Eco-friendly Water Research Articles

Carbon Nanoparticles as Sources for a Cost-Effective Water Purification Method: A Comprehensive Review

As the global population grows, the demand for cost-effective and eco-friendly water purification methods is increasing, which presently is at its peak due to the increase of impurities in water and the increasing awareness of waterborne disease. Carbon-based materials, which includes activated carbon, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), fullerene, and carbon dots, are observed as potential candidates for water treatment. In the present review, developments related to water purification methods using carbon nanomaterials over the last decade are critically summarized, with an emphasis on their thermophysical properties. The fabrication techniques for activated carbon, CNTs, graphene, and graphene oxide are presented, with an emphasis on the properties of carbon materials that allow their usage for water purification. Then, an extensive review of 71 patents dedicated to water purification using carbon materials such as activated carbon and cotton fibers is performed. Subsequently, the more important research studies on water purification using carbon nanomaterials are discussed, showing that CNTs, GO, and rGO are widely used in water treatment processes. The present review critically discusses the recent developments and provides important information on water purification using carbon materials.

Current Research Trends and the Need for Localization in Ultrapure Water Production Facilities in Semiconductor Industries

Objectives : This study aims to summarize the market status, patent applications, and technology trends for the production of ultrapure water in semiconductor industries. In addition, the potential of technological localization of ultrapure water production facility is reviewed in order to incubate domestic core technologies as well as to reduce the technical dependence to the market stake holders.Methods : Through the collection and summary of information from global water institute (GWI), market analyst firms in ultrapure water fields, and the patent analysis for the past 10 years, the technological gap between domestic and market leading in Japan, the United States, and Europe were analyzed. In addition, the research trend related to the core removal processes for the production of ultrapure water was also analyzed.Results and Discussion : As a result of market analysis in the industrial water sector, the capital investment is expected to reach USD 39.9 billion by 2024, with a steady growth of 4.1% per year. The unit processes required for the production of ultrapure water becomes more complex and diversified, and the recent technological advancement has been mainly put on the development of eco-friendly water treatment processes such as electrodeionization (EDI) in order to reduce the chemical usage. In addition, research on the development of new processes for the treatment of hardly degradable trace substances (i.e. urea, THM, IPA, etc.) is actively under investigation. However, the patent analysis revealed that the three Japanese companies occupied 71% of the world’s patents on the ultrapure water production.Conclusions : In ultrapure water production technology, the design of unit processes is important, and the design of a system that combines and arranges unit processes is the core technology. Thus, the incubation of domestic companies that have ability to design the array of unit processes for ultrapure water production is necessary for the localization of ultrapure water technology. However, although a few companies have completed the commercialization of core technologies, there is lack of the test field to evaluate the long-term performance of products. Therefore, for the development of domestic technologies in the ultrapure water production, it is necessary to construct a test-bed capable of evaluating the performance of domestic products. In addition, it is expected that localization of ultrapure water production technology will be facilitated with the participation of consumers.

Multifunctional MgFe2O4/GNPs nanocomposite: Graphene-promoted visible light driven photocatalytic activity and electrochemical performance of MgFe2O4 nanoparticles

Herein, the electrochemical and photodegradation properties of magnesium ferrite and graphene-nanoplatelets nanocomposites, (MFO)1-x(GNPs)x, (x = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75) are reported. Benefitting from the effective interfacial interaction of the bi-phase nanocomposite and superior electrical conduction of GNPs, a significant enhancement in supercapacitive performance has been demonstrated. Interestingly, the electrochemical properties of nanocomposite electrode were found to depend on the loading ratio of GNPs. Notably the (MFO)0.50(GNPs)0.50 (50 wt % GNPs) shows an outstanding energy storage capacity i.e., 612 Fg–1 at 0.5 Ag–1 with 21.25 Wh kg−1 energy density at power density of 125 W kg−1 and retains ~76.8 % of the first cycle capacitance after continuous 1500 charge/discharge cycles. Furthermore, the (MFO)0.75(GNPs)0.25 (25 wt % GNPs) composite demonstrates admirable photodegradation efficiency (99.3 % in 60 min of visible light illumination) which is 3.2 times than that of neat MFO nanoparticles. The superior electrochemical and photodegradation performance suggests that the prepared nanocomposites can be effectively utilized in high‐performance energy storage devices and low cost, eco-friendly water purification systems.

Application of carboxymethylated carob bean gum as eco-friendly water based drilling fluids additive

Application of carboxymethylated carob bean gum as eco-friendly water based drilling fluids additive

Application of carboxymethylated carob bean gum as eco-friendly water based drilling fluids additive

Application of carboxymethylated carob bean gum as eco-friendly water based drilling fluids additive

Effect of iron sulfide nanopriming in reducing Drechslera seed rot and seedling mortality in rice

Potential of sonochemically synthesized iron sulfide aqua dispersed nanoparticles (FeS-NFs) against Drechslera oryzae causing seed rot and seedling blight in rice was examined. Stable aqua dispersed nanoparticles of FeS were prepared in situ using ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4. 7H2O) and sodium sulfide (Na2S) via sonochemical method. SEM graphs revealed the inhibition of spore formation in Drechslera oryzae at 17μg/ml, with much higher efficacy than the standard fungicide, captan. Rice seeds primed in FeS-NFs (30μg/ml) for 8 hours showed a significant reduction of 82.12% in seed rot and 76.08% in seedling blight which was far better than that controlled by captan (63.4% and 65.21%) and hydropriming (69.2% and 63.04%). The primed seeds showed maximum germination (90±2%) with longer shoot length (11.1±1.1cm) and vigorous seedlings without any symptoms of phytotoxicity. Utilization of FeS-NFs as eco-friendly water based antifungal seed priming agent (acting as both fungicide and nutrient) can provide better alternative to organic fungicides.

Improved disinfection performance towards human adenoviruses using an efficient metal-free heterojunction in a vis-LED photocatalytic membrane reactor: Operation analysis and optimization

Abstract Waterborne human viruses, with ubiquitous prevalence in aquatic environments, extremely low infectious doses, and high resistance to common disinfection processes, pose a substantial threat to human health. Herein, for the first time, a photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR) driven by visible light emitting diodes (Vis-LEDs) was applied for effective water disinfection of human adenoviruses. The photocatalyst used in the PMR was selected to be a metal-free heterojunction (named as CNO) with the advantages of visible-light-response, efficient virucidal effects, green properties and easy recovery via microfiltration. The disinfection performance of the Vis-LED PMR towards human adenoviruses was improved by adjusting operation with response surface methodology (RSM). Based on twenty sets of operating data, a semi-empirical model was established with a high accuracy of R2 = 0.9622 for predicting the final adenovirus inactivation after 300-min operation. The optimal operating solution was found to be 5.00-log MPN/mL, 320.30 mg/L and 502.65 min for initial virus concentration (IVC), photocatalyst loading (PL) and hydraulic retention time (HRT), respectively. Under the optimized operation, all human adenoviruses were completely inactivated without regrowth, accompanied by severe damage to capsids, within 600 min in the Vis-LED PMR. In addition, the CNO photocatalyst could be retained inside the reactor via low-energy microfiltration with excellent recovery (99.9 wt%) but without obvious chemical or structural changes. Our work can offer a simple, effective, economical and eco-friendly water disinfection device against resistant pathogenic microbes, with controllable efficiency by facilely varying operating solutions.

Arene-ruthenium(II)-phosphine complexes: Green catalysts for hydration of nitriles under mild conditions

Three new arene-ruthenium(II) complexes were prepared by treating [{RuCl(µ-Cl)(η6-arene)}2] (η6-arene = p-cymene) dimer with tri(2-furyl)phosphine (PFu3) and 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA), respectively to obtain [RuCl2(η6-arene)PFu3] [Ru]-1, [RuCl(η6-arene)(PFu3)(PTA)]BF4[Ru]-2 and [RuCl(η6-arene)(PFu3)2]BF4[Ru]-3. All the complexes were structurally identified using analytical and spectroscopic methods including single-crystal X-ray studies. The effectiveness of resulting complexes as potential homogeneous catalysts for selective hydration of different nitriles into corresponding amides in aqueous medium and air atmosphere was explored. There was a remarkable difference in catalytic activity of the catalysts depending on the nature and number of phosphorus-donor ligands and sites available for catalysis. Experimental studies performed using structural analogues of efficient catalyst concluded a structural-activity relationship for the higher catalytic activity of [Ru]-1, being able to convert huge variety of aromatic, heteroaromatic and aliphatic nitriles. The use of eco-friendly water as a solvent, open atmosphere and avoidance of any organic solvent during the catalytic reactions prove the reported process to be truly green and sustainable.

Dataset on physicochemical properties of particle-sized Moringa oleifera seed cake and its application as bio-coagulants in water treatment application

Abstract The dataset provided information about on the phytochemical and mineral composition of investigation Moringa oleifera cake residue used for the bio-coagulation of water for drinking. Four sets of mass spectrometric methods viz; Gas Chromatography Mass- Spectrometer (GC–MS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), LC-MS-Quadrupled time of Flight Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS/QToF), X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF). The three spectrometry approaches provided a blueprint and basis for future investigation on the physicochemical properties of Moringa oleifera in an eco-friendly water treatment process.

Effect of organizational paddy water management by a water user group on methane and nitrous oxide emissions and rice yield in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

To mitigate the emissions of greenhouse gases from paddy fields and solve water shortage problems, sustainable and eco-friendly water management systems for rice cultivation urgently need to be constructed. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) water management is effective and saves water. However, practical examples of AWD at the district or on-farm level are limited. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of AWD in experimental block units (conventional, weak-dry, and strong-dry) in paddy fields of about 44 ha in the Red River Delta area of Vietnam by examining the effects of intermittent irrigation (i.e., AWD) on the ponding depth, CH4 and N2O emissions, and rice yield in blocked experimental plots. Intermittent irrigation was expected to be achieved through the operation of irrigation pumps and sluice gates of water division works by the water management organization (water user group) of the district. However, the ponding depth was not controlled as initially planned because of frequent rainfall and low rate of decrease of the ponding depth in the study area. It was, however, confirmed that the period during which the ponding depth decreased below the soil surface was mostly (but not always) longer in the dry-type blocks. CH4 emissions decreased with an increase in drying period and this reduction was large in the summer-autumn season. There appeared to be no relationship between N2O emissions and water management. Rice yield decreased due to extreme drying in the summer-autumn season but was not affected by drying in the winter-spring season. This study demonstrated that CH4 emissions can be reduced and rice yield can be maintained by achieving a maximum drying index (i.e., ratio of the period during which the ponding depth is below the soil surface) of 0.6 in the summer-autumn season in the paddy fields of the target area.

Improved electrochemical performance of nickel-cobalt hydroxides by electrodeposition of interlayered reduced graphene oxide

Efficient, economical, and eco-friendly water splitting catalysts are in priority to replace the fossil fuels. In the presented work, reduced graphene oxide is formed through electrochemical reduction and applied as an effective interlayer between nickel foam substrate and nickel-cobalt hydroxide catalyst to augment its activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction. Through subsequent cyclic voltammetry deposition of nickel-cobalt hydroxide over the surface of supported interlayer, the prepared electrocatalyst exhibited remarkable performance by reaching a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at a small overpotential of 60 mV in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, much lower than that of the same electrocatalyst without interlayer (78 mV). The proposed strategy made the active metallic catalyst phase acquiring a small Tafel slope and superior durability for hydrogen production in alkaline medium. By utilizing the reduce graphene oxide interlayer, the electrical conductivity of the final nickel-cobalt hydroxide electrode was boosted. Furthermore, a clear transition from ordered reticulated arrays of nanosheets to roughened and disordered nanosheet-comprised nanospheres is demonstrated for surface morphology of nickel-cobalt electrocatalyst that indeed prompts the increase in its electrochemically active surface area.

Immobilisation of bacteria onto magnetic nanoparticles for the decolorisation and degradation of azo dyes.

Azo dyes are widely used in industries and their release in the environment contributes to the pollution of effluents. The authors aim to develop a new eco-friendly water treatment method for the degradation of azo dyes based on in situ magnetic separation and immobilisation of bacterial cells. The immobilisation was achieved using superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and offers the possibility of reusing bacteria by magnetic separation for several degradation cycles. The iron-oxide nanoparticles were synthesised by reverse co-precipitation. The Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis were immobilised using iron-oxide nanoparticles by adsorption and then separated with an external magnetic field. Transmission electron microscopy observation showed that the particles' diameter was ∼20 nm with a narrow size distribution. Moreover, the iron-oxide nanoparticles were adsorbed onto the surface in order to coat the cells. B. subtilis has proved its ability to decolorise and degrade several azo dyes at different values of pH, with the highest decolorisation rate for Congo red. Furthermore, immobilised cells have a degradation activity similar to that of free cells. The system provided a degradation rate up to 80% and could be reused for seven batch cycles.

Gallotannin functionalized gold nanoparticles for rapid, selective and sensitive colorimetric detection of Ag+ in aqueous medium: Approach to eco-friendly water analysis

We have prepared gallotannin (GT) capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for rapid, sensitive and naked eye colorimetric detection of silver ion (Ag+) in aqueous medium. Amongst the 21 different metal ion studied for absorption titration, only Ag+ ion induces the change in color and spectral properties of GT capped AuNPs. The formation of GT capped AuNPs and its interaction with Ag+ were discussed with change in pink to yellowish brown color, hypsochromic spectral shift in absorption maximum wavelength, decrease in zeta potential and increase in particle size. The sequential addition of Ag+ to the colloidal suspension of GT capped AuNPs simultaneously increases the absorbance along with hypsochromic shift in wavelength maxima. The absorption titration results were fits well to calibration plot in linearity range of 0–1 ng/mL of Ag+ showing correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9983. The lower detection limit estimated for Ag+ is 0.22 ng/mL (2.05 nM) that shows sensitivity and selectivity of present analytical method towards detection of Ag+ in aqueous solution. The present method includes practical application for quantitative determination of Ag+ in real environmental water samples. Thus, the present study offers simple, cost-effective, selective, sensitive, speedy, profitable and naked eye detection of Ag+ in aqueous medium.

HENRY D. THOREAU’S HUT AND ANCIENT JAPANESE SUSTAINABLE WISDOM

For millions of years, human beings have been part of nature. People have lived on this planet looking to the stars for direction, forecasting the weather, and watching seasonal changes. However, despite our recent efforts to develop technology that will help us live easier lives, we seem to be living more complicated lives than ever before. How can we return to living simple lives? This study examines the meaning of the concept “a simple life” by investigating some common beliefs our ancestors shared toward houses: Henry David Thoreau’s cabin, the Japanese writer Kamono Chomei’s “Hojo-An,” and an Edo period fisherman’s hut. Especially, the life record of the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) offers hints as to how we can live in nature. He observed natural phenomena and cared deeply about the environment, and in his writing, he urges us to identify and preserve the irreplaceable things in our lives. Analogously, Japanese people of the Edo Period devoted thought and effort to living simply. They lived in harmony with nature. This study describes several facets of society and commerce in the city of Edo (present day Tokyo). As a model of sustainability, Edo made great developments, such as the construction of an eco-friendly water system by employing “ancient wisdom.” Finally, when dealing with natural disasters, we shouldn’t forget our experiences: even the most basic systems of the past can help us prepare for the future. Sometimes the best answer is the simplest.

Smart Surgical Catheter for C-Reactive Protein Sensing Based on an Imperceptible Organic Transistor.

Organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs)‐based sensors have a great potential to be integrated with the next generation smart surgical tools for monitoring different real‐time signals during surgery. However, allowing ultraflexible OFETs to have compatibility with standard medical sterilization procedures remains challenging. A novel capsule‐like OFET structure is demonstrated by utilizing the fluoropolymer CYTOP to serve both encapsulation and peeling‐off enhancement purposes. By adapting a thermally stable organic semiconductor, 2,10‐diphenylbis[1]benzothieno[2,3‐d;2′,3′‐d′]naphtho[2,3‐b;6,7‐b′]dithiophene (DPh‐BBTNDT), these devices show excellent stability in their electrical performance after sterilizing under boiling water and 100 °C‐saturated steam for 30 min. The ultrathin thickness (630 nm) enables the device to have superb mechanical flexibility with smallest bending radius down to 1.5 µm, which is essential for application on the highly tortuous medical catheter inside the human body. By immobilizing anti‐human C‐reactive protein (CRP) (an inflammation biomarker) monoclonal antibody on an extended gate of the OFET, a sensitivity for detecting CRP antigen down to 1 µg mL−1 can be achieved. An ecofriendly water floatation method realized by employing the wettability difference between CYTOP and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) can be used to transfer the device on a ventricular catheter, which successfully distinguishes an inflammatory patient from a healthy one.

Thermal and surface studies on the corrosion inhibition of petroleum pipeline by aqueous extract of Allium cepa skin under acidic condition

ABSTRACTIn this study, the temperature effect on the inhibitory action of the cheap, eco-friendly and sustainable hot water extract of onion skin (HWEOS) on the corrosion of C-steel petroleum pipeline in 1 M hydrochloric acid solution was investigated using weight loss technique. Generally, the inhibition was found to increase with inhibitor concentration but decreased with the increase in temperature. The presence of protective inhibitor film on metal surface was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The thermodynamic activation parameters were evaluated, suggesting a physical adsorption, the corrosion process was suggested to be a unimolecular reaction, the enthalpies reflected the endothermic nature of the steel dissolution process. Large and negative values of entropies showed that the activated complex in the rate determining step represented an association rather than a dissociation step. HWEOS adsorbed on the metal surface according to the Langmuir isotherm at all the studied temperatures. The compounds responsible for the inhibitory action of HWEOS were proved to be flavonoids including quercetin and a suggested mechanism of corrosion inhibition was elucidated.

Analysis Of Implementation Green Infrastructure Of Bregas Regional Water Supply System

The eco-friendly drinking water supply system (Green WSS) is an important issue in Indonesia’s development related to the low implementation of Green WSS in existing water supply building. While the current water supply system development criteria should have more efficient and eco-friendly infrastructure. This study aims to assess the implementation of Green WSS on Bregas Regional Water Supply System. Regional Water Supply System service areas of Bregas include Brebes Regency, Tegal City, and Tegal Regency with total discharge of 650 L/sec will be able to serve 52.000 connection house or some 260.000 people. Analysis method that used in this research is scoring analysis of Green WSS indicator and SWOT analysis, data collection obtained by interview, observation, and document study related to planning phase, construction phase, and operational and maintenance phase. According to the results of scoring analysis Green WSS indicator, Bregas Regional Water Supply System has a score of 264 out of 285 (green category) and based on SWOT analysis, it is in quadrant II, meaning the implementation of Green WSS shows the average condition. From those condition have been formulated 13 management strategies of Bregas Regional Water Supply System.

Modifying Surface Chemistry of Metal Oxides for Boosting Dissolution Kinetics in Water by Liquid Cell Electron Microscopy.

Dissolution of metal oxides is fundamentally important for understanding mineral evolution and micromachining oxide functional materials. In general, dissolution of metal oxides is a slow and inefficient chemical reaction. Here, by introducing oxygen deficiencies to modify the surface chemistry of oxides, we can boost the dissolution kinetics of metal oxides in water, as in situ demonstrated in a liquid environmental transmission electron microscope (LETEM). The dissolution rate constant significantly increases by 16-19 orders of magnitude, equivalent to a reduction of 0.97-1.11 eV in activation energy, as compared with the normal dissolution in acid. It is evidenced from the high-resolution TEM imaging, electron energy loss spectra, and first-principle calculations where the dissolution route of metal oxides is dynamically changed by local interoperability between altered water chemistry and surface oxygen deficiencies via electron radiolysis. This discovery inspires the development of a highly efficient electron lithography method for metal oxide films in ecofriendly water, which offers an advanced technique for nanodevice fabrication.

Chemically activated carbon from lignocellulosic wastes for heavy metal wastewater remediation: Effect of activation conditions

Chemical activation is known to induce specific surface features of porosity and functionality which play a definite role in enhancing the adsorptive potential of the developed activated carbons. Different conditions of temperature, time, reagent type and impregnation ratio were applied on sawdust precursor and their effect on the physical, surface chemical features and finally on the adsorption potential of the developed activated carbons were analysed. Under activation conditions of 600°C, 1hr, 1:0.5 ratio, ZnCl2 impregnated carbon (CASD_ZnCl2) resulted in microporosity while KOH impregnation (CASD_KOH) yielded a carbon having a wider pore size distribution. The surface chemistry revealed similar functionalities. At same pH, temperature and adsorbate concentrations, CASD_KOH demonstrated better adsorption potential (1.06mmoles/g for Cd2+ and 1.61mmoles/g for Ni2+) in comparison to CASD_ZnCl2 (0.23mmoles/g and 0.33mmoles/g for Cd2+ and Ni2+ respectively). Other features were a short equilibrium time of 60mins and an adsorbent dose of 0.2g/L for the CASD_KOH in comparison to CASD_ZnCl2 (equilibrium time of 150min and dosage of 0.5g/L). The nature of interactions was physical for both adsorbents and pore diffusion mechanisms were operative. The results reveal the potentiality of chemical activation so as to achieve the best physico-chemical properties suited for energy efficient, economical and eco-friendly water treatment.

Development of Eco-friendly water repellent fabrics

Lignin a natural source which is abundant, has a complex structure that doesn't allow water to escape outside and this paper investigate the possibility of extracting and coating of lignin in an eco friendly approach on textile materials. Laccase enzyme was extracted from Pleurotusostreatus mushroom showed an activity of 2.2. Enzymatic extraction of lignin from sugarcane bagasse and coir fibre was done, the amount of lignin isolated was 19% and 25.5% respectively. The extracted lignin was coated on 100% cotton and silk fabrics by pad-dry-cure process. Three different composition of cross linking agents and extracted lignin were taken and out of which 1% glutaraldehyde, 10% gelatine and 84% lignin showed effective spray rating test result of 80. The SEM analysis of the cotton and the silk fibre reveals that the water proof coating is uniform in cotton than that of the silk fabric.