Removal of nutrients from pulp and paper biorefinery effluent: Operation, kinetic modelling and optimization by response surface methodology

Batch and column studies for the removal of basic red-46 dye and textile by using magnesium oxide (MgO), strontium titanium trioxide (SrTiO3), cobalt- and iron-doped lanthanum chromium trioxide (Co.Fe.LaCrO3), and cadmium sulfide (CdS)-doped graphene oxide nanocomposites

Despite efforts to reduce the risk of toxic chemicals, colors, and dyes being released into the environment from urban and industrial areas, there is still cause for concern. Colored water must be filtered and sterilized before it can be used for irrigation. The utilization of metal oxide and nanocomposite materials in wastewater treatment procedures appears to be a viable option for the future. Therefore, different compounds were doped with graphene oxide to identify the best material for dye removal by the adsorption process. According to recent studies, the ideal conditions for graphene oxide-doped magnesium oxide (GO/MgO) are as follows: pH 10 showed the highest adsorption capacity (qe) at 49.4 mg/g; an adsorbent dosage of 0.01 g/50 mL showed 48.3 mg/g qe; a shaking time of 30 min resulted in 44.2 mg/g qe; an initial dye concentration of 100 mg/L yielded 53.6 mg/g qe; and a temperature of 35 °C gave 49.5 mg/g qe. For graphene oxide-doped strontium titanate (GO/SrTiO3), the optimum conditions were as follows: pH 10 with 45.8 mg/g qe; an adsorbent dose of 0.01 g/50 mL with 40.5 mg/g qe; a shaking time of 30 min with 75 mg/g qe; and a temperature of 35 °C with 44.7 mg/g qe. Graphene oxide-doped cobalt and iron-doped lanthanum chromium titanate (GO/Co.Fe.LaCrO3) showed optimum conditions of pH 9 with 34.2 mg/g qe; an adsorbent dose of 0.01 g/50 mL with 27.5 mg/g qe; a shaking time of 45 min with 33.2 mg/g qe; an initial dye concentration of 100 mg/L with 37.6 mg/g qe; and a temperature of 35 °C with 42.5 mg/g qe. Graphene oxide-doped cadmium sulfide (GO/CdS) showed the following optimum conditions: pH 8 with 23.1 mg/g qe; an adsorbent dose of 0.01 g/50 mL with 25.5 mg/g qe; an initial dye concentration of 75 mg/L with 28.3 mg/g qe; and a temperature of 35 °C with 33.5 mg/g qe. The pseudo-first-order model was the best fit only for graphene oxide-doped magnesium oxide (GO/MgO) with an R2 value of 0.966, while the pseudo-second-order adsorption isotherm was the best fit for all four products, with R2 values ranging from 0.991 to 0.998. Additionally, the Langmuir adsorption isotherms provided good results for all four products, with R2 values ranging from 0.957 to 0.985. The Freundlich adsorption kinetics showed satisfactory fit only for graphene oxide-doped magnesium oxide (GO/MgO) and graphene oxide-doped cadmium sulfide (GO/CdS), with R2 values of 0.951 and 0.982, respectively. To examine the characteristics and practicality of the adsorption process, certain thermodynamic variables were calculated. The adsorption capability of the most efficient nanocomposites for the degradation of basic red-46 was significantly affected by various concentrations of heavy metal ions and electrolytes. In dye solutions containing surfactants/detergents, the adsorption efficiency of several effective photocatalysts for basic dyes was significantly reduced. A 0.5 M HCl solution was found to be the most effective for desorption. In column investigations, the optimal bed height, flow velocity, and dye intake levels were determined to be 3 cm, 1.8 mL/min, and 70 mg/L, respectively, for maximal adsorption of basic red-46. The adsorption investigation of genuine textile waste products has also been carried out to facilitate the practical deployment of this approach. The methods used in this study were cost-effective, easy to handle, and eco-friendly and involved no hazardous materials in the synthesis, making the resulting materials non-hazardous. All these methods were part of green chemistry.

Microbial valorization of kraft black liquor for production of platform chemicals, biofuels, and value-added products: A critical review

The proper treatment and utilization of kraft black liquor, generated from the pulp and paper industry through the kraft pulping method, is required to reduce environmental impacts prior to the final disposal. It also improves the economic performance through the utilization of waste. Microbial valorization appears to demonstrates the dual benefits of waste management and resource recovery by providing an innovative solution to convert kraft black liquor into resource for reuse. A comprehensive review on the microbial valorization of kraft black liquor, describing the role in valorization and management, is still lacking in the literature, forming the rationale of this article. Thus, the present study reviews and systematically discusses the potential of utilizing microorganisms to valorize kraft black liquor as a sustainable feedstock to develop a numerous portfolio of platform chemicals, bioenergy, and other value-added products. This work contributes to sustainability and resource efficiency within the pulp and paper industry. The recent developments in utilization of synthetic biology tools and molecular techniques, including omics approaches for engineering novel microbial strains, for enhancing kraft black liquor valorization has been presented. This review explores how the better utilization of kraft black liquor in the pulp and paper industry contributes to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly clean water and sanitation (SDG 6) as well as the affordable and clean energy goal (SDG 7). The current review also addresses challenges related to toxicity, impurities, low productivity, and downstream processing that serve as obstacles to the progress of developing highly efficient bioproducts. The new directions for future research efforts to fill the critical knowledge gaps are proposed. This study concludes that by implementing microbial valorization techniques, the pulp and paper industry can transition from a linear to a circular bioeconomy and eco-friendly manage the kraft black liuor. This approach showed to be effective towards resource recovery, while simultaneously minimizing the environmental burden.

Simultaneous removal of ammonia and sulfur odorants in biotrickling filters and N2O production

Research on the stability evaluation of biotrickling filters (BTFs) under harsh conditions and the bacterial adaptation process still needs to be improved. Herein, BTFs with polypropylene plastic (PP) and ceramic raschig rings (CRR) were investigated for a better understanding of the biodegradation of ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and dimethyl sulfide (DMS). The results showed an excellent performance in removal efficiency (RE) for NH3 (91.6 %-99.9 %), H2S (RE: 55.3 %-99.5 %), and DMS (RE: 10.6 %-99.9 %). It was found that a more apparent positive correlation between N2O emission and pressure drop in CRR BTF (R2 = 0.92) than in PP BTF (R2 = 0.79) (P < 0.01). Low temperature promotes an increase in the abundance ofComamonasandBacillus. The polysaccharides in PP and CRR reactors decreased by 78.6 % and 68.1 % when temperature reduced from 25℃ to 8℃. This work provides a novel insight into understanding bacterial survival under harsh BTF environments.

Optimization of syngas production from co-gasification of palm oil decanter cake and alum sludge: An RSM approach with char characterization

The study explores co-gasification of palm oil decanter cake and alum sludge, investigating the correlation between input variables and syngas production. Operating variables, including temperature (700-900 °C), air flow rate (10-30 mL/min), and particle size (0.25-2 mm), were optimized to maximize syngas production using air as the gasification agent in a fixed bed horizontal tube furnace reactor. Response Surface Methodology with the Box-Behnken design was used employed for optimization. Fourier Transformed Infra-Red (FTIR) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopic (FESEM) analyses were used to analyze the char residue. The results showed that temperature and particle size have positive effects, while air flow rate has a negative effect on the syngas yield. The optimal CO + H2 composition of 39.48 vol% was achieved at 900 °C, 10 mL/min air flow rate, and 2 mm particle size. FTIR analysis confirmed the absence of C─Cl bonds and the emergence of Si─O bonds in the optimized char residue, distinguishing it from the raw sample. FESEM analysis revealed a rich porous structure in the optimized char residue, with the presence of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and aluminosilicates. These findings provide valuable insights for sustainable energy production from biomass wastes.

Valorizing Assorted Logging Residues: Response Surface Methodology in the Extraction Optimization of a Green Norway Spruce Needle-Rich Fraction To Obtain Valuable Bioactive Compounds

During stemwood harvesting, substantial volumes of logging residues are produced as a side stream. Nevertheless, industrially feasible processing methods supporting their use for other than energy generation purposes are scarce. Thus, the present study focuses on biorefinery processing, employing response surface methodology to optimize the pressurized extraction of industrially assorted needle-rich spruce logging residues with four solvents. Eighteen experimental points, including eight center point replicates, were used to optimize the extraction temperature (40-135 °C) and time (10-70 min). The extraction optimization for water, water with Na2CO3 + NaHSO3 addition, and aqueous ethanol was performed using yield, total dissolved solids (TDS), antioxidant activity (FRAP, ORAC), antibacterial properties (E. coli, S. aureus), total phenolic content (TPC), condensed tannin content, and degree of polymerization. For limonene, evaluated responses were yield, TDS, antioxidant activity (CUPRAC, DPPH), and TPC. Desirability surfaces were created using the responses showing a coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.7, statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05), precision > 4, and statistically insignificant lack-of-fit (p > 0.1). The optimal extraction conditions were 125 °C and 68 min for aqueous ethanol, 120 °C and 10 min for water, 111 °C and 49 min for water with Na2CO3 + NaHSO3 addition, and 134 °C and 41 min for limonene. The outcomes contribute insights to industrial logging residue utilization for value-added purposes.

Optimizing nutrients from fly ash-amended soil through microbial-assisted phytoremediation using response surface methodology

Nutrients are vital ingredients to boost plant health. The availability of nutrients is limited in fly ash (FA) waste to properly implement phytoremediation. The research explored the integration of microbes and treated wastewater irrigation in phytoremediation to provide the necessary nutrients for plant growth in fly ash-amended soils. The Box-Behnken method was used to design the experimental layout for the pot study. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied as the optimization approach to model predictions for nutrient accumulation. The implemented pot study attained the highest morphological indicators with a plastochron index of 33.40, an absolute growth rate of 2.63 cm/day, and a leaf area of 2681.68 cm2 and attained maximum biomass of 24.91 g for the treatments that included a mid-range of the variables. The combination of FA 14.98%, microbial dose 4.07 mL, and treated wastewater as the irrigation source was found to be the optimized combination for nitrogen and phosphorus accumulation of 212.4 and 8.867 mg/L.

A chemometric approach based on response surface methodology for optimization of antibiotic and organic dyes removal from water samples

In this study, the Fe3O4/rGO/Ag magnetic nanocomposite was synthesized and employed as an adsorbent for the removal of tetracycline (TC), crystal violet (CV), and methylene blue (MB) from water samples. The influential parameters in the removal process were identified and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Characterization of the product was performed through field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. XRD and SEM analysis revealed the successful synthesis of the Fe3O4/rGO/Ag nanocomposite. EDX analysis elucidated the accuracy and clarity of the chemical composition of the magnetic nanocomposite structure. Additionally, the separation of the nano-adsorbent from the solution can be achieved using a magnetic field. Maximum removal of analytes was obtained at pH of 6, amount of nanocomposite 0.014 g, ultrasonic time of 8 min and concentration of 21 mg L-1. Under optimal conditions, the removal efficiencies for TC, CV, and MB were 91.33, 95.82, and 98.19%, respectively. Also, it was observed that after each adsorption-desorption cycle, Fe3O4/rGO/Ag magnetic nanocomposite had good stability to remove TC, CV, and MB. Achieving nearly 98% removal efficiency in optimal conditions showed that Fe3O4/rGO/Ag magnetic nanocomposite is an effective adsorbent for removing TC, CV, and MB from wastewater samples.

Pd sub-nanolayer on Au core for enhanced catalytic hydrogenation reduction of oxyanions pollutants: Synergistic effect of Pd and Au

Oxyanion pollutants in industrial wasterwater, such as (Cr(VI)), BrO3- (Br(V)) and SeO32- (Se(IV)) have detrimental or toxic effects on individual health when their concentrations accumulated to a certain level. The conversion of these oxyanions into harmless/industrial-valuable products or removal from wastewater is of significance. Herein, we designed Pd sub-nanolayer on Au core catalysts supported on Al2O3 (sub-Pd-Au/Al2O3) for highly effective catalytic hydrogenation reduction of oxyanions under ambient conditions. The sub-Pd(0.049)-Au(0.927)/Al2O3 catalyst exhibited the highest catalytic activity and TOF value for Cr(VI), Br(V) and Se(IV) reduction, respectively, by optimizing the Pd loading amount. The synergistic effect between Pd sub-nanolayer and Au core enhanced catalytic activity by regulating the Pd dispersion and site property, according to thorough characterizations that included high-angle annular dark-field transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-TEM) image, in-situ CO-IR adsorption, CO chemisorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). This work might provide some new lights on design of highly efficient catalysts for the elimination of oxyanion pollutants.

Regulation of ash slagging behavior of palm oil decanter cake by alum sludge addition

Combustion of palm oil decanter cake (PODC) is a propitious alternative waste to energy means. However, the mono-combustion of PODC prompt severe ash slagging behavior which give rise to reduction in heat transfer and also shorten the lifespan of combustion reactors. In this study, alum sludge (AS) was introduced at different proportion of 30%, 50% and 70% to revamp the slagging characteristics of PODC during combustion. The addition of AS improved ash fusion temperature of PODC during co-combustion as ash fusion temperature increased significantly under high AS dosage. Slagging and fouling indices showed that at 50% AS addition, slagging tendency of the co-combustion ashes can be ignored. The predictive model for PODC-AS combustion showed good correlation coefficient with 0.89. Overall, co-combustion of PODC and AS is an ideal ash related problem-solving route. The proposed PODC slagging preventive method by AS was based on: (1) limited amount of aluminum content in PODC-AS system resulted in development of refractory ash (2) reduction in proportion of basic oxide which act as ash bonding glue played important role in the regulation of slagging (3) reduction of cohesive bond by formation of spongy and porous structure which prevented ash slagging.

Comparative assessment on ammonia nitrogen adsorption onto a saline soil-groundwater environment: distribution, multi-factor interaction, and optimization using response surface methodology and artificial neural network

The adsorption of soil can reduce the leaching of NH₄⁺-N from the external environment into groundwater. The adsorption of NH₄⁺-N is affected by many factors. It is critical to use statistical model to quantitatively describe the effects of interaction between two or more factors on the system response. In this study, HJ-Biplot was used to analyze the correlation characteristics of soil water, salt, and nitrogen, and the response surface methodology and artificial neural network were used to statistically visualize the interaction between factors, including concentration, total dissolved solids (TDS), temperature, and pH. The results showed that the study soil was a typical saline soil, with maximum soil NH₄⁺-N content of 85.45 mg/kg. For the adsorption experiments of NH₄⁺-N on saline soils, the effects of factors on the adsorption capacity were assessed using the RSM model. The RSM model was coupled with an ANN to predict the adsorption of NH₄⁺-N by saline soils. The NH₄⁺-N concentration and water pH were both significant at a linear level (p < 0.0001). The interaction between NH₄⁺-N concentration and pH was also more significant (p < 0.01). Under optimal conditions (concentration: 800 mg/L; temperature: 24 °C; TDS: 637 mg/L; pH: 7.83), the NH₄⁺-N adsorption capacity was 1650.2 ug/g, which was in general agreement with the calculated values from the Box-Behnken and RSM model. In addition, a statistical error criterion for the model showed that the RSM-ANN model had greater predictive ability than RSM model.

Application of Artificial Neural Network for predicting biomass growth during domestic wastewater treatment through a biological process

The biological treatment process is responsible for removing organic and inorganic matter in wastewater. This process relies heavily on microorganisms to successfully remove organic and inorganic matter. The aim of the study was to model biomass growth in the biological treatment process. Multilayer perceptron (MLP) Artificial Neural Network (ANN) algorithm was used to model biomass growth. Three metrics: coefficient of determination (R 2), root mean squared error (RMSE), and mean squared error (MSE) were used to evaluate the performance of the model. Sensitivity analysis was applied to confirm variables that have a strong influence on biomass growth. The results of the study showed that MLP ANN algorithm was able to model biomass growth successfully. R 2 values were 0.844, 0.853, and 0.823 during training, validation, and testing phases, respectively. RMSE values were 0.7476, 1.1641, and 0.7798 during training, validation, and testing phases respectively. MSE values were 0.5589, 1.3551, and 0.6081 during training, validation, and testing phases, respectively. Sensitivity analysis results showed that temperature (47.2%) and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (40.2%) were the biggest drivers of biomass growth. Aeration period (4.3%), chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration (3.2%), and oxygen uptake rate (OUR) (5.1%) contributed minimally. The biomass growth model can be applied at different wastewater treatment plants by different plant managers/operators in order to achieve optimum biomass growth. The optimum biomass growth will improve the removal of organic and inorganic matter in the biological treatment process.

Parametric optimization of additive manufactured biocarrier submerged in sequencing batch reactor for domestic wastewater treatment

The high nutrient concentration in domestic wastewater effluent can endanger the aquatic life via eutrophication. Thus, research have been carried out to prevent harm to aquatic life. In regard biofilm reactors have been successful by far with few limitations. Bio-carrier fabrication of desired shape is one of the limitations. Recently, the invention of additive manufacturing (AM) of object made it feasible to fabricate the desired shape. In this study additive manufactured bio‒carrier (AMB) was printed using AM technique, with high surface area to volume ratio as well as density higher than water. The submerged attach growth sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SAGSBBR) for organic and nutrient removal from domestic wastewater (DWW) was conducted to determine the optimum bio‒carrier filling ratio (FR) and cycle time (CT) by using response surface methodology (RSM) with CT ranging between 12 h and 24 h and FR ranging between 0 and 20%. The maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia-nitrogen (NH₄ ⁺‒N), and total phosphorus (TP) removal was 96.8 mg/L, 93.32 mg/L, and 88.89 mg/L respectively, which was achieved in submerged attached growth sequential biofilm batch reactor with 10% FR (SAGSBBR‒10). The optimization study determined the optimal solution of CT and FR to be 17.07 h and 12.38% respectively, with desirability of 0.987. The predicted mean of responses for the optimal solution were 96.64%, 94.40% and 89.94% for COD removal, NH₄ ⁺‒N removal and TP removal, respectively. The rate of biomass attachment at the first stage in SAGSBBR‒10 and SAGSBBR‒20 was about 11.39 mg/carrier.d and 8.64 mg/carrier.d, whereas the highest accumulation achieved was 98.27 mg/carrier and 80.15 mg/carrier respectively. Thus, this study can assist us to achieve sustainable development goal (SDG) 6.

Optimized preparation of gangue waste-based geopolymer adsorbent based on improved response surface methodology for Cd(II) removal from wastewater

Resource utilization of gangue solid waste has become an essential research direction for green development. This study prepared a novel gangue based geopolymer adsorbent (GPA) for the removal of Cd(II) from wastewater using pretreatment gangue (PG) as the main raw material. The ANOVA indicated that the obtained quadratic model of fitness function (R² > 0.99, P-value <0.0001) was significant and adequate, and the contribution of the three preparation conditions to the removal of Cd(II) was: calcination temperature > Na₂CO₃:PG ratio > water-glass solid content. The hybrid response surface method and gray wolf optimization (RSM-GWO) algorithm were adopted to acquire the optimum conditions: Na₂CO₃:PG ratio = 1.05, calcination temperature of 701 °C, solid content of water glass of 22.42%, and the removal efficiency of Cd(II) by GPA obtained under the optimized conditions (GPAC) was 97.84%. Adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms and characterization by XRD, FTIR, Zeta potential, FSEM-EDS and BET were utilized to investigate the adsorption mechanism of GPAC on Cd(II). The results showed that the adsorption of Cd(II) from GPAC was consistent with the pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.9936) and the Langmuir model (R² = 0.9988), the adsorption was a monolayer adsorption process and the computed maximum Cd(II) adsorption (50.76 mg g^-1) was approximate to experimental results (51.47 mg g^-1). Moreover, the surface morphology of GPAC was rough and porous with a specific surface area (SSA) of 18.54 m² g^-1, which provided abundant active sites, and the internal kaolinite was destroyed to produce a zeolite-like structure where surface complexation and ion exchange with Cd(II) through hydroxyl (-OH) and oxygen-containing groups (-SiOH and -AlOH) were the main adsorption mechanisms. Thus, GPAC is a lucrative adsorbent material for effective Cd(II) wastewater treatment, complying with the "high value-added" usage of solid wastes and "waste to cure poison" green sustainable development direction.

Lignin removal from synthetic wastewater via Fenton-like reaction over Cu supported on MCM-41 derived from bagasse: Optimization and reaction intermediates

Lignin degradation was performed using a Fenton-like oxidation reaction with Cu supported on MCM-41, derived from bagasse (Cu-BG-MCM-41), as the catalyst. The optimal degradation conditions required to remove a predetermined amount of lignin (95%) from an effluent were determined. Based on the literature review and preliminary tests, the critical parameters determining the operating conditions include temperature, catalyst loading, pH, H₂O₂ concentration, and reaction time. The experimental design and working conditions were based on Box-Behnken design. The reaction products were analyzed via UV-vis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to predict the optimum operating conditions for the Fenton-like reaction for 95% lignin degradation, which were a temperature of 80 °C, initial pH of 9, H₂O₂ concentration of 1 mL/L, catalyst loading of 1.0 g/L, and reaction time of 30 min. These conditions were validated three times and the achieved percentage of lignin degradation was 95 ± 2%. This is close to the value of 95% used in the RSM to determine the optimum operating conditions, thus verifying the model. The catalyst was stable and functioned well under the optimum design conditions. Moreover, the reaction could be used to obtain high-value intermediate products if stopped after 5 min. Finally, lignin was degraded into vanillin, a higher-value product. As expected, the proposed Fenton-like approach expanded the pH working range from less than 4 to 5-9.

Synthesis of Gum Arabic Magnetic Nanoparticles for Adsorptive Removal of Ciprofloxacin: Equilibrium, Kinetic, Thermodynamics Studies, and Optimization by Response Surface Methodology

Given the increasing risks that antibiotic abuse poses to microecology and human health, it is imperative to develop incredibly powerful adsorbents. This study investigated the use of environmentally sustainable polymeric nanocomposite based on gum arabic (GA) and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) synthesized via co-precipitation method to form gum arabic magnetitic nanoparticles (GA-MNPs) as an efficient adsorbent for ciprofloxacin (CIP) removal from aqueous solution. The physicochemical properties and morphology of the synthesized GA-MNPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX). The experiment was designed by response surface methodology (RSM) and the Central Composite Design (CCD) was utilized to optimize the operating variables: contact time (0–120 min), pH (3–10), adsorbent dosage (0.10–0.40 g/L), and concentration of adsorbate (5–100 mg/L). Results showed that 96.30% was the maximum percentage of CIP removed. The adsorption effect of the CIP molecule on the surface of the GA-MNPs was investigated using regression analysis and analysis of variance. Furthermore, Freundlich Isotherm and Pseudo Second order kinetic equations have the highest consistency with experimental investigations suggesting double-layer adsorption. This implies that chemisorption was the mechanism involved. In addition, the calculated thermodynamic parameters were postulating an exothermic and spontaneous method in nature. Owing to its adsorption selectivity and recyclability, GA-MNPs could be classified as an environmentally friendly, less expensive, and highly efficient promising adsorbent for remediation of CIP from aqueous solution.