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Fulltext Eco-Friendly CuO/Fe3O4 Nanocomposite synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity study

Dwivedi P, Malik A, Fatima Hussain HZ, Jatrana I, Imtiyaz K, Rizvi MMA, et al.

Heliyon, 2024 Mar 30;10(6):e27787.
PMID: 38496878 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27787

The current study report a convenient, simple, and low cost approach for the biogenic synthesis of CuO/Fe3O4 nanocomposites (NCs) from pumpkin seeds extract and their vitro cytotoxicity. The characterization of finally obtained CuO/Fe3O4 nanocomposites (NCs) performed using UV-Visible, FT-IR, XRD, XPS, GC-MS, SEM-EDX and TEM analysis. The formation and elemental analysis were determined using the energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis technique. The formation of rod-like monoclinic and spherical, having size range 5 nm-20 nm confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) respectively. Finally, the MTT assay of the synthesized composites was evaluated for toxicity against cancerous cell lines HCT-116 (Colon cancer cell) and A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma cell). The synthesized composite material showed moderate (IC50 = 199 μg/mL) to low (IC50 = 445 μg/mL) activity against HCT-116 and A549 cell lines, respectively.
Fulltext The Use of Essential Oil Embedded in Polylactic Acid/Chitosan-Based Film for Mango Post-Harvest Application against Pathogenic Fungi

Gunny AAN, Leem SJ, Makhtar MMZ, Zainuddin N, Mohd Roslim MH, Raja Hashim RH, et al.

Polymers (Basel), 2023 Jun 18;15(12).
PMID: 37376369 DOI: 10.3390/polym15122722

Mango has a high global demand. Fruit fungal disease causes post-harvest mango and fruit losses. Conventional chemical fungicides and plastic prevent fungal diseases but they are hazardous to humans and the environment. Direct application of essential oil for post-harvest fruit control is not a cost-effective approach. The current work offers an eco-friendly alternative to controlling the post-harvest disease of fruit using a film amalgamated with oil derived from Melaleuca alternifolia. Further, this research also aimed to assess the mechanical, antioxidant, and antifungal properties of the film infused with essential oil. ASTM D882 was performed to determine the tensile strength of the film. The antioxidant reaction of the film was assessed using the DPPH assay. In vitro and in vivo tests were used to evaluate the inhibitory development of the film against pathogenic fungi, by comparing the film with different levels of essential oil together with the treatment of the control and chemical fungicide. Disk diffusion was used to evaluate mycelial growth inhibition, where the film incorporated with 1.2 wt% essential oil yielded the best results. For in vivo testing of wounded mango, the disease incidence was successfully reduced. For in vivo testing of unwounded mango to which the film incorporated with essential oil was applied, although some quality parameters such as the color index were not significantly affected, weight loss was reduced, soluble solid content was increased, and firmness was increased, compared to the control. Thus, the film incorporated with essential oil (EO) from M. alternifolia can be an environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional approach and the direct application of essential oil to control post-harvest disease in mango.
A review on chitosan-cellulose blends and nanocellulose reinforced chitosan biocomposites: Properties and their applications

H P S AK, Saurabh CK, A S A, Nurul Fazita MR, Syakir MI, Davoudpour Y, et al.

Carbohydr Polym, 2016 Oct 05;150:216-26.
PMID: 27312632 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.05.028

Chitin is one of the most abundant natural polymers in world and it is used for the production of chitosan by deacetylation. Chitosan is antibacterial in nature, non-toxic, and biodegradable thus it can be used for the production of biodegradable film which is a green alternative to commercially available synthetic counterparts. However, their poor mechanical and thermal properties restricted its wide spread applications. Chitosan is highly compatible with other biopolymers thus its blending with cellulose and/or incorporation of nanofiber isolated from cellulose namely cellulose nanofiber and cellulose nanowhiskers are generally useful. Cellulosic fibers in nano scale are attractive reinforcement in chitosan to produce environmental friendly composite films with improved physical properties. Thus chitosan based composites have wide applicability and potential in the field of biomedical, packaging and water treatment. This review summarises properties and preparation procedure of chitosan-cellulose blends and nano size cellulose reinforcement in chitosan bionanocomposites for different applications.
Fulltext Development of Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method for Simultaneous Determination of Three Cationic Dyes in Environmental Samples

Hakami AAH, Wabaidur SM, Ali Khan M, Abdullah Alothman Z, Rafatullah M, Siddiqui MR

Molecules, 2020 Oct 06;25(19).
PMID: 33036289 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25194564

Lower dye concentrations and the presence of several dyes along with other matrices in environmental samples restrict their determination. Herein, a highly sensitive and rapid ultra-performance tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for simultaneous determination of cationic dyes, namely methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RB) and crystal violet (CV), in environmental samples. To preconcentrate environmental samples, solid-phase extraction cartridges were developed by using hydrogen peroxide modified pistachio shell biomass (MPSB). The surface morphological and chemical functionalities of MPSB were well characterized. The developed method was validated considering different validation parameters. In terms of accuracy and precision, the %RSD for all three dyes at all four concentration points was found to be between 1.26 and 2.76, while the accuracy reported in terms of the recovery was found to be 98.02%-101.70%. The recovery was found to be in the range of 98.11% to 99.55%. The real sample analysis shows that MB, RB, and CV were found in the ranges of 0.39-5.56, 0.32-1.92 and 0.27-4.36 μg/mL, respectively.
Bioremediation and Detoxification of the Textile Wastewater with Membrane Bioreactor Using the White-rot Fungus and Reuse of Wastewater

Hossain K, Quaik S, Ismail N, Rafatullah M, Avasan M, Shaik R

Iran J Biotechnol, 2016 Sep;14(3):154-162.
PMID: 28959331 DOI: 10.15171/ijb.1216

BACKGROUND: Application of membrane technology to wastewater treatment has expanded over the last decades due to increasingly stringent legislation, greater opportunities for water reuse/recycling processes and continuing advancement in membrane technology.
OBJECTIVES: In the present study, a bench-scale submerged microfiltration membrane bioreactor (MBR) was used to assess the treatment of textile wastewater.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The decolorization capacity of white-rot fungus coriolus versicolor was confirmed through agar plate and liquid batch studies. The temperature and pH of the reactor were controlled at 29±1°C and 4.5±2, respectively. The bioreactor was operated with an average flux of 0.05 m.d(-1) (HRT=15hrs) for a month.
RESULTS: Extensive growth of fungi and their attachment to the membrane led to its fouling and associated increase of the transmembrane pressure requiring a periodic withdrawal of sludge and membrane cleaning. However, stable decoloration activity (approx. 98%), BOD (40-50%), COD (50-67%) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal (>95%) was achieved using the entire system (fungi + membrane), while the contribution of the fungi culture alone for TOC removal, as indicated by the quality of the reactor supernatant, was 35-50% and 70%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The treated wastewater quality satisfied the requirement of water quality for dyeing and finishing process excluding light coloration. Therefore, textile wastewater reclamation and reuse is a promising alternative, which can both conserve or supplement the available water resource and reduce or eliminate the environmental pollution.
A novel agricultural waste adsorbent for the removal of lead (II) ions from aqueous solutions

Ibrahim MN, Ngah WS, Norliyana MS, Daud WR, Rafatullah M, Sulaiman O, et al.

J Hazard Mater, 2010 Oct 15;182(1-3):377-85.
PMID: 20619537 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.06.044

The present study explores the ability of modified soda lignin (MSL) extracted from oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) in removing lead (II) ions from aqueous solutions. The effect of contact time, point zero charge (pH(pzc)) and pH of the solution, initial metal ion concentration and adsorbent dosage on the removal process were investigated. Furthermore, the MSL is characterized by SEM, XRF, FT-IR and surface area analysis. Equilibrium adsorption isotherms and kinetics were investigated. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin models of adsorption. The kinetic data obtained at different initial concentrations were analyzed using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. The results provide strong evidence to support the hypothesis of adsorption mechanism.
Fulltext Exploration of Microbial Factories for Synthesis of Nanoparticles - A Sustainable Approach for Bioremediation of Environmental Contaminants

Kapoor RT, Salvadori MR, Rafatullah M, Siddiqui MR, Khan MA, Alshareef SA

Front Microbiol, 2021;12:658294.
PMID: 34149647 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.658294

The nanomaterials synthesis is an intensifying research field due to their wide applications. The high surface-to-volume ratio of nanoparticles and quick interaction capacity with different particles make them as an attractive tool in different areas. Conventional physical and chemical procedures for development of metal nanoparticles become outmoded due to extensive production method, energy expenditure and generation of toxic by-products which causes significant risks to the human health and environment. Hence, there is a growing requirement to search substitute, non-expensive, reliable, biocompatible and environmental friendly methods for development of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles synthesis by microorganisms has gained significant interest due to their potential to synthesize nanoparticles in various sizes, shape and composition with different physico-chemical properties. Microbes can be widely applied for nanoparticles production due to easy handling and processing, requirement of low-cost medium such as agro-wastes, simple scaling up, economic viability with the ability of adsorbing and reducing metal ions into nanoparticles through metabolic processes. Biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles offers clean, non-toxic, environmentally benign and sustainable approach in which renewable materials can be used for metal reduction and nanoparticle stabilization. Nanomaterials synthesized through microbes can be used as a pollution abatement tool as they also contain multiple functional groups that can easily target pollutants for efficient bioremediation and promotes environmental cleanup. The objective of the present review is to highlight the significance of micro-organisms like bacteria, actinomycetes, filamentous fungi, yeast, algae and viruses for nanoparticles synthesis and advantages of microbial approaches for elimination of heavy metals, dyes and wastewater treatment.
Fulltext A Review on the Role of Earthworms in Plastics Degradation: Issues and Challenges

Khaldoon S, Lalung J, Maheer U, Kamaruddin MA, Yhaya MF, Alsolami ES, et al.

Polymers (Basel), 2022 Nov 07;14(21).
PMID: 36365762 DOI: 10.3390/polym14214770

Recently, the contribution of earthworms to plastic degradation and their capability to swallow smaller plastic fragments, known as microplastics, has been emphasized. The worm physically changes the size of microplastics and enhances microbial activities to increase the possibility of degradation. However, no research has shown that earthworms can chemically degrade microplastics to an element form, CO2 or H2O. In this review, previous research has been thoroughly explored to analyse the role that earthworms could play in plastic degradation in the soil. Earthworms can significantly affect the physical characteristics of plastics. However, earthworms' abilities to chemically degrade or change the chemical structure of plastics and microplastics have not been observed. Additionally, earthworms exhibit selective feeding behaviour, avoiding areas containing a high plastics concentration and rejecting plastics. Consequently, earthworms' abilities to adapt to the microplastics in soil in the environment can cause a problem. Based on this review, the challenges faced in earthworm application for plastic degradation are mostly expected to be associated with the toxicity and complexity of the plastic material and environmental factors, such as the moisture content of the soil and its temperature, microbial population, and feeding method.
Heteroatom-doped magnetic hydrochar to remove post-transition and transition metals from water: Synthesis, characterization, and adsorption studies

Khan MA, Alqadami AA, Otero M, Siddiqui MR, Alothman ZA, Alsohaimi I, et al.

Chemosphere, 2019 Mar;218:1089-1099.
PMID: 30609488 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.11.210

Efforts to improve water quality have led to the development of green and sustainable water treatment approaches. Herein, nitrogen-doped magnetized hydrochar (mSBHC-N) was synthesized, characterized, and used for the removal of post-transition and transition heavy metals, viz. Pb2+ and Cd2+ from aqueous environment. mSBHC-N was found to be mesoporous (BET surface area - 62.5 m2/g) and paramagnetic (saturation magnetization - 44 emu/g). Both, FT-IR (with peaks at 577, 1065, 1609 and 3440 cm-1 corresponding to Fe - O stretching vibrations, C - N stretching, N - H in-plane deformation and stretching) and XPS analyses (with peaks at 284.4, 400, 530, 710 eV due to C 1s, N 1s, O 1s, and Fe 2p) confirmed the presence of oxygen and nitrogen containing functional groups on mSBHC-N. The adsorption of Pb2+ and Cd2+ was governed by oxygen and nitrogen functionalities through electrostatic and co-ordination forces. 75-80% of Pb2+ and Cd2+ adsorption at Co: 25 mg/L, either from deionized water or humic acid solution was accomplished within 15 min. The data was fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models, with maximum monolayer adsorption capacities being 323 and 357 mg/g for Cd2+and Pb2+ at 318 K, respectively. Maximum Cd2+ (82.6%) and Pb2+ (78.7%) were eluted with 0.01 M HCl, simultaneously allowing minimum iron leaching (2.73%) from mSBHC-N. In conclusion, the study may provide a novel, economical, and clean route to utilize agro-waste, such as sugarcane bagasse (SB), for aquatic environment remediation.
Fulltext Optimization for Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Cd(II) over Cu(II) Ions from Aqueous Solutions Using Ionic Liquid Aliquat 336 with Tributyl Phosphate

Lee LY, Morad N, Ismail N, Talebi A, Rafatullah M

Int J Mol Sci, 2020 Sep 18;21(18).
PMID: 32962106 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186860

This study investigates the separation of two heavy metals, Cd(II) and Cu(II), from the mixed synthetic feed using a liquid-liquid extraction. The current study uses tri-octyl methylammonium chloride (Aliquat 336) as the extractant (with tributyl phosphate (TBP) as a phase modifier), diluted in toluene, in order to investigate the selective extraction of Cd(II) over Cu(II) ions. We investigate the use of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a masking agent for Cu(II), when added in aqueous feed, for the selective extraction of Cd(II). Five factors that influence the selective extraction of Cd(II) over Cu(II) (the equilibrium pH (pHeq), Aliquat 336 concentration (Aliquat 336), TBP concentration (TBP), EDTA concentration (EDTA), and organic to aqueous ratio (O:A)) were analyzed. Results from a 25-1 fractional factorial design show that Aliquat 336 significantly influenced Cd(II) extraction, whereas EDTA was statistically significant for the antagonistic effect on the E% of Cu(II) in the same system. Moreover, results from optimization experiment showed that the optimum conditions are Aliquat 336 concentration of 99.64 mM and EDTA concentration of 48.86 mM-where 95.89% of Cd(II) was extracted with the least extracted Cu(II) of 0.59%. A second-order model was fitted for optimization of Cd(II) extraction with a R2 value of 0.998, and ANOVA results revealed that the model adequately fitted the data at a 5% significance level. Interaction between Aliquat 336 and Cd(II) has been proven via FTIR qualitative analysis, whereas the addition of TBP does not affect the extraction mechanism.
Fulltext Adsorption of Rhodamine B dye from aqueous solution onto acid treated banana peel: Response surface methodology, kinetics and isotherm studies

Oyekanmi AA, Ahmad A, Hossain K, Rafatullah M

PLoS One, 2019;14(5):e0216878.
PMID: 31091269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216878

The adsorption of rhodamine B (RhB) using acid modified banana peels has been examined. Chemical characteristics of the adsorbents were observed in order to determine active functional groups. The major functional groups on the surface were OH, C = O, C = C and C-O-C. Interactions between operational parameters were studied using the central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The predictions of the model output indicated that operational factors influenced responses at a confidence level of 95% (P<0.05). The optimum conditions for adsorption were pH 2 at a 0.2 g/L dose within 60 minutes of contact time. Isotherm studies were carried out using the optimized process variables. The data revealed that RhB adsorption fitted the Langmuir isotherm equation while the reduction of COD followed the Freundlich isotherm. Kinetic experiments fitted the pseudo second order model for RhB removal and COD reduction. The adsorption mechanism was not the only rate controlling step. Diffusion through the boundary layer described the pattern of adsorption.
Fulltext A review on the degradation of acetaminophen by advanced oxidation process: pathway, by-products, biotoxicity, and density functional theory calculation

Qutob M, Hussein MA, Alamry KA, Rafatullah M

RSC Adv, 2022 Jun 22;12(29):18373-18396.
PMID: 35799916 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra02469a

Water scarcity and the accumulation of recalcitrance compounds into the environment are the main reasons behind the attraction of researchers to use advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Many AOP systems have been used to treat acetaminophen (ACT) from an aqueous medium, which leads to generating different kinetics, mechanisms, and by-products. In this work, state-of-the-art studies on ACT by-products and their biotoxicity, as well as proposed degradation pathways, have been collected, organized, and summarized. In addition, the Fukui function was used for predicting the most reactive sites in the ACT molecule. The most frequently detected by-products in this review were hydroquinone, 1,4-benzoquinone, 4-aminophenol, acetamide, oxalic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, 1,2,4-trihydroxy benzene, and maleic acid. Both the experimental and prediction tests revealed that N-(3,4-dihydroxy phenyl) acetamide was mutagenic. Meanwhile, N-(2,4-dihydroxy phenyl) acetamide and malonic acid were only found to be mutagenic in the prediction test. The findings of the LC50 (96 h) test revealed that benzaldehyde is the most toxic ACT by-products and hydroquinone, N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)formamide, 4-methylbenzene-1,2-diol, benzoquinone, 4-aminophenol, benzoic acid, 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene, 4-nitrophenol, and 4-aminobenzene-1,2-diol considered harmful. The release of them into the environment without treatment may threaten the ecosystem. The degradation pathway based on the computational method was matched with the majority of ACT proposed pathways and with the most frequent ACT by-products. This study may contribute to enhance the degradation of ACT by AOP systems.
Tropical soil remediation from pyrene: Release the power of natural iron content in soil for the efficient oxidant's activation

Qutob M, Rafatullah M, Muhammad SA, Alamry KA, Hussein MA

J Environ Manage, 2024 Feb 27;353:120179.
PMID: 38295641 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120179

Natural soil minerals often contain numerous impurities, resulting in comparatively lower catalytic activity. Tropical soils are viewed as poor from soil organic matter, cations, and anions, which are considered the main impurities in the soil that are restricted to utilizing natural minerals as a catalyst. In this regard, the dissolved iron and hematite crystals that presented naturally in tropical soil were evaluated to activate oxidants and degrade pyrene. The optimum results obtained in this study were 73 %, and the rate constant was 0.0553 h-1 under experimental conditions [pyrene] = 300 mg/50 g, pH = 7, T = 55 °C, airflow = 260 mL/min, [Persulfate (PS)] = 1.0 g/L, and humic acid (HA) ( % w/w) = 0.5 %. The soil characterization analysis after the remediation process showed an increase in moieties and cracks of the soil aggregate, and a decline in the iron and aluminium contents. The scavengers test revealed that both SO4•- and O2•- were responsible for the pyrene degradation, while HO• had a minor role in the degradation process. In addition, the monitoring of by-products, degradation pathways, and toxicity assessment were also investigated. This system is considered an efficient, green method, and could provide a step forward to develop low-cost soil remediation for full-scale implementation.
Advanced oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tropical soil: Self-catalytic utilization of natural iron contents in an oxygenation reactor supported with persulfate

Qutob M, Rafatullah M, Muhammad SA, Siddiqui MR, Alam M

Sci Total Environ, 2024 May 20;926:171843.
PMID: 38521259 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171843

The catalysts derived from natural iron minerals in the advanced oxidation process offer several advantages. However, their utilization in soil remediation is restricted due to the presence of soil impurities, which can inhibit the catalytic activity of these minerals. The soils in tropical regions exhibit lower organic matter content, limited cation exchange capacity, and are non-saline, this enhances the efficiency of utilizing natural iron minerals from tropical soil as a catalyst. In this regard, the catalytic potential of naturally iron-bearing tropical soil was investigated to eliminate phenanthrene (PHE), pyrene (PYR), and benzo[α]pyrene (B[α]P) using an oxygenated reactor supported with persulfate (PS). The system showed an efficient performance, and the removal efficiencies under the optimum conditions were 81 %, 73 %, and 86 % for PHE, PYR, and B[α]P, respectively. This indicated that the catalytic activity of iron was working efficiently. However, there were changes in the soil characteristics after the remediation process such as a significant reduction in iron and aluminum contents. The scavenging experiments demonstrated that HO• had a minor role in the oxidation process, SO4•- and O2•- emerged as the primary reactive species responsible for the effective degradation of the PAHs. Moreover, the by-products were monitored after soil remediation to evaluate their toxicity and to propose degradation pathways. The Mutagenicity test showed that two by-products from each PHE and B[α]P had positive results, while only one by-product of PYR showed positive. The toxicity tests of oral rat LD50 and developmental toxicity tests revealed that certain PAHs by-products could be more toxic from the parent pollutant itself. This study represents a notable progression in soil remediation by providing a step forward in the application of the advanced oxidation process (AOP) without requiring additional catalysts to activate oxidants and degrade pollutant PAHs from the soil.
An insight into the role of experimental parameters in advanced oxidation process applied for pharmaceutical degradation

Qutob M, Alshehri S, Shakeel F, Alam P, Rafatullah M

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2024 Apr;31(18):26452-26479.
PMID: 38546921 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33040-3

The advanced oxidation process (AOP) is an efficient method to treat recalcitrance pollutants such as pharmaceutical compounds. The essential physicochemical factors in AOP experiments significantly influence the efficiency, speed, cost, and safety of byproducts of the treatment process. In this review, we collected recent articles that investigated the elimination of pharmaceutical compounds by various AOP systems in a water medium, and then we provide an overview of AOP systems, the formation mechanisms of active radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS), and their detection methods. Then, we discussed the role of the main physicochemical parameters (pH, chemical interference, temperature, catalyst, pollutant concentration, and oxidant concentration) in a critical way. We gained insight into the most frequent scenarios for the proper and improper physicochemical parameters for the degradation of pharmaceutical compounds. Also, we mentioned the main factors that restrict the application of AOP systems in a commercial way. We demonstrated that a proper adjustment of AOP experimental parameters resulted in promoting the treatment performance, decreasing the treatment cost and the treatment operation time, increasing the safeness of the system products, and improving the reaction stoichiometric efficiency. The outcomes of this review will be beneficial for future AOP applicants to improve the pharmaceutical compound treatment by providing a deeper understanding of the role of the parameters. In addition, the proper application of physicochemical parameters in AOP systems acts to track the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Adsorption of copper (II), chromium (III), nickel (II) and lead (II) ions from aqueous solutions by meranti sawdust

Rafatullah M, Sulaiman O, Hashim R, Ahmad A

J Hazard Mater, 2009 Oct 30;170(2-3):969-77.
PMID: 19520510 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.05.066

The present study proposed the use of meranti sawdust in the removal of Cu(II), Cr(III), Ni(II) and Pb(II) ions from synthetic aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption studies showed that meranti sawdust was able to adsorb Cu(II), Cr(III), Ni(II) and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions in the concentration range 1-200mg/L. The adsorption was favoured with maximum adsorption at pH 6, whereas the adsorption starts at pH 1 for all metal ions. The effects of contact time, initial concentration of metal ions, adsorbent dosage and temperature have been reported. The applicability of Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) isotherm was tried for the system to completely understand the adsorption isotherm processes. The adsorption kinetics tested with pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models yielded high R(2) values from 0.850 to 0.932 and from 0.991 to 0.999, respectively. The meranti sawdust was found to be cost effective and has good efficiency to remove these toxic metal ions from aqueous solution.
Adsorption of methylene blue on low-cost adsorbents: a review

Rafatullah M, Sulaiman O, Hashim R, Ahmad A

J Hazard Mater, 2010 May 15;177(1-3):70-80.
PMID: 20044207 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.12.047

In this article, the use of low-cost adsorbents for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from solution has been reviewed. Adsorption techniques are widely used to remove certain classes of pollutants from waters, especially those which are not easily biodegradable. The removal of MB, as a pollutant, from waste waters of textile, paper, printing and other industries has been addressed by the researchers. Currently, a combination of biological treatment and adsorption on activated carbon is becoming more common for removal of dyes from wastewater. Although commercial activated carbon is a preferred adsorbent for color removal, its widespread use is restricted due to its relatively high cost which led to the researches on alternative non-conventional and low-cost adsorbents. The purpose of this review article is to organize the scattered available information on various aspects on a wide range of potentially low-cost adsorbents for MB removal. These include agricultural wastes, industrial solid wastes, biomass, clays minerals and zeolites. Agricultural waste materials being highly efficient, low cost and renewable source of biomass can be exploited for MB remediation. It is evident from a literature survey of about 185 recently published papers that low-cost adsorbents have demonstrated outstanding removal capabilities for MB.
Titanium-based nanocomposite materials: a review of recent advances and perspectives

Shahadat M, Teng TT, Rafatullah M, Arshad M

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 2015 Feb 1;126:121-37.
PMID: 25543989 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2014.11.049

This article explains recent advances in the synthesis and characterization of novel titanium-based nanocomposite materials. Currently, it is a pressing concern to develop innovative skills for the fabrication of hybrid nanomaterials under varying experimental conditions. This review generally focuses on the adsorption behavior of nanocomposites for the exclusion of organic and inorganic pollutants from industrial effluents and their significant applications in various fields. The assessment of recently published articles on the conjugation of organic polymers with titanium has revealed that these materials may be a new means of managing aquatic pollution. These nanocomposite materials not only create alternative methods for designing novel materials, but also develop innovative industrial applications. In the future, titanium-based hybrid nanomaterials are expected to open new approaches for demonstrating their outstanding applications in diverse fields.
Fulltext Screening of different growth conditions of Bacillus subtilis isolated from membrane-less microbial fuel cell toward antimicrobial activity profiling

Sreedharan DK, Alias H, Makhtar MMZ, Shun TJ, Mokhtar AMA, Shukor H, et al.

Open Life Sci, 2024;19(1):20220809.
PMID: 38283116 DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0809

Bacteriocins produced by Bacillus subtilis have gained recognition for their safe use in humans. In this study, we aimed to assess the inhibitory activity of an antimicrobial peptide synthesized by the wild-type strain of B. subtilis against the notorious pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our investigation employed the broth microdilution method to evaluate the inhibitory potential of this peptide. Among the four different pathogen strains tested, P. aeruginosa exhibited the highest susceptibility, with an inhibition rate of 29.62%. In parallel, we explored the cultivation conditions of B. subtilis, recognizing the potential of this versatile bacterium for applications beyond antimicrobial production. The highest inhibitory activity was achieved at pH 8, with an inhibition rate of 20.18%, indicating the potential for optimizing pH conditions for enhanced antimicrobial peptide production. For the kinetics of peptide production, the study explored different incubation periods and agitation levels. Remarkably, the highest activity of B. subtilis was observed at 24 h of incubation, with an inhibition rate of 44.93%. Finally, the study focused on the isolation of the antimicrobial peptide from the cell-free supernatant of B. subtilis using ammonium sulfate precipitation at various concentrations. The highest recorded activity was an impressive 89.72% achieved at an 80% concentration.
Catalytic thermolysis in treating Cibacron Blue in aqueous solution: Kinetics and degradation pathway

Su CX, Teng TT, Wong YS, Morad N, Rafatullah M

Chemosphere, 2016 Mar;146:503-10.
PMID: 26741557 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.12.048

A thermal degradation pathway of the decolourisation of Reactive Cibacron Blue F3GA (RCB) in aqueous solution through catalytic thermolysis is established. Catalytic thermolysis is suitable for the removal of dyes from wastewater as it breaks down the complex dye molecules instead of only transferring them into another phase. RCB is a reactive dye that consists of three main groups, namely anthraquinone, benzene and triazine groups. Through catalytic thermolysis, the bonds that hold the three groups together were effectively broken and at the same time, the complex molecules degraded to form simple molecules of lower molecular weight. The degradation pathway and products were characterized and determined through UV-Vis, FT-IR and GCMS analysis. RCB dye molecule was successfully broken down into simpler molecules, namely, benzene derivatives, amines and triazine. The addition of copper sulphate, CuSO4, as a catalyst, hastens the thermal degradation of RCB by aiding in the breakdown of large, complex molecules. At pH 2 and catalyst mass loading of 5 g/L, an optimum colour removal of 66.14% was observed. The degradation rate of RCB is well explained by first order kinetics model.

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