A novel hydrous iron-nickel-manganese (HINM) trimetal oxide was successfully fabricated using oxidation and coprecipitation method for metalloid arsenite removal. The atomic ratio of Fe:Ni:Mn for this adsorbent is 3:2:1. HINM adsorbent was identified as an amorphous nanosized adsorbent with particle size ranged from 30 nm to 60 nm meanwhile the total active surface area and pore diameter of HINM area of 195.78 m2/g and 2.43 nm, respectively. Experimental data of arsenite adsorption is best fitted into pseudo-second order and Freundlich isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity of arsenite onto HINM was 81.9 mg/g. Thermodynamic study showed that the adsorption of arsenite was a spontaneous and endothermic reaction with enthalpy change of 14.04 kJ/mol and Gibbs energy of -12 to -14 kJ/mol. Zeta potential, thermal gravimetric (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis were applied to elucidate the mechanism of arsenite adsorption by HINM. Mechanism of arsenite adsorption by HINM involved both chemisorption and physisorption based on the electrostatic attraction between arsenite ions and surface charge of HINM. It also involved the hydroxyl substitution by arsenite ions through the formation of inner-sphere complex. Reusability of HINM trimetal oxide was up to 89% after three cycles of testing implied that HINM trimetal oxide is a promising and practical adsorbent for arsenite.
Carbon-integrated binary metal oxide semiconductors have gained prominence in the last decade as a better material for photocatalytic wastewater treatment technology. In this regard, this research describes the investigation of the binary metal oxide TiO2@Fe3O4 embedded on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets synthesized through a combination of sol-gel, chemical precipitation, and Hummer's processes. Besides, the catalyst is applied for the photocatalytic degradation of organic chlorophenol pollutants. The characterized diffraction results showed the peak broadening of the rGO-TiO2@Fe3O4 composite formed with tetragonal and cubic structures having small crystallite sizes. The TEM observation shows an enormous miniature of TiO2@Fe3O4 nanospheres spread on the folded 2D-rGO nanosheets with a large BET surface area. The XPS result holds the mixed phases of Fe3O4 and Fe2O3. Finally, the catalyst demonstrated a low band gap with extended light absorption towards visible light irradiation. The synergistic interactions between Fe3+ and Fe2+ improved the visible light activity due to the incorporation of rGO, and also possessed good recycling capacity. The increased mobility of electrons at the interfaces of TiO2 and Fe3O4 due to the mixing of rGO results in the separation of charge carriers by elevating the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of chlorophenol.
Metallic nanoparticles (NPs) are of particular interest as antimicrobial agents in water and wastewater treatment due to their broad suppressive range against bacteria, viruses, and fungi commonly found in these environments. This review explores the potential of different types of metallic NPs, including zinc oxide, gold, copper oxide, and titanium oxide, for use as effective antimicrobial agents in water and wastewater treatment. This is due to the fact that metallic NPs possess a broad suppressive range against bacteria, viruses, as well as fungus. In addition to that, NPs are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to antibiotics for treating bacterial infections. Despite the fact that most research has been focused on silver NPs because of the antibacterial qualities that are known to be associated with them, curiosity about other metallic NPs as potential antimicrobial agents has been growing. Zinc oxide, gold, copper oxide, and titanium oxide NPs are included in this category since it has been demonstrated that these elements have antibacterial properties. Inducing oxidative stress, damage to the cellular membranes, and breakdowns throughout the protein and DNA chains are some of the ways that metallic NPs can have an influence on microbial cells. The purpose of this review was to engage in an in-depth conversation about the current state of the art regarding the utilization of the most important categories of metallic NPs that are used as antimicrobial agents. Several approaches for the synthesis of metal-based NPs were reviewed, including physical and chemical methods as well as "green synthesis" approaches, which are synthesis procedures that do not involve the employment of any chemical agents. Moreover, additional pharmacokinetics, physicochemical properties, and the toxicological hazard associated with the application of silver NPs as antimicrobial agents were discussed.
The widespread consumption of pharmaceutical drugs and their incomplete breakdown in organisms has led to their extensive presence in aquatic environments. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics, such as sulfonamides, has contributed to the development of drug-resistant bacteria and the persistent pollution of water bodies, posing a threat to human health and the safety of the environment. Thus, it is paramount to explore remediation technologies aimed at decomposing and complete elimination of the toxic contaminants from pharmaceutical wastewater. The review aims to explore the utilization of metal-oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) and graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4) in photocatalytic degradation of sulfonamides from wastewater. Recent advances in oxidation techniques such as photocatalytic degradation are being exploited in the elimination of the sulfonamides from wastewater. MONP and g-C3N4 are commonly evolved nano substances with intrinsic properties. They possessed nano-scale structure, considerable porosity semi-conducting properties, responsible for decomposing wide range of water pollutants. They are widely applied for photocatalytic degradation of organic and inorganic substances which continue to evolve due to the low-cost, efficiency, less toxicity, and more environmentally friendliness of the materials. The review focuses on the current advances in the application of these materials, their efficiencies, degradation mechanisms, and recyclability in the context of sulfonamides photocatalytic degradation.
Natural enzymes possess several drawbacks which limits their application in industries, wastewater remediation and biomedical field. Therefore, in recent years researchers have developed enzyme mimicking nanomaterials and enzymatic hybrid nanoflower which are alternatives of enzyme. Nanozymes and organic inorganic hybrid nanoflower have been developed which mimics natural enzymes functionalities such as diverse enzyme mimicking activities, enhanced catalytic activities, low cost, ease of preparation, stability and biocompatibility. Nanozymes include metal and metal oxide nanoparticles mimicking oxidases, peroxidases, superoxide dismutase and catalases while enzymatic and non-enzymatic biomolecules were used for preparing hybrid nanoflower. In this review nanozymes and hybrid nanoflower have been compared in terms of physiochemical properties, common synthetic routes, mechanism of action, modification, green synthesis and application in the field of disease diagnosis, imaging, environmental remediation and disease treatment. We also address the current challenges facing nanozyme and hybrid nanoflower research and the possible way to fulfil their potential in future.
The novelty of this work is the conjugation of poly(ethylene) oxide (PEO) with the erbium oxide (Er2O3) nanoparticles using the electrospinning technique. In this work, synthesised PEO-coated Er2O3 nanofibres were characterised and evaluated for their cytotoxicity to assess their potential use as diagnostic nanofibres for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PEO has significantly impacted nanoparticle conductivity due to its lower ionic conductivity at room temperature. The findings showed that the surface roughness was improved over the nanofiller loading, implying an improvement in cell attachment. The release profile performed for drug-controlling purposes has demonstrated a stable release after 30 min. Cellular response in MCF-7 cells showed high biocompatibility of the synthesised nanofibres. The cytotoxicity assay results showed that the diagnostic nanofibres had excellent biocompatibility, indicating the feasibility for diagnosis purposes. With excellent contrast performance, the PEO-coated Er2O3 nanofibres developed novel T2 and T1-T2 dual-mode MRI diagnostic nanofibres leading to better cancer diagnosis. In conclusion, this work has demonstrated that the conjugation of PEO-coated Er2O3 nanofibres improved the surface modification of the Er2O3 nanoparticles as a potential diagnostic agent. Using PEO in this study as a carrier or polymer matrix significantly influenced the biocompatibility and internalisation efficiency of the Er2O3 nanoparticles without triggering any morphological changes after treatment. This work has suggested permissible concentrations of PEO-coated Er2O3 nanofibres for diagnostic uses.
Motivated by the success and exhaustive research on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) based drug delivery, graphene, a two-dimensional; honey-comb crystal lattice has emerged as the rising star in recent years. Graphene is a flat monolayer of carbon atoms that holds many promising properties such as unparalleled thermal conductivity, remarkable electronic properties, and most intriguingly higher planar surface and superlative mechanical strength, which are attractive in biotechnological applications. Delivery of anti-cancer drugs using graphene and its derivatives has sparked major interest in this emerging field. The anti-cancer therapies often pose a limitation of insolubility, administration problems and cell penetration ability. In addition, systemic toxicity caused by lack of selective targeting towards cancer cells and inefficient distribution limits its clinical applications. Graphene nanocomposite is a promising tool to address these drawbacks. This review will focus on various synthesis and functionalization of graphene and graphene oxide for providing better solubility and targeted drug delivery at cancer cells. A more advanced and 'smart' graphene hybrid nanostructures that have several functionalities such as stimulus-response mediated delivery, imaging at release sites as well as transfection into cancer cells are also presented. A brief description on the challenges and perspectives for future research in this field is also discussed.
One of the most crucial attributes of synthetic organic chemistry is to design organic reactions under the facets of green chemistry for the sustainable production of chemicals. Thus, due to the intensified environmental and safety concern, the need for new technologies for conducting chemical transformation has grown. In this regard, there is enormous interest in the use of heterogeneous catalysts as they generally avoid the generation of waste, require fewer toxic reagents, as well as entail easier separation and recycling of the catalyst. α,β-Unsaturated acids have been widely used in various industrial applications and have been identified as one of the most promising chemicals obtained via the Knoevenagel condensation reaction. This review aims to discuss the most pertinent heterogeneous catalytic systems such as zeolites, mesoporous silica, ionic liquids, metal oxides, and graphitic carbon nitride-based catalysts in the Knoevenagel reaction. Ultimately, this review focuses not only on the catalyst but also provides an overall idea and guide for the preparation of new catalysts with outstanding properties by looking at the chemical and engineering aspects such as the reaction conditions and the mechanisms.
Present data article based on the investigation which enumerates the influence of CNG (compressed natural gas) and HCNG (hydrogen enriched compressed natural gas) on performance and emission parameters of direct injection diesel engine at 200, 220, and 240 bar injection pressures. The CNG and HCNG gaseous alternative fuels were injected in amount (by mass) of 10%, 20% and 30% as secondary fuels to enrich the pilot fuel (pure diesel) during the operation. The performance and emission data of dual fuel (CNG + pure diesel, HCNG + pure diesel) operation was analysed to compare with the pure diesel data. The data for present investigational work were assessed at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% diverse engine loads for all trials under diverse injection pressures. Eddy current dynamometer was employed to raise the engine load from quartile to maximum. AVL DiGAS 444 N multi gas analyser was used to measure the values of carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbon (UHC), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) detrimental emissions in engine exhaust.
A diesel engine has been a desirable machine due to its better fuel efficiency, reliability, and higher power output. It is widely used in transportations, locomotives, power generation, and industrial applications. The combustion of diesel fuel emits harmful emissions such as unburned hydrocarbons (HC), particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon monoxides (CO). This article presents data on the efficiency, combustion, and emission of a 4-stroke diesel engine. The engine is a 6.8 L turbocharged 6-cylinder Tier II diesel engine fitted with a common rail injection system. The test was carried out at the Powerhouse Energy Campus, Colorado State University Engines and Energy Conversion facility. The ISO Standard 8178:4 Cycle D2 cycle was adopted for this study consists of five test runs at 1800 rpm. During the testing, CO, carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2), NOx, PM, unburned HC as a total HC (THC), methane (CH4), formaldehyde (CH2O), and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions were measured. At the same time, the data acquisition system recorded the combustion data. The engine's performance is characterized by the brake specific fuel combustion (BSFC) and thermal efficiency. A dataset of correlations among the parameters was also presented in this article.
High concentration of fluoride in wastewater discharge from various industries is threatening the environment due to its hazardous effects and properties. This research work aims to develop an efficient adsorbent for fluoride removal in wastewater. Graphite oxide (GO) was impregnated
with ZnO nanoparticles as an adsorbent, and the effect of synthesis parameters of GO-ZnO adsorbent for fluoride removal were studied (sonication temperature, synthesis time, and ratio of GO to ZnO). The surface functional groups of these synthesized adsorbents were analyzed by
using FTIR. The synthesis parameters that contribute to the highest adsorption capacity and percentage removal are 5:1 ratio of GO-ZnO, 45 ºC of sonication temperature and 60 minutes of synthesis time, respectively. The highest value of adsorption capacity obtained from the fluoride
removal is 55.5 mg/g. The functional groups contained in the GO-ZnO adsorbent are hydroxyl group (O-H), C=O group, aromatics group, carboxyl group (C-O), epoxy group and alkoxy group. These functional groups showed significant impact towards fluoride adsorption due to the bonding of fluoride ion to the functional groups.
To identify seasonal fluxes and sources of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) wet deposition, concentrations and δ15N signatures of nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) in wet precipitation were measured at four typical land-use types in the Three Gorges reservoir (TGR) area of southwest China for a one-year period. Higher DIN fluxes were recorded in spring and summer and their total fluxes (averaged 7.58 kg N ha-1) were similar to the critical loads in aquatic ecosystems. Significant differences of precipitation δ15N were observed for NH4+-N between town and wetland sites in spring and between urban and rural sites in summer. For NO3--N, significant differences of precipitation δ15N were observed between town and rural sites in spring and between urban and town sites in autumn, respectively. Quantitative results of NO3--N sources showed that both biomass burning and coal combustion had higher fluxes at the urban site especially in winter (0.18 ± 0.09 and 0.19 ± 0.08 kg N ha-1), which were about three times higher than those at the town site. A similar finding was observed for soil emission and vehicle exhausts in winter. On the whole, DIN wet deposition averaged at 12.13 kg N ha-1 yr-1 with the urban site as the hotspot (17.50 kg N ha-1 yr-1) and regional NO3--N fluxes had a seasonal pattern with minimum values in winter. The contribution to NO3--N wet deposition from biomass burning was 26.1 ± 14.1%, which is the second dominant factor lower than coal combustion (26.5 ± 12.6%) in the TGR area during spring and summer. Hence N emission reduction from biomass burning, coal combustion and vehicle exhausts should be strengthened especially in spring and summer to effectively manage DIN pollution for the sustainable development in TGR area.
This paper attempts to evaluate the mineralogical and chemical composition of sedimentary limestone mine waste alongside its mineral carbonation potential. The limestone mine wastes were recovered as the waste materials after mining and crushing processes and were analyzed for mineral, major and trace metal elements. The major mineral composition discovered was calcite (CaCO3) and dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2], alongside other minerals such as bustamite [(Ca,Mn)SiO3] and akermanite (Ca2MgSi2O7). Calcium oxide constituted the greatest composition of major oxide components of between 72 and 82%. The presence of CaO facilitated the transformation of carbon dioxide into carbonate form, suggesting potential mineral carbonation of the mine waste material. Geochemical assessment indicated that mean metal(loid) concentrations were found in the order of Al > Fe > Sr > Pb > Mn > Zn > As > Cd > Cu > Ni > Cr > Co in which Cd, Pb and As exceeded some regulatory guideline values. Ecological risk assessment demonstrated that the mine wastes were majorly influenced by Cd as being classified having moderate risk. Geochemical indices depicted that Cd was moderately accumulated and highly enriched in some of the mine waste deposited areas. In conclusion, the limestone mine waste material has the potential for sequestering CO2; however, the presence of some trace metals could be another important aspect that needs to be considered. Therefore, it has been shown that limestone mine waste can be regarded as a valuable feedstock for mineral carbonation process. Despite this, the presence of metal(loid) elements should be of another concern to minimize potential ecological implication due to recovery of this waste material.
The chemical reactions of dry-disposed ash dump, ingressed oxygen, carbon dioxide, and infiltrating rainwater affect mineralogical transformation, redistribution, and migration of chemical species. Composite samples of weathered coal fly ash taken at various depths and fresh coal fly ash were examined using organic petrographic, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence techniques, and successive extraction procedures. Results obtained show relative enrichment of glass, Al-Fe-oxides, calcite, and tridymite in the weathered CFA, but the fresh CFA is enriched in mullite, inertinite, maghemite, and ettringite. The enrichment of the weathered CFA in amorphous glass suggests higher reactivity when compared to fresh CFA. The evident depletion of soluble oxides in the weathered CFA is attributed to flushing of the soluble salts by percolating rainwater. Comparative enrichment of examined elements in water-soluble, exchangeable, reducible, and residual fractions of the weathered CFA is partly due to the slow release of adsorbed chemical species from the alumina-silicate matrix and diffusion from the deeper sections of the particles of coal fly ash. Sodium and potassium show enrichment in the oxidisable fraction of fresh CFA. The estimated mobility factor indicates mobility for Ca, Mg, Na, Se, Mo, and Sb and K, Sr, V, Cu, Cr, Se, and B in fresh and weathered CFAs, respectively.
Though most childhood lead exposure in the USA results from ingestion of lead-based paint dust, non-paint sources are increasingly implicated. We present interdisciplinary findings from and policy implications of a case of elevated blood lead (13-18 mcg/dL, reference level <5 mcg/dL) in a 9-month-old infant, linked to a non-commercial Malaysian folk diaper powder. Analyses showed the powder contains 62 % lead by weight (primarily lead oxide) and elevated antimony [1000 parts per million (ppm)], arsenic (55 ppm), bismuth (110 ppm), and thallium (31 ppm). These metals are highly bioaccessible in simulated gastric fluids, but only slightly bioaccessible in simulated lung fluids and simulated urine, suggesting that the primary lead exposure routes were ingestion via hand-mouth transmission and ingestion of inhaled dusts cleared from the respiratory tract. Four weeks after discontinuing use of the powder, the infant's venous blood lead level was 8 mcg/dL. Unregulated, imported folk remedies can be a source of toxicant exposure. Additional research on import policy, product regulation, public health surveillance, and culturally sensitive risk communication is needed to develop efficacious risk reduction strategies in the USA. The more widespread use of contaminated folk remedies in the countries from which they originate is a substantial concern.
The Juru River flows through largely urbanized areas and is grossly polluted by domestic wastes and discharges from pig farms. Other than carrying highly polluting organic materials, these wastes are also contaminated with heavy metals. To ascertain the extent of heavy metal pollution in the river, total and non-residual concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn and Fe in sediment samples collected along the river were determined. The results indicate that both the total and non-residual metal concentrations in sediments can successfully be used to identify heavy metal pollution sources. The speciation of Zn, Mn and Fe in the sediment samples were investigated using a sequential leaching technique which identifies the elements among six operationally defined host fractions: (1) exchangeable, (2) carbonate and surface-associated, (3) easily reducible, (4) moderately reducible, (5) bound to organic matter and sulphides and (6) residual. The results indicate that Zn is mainly associated with the reducible fractions. Zn and Fe found in the moderately reducible fraction are significantly correlated, indicating that iron oxides is the preferred host phase by Zn.
The 17 α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) adsorption from aqueous solution was examined using a novel adsorbent made from rice husk powder coated with CuO nanoparticles (CRH). Advanced analyses of FTIR, XRD, SEM, and EDSwere used to identify the classification parameters of a CRH-like surface morphology, configuration, and functional groups. The rice husk was coated with CuO nanoparticles, allowing it to create large surface area materials with significantly improved textural qualities with regard to functional use and adsorption performance, according to a detailed characterization of the synthesized materials. The adsorption process was applied successfully with elimination effectiveness of 100% which can be kept up to 61.3%. The parameters of adsorption were affecting the adsorption process significantly. Thermodynamic data stated that the process of adsorption was endothermic, spontaneous, chemisorption and the molecules of EE2 show affinity with the CRH. It was discovered that the adsorption process controlled by a pseudo-second-order kinetic model demonstrates that the chemisorption process was controlling EE2 removal. The Sips model is regarded as optimal for representing this practice, exhibiting a significantly high determination coefficient of 0.948. This coefficient implies that the adsorption mechanism indicates the occurrence of both heterogeneous and homogeneous adsorption. According to the findings, biomass can serve as a cheap, operative sorbent to remove estrogen from liquified solutions.
Chemical forms of copper and lead in river water of the Linggi River Basin have been fractionated into ASV labile, moderately labile, slowly labile, and inert metal species, based on a previously proposed scheme. Free (hydrated) metal ions were identified by a potentiometric method using an ion selective electrode. Speciation results showed that the soluble copper and lead species occurred mainly in the moderately labile and slowly labile fractions. The speciation results are primarily interpreted in terms of organic interaction due to agricultural based and light industries, and urban discharges. The measured metal complexing capacity (MCC) of the samples reveals consistency of the results with the nature of the discharge. MCC correlates reasonably well with the value from the permanganate test on the river water. In general, the speciation pattern was found to be consistent with the findings of other workers.
The aim of this study is to examine the impact of air pollutants, including mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx), nitrous oxide (N2O), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on ecological footprint, habitat area, food supply, and biodiversity in a panel of thirty-four developed and developing countries, over the period of 1995-2014. The results reveal that NOx and SO2 emissions both have a negative relationship with ecological footprints, while N2O emission and real GDP per capita have a direct relationship with ecological footprints. NOx has a positive relationship with forest area, per capita food supply and biological diversity while CO2 emission and GHG emission have a negative impact on food production. N2O has a positive impact on forest area and biodiversity, while SO2 emissions have a negative relationship with them. SO2 emission has a direct relationship with per capita food production, while GDP per capita significantly affected per capita food production and food supply variability across countries. The overall results reveal that SO2, CO2, and GHG emissions affected potential habitat area, while SO2 and GHG emissions affected the biodiversity index. Trade liberalization policies considerably affected the potential habitat area and biological diversity in a panel of countries.
In this study, nickel-loaded perovskite oxides catalysts were synthesized via the impregnation of 10%Ni on XTiO3 (X = Ce, Sr, La, Ba, Ca, and Fe) supports and employed in the catalytic steam gasification of swine manure to produce H2-rich syngas for the first time. The synthesized catalysts were characterized using BET, H2-TPR, XRD, HR-TEM, and EDX analysis. Briefly, using perovskite supports resulted in the production of ultrafine catalyst nanoparticles with a uniform dispersion of Ni particles. According to the catalytic activity test, the gas yield showed the increment as 10% Ni/LaTiO3 < 10% Ni/FeTiO3 < 10% Ni/CeTiO3 < 10% Ni/BaTiO3 < 10% Ni/SrTiO3 < 10% Ni/CaTiO3. Meanwhile, zero coke formation was achieved due to the oxygen mobility of prepared catalysts. Also, the increase in the H2 production for the applied catalysts was in the sequence as 10% Ni/CeTiO3 < 10% Ni/FeTiO3 < 10% Ni/LaTiO3 < 10% Ni/BaTiO3 < 10% Ni/SrTiO3 < 10% Ni/CaTiO3. The maximum H2 selectivity (∼48 vol%) obtained by10% Ni/CaTiO3 was probably due to the synergistic effect of Ni and Ti on enhancing the water-gas shift reaction, and Ca on creating the maximum oxygen mobility compared to other alkaline earth metals doped at the A place of perovskite. Overall, this study provides a suitable solution for enhanced H2 production through steam gasification of swine manure along with suggesting the appropriate supports to prevent Ni deactivation by lowering coke formation at the same time.