Engineered Geomedia Kaolin Clay-Reduced Graphene Oxide-Polymer Composite for the Remediation of Olaquindox from Water.

Globally, there is an upsurge in the use of unregulated veterinary pharmaceuticals with enhanced release into the environment, resulting in water pollution, which is difficult to remediate. To address this issue, we synthesized and characterized highly hydrophobic three-dimensional ordered engineered geomedia with multiple channels. Kaolin clay (K) was functionalized with either graphene oxide (GO) synthesized via Tour's method or reduced GO in situ with covalently linked methoxyether polyethylene glycol (GO-PEG) using a simple and easily scalable amidation reaction.

Study of Physico-Chemical Changes of CdTe QDs after Their Exposure to Environmental Conditions.

The irradiance of ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a physical parameter that significantly influences biological molecules by affecting their molecular structure. The influence of UV radiation on nanoparticles has not been investigated much. In this work, the ability of cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) to respond to natural UV radiation was examined.

Three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon structure derived from pinecone as a potential catalyst support in catalytic remediation of antibiotics.

In this study, pinecone was converted two stage pyrolysis to produce low cost activated carbon. Furnace pyrolysis was used in the first step to convert pinecone to carbonized material, followed by microwave pyrolysis of the carbonized material activated with KOH to obtain activated carbon (ACK) materials as a suitable catalyst support. The ACK samples were characterized by their morphology, structural, adsorption and electrochemical properties.

Probing the interaction effects of metal ions in Mn FeO on arsenite oxidation and adsorption.

Wastewater treatment is still a global concern and materials capable of pollutant sequestration continue to be improved in a bid to ensure water reusability and curb water shortages. Some of the most promising materials so far are nanosized materials because of their unique properties and the ease of manipulation to improve their properties. In this work we investigated the effects of varying Fe : Fe ratios in magnetite nanoparticles and the influence of manganese doping.

Covalently linked graphene oxide/reduced graphene oxide-methoxylether polyethylene glycol functionalised silica for scavenging of estrogen: Adsorption performance and mechanism.

Water pollution by pharmaceuticals is a global issue and its remediation is important. To overcome this, we synthesised super hydrophobic nanoporous 3-dimensional ordered nanomaterials with multi-functional binding chemistry for highly efficient adsorption of estrogen (17β-estradiol). Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesised via Tours method and methoxylether polyethylene glycol (mPEG) was covalently introduced onto GO surface via facile amidation mild process to give GO-mPEG.

An Assessment of the Effect of Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles Using Sage Leaves ( L.) on Germinated Plants of Maize ( L.).

AgNPs have attracted considerable attention in many applications including industrial use, and their antibacterial properties have been widely investigated. Due to the green synthesis process employed, the nanoparticle surface can be coated with molecules with biologically important characteristics. It has been reported that increased use of nanoparticles elevates the risk of their release into the environment.

Enhanced heavy metal ions adsorption by 4‑aminobenzoic acid grafted on chitosan/epichlorohydrin composite: Kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics and desorption studies.

The multi-functional chitosan is important for the development of novel adsorbents which is needed for the effective removal of scavenging metal ions from water and wastewater. In this study the functionalized materials were characterize by FTIR, SEM/EDX, TGA/DTA, BET and XRD. Physicochemical parameters including pH, contact time, ionic strength and temperature were investigated in batch mode to optimize the conditions to be applied on a commercial scale for the maximum removal of metal ions using batch applications.

Clean application of magnetic biomaterial for the removal of As (III) from water.

Magnetite-coated pine cone biomass was successfully synthesized, characterized, and its interaction with As (III) in water evaluated in order to apply it as an efficient adsorbent. Transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, and imaging studies revealed that spherical magnetite particles were evenly distributed over the pine cone surface. Adsorption studies showed that the optimum pH of As (III) adsorption was 8 and that Fe (III) leaching was negligible at this pH.

Facile microwave synthesis of pine cone derived C-doped TiO for the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride under visible-LED light.

Pine cone derived carbon was doped into TiO via a facile microwave procedure at different powers, different from other conventional synthesis methods. The materials were adequately characterized and applied in the photodegradation of 5 mg/L tetracycline hydrochloride (TA) under visible-LED light. The XRD results showed that all materials exist as both anatase and rutile phase.

Degree of time dependency of kinetic coefficient as a function of adsorbate concentration; new insights from adsorption of tetracycline onto monodispersed starch-stabilized magnetic nanocomposite.

The realization that the observed kinetic coefficient (k) varies with time in most real-time adsorption system, as against the constant value conceived in the most widely-applied adsorption kinetic models, have attracted much attention in recent time. Understanding the factors that control the extent/degree of time dependency (otherwise known as fractal-like kinetics), is therefore central in taking manipulative advantage of this phenomenon in critical adsorption applications. This study therefore deployed non-fractal-like and fractal-like kinetic approach to study the adsorption of tetracycline on monodispersed starch-stabilized magnetite nanocomposite (MSM).

Mathematical modelling of Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr and Cd ions adsorption from a synthetic acid mine drainage onto chitosan derivative in a packed bed column.

Studies on the adsorption of toxic metal ions in batch mode using modified chitosan beads have been reported by several authors in literature; for large-scale operations, packed bed column studies are performed to generate data that are directly applicable in real wastewater treatment. In this work, the application potential of chitosan derivative for the uptake of Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, and Cd ions from aqueous solution in a packed bed adsorption column was investigated. On this note, the adsorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM); the effect of breakthrough parameters such as influent concentration, bed height, and feed flow rate was determined.

The Adsorption of Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cd by Modified Ligand in a Single Component Aqueous Solution: Equilibrium, Kinetic, Thermodynamic, and Desorption Studies.

In this investigation, an amino functionalized adsorbent was developed by grafting 4-aminobenzoic acid onto the backbone of cross-linked chitosan beads. The 3 sets of beads including chitosan (CX), glutaraldehyde cross-linked chitosan (CCX), and 4-aminobenzoic acid grafted cross-linked chitosan (FGCX) were characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA. The water content and amine concentration of FGCX were determined.

Chromium (VI) ion adsorption by grafted cross-linked chitosan beads in aqueous solution - a mathematical and statistical modeling study.

Chitosan outstanding qualities and efficient way of binding metal ions even to near zero concentration is the major reason for special attention. Modification of chitosan allows the polymer to be applied in numerous field of research. Depending on the modification techniques, chitosan possesses increased adsorption capacity.

The grafting of acrylic acid onto biosorbents: effect of plant components and initiator concentration.

Acrylic acid was grafted onto raw and Fenton's reagent treated pine cone using KMnO4 as initiator to determine the effect of plant organic components on grafting process. Concentration of the KMnO4 was varied between 0.0005 and 0.

Evaluation of snail shell as a coagulant aid in the alum precipitation of aniline blue from aqueous solution.

The present studies aimed to evaluate the potential of snail shell (SS) as a coagulant aid in the alum precipitation of aniline blue (AB), an acid dye, from an aqueous system. The proximate physico-chemical characteristics of the SS were determined, and the results obtained showed that the pH(solution) was 8.01, the SS was made up of a high fraction of inorganic constituents (ash content of 93.

Biosorption of copper(II) and lead(II) onto potassium hydroxide treated pine cone powder.

Pine cone powder surface was treated with potassium hydroxide and applied for copper(II) and lead(II) removal from solution. Isotherm experiments and desorption tests were conducted and kinetic analysis was performed with increasing temperatures. As solution pH increased, the biosorption capacity and the change in hydrogen ion concentration in solution increased.

Intraparticle diffusion process for lead(II) biosorption onto mansonia wood sawdust.

The overall biosorption rate of lead(II) onto mansonia wood sawdust has been determined. Kinetic modeling revealed that pseudo-second-order kinetics described the experimental data fully while pseudo-first kinetics followed for only 5 min. Ion-exchange constant, S, was similar to the pseudo-first-order rate constant, k(1), indicating that ion-exchange is important only in the first 5 min.

Equilibrium studies of copper ion adsorption onto palm kernel fibre.

The equilibrium sorption of copper ions from aqueous solution using a new adsorbent, palm kernel fibre, has been studied. Palm kernel fibre is obtained in large amounts as a waste product of palm oil production. Batch equilibrium studies were carried out and system variables such as solution pH, sorbent dose, and sorption temperature were varied.

Competitive modeling for the biosorptive removal of copper and lead ions from aqueous solution by Mansonia wood sawdust.

Mansonia wood sawdust is applied as a biosorbent for the removal of copper and lead ions from single and binary aqueous solution. The effect of solution pH, electrolyte, metal ion competition and temperature were examined to obtain insight of its application for industrial waste water treatment. The Langmuir isotherm provided a better fit to experimental data for lead ion sorption with a higher monolayer capacity, while copper ion sorption was best described by the Freundlich and BET isotherms.

Removal of copper(II) from aqueous solution by pine and base modified pine cone powder as biosorbent.

Pine cone, a popular agricultural waste in South Africa has been studied for its potential application as a biosorbent in its raw and sodium hydroxide modified form. Surface modification were carried out using sodium hydroxide solution of concentration ranging from 0.01 to 0.

Effect of temperatures and pH on methyl violet biosorption by Mansonia wood sawdust.

In this study, the effect of temperature on the equilibrium biosorption of methyl violet dye from aqueous solution using Mansonia wood sawdust was studied. The equilibrium biosorption data were analyzed using three widely applied isotherm models; Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson isotherm. The fit of three linear Langmuir isotherm forms, the Freundlich isotherm, and the Redlich-Peterson isotherm were determined using linear and the non-linear methods.

Effect of pH on cadmium biosorption by coconut copra meal.

Biosorption of cadmium ion by coconut copra meal, an agricultural waste product was investigated as a function of initial solution pH and initial cadmium concentration. Pseudo-second-order kinetic analyses were performed to determine the rate constant of biosorption, the equilibrium capacity, and initial biosorption rate. Cadmium biosorption by copra meal was found to be dependent on the initial solution pH and initial cadmium concentration.

Kinetic studies of copper ion adsorption on palm kernel fibre.

Palm kernel fibre is a common agricultural waste in West Africa and its use as an adsorbent for the removal of copper ions from aqueous solution has been studied. Batch kinetics studies were carried out based on the assumption of the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which was developed to predict the rate constant of adsorption, the equilibrium adsorption capacity and initial adsorption rate with the effect of initial copper concentration and reaction temperature. A comparison was made of the linear least-squares method and a trial-and-error non-linear method of the pseudo-second-order kinetic model for the adsorption of copper onto palm kernel fibre.

Pseudo-second-order model for lead ion sorption from aqueous solutions onto palm kernel fiber.

The sorption of lead ion onto palm kernel fiber was studied by performing batch kinetic sorption experiments. The batch sorption model, based on a pseudo-second-order mechanism, was applied to predict the rate constant of sorption, the equilibrium capacity and the initial sorption rate with the effects of the initial solution pH and fiber dose. Equilibrium concentrations were evaluated with the equilibrium capacity obtained from the pseudo-second-order rate equation.

Effects of calcium competition on lead sorption by palm kernel fibre.

The kinetics of sorption of a mono-solute of lead ions and of a bi-solute of lead and calcium ions onto palm kernel fibre was investigated in a batch system. The experimental data were analysed based on an intraparticle diffusion equation and a pseudo-second-order mechanism, in both the mono- and bi-solute sorption systems, in order to predict the rate constant of sorption, the equilibrium capacity, and the initial sorption rate. The results indicate that the sorption mechanism is described by a pseudo-second-order equation.