Industrial Wastewater Samples Research Articles

One stone, three birds: The enhanced electrocatalytic sensing for 4-nitrophenol derived from the triple-strategies regulated interface of Co-ZIF-L/NCS/CP

4-nitrophenol (4-NP) is one of the most toxic organic pollutants, which causes severe damages to organism and environment. The electrochemical analysis for 4-NP proceeded slowly due to the hard electrocatalytic reduction of 4-NP, the limited catalytic sites and poor stability of the electrodes. In this paper, by the “one stone with three birds” strategy, a series of three-phase interfaces n-Co-ZIF-L/NCS-X/CP were constructed for the enhanced electrocatalytic sensing for 4-NP. By the dual in-situ strategy, NiCo2S4 (NCS) was first electrodepositing on carbon paper (CP) and then Co-based metal-organic framework (Co-ZIF-L) was grown on the NiCo2S4, which not only introduced abundant metal active sites, but also improved the interfacial stability due to the strong bond interactions; By the dual-regulation strategy, the structures and composites of NiCo2S4 and Co-ZIF-L were precisely regulated. The heterogeneous structure of lamellar and nanoflower-like NiCo2S4, as well as the two-dimensional leaf-like Co-ZIF-L, made more catalytic sites be exposed and improved the electrocatalytic activity; The triple synergistic effect among Co-ZIF-L, NiCo2S4 and CP effectively optimized the electronic structure of the interfacial active sites and widen the electron transport channels, thus accelerated the electrochemical sensing process. In addition, the three-phase interface of 0.3-Co-ZIF-L/NCS-20/CP was successfully applied for 4-NP detection in the practical samples of lake water, seawater and industrial wastewater.

Recycling of Sewage Sludge: Synthesis and Application of Sludge-Based Activated Carbon in the Efficient Removal of Cadmium (II) and Lead (II) from Wastewater.

The limited supply of drinking water has aroused people's curiosity in recent decades. Adsorption is a popular method for removing hazardous substances from wastewater, especially heavy metals, as it is cheap, highly efficient, and easy to use. In this work, a new sludge-based activated carbon adsorbent (thickened samples SBAC1 and un-thickened samples SBAC2) was developed to remove hazardous metals such as cadmium (Cd+2) and lead (Pb+2) from an aqueous solution. The chemical structure and surface morphology of the produced SBAC1 and SBAC2 were investigated using a range of analytical tools such as CHNS, BET, FT-IR, XRD, XRF, SEM, TEM, N2 adsorption/desorption isothermal, and zeta potential. BET surface areas were examined and SBAC2 was found to have a larger BET surface area (498.386 m2/g) than SBAC1 (336.339 m2/g). While the average pore size was 10-100 nm for SBAC1 and 45-50 nm for SBAC2. SBAC1 and SBAC2 eliminated approximately 99.99% of Cd+2 and Pb+2 out the water under all conditions tested. The results of the adsorption of Cd+2 and Pb+2 were in good agreement with the pseudo-second-order equation (R2 = 1.00). Under the experimental conditions, the Cd+2 and Pb+2 adsorption equilibrium data were effectively linked to the Langmuir and Freundlich equations for SBAC1 and SBAC2, respectively. The regeneration showed a high recyclability for the fabricated SBAC1 and SBAC2 during five consecutive reuse cycles. As a result, the produced SBAC1 and SBAC2 are attractive adsorbents for the elimination of heavy metals from various environmental and industrial wastewater samples.

Optimising microplastics analysis for quantifying and identifying microplastic fibres in laundry wastewater

Current methods for measuring microplastic fibres (MPF) are cumbersome, time consuming and unscalable for routine high throughput analysis. This study reports a method for rapidly extracting, quantifying and analysing MPFs in laundry wastewater with several key improvements which vastly enhance overall efficiency and scalability of analysis. FT-IR surveying is employed as a preliminary step in analysis to quickly determine what polymers are present in a sample prior to fluorescence treatment. Using random quadrating, whole 25 mm filter membranes were surveyed in <30 min with high recovery rates. In industrial laundry wastewater samples, polyester was the most common MPF, however acrylic, nylon, cotton and rayon were all ubiquitous. The study also demonstrates that an excitation wavelength of 365 nm was optimal for fluorescing PET fibres like polyester which were stained with Nile Red, but not 495 nm, which is commonly used in microplastic analysis. Finally, a custom ImageJ macro was written to automatically enumerate and describe MPFs on filter membranes using just a single stitched fluorescence image. In just a few seconds, concentrations of up to 40,000 fibres/L were analysed in industrial laundry wastewater samples with a lower particle size limit of 20 μm. This study highlights the need for more optimised and scalable analysis workflows which maintain high levels of reliability and accuracy.

An insight into the utilization of high-sulfur green Saudi Arabian petcoke as an ecofriendly sorbent for enhanced simultaneous sequestration of heavy metal ions from industrial wastewaters

Developing effective and green sorbents for the sequestration of water pollutants has increased attention to safe and sustainable water generation. This study aimed to discover a new utilization and the ability of green, high-sulfur Saudi Arabian petcoke (SA-PET) for heavy metal ion uptake. The organic sulfur content and aromatic properties of SA-PET allowed for rapid and improved performance against various metal ions via strong complex formation reactions and cation-π interactions. Also, the effects of different analytical factors were carefully studied and optimized. At pH 6–7, the maximum recovery values of PbII, CuII, CdII, ZnII, MnII, NiII and CoII metal ions were 21.09–95.76%. The experimental results demonstrate single-layer adsorption at the binding sites on the petcoke’s surface, and they are in good agreement with the Langmuir model in explaining the adsorption process, which is driven by electrostatic interactions between the petcoke surface and the studied metal ions. The pseudo-second-order kinetics model fits the adsorption data for all the target metal ions well. Furthermore, the outstanding SA-PET's stability allowed for efficient extractions over the course of 10 successive runs with negligible loss in the metal recovery percentage. With extraction recoveries up to 96.6% and a relative standard deviation less than 5%, SA-PET's efficiency in removing the target metal ions from different industrial wastewater samples gives it excellent promise as a novel green sorbent for detoxifying heavy metals from aquatic life. In conclusions, our findings, SA-PET emerged as a viable substitute for traditional synthetic adsorbents of heavy metals, in keeping with the growing trend toward green adsorbents for more sustainable development.

Efficient removal of environmentally hazardous heavy metal ions from water by NH2-MIL-101-Fe and MOF-808-EDTA based polyether sulfone adsorbents

The potential of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) based polymeric composites for heavy metal removal was analyzed in this study. Two mixed matrix composites, along with NH2-MIL-101-Fe and MOF-808-EDTA, were synthesized. The MOFs were synthesized using the solvothermal method, and the mixed matrix spheres (MMSs) were prepared using the facile dropping method. The MMSs were characterized, and batch adsorption studies were performed at different pH and adsorbent dosages. For both MMSs, the optimum pH was between 5–5.5, and the highest removal rates were obtained for MOF-808-EDTA spheres (94 % Hg2+, 86 % As, 80 % Mn). The optimum adsorbent dosage for MOF-808-EDTA was found to be 5.42 g/L, while for NH2-MIL-101-Fe, it was 7.13 g/L, after which the metal ion removal efficiency was reduced. Langmuir adsorption isotherm was fitted with thermodynamic evaluation of Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy. MOF-808-EDTA demonstrated a greater adsorption capacity of 272.7 mg/g (Hg2+), 151.29 mg/g (As3+), and 125.9 mg/g (Mn2+) than the other MMP. The Gibbs free energy of −20.14 (Hg2+), −12.66 (Mn2+), and −52.61 kJ/mol (As3+) were obtained from the thermodynamic study. The results indicated that the process was exothermic and spontaneous. Breakthrough column studies were performed for MOF-808-EDTA spheres using the pore-surface-diffusion model. The transient column study was conducted for individual heavy metal ion solutions using Addesign™ software to evaluate column exhaustion time, breakthrough time and length of mass transfer zone. Studies with multicomponent solutions of heavy metals also gave potentially promising results in the separation of 92 % of Hg, 84 % As, and 75 % Mn which indicates the prepared adsorbents can be used to remove heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater samples.

Monolayer calcium-doped layered yttrium hydroxide adsorbent for rapid and efficient removal of fluoride from industrial wastewater

Strategies for the rapid and efficient removal of fluoridated industrial wastewater are currently lacking. Herein, monolayer calcium-doped layered yttrium hydroxide (Ca-Y LRH) was synthesized through formamide exfoliation, and its removal of fluoride reached equilibrium within 4 min. The adsorption kinetics fit the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with a faster adsorption rate (KF = 0.22 mg g−1 min−1), and the adsorption isotherm followed the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 483.33 mg g−1. The interlayer chloride ions in the monolayer Ca-Y LRH were the main ligands for substituting fluoride, which inhibited the increase in pH and maintained the continuation of the fluoride removal process. Furthermore, the optimum fluoride removal performance of monolayer Ca-Y LRH was predicted by software-based multiparameter methods and was found to be useful for treating fluoridated industrial wastewater samples (858.17 or 8.72 mg L−1). These findings provide novel insights into the treatment of fluoridated industrial wastewater.

Graphene Incorporated Sugar Derived Carbon Aerogel for Pyridine Adsorption and Oil-Water Separation.

Herein, we have synthesized a three-dimensional and hydrophobic graphene incorporated carbon aerogel (G-SCA) derived from sugar. G-SCA is being used as a multifunctional sorbent material for removing various advanced water-soluble and insoluble pollutants. Initially, G-SCA is being explored for the adsorption of nitroarenes (nitrophenols, 3-nitroaniline), an insecticide (Phoskill), an antibiotic (ciprofloxacin), and a pharmaceutical drug precursor (pyridine). Later, the same G-SCA is also explored in the absorption of various protic and aprotic organic solvents, and oils (including crude oil, waste cooking oil, and waste engine oil), with excellent recyclability checked up to 10 cycles. Moreover, oil-water separation experiments are also being done in various industrial wastewater and seawater samples to support the real-life accessibility of the present approach. Large-scale applicability of G-SCA is also checked by performing crude oil-seawater separation experiments using a laboratory-scale prototype demonstrating the successful continuous recovery of crude oil.

Industrial Wastewater Efficiency Assessment of Al-Dora Refinery Plant in Baghdad by Decreasing BOD5 and COD Concentrations

In petroleum refineries, cooling towers, steam engines, and vacuum distillation all require a large volume of water. Before being dumped into the water bodies, it is then transported to an industrial water treatment facility. One of the study's objectives is to verify how well different processing units in the industrial wastewater treatment plant at the cycle refinery remove concentrations of chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD) and BOD. Five samples of industrial wastewater were collected before and after each treatment unit and one sample of wastewater was drained as a final product to the Tigris River. Over the summer, the BOD5 values after each processing unit were 180.8, 175.2, 111, 43, and 37 ppm. Winter readings were 106.8, 99.6, 81.2, 33.8, and 31 ppm, with summer and winter complete elimination rates of 79% and 71%, respectively. The reason for higher BOD5 concentrations in summer than in winter is due to higher temperatures that lead to evaporation and increased concentrations of BOD5 and COD pollutants. While COD concentrations were during the summer after each processing unit 399.6, 383.2, 187.2, 72.8, and 55.4 ppm, in winter they were 324.4, 310.2, 115, 46, and 42.6 ppm with a total removal rate of 86% in summer and 87% in winter. It was found that the refinery's water-drained treatment method, which includes a high proportion of BOD5 and COD concentrations in the main treatment plant, is effective. The water that flowed from the treatment plant into the river was within the national standard of the river water.

Photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange and methyl violet dyes by UV/Cu2+/PDS process

ABSTRACT This research is focused on the application of the UV/Cu2+/peroxydisulfate (PDS) system for the successful decolorization of methyl orange (MO) and methyl violet (MV) dyes in aqueous media. The effects of different parameters such as the equilibrium time, initial catalyst amount, PDS concentration and pH of the media in terms of MO and MV degradation were studied. Furthermore, the photocatalytic performance of the UV/Cu2+/PDS system was also investigated by performing the degradation of MO and MV in different water systems including distilled water, synthetic wastewater and industrial wastewater samples. The results revealed 94 and 89% degradation for MO and MV dyes in the UV/Cu2+/PDS system, respectively. The radical quenching experiments showed sulfate radicals (SO4·-) as the prominent species involved in the degradation of MO and MV dyes. Overall, it was concluded that the UV/Cu2+/PDS process has the ability to be adopted for the effective elimination of contaminants from the aquatic system.

Harnessing an amide-based covalent organic framework in solid-phase extraction for chlorophenol analysis in industrial wastewaters.

An amide-based covalent organic framework (COF) was successfully synthesized using the reaction between 1,3,5-trimesoyl chloride and ethylenediamine. The structure and morphology of the COF were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. The COF was employed as a solid-phase extraction adsorbent for the sampling and preconcentration of chlorophenols from industrial wastewater samples prior to high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The experimental parameters influencing the extraction efficiency including type and volume of eluent solvent, sample solution volume, salt concentration, sample flow rate, and sample solution pH were investigated and optimized using a response surface methodology employing Box-Behnken-design. Under optimized conditions, calibration curves exhibited good linearities over the range of 0.003-10µg/mL with determination coefficients (R2) ranging from 0.9982 to 0.9999. The method's limits of detection ranged from 0.001 to 0.01µg/mL. Good repeatability was achieved with relative standard deviations below 4.7%. The developed procedure utilizing the COF adsorbent was successfully applied to determine chlorophenols accurately and precisely in various industrial wastewater samples.

Amyloid fibril–bacterial cellulose nanohybrid membrane cartridge for efficient removal of heavy metal from industrial wastewater

ABSTRACT Worldwide, the harmful ion contamination of water has become a serious problem because of unregulated industry, energy production, and mining, which greatly increase the concentration of pollutants in water. The novel membranes through adsorbent self-assembly, such as protein amyloids, were explored for wastewater treatment. Herein, we report amyloid fibril (AF)-embedded bacterial cellulose nanohybrid membrane for efficient removal of heavy metal from industrial effluent. AFs are synthesized by heat treatment using bovine serum albumin and embedded with bacterial cellulose nanomembrane (BCN). The AF-embedded BCN (AF/BCN) was characterized using microscopy and spectroscopic methods. In addition, the well-ordered multi-layered AF/BCN filtration assembly was fabricated in the commercial cartridge and validated for the removal of heavy metals (Pb2+ and Hg2+) from wastewater and treatment of industrial wastewater sample containing heavy metals. Our multi-layered filtration assembly removed Hg2+ and Pb2+ with efficiency of 95 and 78.34%, respectively. A computational study using molecular docking has also been performed for the identification of metal entrapment sites. Moreover, our AF/BCN filtration assembly showed high regeneration capacity up to four cycles. The isotherm model also revealed a strong fit and good adsorption behaviour. This makes potential filtration assembly for low-cost, high-efficiency for the removal of heavy metal from wastewater.

Synthesis of oxygen vacancies rich CeO2-xNx/GCN hybrid nanostructure with great active interfaces for electrochemical detection of antiviral levofloxacin in pharmaceutical samples

COVID-19 is an emerging viral infectious disease. Severe respiratory problems are considered an important syndrome of COVID-19 in humans. Levofloxacin (LEV), a promising fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent/therapeutic agent for influenza virus (H1N1)-induced pneumonia drug. These have been used as a potent antidote for acute respiratory tract infections. Owing to its excellent pharmacokinetic properties such as potential antiviral and scavenging activity, LEV has been used in controlling and treating COVID-19 during infectious emergencies. Even taking over the dosage of LEV and disposing of the embryonic toxic nature of LEV residues in the pharmaceutical research industry can cause adverse effects on the public health and environment. For this purpose, the development of great analytical tools is important to the detection of antiviral LEV for human health safety and environmental protection. In this work, we report a nitrogen (N) doped strategy to construct the enriched oxygen vacancies (OVs) on CeO2-xNx/GCN-2 hybrid nanostructure as an efficient electrocatalyst for the ultrasensitive detection of antiviral LEV. The effect of the N doping into the CeO2 (CeO2-xNx) lattice with increasing the large amount of OVs and boosted their redox properties (Ce4+→Ce3+), thus provided that a great electrochemically active site. Although the abundant OVs were conformed on the CeO2-xNx/GCN-2 from the peak-area ratio of Ce3+/Ce4+ and O2/O1 by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) assay. Owing to the strong electronic coupling between the OV-rich CeO2-xNx and the conductive GCN surface, thus CeO2-xNx/GCN-2 heterojunction achieved superior analytical performance for LEV oxidation with a good linear range from 0.01 μM to 710 μM, and detection limits of 5.6 nM (S/N = 3), and sensitivity 24.711 μA μM−1 cm−2 at a very low working potential (0.7 V). The proposed hybrid sensor also exploited to the analysis of the pharmaceutical industry wastewater, pharmaceutical tablet and human urine samples with a satisfactory recovery rate.

GREEN SYNTHESIS OF TITANIUM OXIDE (TIO2) NANOPARTICLES USING Phyllanthus Niruri AND ASSESSMENT OF ITS PHYSIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT

This study investigates the green synthesis of titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, NPs and assessment of its physiochemical parameters in wastewater treatment. The methanol plant extract of Phyllanthus niruri was utilized for the biosynthesis of titanium oxide NPs. The preliminary phytochemical screening carried out on Phyllanthus niruri plant extract was conducted to identify the bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, anthraquinones, glycosides and steroids which may be responsible for stabilizing the nanoparticles synthesized. In the treatment of the industrial wastewater sample; the result indicated that the use of the synthesized titanium oxide nanoparticles led to percentage reduction of 67.21%, 58.96%, 91.19%, 75.56% and 94.67% for BOD, COD, turbidity, oil and grease and phosphate respectively, in the raw wastewater; and was more effective than the use of commercial titanium oxide NPs. The study indicates that synthesis of titanium oxide NPs using Phyllanthus niruri is a better alternative to chemical synthesis of NPs, the green synthesized material is eco-friendly and can serve as a treatment for industrial effluents.

Molecular identification of Proteus mirabilis, Vibrio species leading to CRISPR-Cas9 modification of tcpA and UreC genes causing cholera and UTI

Heavy metal accumulation increases rapidly in the environment due to anthropogenic activities and industrialization. The leather and surgical industry produces many contaminants containing heavy metals. Cadmium, a prominent contaminant, is linked to severe health risks, notably kidney and liver damage, especially among individuals exposed to contaminated wastewater. This study aims to leverage the natural cadmium resistance mechanisms in bacteria for bioaccumulation purposes. The industrial wastewater samples, characterized by an alarming cadmium concentration of 29.6 ppm, 52 ppm, and 76.4 ppm—far exceeding the recommended limit of 0.003 ppm—were subjected to screening for cadmium-resistant bacteria using cadmium-supplemented media with CdCl2. 16S rRNA characterization identified Vibrio cholerae and Proteus mirabilis as cadmium-resistant bacteria in the collected samples. Subsequently, the cadmium resistance-associated cadA gene was successfully amplified in Vibrio species and Proteus mirabilis, revealing a product size of 623 bp. Further analysis of the identified bacteria included the examination of virulent genes, specifically the tcpA gene (472 bp) associated with cholera and the UreC gene (317 bp) linked to urinary tract infections. To enhance the bioaccumulation of cadmium, the study proposes the potential suppression of virulent gene expression through in-silico gene-editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9. A total of 27 gRNAs were generated for UreC, with five selected for expression. Similarly, 42 gRNA sequences were generated for tcpA, with eight chosen for expression analysis. The selected gRNAs were integrated into the lentiCRISPR v2 expression vector. This strategic approach aims to facilitate precise gene editing of disease-causing genes (tcpA and UreC) within the bacterial genome. In conclusion, this study underscores the potential utility of Vibrio species and Proteus mirabilis as effective candidates for the removal of cadmium from industrial wastewater, offering insights for future environmental remediation strategies.

Evaluation of GC-EI&CI-TOFMS for Nontarget Analysis of Industrial Wastewater Using Hydrophilic-Lipophilic-Balanced SPME.

The evaluation of nontarget analysis (NTA) techniques for the monitoring of wastewater is important as wastewater is an anthropogenic pollution source for aquatic ecosystems and a threat to human and environmental health. This study presents the proof-of-concept NTA of industrial wastewater samples. A prototype hydrophilic-lipophilic-balanced (HLB) SPME and gas chromatography interfaced with time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) with electron ionization (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) in parallel are employed. The HLB-SPME consists of a poly(divinylbenzene-co-N-vinylpyrrolidone) structure, allowing the extraction of hydrophilic as well as lipophilic substances. As the combination of parallel CI and EI data provides a comprehensive data set as a unique feature, this study is strongly focused on the compound identification procedure and confidence reporting of exemplary substances. Furthermore, the use of three different CI reagent ions, including [N2H]+/[N4H]+, [H3O]+, and [NH4]+, enables a broad range of analytes to be ionized in terms of selectivity and softness. The complementary information provided by EI and CI data allows a level 3 identification or higher in 69% of cases. The polarity coverage based on the physicochemical properties of the analytes (such as volatility, water solubility, hydrophilicity, and lipophilicity) was visualized by using Henry's law and octanol-water partitioning constants. In conclusion, the presented approach is shown to be valuable for water analysis and allows enhanced and accelerated compound identification compared to utilizing only one type of ionization.

Analysis of the remediation competence of Aspergillus flavus biomass in wastewater of the dyeing industry: An in-vitro study

The dyeing industry effluent causes severe environmental pollution and threatens the native flora and fauna. The current study aimed to analyze the physicochemical parameters of dyeing industry wastewater collected in different sites (K1, E2, S3, T4, and V5), as well as the metal tolerance and decolourisation ability of Aspergillus flavus. Furthermore, the optimal biomass quantity and temperatures required for efficient bioremediation were investigated. Approximately five dyeing industry wastewater samples (K1, E2, S3, T4, and V5) were collected from various sampling stations, and the majority of the physical and chemical characteristics were discovered to be above the permissible limits. A. flavus demonstrated outstanding metal resistance to As, Cu, Cr, Zn, Hg, Pb, Ni, and Cd on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates at concentrations of up to 500 g mL−1. At 4 g L−1 concentrations, A. flavus biomass decolorized up to 11.2–46.5%. Furthermore, 35°C was found to be the optimal temperature for efficient decolourisation of A. flavus biomass. The toxicity of 35°C-treated wastewater on V. mungo and prawn larvae was significantly reduced. These findings indicate that the biomass of A. flavus can be used to decolorize dyeing industry wastewater.

Biosorption of Technologically Valuable Metal Ions on Algae Wastes: Laboratory Studies and Applicability

In the context of a circular economy that recommends the most efficient use of wastes, algae wastes have a huge potential for valorization. In this study, algae wastes obtained after the alkaline extraction of active compounds from two types of marine algae (green algae—Ulva sp. and red algae—Callithamnion sp.) were used as biosorbents to remove metal ions from aqueous effluents. The efficiency of these biosorbents was tested for Zn(II), Cu(II), and Co(II) ions, considered technologically valuable metal ions. The batch monocomponent experiments performed under optimal conditions (pH = 5.0; 4.0 g biosorbent/L; 22 ± 1 °C) showed that more than 75% of the metal ions were removed when their initial concentration was less than 1.25 mmol/L. The experimental data were well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. The high values obtained for the maximum biosorption capacity (qmax: Cu(II) (0.52 mmol/g) &gt; Zn(II) (0.41 mmol/g) &gt; Co(II) (0.39 mmol/g) for G-AWB, and qmax: Cu(II) (1.78 mmol/g) &gt; Zn(II) (1.72 mmol/g) &gt; Co(II) (1.66 mmol/g) for R-AWB) show the potential use of these biosorbents to remove such technologically valuable metal ions from industrial wastewater. This possibility was tested using industrial wastewater samples obtained from the metal coating industry. The quantitative removal (&gt;91%) of Zn(II), Cu(II), and Co(II) ions was obtained when their initial concentration was adjusted to 50 mg/L. In addition, the rapid and efficient desorption of these metal ions from loaded biosorbents by simple treatment with small volumes of HNO3 (10−1 mol/L) further emphasizes the possibility of their recovery and reuse in the technological circuit. The results included in this study indicate that algae wastes have the potential to be used in industrial effluent decontamination processes and open new perspectives for the implementation of circular economy principles.

Use of biokaolinite clay for the microbial removal of phenol from real industrial wastewater samples by Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis and Kocuria rosea

AbstractPhenol bioremediation was investigated using two bacteria (primarily cocci) Dermacoccus nishinomiyaensis, Kocuria rosea strains and the one actinomycetes Nocardiopsis lucentensis which were isolated from samples of activated sludge from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Beni‐Suef, Egypt as sole carbon and energy sources. This was applied on real industrial wastewater sample taken from Ul HAWA textile plant, Middle Egypt. Degradation of phenol by microbes adsorbed on natural kaolin clay was studied compared with free microbes. In case of 50 mg/L as starting phenol concentration, the percentage removal using free microbes was 68%, corresponding to 98% in case of microbes adsorbed on kaolin clay after the passage of 48 h under incubation at 30°C and neutral pH at 150 rpm. Also, 300 mg/L of phenol achieved degradation frequency of 80% compared to 38% after ≈48 h without clay addition. High concentrations of an organic pollutant are usually inhibitory for the microorganisms. Kaolin clay has a pronounced effect in accelerating phenol degradation through biofilm formation resulting in decreasing the degradation time, increasing the percentage of removing efficiency under high phenol concentration conditions due to its buffering effects on pH fluctuations of the degradation system. Kaolin clay protects microorganisms against unfavorable environment, resists the adverse effects of substrate inhibition and accelerates the degradation process. The adsorption process was demonstrated by the pseudo‐first‐order, pseudo‐second‐order, Weber–Morris adsorption kinetic models, and four isotherm models namely, Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin–Radushkevich have been applied to express the adsorption process. The SEM images of microbes adsorbed on kaolin clay explain their adsorption mode on the clay surface as biofilm (Bio kaolinite).

A novel ratiometric imprinted electrochemical sensing bisphenol A using MIP with alkenyl ferrocene as a functional monomer and COF-derived porous carbon as a sensitive element

Free radical polymerization is widely used for preparing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) by copolymerizing alkenyl functional monomers and cross-linkers with the template molecules. However, these monomers based electrochemical sensors can only construct single-signal electrochemical sensors, making them vulnerable to various interferences. Therefore, this work aims to construct a ratiometric molecularly imprinted (RMI) electrochemical sensor by free radical polymerization. First, 3-butenoic acid (ferrocenyl) methyl ester (BA-Fc) as an alkenyl ferrocene was synthesized using hydroxymethylferrocene as a reactant. A new ferrocene-based molecularly imprinted polymer (Fc-MIP) was then synthesized by free radical polymerization with BA-Fc as functional monomer. To enhance the electrical conductivity of the covalent organic framework (COF), COF-derived porous carbon (COF-PC) was synthesized through pyrolysis. A RMI electrochemical sensor was then constructed to detect bisphenol A (BPA). For this construction, COF-PC and Fc-MIP served as the sensitive and selective elements, respectively. The oxidation peaks of BPA and Fc were utilized for the response and internal reference signals, respectively. This sensor displayed a linear ratiometric signal (IBPA/IFc) in response to BPA concentrations from 0.1 to 10 µM with detection limit of 0.03 µM. The relative standard deviation of the non-ratiometric and ratiometric sensors was 6.71% and 3.10%, respectively, demonstrating the advantage of the RMI sensor. This proposed sensor, exhibiting satisfactory reproducibility, sensitivity, and selectivity, was successfully applied in detecting BPA in samples of industrial wastewater, soil, and plastic bottles.

Distinguishable photocatalytic activity of nano polyaniline with quantum dots metal oxide as photocatalysts for photodegradation of Dianix blue dye and different industrial pollutants

Nanopolyaniline (PAN) polymers have recently been under active investigation as promising photocatalysts. In this work, a simple modified sol–gel method is used to make nano PAN polymers, and a chemical polymerization method is used to make nano polyaniline titanium dioxide quantum dots (PAN-TiQD) polymers as an active photocatalyst during the photodegradation of Dianix blue dye as an organic pollutant under xenon light. The traditional colloidal sol–gel method and the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method were used to make TiQD, which was then mixed with nanoPAN to make PAN-5 % TiQD (W/W) nanocomposites. Characterizations like XRD, FTIR, UV and visible diffuse reflectance spectra, TGA, surface area, EDX, and TEM were used to characterize the nanoPAN and PAN-TiQD that were made. Also, the photocatalytic activity of all synthesized polymers was investigated by the photodegradation process of Dianix blue dye as an organic hazardous pollutant in aqueous medium using a xenon photoreactor with an initial power of 75 W/Cm2. The effects of irradiation time and photocatalyst type on the photodegradation process efficiency of Dianix blue dye were examined. After 3 h of photodegradation processes, the photodegradation efficiency of PAN-TiQD reached 69 % compared to 36 % of nanoPAN due to the fact that it contains 5 % TiQD as a highly active catalyst, which reached 91 %. As an added value for this study, a significant contribution is the examination of eight hazardous industrial wastewater samples, which were assessed under direct sunlight and were in accordance with the KSA environmental permissible limit of 1000 ppm.Finally, the recycling processes in the presence of all synthesized catalysts were investigated and evaluated six times. The photodegradation rate of the recycling processes of Dianix blue dye was highly decreased in the presence of nano PAN than PAN-TiQD, while it had a low decreasing percentage in the case of TiQD. The recycling process using sunlight for industrial pollution samples was investigated at one of the KSA textile plants by using six synthetic catalysts and assessing COD and TOC values.