Nano-remediation of toxic heavy metal contamination: Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)].

The inexorable industrialization and modern agricultural practices to meet the needs of the increasing population have polluted the environment with toxic heavy metals such as Cr(VI), Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn. Among the hazardous heavy metal(loid)s contamination in agricultural soil, water, and air, hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is the most virulent carcinogen. The metallurgic industries, tanneries, paint manufacturing, petroleum refineries are among various such human activities that discharge Cr(VI) into the environment.

Surface modification of FeO and MgO nanoparticles with agrowastes for the treatment of chlorosis in .

Surface modification of nanoparticles for biological applications is receiving enormous interest among the research community due to the ability to alchemy the toxic nanoparticles into biocompatible compounds. In this study, the agrowastes of and were used to surface modify the magnesium oxide nanoparticles and ferric oxide nanoparticles respectively. The agrowaste amended magnesium oxide nano particles (AMNP) and agrowaste amended ferric oxide nanoparticles (AFNP) were characterized using scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transformed-infra red spectroscope to justify the formation and surface modification of nanoparticles with the organic functional groups from the agro wastes.