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Nusair A, Barber M, Pramanik A, Ethridge C, William C, Alkhateb H, Ucak-Astarlioglu M, Ray PC, D'Alessio M. Graphene-coated sand for enhanced water reuse: Impact on water quality and chemicals of emerging concern. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 945:174078. [PMID: 38906279 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
This paper investigates the potential of graphene-coated sand (GCS) as an advanced filtration medium for improving water quality and mitigating chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in treated municipal wastewater, aiming to enhance water reuse. The study utilizes three types of sand (Ottawa, masonry, and concrete) coated with graphene to assess the impact of surface morphology, particle shape, and chemical composition on coating and filtration efficiency. Additionally, sand coated with graphene and activated graphene coated sand were both tested to understand the effect of coating and activation on the filtration process. The materials were characterized using digital microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction analysis. The material's efficiency in removing turbidity, nutrients, chemical oxygen demand (COD), bacteria, and specific CECs (Aciclovir, Diatrizoic acid, Levodopa, Miconazole, Carbamazepine, Diphenhydramine, Irbesartan, Lidocaine, Losartan, and Sulfamethoxazole) was studied. Our findings indicate that GCS significantly improves water quality parameters, with notable efficiency in removing turbidity, COD (14.1 % and 69.1 % removal), and bacterial contaminants (64.9 % and 99.9 % removal). The study also highlights the material's capacity to remove challenging CECs like Sulfamethoxazole (up to 80 % removal) and Diphenhydramine (up to 90 % removal), showcasing its potential as a sustainable solution for water reuse applications. This research contributes to the field by providing a comprehensive evaluation of GCS in water treatment, suggesting its potential for removing CECs from treated municipal wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulla Nusair
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mississippi, Carrier Hall, University, MS 38677, USA; Center for Graphene Research and Innovation, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Madelyn Barber
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mississippi, Carrier Hall, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Avijit Pramanik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
| | - Cheyenne Ethridge
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mississippi, Carrier Hall, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Clinton William
- U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - Hunain Alkhateb
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mississippi, Carrier Hall, University, MS 38677, USA; Center for Graphene Research and Innovation, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | | | - Paresh Chandra Ray
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
| | - Matteo D'Alessio
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mississippi, Carrier Hall, University, MS 38677, USA.
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Nusair A, Alkhateb H, D'Alessio M. Synthesis, characterization, and environmental applications of graphene-coated sand: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170107. [PMID: 38232845 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Global water quality has deteriorated, leaving over 844 million individuals without access to clean drinking water. While sand filters (SF) offer a solution, their limited surface area and adsorption capacity for emerging contaminants remain a challenge. This has prompted the development of new materials such as graphene-coated sand (GCS) to enhance the sand's adsorptive properties. Notably, GCS also possesses inherent anti-bacterial properties and can function as a photocatalyst when exposed to UV and visible light, offering enhanced water purification. This manuscript 1) reviews the synthesis of GCS, detailing the characterization techniques employed to understand its structure, composition, and multifunctional properties and 2) highlights the superior efficacy of GCS in removing contaminants, including metals (>95 % removal of Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ in low pH environment), sulfides (full removal compared to 26 % removal by raw sand), antibiotics (98 % removal of tetracycline), and bacteria (complete cell membrane destruction), compared to traditional SF. Due to its enhanced performance and multifaceted purification capabilities, GCS presents a promising alternative to SFs, especially in developing countries, aiming to improve water quality and ensure safe drinking water access. To the best of our knowledge, no other work groups the available research on GCS. Furthermore, future research directions should focus on reducing the overall production cost of GCS, exploring surface modification techniques, and expanding the range of contaminants tested by GCS, to fully realize its potential in water purification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulla Nusair
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mississippi, Carrier Hall, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Hunain Alkhateb
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mississippi, Carrier Hall, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Matteo D'Alessio
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Mississippi, Carrier Hall, University, MS 38677, USA.
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Nouri A, Mahmoudi E, Ang WL, Panomsuwan G, Jongprateep O. Sugar molasses as a sustainable precursor for the synthesis of graphene sand composite adsorbent for tetracycline and methylene blue removal. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:98817-98831. [PMID: 35840833 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21996-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sugar molasses from agricultural waste could be a sustainable carbon source for the synthesis of graphene adsorbent introduced in this work. The sugar molasses was successfully converted to graphene-like material and subsequently coated on the sand as graphene sand composite (GSC), as proven by XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM with EDX mapping analyses. The adsorption performance of GSC was evaluated against the removal of Tetracycline (TC) and methylene blue (MB) pollutants from an aqueous solution in a fixed bed column continuous-flow adsorption setup. The effect of different process conditions: bed height (4-12 cm), influent flow rate (3-7 mL/min), and contaminants' concentration (50-150 ppm) was investigated. The results revealed that column performance was improved by increasing the bed depth and lowering the flow rate and concentration of the pollutants. The best removal efficiency was obtained when the bed height was 12 cm, the influent flow rate of 3 mL/min, and the pollutants' initial concentration was 50 mg/L. Thomas, Adams-Bohart, and Yoon-Nelson models were attempted to fit the breakthrough curves. Regeneration of the GSC indicated the decline of breakthrough time from 240-280 to 180 min, reflecting the decrease in adsorptive sites due to the incomplete regeneration process. Overall, sugar molasses was shown to be a low-cost precursor for synthesizing valuable graphene material in the form of GSC, which can reduce the problem for industrial waste management of sugar molasses, and the GSC could be used as an adsorbent for environmental application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Nouri
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ebrahim Mahmoudi
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Centre for Sustainable Process Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wei Lun Ang
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Centre for Sustainable Process Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Gasidit Panomsuwan
- Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Oratai Jongprateep
- Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
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Al-Hashimi O, Hashim K, Loffill E, Nakouti I, Faisal AAH, Čebašek TM. Eco-friendly remediation of tetracycline antibiotic from polluted water using waste-derived surface re-engineered silica sand. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13148. [PMID: 37573363 PMCID: PMC10423248 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37503-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
A new green reactive adsorbent (calcium ferric oxide silica sand (CFO-SS)) made from wastepaper sludge ash and ferric ions was synthesised and shown to remove tetracycline antibiotics (TC) from contaminated water effectively. The synthesised sand was dried at 95 °C, and a series of batch and fixed bed experiments were performed to determine the optimum operating conditions. Results showed that the adsorption capacity of the CFO-SS increases with the concentration gradient between the solid and liquid phases. 0.3 g of the new adsorbent was proven sufficient to remove more than 90% of the TC at a pollutant dose of 50 mg/L in 50 mL of simulated groundwater with an agitation speed of 200 rpm for 3 h. The adsorption isotherm followed the Langmuir isotherm model, with a loading capacity of 21.96 mg/g at pH 7, while the Pseudo second-order model best described the absorption kinetics. The adsorption mechanisms proposed included electrostatic interaction, intraparticle diffusion, hydrogen bonding, and cation-π interactions. Characterisation investigations revealed that the newly precipitated oxides on silica sand play an essential role in TC adsorption support. In fixed-bed experiments, it was discovered that reducing the flow rate and inflow concentration of TC and increasing the sorbent mass significantly extended the lifetime of the produced sorbent in the packed column. The measured breakthrough curves were best fit with the Adams-Bohart and the Clark models, as they provided the highest square root number (R2) values. Finally, considering the efficacy of CFO-SS in TC adsorption performance, it can be noted that the novel synthesised reactive material is an efficient and environmentally friendly material for TC removal, and it presents a potential solution to resolving the challenge of TC-rich groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osamah Al-Hashimi
- Babylon Water Directorate, Babylon, 51001, Iraq.
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology, School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
| | - Khalid Hashim
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology, School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Edward Loffill
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology, School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Ismini Nakouti
- Built Environment and Sustainable Technology Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Ayad A H Faisal
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Tina Marolt Čebašek
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology, School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
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Ferreira MLA, Santos TG, Calixto JMF, Lavall RL, Justino DD, Gandra FG, Souza TDCCD, Ladeira LO. Lightweight carbon foam obtained from post-use polyethylene terephthalate bottles, properties, and potential applications. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-28099-3. [PMID: 37280500 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28099-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The excessive consumption of plastic packaging, especially those produced with polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and the fact that most of them are destined for garbage have made such packaging a worrying environmental liability. Their inadequate disposal promotes the pollution of soils, watercourses, and oceans, and even the presence of component materials of these packages in the human body, in the form of microplastics, has been observed. As research in the area advances, greater concerns arise, as more problems arising from the excessive use and disposal of plastics are identified. Looking for an alternative for the destination of this material, a technology was developed for the production of materials with characteristics similar to 3D graphene. This carbon material has qualities and versatility that allow its wide use in several applications and is produced using PET as a carbon precursor. This work presents this production technology with possible variables, the characterization of the produced materials, and their potential applications. For the electronics area, such as supercapacitors, improvement points needed for validation were observed. For application as an adsorbent and use in the treatment of industrial effluents when using sand covered by carbon material, the results demonstrated efficiency. The material proved to be a potential destination for PET, as an alternative to reduce this environmental liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Leticia Alves Ferreira
- Departamento de Engenharia Química, Escola de Engenharia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
| | - Tatiane Gomes Santos
- Centro de Tecnologia em Nanomateriais e Grafeno-CTNano/UFMG, Rua Prof. José Vieira de Mendonça, 520, Engenho Nogueira, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31310-260, Brazil
| | - Jose Marcio Fonseca Calixto
- Centro de Tecnologia em Nanomateriais e Grafeno-CTNano/UFMG, Rua Prof. José Vieira de Mendonça, 520, Engenho Nogueira, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31310-260, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Lassarote Lavall
- Centro de Tecnologia em Nanomateriais e Grafeno-CTNano/UFMG, Rua Prof. José Vieira de Mendonça, 520, Engenho Nogueira, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31310-260, Brazil
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Danielle Diniz Justino
- Departamento de Química, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Av. Amazonas, 5253-Nova Suíça, CEP, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30421-5169, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Gabrielle Gandra
- Centro de Tecnologia em Nanomateriais e Grafeno-CTNano/UFMG, Rua Prof. José Vieira de Mendonça, 520, Engenho Nogueira, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31310-260, Brazil
- Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz Orlando Ladeira
- Centro de Tecnologia em Nanomateriais e Grafeno-CTNano/UFMG, Rua Prof. José Vieira de Mendonça, 520, Engenho Nogueira, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31310-260, Brazil
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Alaa Abdulhusain N, Tark Abd Ali Z. Green approach for fabrication of sand-bimetallic (Fe/Pb) nanocomposite as reactive material for remediation of contaminated groundwater using permeable reactive barrier. ALEXANDRIA ENGINEERING JOURNAL 2023; 72:511-530. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aej.2023.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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Coronado-Apodaca KG, Rodríguez-De Luna S, Araújo R, Oyervides-Muñoz MA, González-Meza GM, Parra-Arroyo L, Sosa-Hernandez JE, Iqbal HM, Parra-Saldivar R. Occurrence, transport, and detection techniques of emerging pollutants in groundwater. MethodsX 2023; 10:102160. [PMID: 37095869 PMCID: PMC10122002 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2023.102160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging pollutants (EPs) are a group of different contaminants, such as hormones, pesticides, heavy metals, and drugs, usually found in concentrations between the order of ng and µg per liter. The global population's daily city and agro-industrial activities release EPs into the environment. Due to the chemical nature of EPs and deficient wastewater treatment and management, they are transported to superficial and groundwater through the natural water cycle, where they can potentially cause harmful effects on living organisms. Recent efforts have focused on developing technology that allows EPs quantification and monitoring in real-time and in situ. The newly developed technology aims to provide accessible groundwater management that detects and treats EPs while avoiding their contact with living beings and their toxic effects. This review presents some of the recently reported techniques that have been applied to advance the detection of EPs in groundwater and potential technologies that can be used for EP removal.
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