Abatement of Cr (VI) from wastewater using a new adsorbent, cantaloupe peel: Taguchi L16 orthogonal array optimization

Culture and maintenance of neural progressive cells on cellulose acetate/graphene‑gold nanocomposites

In this study, the first CA nanofibers were fabricated by electrospinning under optimal conditions: flow rate of 0.5 ml/h, a voltage of 20 kV, electrospinning distance of 15 cm, and an internal temperature of 25 °C, and humidity of 38%. The used Graphene/gold nanoparticles for CA performance improvement were examined by TGA, XRD, and SEM analysis. Then the CA/graphene‑gold nanocomposite was synthesized under optimum electrospinning conditions: flow rate 3 ml/h, voltage 20 kV, electrospinning distance 15 cm, internal temperature 26 °C, and humidity 36%. The SEM images revealed that the nanofibers' thicknesses of Graphene‑gold NPs (CA₁) and Chitosan (CA₂) were 350 and 120 nm, respectively. The XRD diagrams of CA₀, CA₁ and CA₂ revealed the peaks at 2θ, 8°, and 21° with Miller indices of (001) and (110) are related to CA (CA₀), which proves its presence in other scaffolds. The FTIR analysis of samples indicated the presence of graphene‑gold NPs in scaffolding CA₁ and CA₂. The CA₂ nanofibers exhibited a high-water absorption capacity of about 2500% with the water contact-angle and Swelling method. The antibacterial properties of this nanocomposite were also confirmed by an antibacterial test on Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The growth of Schwann cells on three scaffolds showed the highest growth of cells on CA₁ scaffolds.

A Novel Approach of Determining the Risks for the Development of Hyperinsulinemia in the Children and Adolescent Population Using Radial Basis Function and Support Vector Machine Learning Algorithm

Hyperinsulinemia is a condition with extremely high levels of insulin in the blood. Various factors can lead to hyperinsulinemia in children and adolescents. Puberty is a period of significant change in children and adolescents. They do not have to have explicit symptoms for prediabetes, and certain health indicators may indicate a risk of developing this problem. The scientific study is designed as a cross-sectional study. In total, 674 children and adolescents of school age from 12 to 17 years old participated in the research. They received a recommendation from a pediatrician to do an OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance test) with insulinemia at a regular systematic examination. In addition to factor analysis, the study of the influence of individual factors was tested using RBF (Radial Basis Function) and SVM (Support Vector Machine) algorithm. The obtained results indicated statistically significant differences in the values of the monitored variables between the experimental and control groups. The obtained results showed that the number of adolescents at risk is increasing, and, in the presented research, it was 17.4%. Factor analysis and verification of the SVM algorithm changed the percentage of each risk factor. In addition, unlike previous research, three groups of children and adolescents at low, medium, and high risk were identified. The degree of risk can be of great diagnostic value for adopting corrective measures to prevent this problem and developing potential complications, primarily type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and other mass non-communicable diseases. The SVM algorithm is expected to determine the most accurate and reliable influence of risk factors. Using factor analysis and verification using the SVM algorithm, they significantly indicate an accurate, precise, and timely identification of children and adolescents at risk of hyperinsulinemia, which is of great importance for improving their health potential, and the health of society as a whole.

Improved remediation of co-contaminated soils by heavy metals and PAHs with biosurfactant-enhanced soil washing

Due to the huge toxicity of co-contaminated soil with PAHs and heavy metals and the complexity of their remediation, it is thus critical to take effective remediation actions to remove heavy metals and PAHs simultaneously from the co-contaminated soil. Biosurfactant-enhanced soil washing (BESW) were investigated in this study for remediation of soil co-contaminated with phenanthrene (PHE) and cadmium (Cd). The co-existence of PHE and Cd caused the change of the structure of soil and rhamnolipid micelle, which lead to different removal rate of PHE and Cd from co-contaminated soil compared with single contaminated soil. The results of FT-IR and NMR showed that PHE entered micelles of rhamnolipid and Cd formed the complexation with the external carboxyl groups of rhamnolipid micelle. We also found that pH, concentration of rhamnolipid solution, temperature and ionic strength had influence on co-contaminated soil remediation. The effects of above mentioned four factors on co-contaminated soil remediation in BESW processes were analyzed by using Taguchi design of experiment method. Taguchi based Grey Relational Analysis was conducted to identify the optimal remediation conditions, which included pH = 9, concentration of rhamnolipid = 5 g/L, temperature = 15 °C and ionic strength = 0.01 M. Under the optimal conditions for BESW, removal rates of cadmium and phenanthrene reached 72.4% and 87.8%, respectively in co-contaminated soil.

Risk Assessment and Determination of Factors That Cause the Development of Hyperinsulinemia in School-Age Adolescents

Background and Objectives: Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance are not synonymous; if the risk of developing insulin resistance in adolescents is monitored, they do not necessarily have hyperinsulinemia. It is considered a condition of pre-diabetes and represents a condition of increased risk of developing DM (diabetes mellitus); it can exist for many years without people having the appropriate symptoms. This study aims to determine the risk of developing hyperinsulinemia at an early age in adolescents by examining which factors are crucial for its occurrence. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study lasting from 2019 to 2021 (2 years) was realized at the school children’s department in the Valjevo Health Center, which included a total of 822 respondents (392 male and 430 female) children and adolescents aged 12 to 17. All respondents underwent a regular, systematic examination scheduled for school children. BMI is a criterion according to which respondents are divided into three groups. Results: After summary analyzes of OGTT test respondents and calculated values of HOMA-IR (homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance), the study showed that a large percentage of respondents, a total of 12.7%, are at risk for hyperinsulinemia. The research described in this paper aimed to use the most popular AI (artificial intelligence) model, ANN (artificial neural network), to show that 13.1% of adolescents are at risk, i.e., the risk is higher by 0.4%, which was shown by statistical tests as a significant difference. Conclusions: It is estimated that a model using three different ANN architectures, based on Taguchi’s orthogonal vector plans, gives more precise and accurate results with much less error. In addition to monitoring changes in each individual’s risk, the risk assessment of the entire monitored group is updated without having to analyze all data.

Resource utilization of agricultural residues: one-step preparation of biochar derived from Pennisetum giganteum for efficiently removing chromium from water in a wide pH range

Biochars derived from agricultural residues, Pennisetum giganteum, were prepared by a one-step activation method after impregnated with H₃PO₄. The effects of activation temperature and the H₃PO₄ impregnation method on the structure and performance of biochar were investigated. The characterization results of XPS, FTIR, and N₂ adsorption-desorption showed that the P-containing biochar prepared by the one-step method had a large specific surface area, large pores, and abundant surface functional groups. And, the groups including C-P, O-P, and C-O participated in the adsorption of Cr(VI). Moreover, the target adsorbent has a good removal effect on Cr (VI) in a wide range of pH. The Cr(VI) removal efficiency was more than 55.92% at pH≤9. Interestingly, the adsorption results also showed that the adsorbent could offer acid groups for regulating the pH of the bulk solution and thus keep the adsorption surroundings in a narrow pH range. In addition, the target adsorbent has been proved to have good selective removal of Cr(VI). Even after repeated use for 5 times, the removal capacity of Cr(VI) is still 77.4%. This work provides a simple scheme for the high-value utilization of Pennisetum agricultural solid waste, and also confirms that the biochar activated by phosphoric acid can effectively remove Cr(VI) in the solution with wide pH range.

Comparative study on the performance of Typha latifolia and Cyperus Papyrus on the removal of heavy metals and enteric bacteria from wastewater by surface constructed wetlands

Semi-arid countries continue to face water scarcity, especially with the current global climatic changes. This scarcity has continuously increased over the last five decades in countries like Egypt, Syria, Libya and Jordan, where the agriculture sector consumes more than 85% of the country's water resources. The problem of water scarcity in Egypt is further challenged by high levels of urbanization, increasing industrial uses, and the high cost of advanced treatment processes. These challenges lead to the utilization of untreated or poorly treated wastewater for irrigation of agricultural crop fields. Thus, the current study proposes the use of an eco-friendly technology consisting of a constructed wetland planted with Typha latifolia and Cyperus papyrus supported with zeolite substrate for water purification, to curb this challenge. The results showed that, the removal efficiency of COD, BOD, TSS, and ammonia were 68.5%, 71%, 70%, and 82.3%, respectively by Typha latifolia bed. On the other hand, the removal efficiency of COD, BOD, TSS and ammonia were 85.5%, 86.2%, 83.9% and 92.3% respectively by Cyperus papyrus bed. As a result, bacteriological parameters were reduced to 99.9%, and complete removal of Salmonella sp was achieved during three days by Cyperus papyrus. Box-Behnken design was utilized to optimize independent factors, including contact time (24-72h) and initial concentration of metals (15-45 mg L^-1) and their responses. The removal efficiency of Cu and Zn were 72% and 84%, respectively of the optimum reaction time (72 h), with 16 plant stems and an initial metal concentration of 15 mg L^-1.

Removal and enrichment of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions by lotus seed pods

Chromium (Cr(VI)) is highly toxic and carcinogenic. Cr(VI) water pollution has become more and more serious. This article reports on a study in which lotus seed pods (LSP), an agricultural waste product, was used to efficiently remove Cr(VI) from an aqueous solution, and the carbonization product of LSP after the removal of Cr(VI) (CPLSP) can be regarded as a resource containing Cr. Cr(VI) removed by LSP fits a pseudo-second-order model. pH levels greatly influence the amount of Cr removed. The maximum removal of Cr(VI) by LSP in aqueous solution was 153.85 mg/g. The possible removal mechanism is absorption, redox, and reabsorption based upon SEM/EDS, FT-IR, and XPS spectra results. The Cr content of CPLSP was 42.95% by ammonium persulfate oxidation titrimetric method. These results suggest that LSP can be an excellent, low cost, biomaterial for removing and enriching Cr(VI) from an aqueous solution. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Lotus seed pods are an efficient adsorbent for Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The Cr removal by lotus seed pods occurs via absorption, redox, and reabsorption. Cr can be captured after the pods are carbonized. Lotus seed pods can be applied to the removal and enrichment of Cr(VI) from waste water.

Amendment of Caulerpa sertularioides marine alga with sulfur-containing materials to accelerate Cu removal from aqueous media

This study reports a new approach of alga amendment in a live mode. The Caulerpa sertularioides alga was modified with sulfur-containing materials of methionine (C₅H₁₁NO₂S) and sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄) to more concentrate the sulfur content of the yielded biomass (adsorbent). The simple and amended C. sertularioides alga was fully characterized with FTIR, SEM, EDX, BET, BJH, and pH_zpc techniques. The copper adsorption from aqueous media was done by three adsorbents of C. sertularioides-simple (CSS), C. sertularioides-Na₂SO₄ (CSN), and C. sertularioides-C₅H₁₁NO₂S (CSC). The parameters of pH (2-6), adsorbent dosage (2-10 g/L), and contact time (3-80 min) were optimized at 5, 5 g/L, and 60 min, respectively. According to Langmuir isotherm (the best-fitted model), the maximum adsorption capacity of CSN (98.04 mg/g) was obtained 2.4 times higher than CSC (40.73 mg/g) and 9.5 times higher than CSS (10.29 mg/g). The Cu adsorption process by the adsorbents was best-fitted pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The CSN, CSC, and CSS biomasses were successfully reused 5, 4, and 4 times, respectively. The thermodynamic study revealed that the copper adsorption process by CSN is exothermic and non-spontaneous. Finally, the suitability of adsorbents prepared from algae was tested by cleaning a simulated wastewater.

Characterization, kinetic, thermodynamic and isotherm data for diclofenac removal from aqueous solution by activated carbon derived from pine tree

The usage of low cost material as adsorbent would be admirable from environmental point of view. Thus, herein, this data set present a simple method for providing an adsorbent from activated carbon derived from pine tree. The prepared adsorbent was applied to remove diclofenac from aqueous solution. The characterization data of the adsorbent was analyzed using FTIR method. The FTIR test results showed that adsorbent has a functional group that is useful in adsorption process. It was conducted in laboratory scale and the adsorption technique was batch technique. The information regarding isotherms of diclofenac adsorption were listed. The Langmuir isotherm was suitable for correlation of equilibrium data with correlation coefficient value of 0.999. Adsorption of diclofenac by adsorbent from activated carbon follows pseudo second order model with correlation coefficient value (R²) of 0.9997. The data implied that the maximum adsorption capacity of adsorbent to uptake diclofenac from aqueous solution was obtained 54.67 mg/g. The acquired data indicated that the adsorption of diclofenac by the adsorbent prepared from activated carbon derived from pine tree is a promising technique for treating diclofenac bearing wastewaters.

Adsorption and coadsorption mechanisms of Cr(VI) and organic contaminants on H3PO4 treated biochar

The study of simultaneous removal of heavy metals and organic contaminants has practical applications due to the coexistence of complex pollutants in the wastewater or soil. In this work, biochar was prepared to study the removal efficiencies of Cr(VI), naphthalene (NAP) and bisphenol A (BPA) in the single or mixed systems. H₃PO₄-treated biochar presented a much higher adsorption capacity of the pollutants than the untreated biochar and also showed a high resistance to coexisting salts. The maximum adsorption capacities for Cr(VI) and BPA were 116.28 mg g^-1 and 476.19 mg g^-1, respectively. Coadsorption experiments revealed that the presence of organic pollutants caused a limited decrease (∼10%) of removal efficiency of Cr(VI) and no further decrease was observed with higher concentrations of organic pollutants, while the presence of Cr(VI) had little impact on the removal of NAP. Infrared spectra and molecular simulation demonstrated that Cr(VI) was mainly adsorbed on the biochar via chemical complexation, while the organic pollutants through π-π interaction. Unexpectedly, the addition of Cr(VI) increased the removal efficiency of BPA, probably due to the increased H-bond interactions between BPA and the biochar through bridge bonds of oxygenic groups from CrO₄^2-.

Synthesis of adsorbent from Tamarix hispida and modified by lanthanum metal for fluoride ions removal from wastewater: Adsorbent characteristics and real wastewater treatment data

This data article describes a facile method for production of an adsorbent from Tamarix hispida wasted wood and modified by lanthanum metal for fluoride ions removal from wastewater. The main characteristics of the adsorbent consist of BET surface area, functional groups, and elemental analysis is presented. The data for attenuating the pollutants from a real wastewater treatment which was provided from a glass factory is also represented. More than 90% of fluoride content of the real wastewater was treated by the adsorbent. Generally, these data would be informative for extend research aim to industrial wastewater treatment and those who work in the wastewater treatment plants.

Preparation and catalytic activity of bone-char ash decorated with MgO - FeNO3 for ozonation of reactive black 5 dye from aqueous solution: Taguchi optimization data

Reactive dye is one of the most applicable dyes in textile industries which its release to the water bodies creates a concern for environmentalists. Here, in this data article a bone-char (BC) ash decorated with MgO-FeNO₃ for removing reactive black 5 (RB5) dye in a catalytic ozonation process (COP) system. Operational parameters data such as initial RB5 concentration, pH, catalyst dosage, and reaction time were optimized using Taguchi method. The optimal conditions for initial RB5 concentration, pH, catalyst dosage, and reaction time were determined 10 mg/L, 10, 0.1 g/L, and 15 min, respectively. Data of Taguchi optimization tests indicated that the initial RB5 concentration had a significant influence on RB5 removal efficiency (54.03%) during the catalytic ozonation process, and reaction time had lower contribution (2.04%).

Fluoride ion adsorption onto palm stone: Optimization through response surface methodology, isotherm, and adsorbent characteristics data

In some part of the world, groundwater source can become unsafe for drinking due to the high concentration of fluoride ions [1]. The low cost and facile-produced adsorbent like palm stone could effectively removed fluoride ions through adsorption process. In this dataset, the influence of fluoride ion concentration, solution pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time on fluoride ion adsorption by palm stones was tested by central composite design (CCD) under response surface methodology (RSM). The data stone carbonized adsorbent was prepared by a simple and facile method at relatively low temperature of 250 °C during 3 h. The adsorbent had the main functional groups of O–H, –OH, Si–H, C=O, N=O, C–C, C–OR, C–H, and C–Br on its surface. At the optimized conditions obtained by RSM, about 84.78% of fluoride ion was removed using the adsorbent. The Langmuir isotherm was suitable for correlation of equilibrium data (maximum adsorption capacity= 3.95 mg/g). Overall, the data offer a facile adsorbent to water and wastewater works which face to high level of fluoride water/ wastewater content.

Zinc, nickel, and cobalt ions removal from aqueous solution and plating plant wastewater by modified Aspergillus flavus biomass: A dataset

The biomass of Aspergillus flavus was modified by calcium chloride to achieve a bioadsorbent for treating nickel, cobalt, and zinc ions from aqueous solutions. The information of pH, bioadsorbent dose, contact time, and temperature effect on the removal efficiency are presented. The data of Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models are also depicted. The data showed that the maximum bioadsorption capacity of nickel, cobalt, and zinc ions is 32.26, 31.06 and 27.86 mg/g, respectively. The suitability of the bioadsorbent in heavy metals removal at field condition was tested with a real wastewater sample collected from a plating plant in the final part of this dataset. Based on the findings, the bioadsorbent was shown to be an affordable alternative for the removal of metals in the wastewater.

Data of heavy metals biosorption onto Sargassum oligocystum collected from the northern coast of Persian Gulf

This data article presents a simple method for providing a biosorbent from Sargassum oligocystum harvested from the northern coast of Persian Gulf, Bushehr, Iran. The characterization data of Sargassum oligocystum biochar (SOB) were analyzed using various instrumental techniques (FTIR and XPS). The kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics data of Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cu²⁺ ions onto SOB were presented. The maximum biosorption capacity of SOB to uptake Hg²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Cu²⁺ ions from aqueous solution was obtained 60.25, 153.85, and 45.25 mg/g, respectively. The experimental data showed that biochar prepared from Sargassum oligocystum is an efficient and promising biosorbent for the treatment of heavy metals-bearing wastewaters.

Fruit peel waste as a novel low-cost bio adsorbent

Fruit peel waste (FPW) is abundantly available from the agricultural and food processing industry and has been studied in recent past as an adsorbent. This paper critically reviews the reported work and investigates various FPW-pollutant systems. The study includes statistics of FPW generation, modification, characterization, adsorption ability, recovery/regeneration, and modeling (isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics) of batch adsorption. It is found that orange and banana peels are the most extensively studied adsorbents, whereas Pb