Dose Concentration Research Articles

The effect of citric acid concentration, reaction temperature and time on the esterification of some varieties of yam flour in Nigeria

Citric acid esterification of two accessions of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata), Aro, Efuru and Yellow yam (D. cayanensis) flours were carried out with four different concentrations of citric acid (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%w/v/100 g sample) under varying reaction temperature and time (110 °C for 2 h, 110 °C for 3 h, 120 °C for 2 h and120 °C for 3 h). The degree of substitution (DS), reaction efficiency (RE) and alpha—amylase digestibility of the products were determined. The DS obtained was 0.011–0.178. The reaction efficiency at 110 °C for 2 h, 110 °C for 3 h, 120 °C for 2 h and 120 °C for 3 h across all samples were (11.33–34.05%), (12.96–52.14%), (26.67–39.94%) and (32.01–65.11%) respectively. For esterification at 120 °C for 3 h, the reaction efficiencies were higher than 50% for almost all samples at a citric acid concentration of 10–30%w/v. However, at 40%w/v, the reaction efficiency decreased to less than 50%. Alpha-amylase digestibility reduced as the concentration of citric acid, temperature and reaction time of the esterification process increased. The least reduction in digestibility (1.15%) was obtained at 110 °C for 2 h at 10% citric acid concentration, while the highest reduction in digestibility (93.42%) was obtained at 120 °C for 3 h at 30% citric acid concentration. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the concentration of citric acid, reaction temperature and time correlate positively with the degree of substitution and alpha-amylase resistivity, however steric effect reduced the reaction efficiency as the concentration of citric acid dosages increased.

Methodological optimization for efficient degradation of Acid Violet 49 using advanced oxidation processes and varied photocatalyst combinations

This study investigates the photodegradation of Acid Violet 49 in an aqueous medium under UV, UV/H2O2, and combined with photo catalyst (UV/H2O2/TiO2, UV/H2O2/ZnO, and UV/H2O2/SnO2). The impact of all operational parameters including catalytic dosage, peroxidation (H2O2), pH and dye concentration were evaluated. The degradation efficiency of AV49 was enhanced up to 96% with the alternative photocatalyst UV/H2O2/ZnO under the circumstances of 0.6mL H2O2, 0.9 g ZnO, 50 mg/L initial dye concentration, and pH 9 after 90 min. Hemolytic test were used to check the toxicity level of products. FTIR spectroscopy of UV/ZnO/H2O2 was applied to identify the functional group of AV49 before and end product of the degradation. Moreover, the analytical technique LC-MS provided valuable information regarding the degradation products of AV 49. A proposed pathway was identified based on the findings of the degradation product.

Zinc Oxide-Functionalized Hydrophobic Cellulose Nanofiber Aerogel Tailored for Eliminating Conventional Ibuprofen Tablets from Water.

A hydrophobic cellulose aerogel having water contact angle of 149⁰ was fabricated by harnessing the effect of both zinc oxide nanoflakes and stearic acid, and then employed for the elimination of emerging pharma residue Ibuprofen from water. The kinetic experimental data obtained for adsorption process was well suited with pseudo-second order kinetics. The adsorption process was well governed by Langmuir monolayer adsorption and the modified aerogel exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 33.52 mg/g. The hydrophobic aerogel exhibited a removal efficiency of 70 % within 60 min of contact time. Moreover, the efficiency of the adsorption process was also analyzed by altering various parameters such as pH, adsorbate dosage and adsorbent concentration. The adsorption efficiency was maximum at pH 2 and at 60 minutes of contact time. The elimination of IBP from water by the hydrophobic cellulose aerogel was assisted by hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction occurred between the adsorbent and adsorbate, which was confirmed by the IR spectroscopy and SEM-EDX of the aerogels before and after the IBP adsorption process. The demonstrated work mainly emphasises assessing the practical applicability of the modified aerogel in adsorbing conventional ibuprofen (IBP) tablets directly obtained from the market rather than solely targeting the pharmaceutical ingredient and thereby, this approach could be effectively implemented at the industrial level.

Synergistically piezocatalytic and Fenton-like activation of H2O2 by a ferroelectric Bi12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O19.5 catalyst to boost degradation of polyethylene terephthalate microplastic (PET-MPs)

Pollution of microplastics (MPs) has been drastically threating human health, however, whose elimination from the environment by current approaches is inefficient due to their high molecular weight, stronghydrophobicity and stable covalent bonds. Herein, we report a novel and highly-efficient route to degrade MPs contaminants through synergistically piezocatalytic and Fenton-like activation of H2O2 by a ferroelectric Bi12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O19.5 catalyst under ultrasound treatment. For 10 g/L polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs), the synergistic strategy reached a 28.9 % removal rate in 72 h, which is greatly enhanced in comparison to the individual piezocatalysis and Fenton (Fenton-like) activation. By optimizing the types of oxidants (H2O2, peroxymonosulfate and peroxydisulfate) and bismuth ferrite catalysts (non-piezoelectric Bi2Fe4O9 and piezoelectric BiFeO3/Bi12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O19.5), it was revealed that H2O2 is the best oxidant, and the piezoelectric Bi12(Bi0.5Fe0.5)O19.5 with a high aspect-ratio morphology showed higher activity than the Bi2Fe4O9 and BiFeO3. The catalyst dosage and H2O2 concentration were further optimized, and the good durability of the catalyst was also demonstrated through multiple uses. Different characterization technologies demonstrated the occurrence of PET-MPs oxidation and fragmentation during the treatment process. The plausible mechanism of synergistically piezocatalytic and Fenton-like H2O2 activation was proposed based on measurements of band structure, piezoelectric property and reactive oxygen species generation. Finally, we detected the intermediates and determined a possible degradation route of PET-MPs. The toxicity assessment indicated that the produced intermediates have low toxicity and potential risks to the environment.

Solar Sonophotocatalytic Hydrogen Recovery from Sulphide Wastewater

Sonolysis-assisted photocatalytic hydrogen recovery from sulphide wastewater was conducted using Carbon nanotube (CNT) deposited ZnS/Fe2O3 core-shell particles. The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized for XRD, UV-DRS, SEM, EDX, HRTEM, FTIR, PL and XPS. Effect of catalyst dosage, photolytic volume and sacrificial agent (SO32-) concentrations were conducted for maximum hydrogen production. After optimization studies, it is observed that the maximum amount of hydrogen yield was obtained with 0.2M concentrations of sacrificial agent, 0.05g/L of catalyst dosage and 150mL of liquid depth. The prepared photocatalyst is found to be stable up to 6 cycles. Sonophotocatalysis shows better performance than sonolysis and photocatalysis. 6250 μmol/h is the highest H2 yield recovered from the sulphide containing wastewater collected from the sewage treatment plant.

Removal of <i>para</i>-Phenylenediamine (PPD) Dye from Its Aqueous Solution by Adsorption Using the Activated Carbon Nanoparticles

This study focused on the development of an efficient preparation method of activated carbon for the removal of para-phenylenediamine (PPD) dye in an aqueous solution. Walnut shells, a readily accessible biomass source in northern Iraq, were processed into activated carbon (AC). Several techniques, such as FTIR, XRD, and SEM, were applied to describe and study the surface of AC. According to XRD analysis, all the reflection peaks with the relative intensities of various planes indicate that the obtained particle size was around 7.63 nm. The influences of contact time, adsorbent, and other variables (the thermodynamic parameters for the influence of temperature) were calculated after studying the dosage and initial concentration. The effects of the change in the acidity functions and the increasing temperature were also studied. The results found that the best adsorption occurred in 120 min, with a 0.1 g adsorbent substance weight and pH 5. The adsorption rate was at its best at a temperature of 318 K. The best-recorded adsorption rate was obtained when applying the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, and the adsorption processes were of a physical nature.

Optimisation of mercury adsorption by ZIF-8 from aqueous solutions through response surface methodology

ABSTRACT Mercury is one of the most toxic heavy metals. Various techniques have been used to remove it from water sources. Among these, adsorption is a low-cost and effective method to remove mercury even in very low concentrations. One of the adsorbents that has gained considerable popularity recently is the zeolite imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). In this study, after the synthesis of ZIF-8, its properties were determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission electron microscopy (FESEM). Temperature (25–61 °C), contact time (5–85 min), adsorbent dosage (0.1–0.9 g/L), pH (2–10), and initial mercury concentration (24- mg/L) were investigated. The optimal conditions for the adsorption method were determined using the response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal conditions for mercury elimination included a primary mercury concentration of 4 mg/L, a temperature of 61°C, adsorbent dose (0.5 g/L), and a pH of 7; the elimination efficiency under these conditions was 91.66%. The adsorption equilibrium data were analysed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, and the Langmuir model was found to be consistent with the adsorption isotherm (R2 = 0.9363). The adsorption kinetics closely matched the pseudo-second-order model (R2 = 0.9998). These results indicate that the nanoporous adsorbent ZIF-8 can successfully eliminate mercury from aqueous environments.

Enhanced Fenton-Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B over Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles Synthesized by a Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Assisted Grinding Method.

A simple grinding method using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a capping agent is introduced to synthesize CoFe2O4 nanoparticles. The effects of calcination temperature (ranging from 450 to 850 °C) on the structural, morphological, physical, and optical properties of the materials are investigated using various techniques, including thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption isotherm, ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The presence of PVP significantly suppresses the agglomeration of the materials, resulting in a nanocrystalline size of 18 nm for a sample calcined at 650 °C, which is approximately 38% smaller than that of the sample synthesized without PVP. Among the materials studied, the sample calcined at 650 °C exhibits unique properties, including optimal average pore size, specific surface area, and band gap energy, contributing to its superior photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B via the Fenton reaction. Systematic experiments are performed to investigate the effects of pH, catalyst dosage, dye, and H2O2 concentrations and competitive anions on the rhodamine B degradation. Additionally, the Fenton photodegradation of RhB on CoFe2O4 is well-fitted to the first-order kinetic model. The redox pairs of Co(III)/Co(II) and Fe(III)/Fe(II) in the CoFe2O4 spinel structure might facilitate the formation of Fenton radicals, contributing to the decomposition of RhB through a proposed four-step mechanism. Notably, the material exhibits a strong magnetic response and maintains its excellent performance over five cycles, demonstrating the high potential for reusability as a photocatalyst.

Porous biochars derived from brewery waste for the treatment of Cr(VI)-contaminated water.

The use of brewery waste for the removal of pollutants such as chromium has rarely been studied. In the present work, the removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from aqueous solutions was evaluated by brewer's spent grain (BSG), brewing sewage sludge (BSS), and their mixture (MIX), which were obtained from the Bedele Brewery Share Company, Ethiopia. BSG with acid and heat treatment at 600 °C was selected during the preliminary screening experiments and further characterized via FTIR, XRD, and SEM. An adsorption experiment was carried out in batches to study the effectiveness of adsorbents in removing Cr(VI) under different conditions. Factors affecting adsorption, including pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial Cr(VI) concentration, were analyzed and optimized. The best conditions for the highest efficiency in removing Cr(VI) were a contact time of 7 h, initial solution pH of 2, initial Cr(VI) concentration of 40 mg/L, and adsorbent dose of 2 g/L. The pseudo-second-order (PSO) model, which suggests chemisorption of Cr(VI) on the surface of the adsorbent, describes the kinetics of Cr(VI) removal by the adsorbent (R2 = 0.9570). The Freundlich isotherm was a good fit for the experimental equilibrium adsorption data. The BSG biochar was found to have an approximate adsorption capacity of 31.87 mg/g for Cr(VI). The ability to recycle adsorbents suggests that BSG biochar could be effectively used to treat Cr(VI) in wastewater. As a result, converting industrial waste into useful material is cost effective and beneficial for the protection of the environment. More research is recommended to study how well this adsorbent works in real wastewater samples and during the column adsorption process.

Silica nanoparticles@folic acid (SNPs@FA) nanocomposite for the effective removal of Hg(II) from aqueous solution: insight into physicochemical properties, adsorption modelling, isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic investigations

ABSTRACT This study involved the preparation and utilisation of silica nanoparticles functionalised with folic acid (SNPs@FA) nanocomposite in the adsorptive removal of Hg(II) from aqueous solutions before its spectrometric analysis. Different characterisation techniques were employed to comprehensively assess the different physicochemical properties of the prepared adsorbent, such as elemental analysis, FTIR, SEM, TEM, XRD, TGA, BET, and pHpzc. Investigations were conducted into the variables influencing the adsorption process, such as pH, contact duration, adsorbent dosage, and Hg(II) concentration. It was found that a pH of 7 was ideal, while adsorption equilibration took 80 min. The Langmuir model suited the experimental data well, and 129.03 mg/g of Hg(II) was the maximum adsorption capacity. The kinetic data obtained from the experiments exhibited a remarkable alignment with the pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, the computed thermodynamic characteristics provided compelling evidence that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The recommended process was effectively used to recover Hg(II) that had been added to some real water samples. The regeneration investigation using potassium iodide demonstrated the remarkable regenerative power of the manufactured adsorbent. Finally, the obtained results in this work showed that silica nanoparticles@folic acid nanocomposite is a very efficient and environmentally safe adsorbent and can be used for cleaning mercury-contaminated water.

MOF incorporated Polyethersulfone/Polylactic Acid ultrafiltration membranes for the catalytic removal of dyes via persulfate activation

This study synthesized novel nanocellulose/zeolitic Imidazolate Framework nanocomposite blended Polyethersulfone/Polylactic Acid (PES/PLA-CNF@ZIF-8) membranes through a modified phase inversion process. This is the first time that a nanocellulose-MOF composite catalytic nanomaterial has been synthesized and used as an additive in polymeric membranes. The morphology and chemical structure of the membranes and nanoparticles were characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) respectively. Membrane wettability and crystalline structure were characterised by contact angle, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis respectively. CNF@ZIF-8 modified membranes showed improved contact angle which decreased from 76° in the pristine membranes to 40° in 2 wt% membranes, bulk porosity increased from 74.3.3 % to 81.06 % while the pure water flux increased from 208.30 Lm-2h−1 to 348.73 Lm-2h−1. Further, the modified membranes showed an increase in surface roughness reaching 84.14 nm in 2 wt% membranes. The synthesized membranes have been used as catalysts in the activation of persulfate to degrade Rhodamine B dye. The modified membranes displayed a high catalytic effect (>90 %) in activating persulfate to degrade RhB dye when compared to pristine membranes which showed a degradation efficiency of < 35 %. The study found that the optimum parameters for pH, membrane (catalyst) dosage, oxidant and initial dye concentration were 5, 0.3 g, 0.4 mM and 10 ppm respectively. Quenching experiments showed that •SO4- and •OH radicals were responsible for the dye degradation, with •SO4- radicals playing a major role in the oxidative degradation of the RhB dye. The synthesized membranes showed good stability when tested within five cycles, with the membranes showing degradation efficiency ranging from 92.1 % in the 1st cycle to 91.9 % in the 3rd cycle, before decreasing to 75.3 % in the 5th cycle. This study has therefore shown that the synthesized PES/PLA-CNF@ZIF-8 membranes have potential for use as catalysts in the degradation of cationic dyes in wastewater treatment through persulfate activation.

Synergistic adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of ciprofloxacin in aqueous medium using advanced g-C3N4/MoS2 heterostructures

The g-C3N4/MoS2 (CNMS) nanocomposites were fabricated by using one-pot synthesis method for the enhanced visible-light-driven photodegradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP). The MoS2 can be directly anchored onto the well-exfoliated g-C3N4 nanosheets to form CNMS nanocomposites. The CNMS nanocomposites possess excellent mesoporous structure with continuous pore texture, which can readily transport electrons to enhance the visible-light response as well as to significantly decrease the charge recombination rate. The as-prepared CNMS heterojunction exhibits excellent adsorption and photocatalytic synergistic effect on CIP removal, and the maximum adsorption capacity is 41.0 mg g−1. Moreover, the photoactivity of CNMS is a function of pH, catalyst dosage, and initial CIP concentration, and the photodegradation behavior of CIP over CNMS can be described by a second-order rate equation. The optimal rate constant is 9 × 10−4 L mg−1 min−1 at pH 5. A nearly complete removal efficiency of CIP can be achieved through the adsorption and photodegradation when the CIP concentration is < 20 mg L−1. Moreover, the CNMS nanocomposites have excellent structural stability, physicochemical stability and good reusability after five cycles. Meanwhile, •O2− is the primary reactive species for the photodegradation of CIP and a possible reaction mechanism for CIP photodegradation is proposed. This work has elaborated a new insight of synthesizing highly efficient and environmentally stable photocatalysts by engineering the surface heterojunction via one-pot method for the water and wastewater purification.

Eco-Friendly Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles for Quinoline Dye Photodegradation and Antibacterial Applications Using Advanced Machine Learning Models

Community drinking water sources are increasingly contaminated by various point and non-point sources, with emerging organic contaminants and microbial strains posing health risks and disrupting ecosystems. This study explores the use of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) as a non-specific agent to address groundwater contamination and combat microbial resistance effectively. The ZnO-NPs were synthesized via a green chemistry approach, employing a sol-gel method with lemon peel aqueous extract. The catalyst was characterized using techniques including XRD, ATR-FTIR, SEM-EDAX, UV-DRS, BET, and Raman spectroscopy. ZnO-NPs were then tested for photodegradation of quinoline yellow dye (QY) under sunlight irradiation, as well as for their antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The ZnO-NP photocatalyst showed significant photoactivity, attributed to effective separation of photogenerated charge carriers. The efficiency of sunlight dye photodegradation was influenced by catalyst dosage (0.1–0.6 mg L−1), pH (3–11), and initial QY concentration (10–50 mg L−1). The study developed a first-order kinetic model for ZnO-NPs using the Langmuir–Hinshelwood equation, yielding kinetic constants of equilibrium adsorption and photodegradation of Kc = 6.632 × 10−2 L mg−1 and kH = 7.104 × 10−2 mg L−1 min−1, respectively. The results showed that ZnO-NPs were effective against Gram-positive bacterial strains and showed moderate antioxidant activity, suggesting their potential in wastewater disinfection to achieve sustainable development goals. A potential antibacterial mechanism of ZnO-NPs involving interactions with microbial cells is proposed. Additionally, Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) combined with an improved Lévy flight distribution (FDB-LFD) algorithm was used to model QY photodegradation by ZnO-NPs. The ARD-Exponential kernel function provided high accuracy, validated through residue analysis. Finally, an innovative MATLAB-based application was developed to integrate the GPR_FDB-LFD model and FDB-LFD algorithm, streamlining optimization for precise photodegradation rate predictions. The results obtained in this study show that the GPR and FDB-LFD approaches offer efficient and cost-effective methods for predicting dye photodegradation, saving both time and resources.

Decontamination of water contaminated by the herbicide glyphosate through adsorption technology: a critical review

One of the biggest problems facing today's society is the rampant use of herbicides, as agricultural overproduction increasingly relies on these chemicals. Despite having a targeted application, their release into soil particles and water resources is inevitable, leading to damage at environmental and social levels. Therefore, adsorption technology presents itself as an alternative to decontaminating wastewater, presenting a high advantage in the removal and cost-benefit of the process. This study provides a qualitative exploratory analysis, where the understanding of the topic is achieved based on a thorough bibliographical survey focused on the removal of glyphosate using different adsorbent materials. Work related to glyphosate adsorption analyzes several parameters such as pH, adsorbent dosage and adsorbate concentration, kinetic time, and temperature effect. It was observed that when the herbicide concentration was increased, the adsorption capacity also increased, whereas removal showed the opposite behavior, decreasing with increasing concentration. The ideal pH value depends largely on the characteristics of the adsorbent such as surface area, and functional groups present on the surface, among others. The kinetic studies showed a better fit to the Pseudo-second order model, while the adsorption equilibrium studies showed a better fit to the Freundlich and Langmuir model. Therefore, current literature shows that several materials can be used as alternative sources of adsorbents for the remediation of glyphosate present in water

Magnetic carrageenan gum-grafted-polyacrylamide nanocomposite for uptake of cationic dyes from the aquatic systems

Using an ex-situ growth approach, this research fabricated k Carrageenan/Polyacrylamide@magnetite nanocomposites (NCs), (k-Car/PAM@Magnetite NCs). The k-Carrageenan (k-Car) backbone was modified through graft polymerization of acrylamide (PAm) via radical polymerization using ammonium persulfate (APS) as the initiator. N'-N' methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA) was used as the cross-linking agent, and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were incorporated to impart magnetic properties. The successful synthesis of the k-Car/PAM@Magnetite NCs was confirmed through various analyses, including FT-IR, FESEM, EDS, XRD, VSM, BET, TGA, and Zeta. The adsorption effectiveness of the NCs for removing methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) from wastewater was evaluated by optimizing experimental parameters such as pH, adsorbent dosage, agitation time, and initial dye concentration. The NCs demonstrated a maximum adsorption capacity according to the Langmuir Isotherm (Qmax) of 204.082 mg. g−1 for MB and 200 mg.g−1 for RhB using 0.004 g of NCs.The adsorption data fit the Freundlich non-linear isotherm model well, and the kinetic data followed a pseudo-second-order (PSO) model. It is evident from the thermodynamic parameters that adsorption is an endothermic process that is spontaneous and favourable. The k-Car/PAM@Magnetite NCs also exhibited excellent regeneration capabilities, maintaining high adsorption efficiency after three consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles.

Role of letermovir therapeutic drug monitoring for cytomegalovirus prophylaxis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients: a prospective study.

The role of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients receiving letermovir has not yet been clarified. This study is to explore letermovir trough concentration (Cmin) correlation with its clinical efficacy and adverse events, and factors affecting its plasma concentrations. A prospective, non-interventional study was performed in allo-HSCT recipients receiving letermovir prophylaxis. Plasma concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Data analysis was performed using logistic regression, linear regression, and classification and regression tree (CART) models. 701 trough concentrations from 71 recipients were included, uncovering pronounced intra- and inter-individual variability in letermovir Cmin. During 24-week follow-up, CMV infection incidence was 16.4%. A significant correlation was identified between letermovir Cmin and its clinical efficacy, and the CART model showed an increased risk of CMV infection when Cmin ≤ 2731 ng/mL. However, no clear correlation was found between Cmin and adverse events. Gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease, cyclosporine Cmin, gender, and concomitant medications, including mycophenolate mofetil, ondansetron, caspofungin, and methylprednisolone, may impact letermovir Cmin. Additionally, coadministration with cyclosporine injection significantly decreased median letermovir Cmin compared with cyclosporine capsules (2311 vs. 3386 ng/mL). Moreover, with the extension of time post-transplant, trough concentrations of both cyclosporine and letermovir significantly decreased. TDM for letermovir may be beneficial in allo-HSCT recipients considering the variability in letermovir Cmin and its correlation with clinical efficacy. Moreover, drug interactions and the effects of changes in cyclosporine dosage forms or concentrations require careful monitoring for their effect on letermovir Cmin.

Synthesis of bagasse-derived magnetic biochar for the removal of fluoride from water solution

ABSTRACT Fluoride levels in drinking water pose a significant environmental threat, and adsorption is a common technique. However, many adsorbent materials have drawbacks such as poor adsorption capabilities, extended contact times, high pH levels, and large dosages. A biochar-based magnetic composite adsorbent has been developed for water defluoridation using a chemical co-precipitation process to immobilize iron particles on the biochar surface. X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, and scanning electron microscopy were used to analyse the composite. The central composite design was used to design laboratory tests, which included four input variables: solution pH, dosage, contact time, and initial concentration. The adsorbent dosage was 5.92 g/L, the aqueous pH was 5.79, the contact time was 66.48 min, and the initial fluoride concentration was 12.38 mg/L. The removal efficiency was predicted to be 98.61%, with a 98.55% removal efficiency at optimum conditions. The study concluded that the composite adsorbent can be a reliable and sustainable solution for fluoride removal from water.

Fe-doped SrZrO3 nanostructures as photocatalyst: Solid-state synthesis and UV-light driven eradication of thymol blue dye

In this study, pristine and Fe-doped Strontium Zirconate (SZF0 and SZF10) nanophosphors were synthesized using a simple solid-state method. The structural and optical properties of the synthesized materials were extensively characterized using Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The PXRD analysis confirmed the multiple phase purity and crystallinity with #96–900–0228 (orthorhombic) and #96–153–8368 (cubic) of the samples, having calculated crystallite size of 22.2 nm for SZF0 and 21.4 nm for SZF10. UV-visible spectroscopy revealed the quenching of bandgap energies from 3.24 eV to 1.65 eV for effective UV-light absorption. Raman spectroscopy provided insights into the prominent vibrational modes (Ag, B2g, and B3g) and structural integrity of the doped and undoped samples. Morphological analysis through FESEM and EDAX affirmed the agglomerated cluster clubbed morphology and stated elements of the SZF10 sample with particle size distribution averaging at 22.11 nm which was well aligned with PXRD results. Meanwhile, the TEM analysis confirms the same with high crystallinity. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized SZF10 sample was evaluated by degrading TB dye under various experimental conditions. The results show a prominent degradation rate of 81.04 % at the 90th minute. The same results were utilized in studying the kinetics of the degradation process which align with the 1st-order kinetics with k and R2 values of 0.00737 and 0.98034, respectively. The influence of different parameters such as pH, catalyst dosage, and dye concentration on the degradation efficiency was systematically studied to obtain the optimum values.

A Study on Antioxidant and Gastro-protective Effects of Trachyspermum ammi Linn Extract Using Different In-vitro Techniques

The use of a plant's seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for therapeutic purposes is known as herbal medicine, often called botanical medicine or phytomedicine. There is a long history of using herbs outside of traditional treatment. The use of herbal medicine in treating and preventing disease is becoming more widespread due to advancements in clinical research, analysis, and quality control. There is a long history of using native plants in traditional medicine. Plants serve as the primary source of resources for the conventional medical procedures practiced in rural and tribal regions in India and other countries. Ajowan, or Trachyspermum ammi, is a widely used name. One of the traditional possible herbs used as a spice in daily life is ajwain, or Trachyspermum ammi L., a member of the Apiaceae family. Fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices all contain phenolic compounds, which have potent anti-inflammatory, antigenotoxic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. A Soxhlet extractor was utilized to extract the methanol from the dried seeds of Trachyspermum ammi. The Fenton reaction was used to measure the seed's total phenolic content, and it showed good antioxidant activity at various dosage concentrations. With ascorbic acid serving as the standard reducing agent, the antioxidant activity of the seed extract was evaluated. The UV-visible spectrophotometer was used to obtain the current results. A notable concentration-dependent free radical scavenging and reduction power was demonstrated in this plant extract, Trachyspermum ammi. Using SGOT and SGPT enzymes, we also determined that the gastroprotective action of T. ammi extract was significantly higher than that of the standard medication Liv52 and control liver enzymes. The liver histology slide treated with T. ammi extract shows a typical liver lobule. The hepatocytes are polyhedral, have eosinophilic cytoplasm, and typically have a central nucleus. Endothelially lined sinusoids are located between the hepatocyte cords and exhibit normal liver histology compared to control and Liv52-treated groups. Significantly less intestinal histology was observed as compared to untreated control. The current study concludes that Trachyspermum ammi extract may have a natural antioxidant and gastroprotective activity. Trachyspermum ammi is a great way to add gastroprotective and antioxidant phenolic components to your diet.

Biosorption of dyes in wastewater using chitosan/polyethylene nanoparticle as adsorbent

Chitosan/low-density polyethylene (CHNP/LDPE) nanoparticles, sized at approximately 200 nm, were developed as effective adsorbents for removing dyes from wastewater. This study involved a systematic experimental investigation to evaluate the effects of several parameters: adsorbent dosage, contact time, temperature, pH, and initial dye concentration, all conducted in batch experiments at ambient temperature. The optimal adsorption conditions were identified; specifically, a pH of 5 was most effective for Methylene Blue (MB) dye, while a pH of 6 yielded the best results for Bromocresol Green (BG) dye. The highest removal efficiency was observed with an initial dye concentration of 50 mg/L and an adsorbent dosage of 0.05 mg/L. Equilibrium studies indicated that the adsorption process conformed to the Langmuir isotherm model for single systems. Notably, MB exhibited a higher adsorption capacity of 147 mg/g compared to BG’s capacity of 142.8 mg/g. These findings underscore the potential of CHNP/LDPE biocomposites as a novel biosorbent for dye removal in wastewater treatment applications, suggesting an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to managing dye pollutants.Graphical abstract