An adsorbent based on humic acid and carboxymethyl cellulose for efficient dye removal from aqueous solution

Redox active metallene anchored amino-functionalized cellulose composite for electrochemical capture and conversion of chromium

Considering the ubiquity and high toxicity of Cr(VI) species for destroying a sustainable environment, developing energy-efficient method for capturing and detoxifying chromium [Cr(VI) → Cr(III)] is imperative. Herein, ferrocene (Fc) was combined with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) for Cr(VI) remediation. Fc species possessed reversible redox behavior and low ionization potential, yet it faced challenges with conductivity and stability. Results revealed that, PEI facilitated the binding of Fc within the CMC through electrostatic interactions or coordination bonds, ensuring the good dispersion and stability of Fc. When applied in the electrochemical adsorption of Cr(VI), the combination created a synergistic effect. The presence of Fc and PEI boosted the electrochemical performance by providing faster electronic and ionic transportation, higher specific capacitance coupled with improved electrode-electrolyte interactions, leading to a higher Cr(VI) adsorption capacity over CMC/PEI/Fc (280.5 mg/g) compared to those over CMC and CMC/PEI. The interactions between the Cr(VI) and electrode included the electrosorption, electrostatic interaction of protonated PEI and oxidized Fc species. When the electric field was reversed, the Cr(VI) was electrostatic repulsed and electrocatalytic reduced to Cr(III) with a reduction rate of 85.4 %. This work promoted the development of effective electrosorption materials suitable for complete Cr(VI) removal and detoxification.

Bacterial Cellulose-Derived Sorbents for Cr (VI) Remediation: Adsorption, Elution, and Reuse

The search for adsorbents that are non-toxic and low cost with a high adsorption capacity and excellent recyclability is a priority to determine the way to reduce the serious environmental impacts caused by the discharge of effluents loaded with heavy metals. Bacterial cellulose (BC) biomass has functional groups such as hydroxyl and carbonyl groups that play a crucial role in making this cellulose so efficient at removing contaminants present in water through cation exchange. This research aims to develop an experimental process for the adsorption, elution, and reuse of bacterial cellulose biomass in treating water contaminated with Cr (VI). SEM images and the kinetics behavior were analyzed with pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order models together with isothermal analysis after each elution and reuse process. The adsorption behavior was in excellent agreement with the Langmuir model along with its elution and reuse; the adsorption capacity was up to 225 mg/g, adding all the elution processes. This study presents a novel approach to the preparation of biomass capable of retaining Cr (VI) with an excellent adsorption capacity and high stability. This method eliminates the need for chemical agents, which would otherwise be difficult to implement due to their costs. The viability of this approach for the field of industrial wastewater treatment is demonstrated.

Humic substances derived from unconventional resources: extraction, properties, environmental impacts, and prospects

Humic substances comprise up to 70% of the total organic matter in soils, between 50 and 80% of the dissolved organic matter in water, and about 25% of dissolved organic matter in groundwater. Elucidation of the complex structure and properties of humic substances requires advanced analytical tools; however, they are of fundamental importance in medicine, agriculture, technology, and the environment, at large. Although they are naturally occurring, significant efforts are now being directed into their extraction owing to their relevance in improving soil properties and other environmental applications. In the present review, the different fractions of humic substances were elucidated, underlying the mechanisms by which they function in soils. Furthermore, the extraction processes of humic substances from various feedstock were illustrated, with the alkali extraction technique being the most widely used. In addition, the functional group and elemental composition of humic substances were discussed. The similarities and/or variations in the properties of humic substances as influenced by the source and origin of feedstock were highlighted. Finally, the environmental impacts of humic substances were discussed while highlighting prospects of humic acid production. This review offers enormous potential in identifying these knowledge gaps while recommending the need for inter- and multidisciplinary studies in making extensive efforts toward the sustainable production of humic substances.

A Comprehensive Review of the Development of Carbohydrate Macromolecules and Copper Oxide Nanocomposite Films in Food Nanopackaging

Background. Food nanopackaging helps maintain food quality against physical, chemical, and storage instability factors. Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) can improve biopolymers’ mechanical features and barrier properties. This will lead to antimicrobial and antioxidant activities in food packaging to extend the shelf life. Scope and Approach. Edible coatings based on carbohydrate biopolymers have improved the quality of packaging. Several studies have addressed the role of carbohydrate biopolymers and incorporated nanoparticles to enhance food packets’ quality as active nanopackaging. Combined with nanoparticles, these biopolymers create film coatings with an excellent barrier property against transmissions of gases such as O2 and CO2. Key Findings and Conclusions. This review describes the CuO-biopolymer composites, including chitosan, agar, cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose nanowhiskers, carrageenan, alginate, starch, and polylactic acid, as food packaging films. Here, we reviewed different fabrication techniques of CuO biocomposites and the impact of CuONPs on the physical, mechanical, barrier, thermal stability, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of carbohydrate-based films.

The Dependency of Kinetic Parameters as a Function of Initial Solute Concentration: New Insight from Adsorption of Dye and Heavy Metals onto Humic-Like Modified Adsorbents

Kinetics parameters are the essential issue in the design of water treatment systems for pollutants uptake. Though numerous studies have identified the boundary conditions that exert influence on the kinetics parameters, the influence of the dynamic initial solute concentration (C0) to the kinetic parameters generated from fitting kinetics model to experimental data has not been investigated thoroughly. This study revealed a change in the kinetics parameter value due to changes in the adsorption mechanism as an effect of dynamic C0. It was observed that at higher C0 the adsorbed solute at equilibrium (qe) increases and it takes longer time to reach equilibrium. As a result, the kinetics rate constant (k) calculated from adsorption reaction model (Lagergren, Ho, Santosa, and RBS) was decreased. In general, Ho model exhibit higher correlation coefficient value (R2) among the other model at low C0. At high C0, Ho’s R2 tend to decrease while the Lagergren and RBS’s R2 was increased. The amendment mechanism from external mass transport to intra-particle diffusion as a rate limiting step was evidenced by Boyd and Weber-Morris kinetics model. Further, the physicochemical properties of the adsorbent used in this work: chitin and Fe3O4 modified horse dung humic acid (HDHA-Fe3O4 and HDHA-Ch, respectively) with the solute: Pb(II), Methylene Blue (MB), and Ni(II) was deeply discussed in this paper. The outcomes of this work are of prime significance for effective and optimum design for pollutant uptake by adsorption equipment. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). 

Effects of humic acid modified oyster shell addition on lignocellulose degradation and nitrogen transformation during digestate composting

The aim of this work was to investigate the performance of a novel humic acid modified oyster shell (MOS) bulking agent on the digestate composting. MOS was prepared by immobilizing humic acid onto oyster shell using solid phase grafting method, and then applied to the composting process. Results showed more obvious degradation of lignocellulose was observed in the MOS treatment, which was probably due to the high relative abundance of Actinobacteria. Moreover, the addition of MOS could significantly preserve NH₄⁺ and reduce the NO₃^- generation with the decreasing abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea. Besides, adding MOS reduced the N₂O emission by 59.63% compared with the control. After composting, excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectra demonstrated that the humification degree as well as compost maturity was enhanced with MOS added.

N(4)-Morpholinothiosemicarbazide-Modified Cellulose: Synthesis, Structure, Kinetics, Thermodynamics, and Ni(II) Removal Studies

In this study, cellulose extracted from straw was modified using N(4)-morpholinothiosemicarbazide to generate a novel adsorbent as a chelate-complex-based material. The effects of pH, time, temperature, and mass ratios of KIO₄: cellulose on the yield of the oxidation were analyzed using iodometric titration and photometric methods. The accuracy and precision of the above two methods were evaluated using Student and Fisher statistical distribution. The structure of the material was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis. The kinetic order of Ni(II) adsorption was dependent on the concentration of Ni(II). The surface response design enabled to optimize the condition for Ni(II) adsorption at 58 °C, pH of 4.98, within 106 min. The maximum Ni(II) adsorption capacity was 90 mg g^-1. This kind of adsorbent can be reused at least five times without a significant decrease in its adsorption efficiency.

Cellulose particles capture aldehyde VOC pollutants

Aldehydes are commonly encountered Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) released to the atmosphere from a variety of anthropogenic sources. Based on the increasing interest in developing sustainable and environmentally friendly materials for the decontamination of VOCs, cellulose particles have emerged as one possible candidate, but there is a lack of understanding of the physicochemical properties affecting the adsorption of VOCs, and the effect of the extraction source on these intrinsic features. The present study was focused on the evaluation of unmodified cellulose particles extracted from biodiverse sources in Ecuador as potential VOC decontaminants. Modifications of the natural fibers with polyethylenimine (PEI) coating were performed to enhance the adsorption effectiveness. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) measurements, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods were used to characterize the physicochemical properties of the isolates. Gas chromatography assays demonstrated that unmodified cellulose can adsorb an aldehyde VOC, hexanal, reaching up to a 56.42 ± 7.30% reduction. Electrostatic coating of the cellulose particles with small quantities of PEI enhanced the VOC remediation capacities (i.e. 98.12 ± 1.18%). Results demonstrated that the biodiverse plant source of the cellulose isolate can affect the gas capturing properties, and that these particles can be an environmentally friendly solution for effective adsorption of VOC pollutants.

Cellulose particles isolated from biodiverse sources are capable of capturing aldehyde VOCs.