcitrant chemicals. Laccase is one of the commonly investigated enzymes for bioremediation applications. There is a growing interest in immobilizing this enzyme onto adsorbents for achieving high pollutant removal through simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation.

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Article Synopsis
  • - We investigated the creation of functionally graded ceramics made from AlO-CeO-stabilized-ZrO (CTZ) using spark plasma sintering, resulting in a composition and porosity gradient along the axial direction.
  • - The gradient was achieved by layering powders with varying AlO to CTZ ratios and using a specialized tool configuration that created a temperature difference during sintering, leading to distinct porosity characteristics in the samples.
  • - Testing revealed that the ASY samples exhibited a significant increase in microhardness (up to 10 GPa difference between sides) and higher flexural strength compared to standard samples, attributed to reduced porosity and the formation of elongated CeAlO particles.
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In this paper, the application of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) based on metal oxide nanocomposites as adsorbents for the removal of hydrocarbons such as kerosene from water was investigated. Functionalized MWCNTs were obtained by chemical oxidation using concentrated sulfuric and nitric acids. VO, CeO and VO:CeO nanocomposites were prepared using the hydrothermal method followed by deposition of these oxides over MWCNTs.

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Nowadays, global warming and the ensuing climate change are one of the biggest problems for humanity, but environmental pollution and the low ratio of waste management and recycling are not negligible issues, either. By producing alkali-activated cements (AACs), it is possible to find an alternative way to handle the above-mentioned environmental problems. First, with a view to optimizing experimental parameters, metakaolin-based AACs were prepared, and in it, waste tire rubber was used as sand replacement (5-45 wt %).

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