Uptake of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution by Naturally Grown Daedalea africana and Phellinus adamantinus Fungi

Biogenic adsorbents for removal of drugs and dyes: A comprehensive review on properties, modification and applications

This comprehensive review explores the potential and versatility of biogenic materials as sustainable and environmentally benign alternatives to conventional adsorbents for the removal of drugs and dyes. Biogenic adsorbents derived from plants, animals, microorganisms, algae and biopolymers have bioactive compounds that interact with functional groups of pollutants, resulting in their binding with the sorbent. These materials can be modified mechanically, thermally and chemically to enhance their adsorption properties. Biogenic hybrid composites, which integrate the characteristics of more than one material, have also been fabricated. Additionally, microorganisms and algae are analyzed for their ability to uptake pollutants. Various influential factors that contribute to the adsorption process are also discussed. The challenge, limitations and future prospects for research are reviewed and bridging gap between large scale application and laboratory scale. This comprehensive review, involves a combination of various biogenic adsorbents, going beyond the existing literature where typically only specific adsorbents are reported. The review also covers the isotherms, kinetics, and desorption studies of biogenic adsorbents, providing an improved framework for their effective use in removing pharmaceuticals and dyes from wastewater.

A novel effective bio-originated methylene blue adsorbent: the porous biosilica from three marine diatom strains of Nanofrustulum spp. (Bacillariophyta)

In the present paper, for the first time the ability of the porous biosilica originated from three marine diatom strains of 'Nanofrustulum spp.' viz. N. wachnickianum (SZCZCH193), N. shiloi (SZCZM1342), N. cf. shiloi (SZCZP1809), to eliminate MB from aqueous solutions was investigated. The highest biomass was achieved under silicate enrichment for N. wachnickianum and N. shiloi (0.98 g L-1 DW and 0.93 g L-1 DW respectively), and under 15 °C for N. cf. shiloi (2.2 g L-1 DW). The siliceous skeletons of the strains were purified with hydrogen peroxide and characterized by SEM, EDS, the N2 adsorption/desorption, XRD, TGA, and ATR-FTIR. The porous biosilica (20 mg DW) obtained from the strains i.e. SZCZCH193, SZCZM1342, SZCZP1809, showed efficiency in 77.6%, 96.8%, and 98.1% of 14 mg L-1 MB removal under pH 7 for 180 min, and the maximum adsorption capacity was calculated as 8.39, 19.02, and 15.17 mg g-1, respectively. Additionally, it was possible to increase the MB removal efficiency in alkaline (pH = 11) conditions up to 99.08% for SZCZP1809 after 120 min. Modelling revealed that the adsorption of MB follows Pseudo-first order, Bangham's pore diffusion and Sips isotherm models.

Effect of Fomes fomentarius Cultivation Conditions on Its Adsorption Performance for Anionic and Cationic Dyes

Lab-cultivated mycelia of Fomes fomentarius (FF), grown on a solid lignocellulose medium (FF-SM) and a liquid glucose medium (FF-LM), and naturally grown fruiting bodies (FF-FB) were studied as biosorbents for the removal of organic dyes methylene blue and Congo red (CR). Both the chemical and microstructural differences were revealed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential analysis, and scanning electron microscopy, illuminating the superiority of FF-LM and FF-SM over FF-FB in dye adsorption. The adsorption process of CR on FF-LM and FF-SM is best described by the Redlich-Peterson model with β constants close to 1, that is, approaching the monolayer Langmuir model, which reach maximum adsorption capacities of 48.8 and 13.4 mg g-1, respectively, in neutral solutions. Adsorption kinetics follow the pseudo-second-order model where chemisorption is the rate-controlling step. While the desorption efficiencies were low, adsorption performances were preserved and even enhanced under simulated dye effluent conditions. The results suggest that F. fomentarius can be considered an attractive biosorbent in industrial wastewater treatment and that its cultivation conditions can be specifically tailored to tune its cell wall composition and adsorption performance.

Synthesis, Characterization and Application of Polypyrrole Functionalized Nanocellulose for the Removal of Cr(VI) from Aqueous Solution

Heavy metals are toxic substances that pose a real danger to humans and organisms, even at low concentration. Therefore, there is an urgent need to remove heavy metals. Herein, the nanocellulose (NC) was synthesized by the hydrolysis of cellulose using sulfuric acid, and then functionalized using polypyrrole (ppy) through a polymerization reaction to produce polypyrrole/nanocellulose (ppy/NC) nanocomposite. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized using familiar techniques including XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, and TGA. The obtained results showed a well-constructed nanocomposite with excellent thermal stability in the nano-sized scale. The adsorption experiments showed that the ppy/NC nanocomposite was able to adsorb hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). The optimum pH for the removal of the heavy metal was pH 2. The interfering ions showed minor effect on the adsorption of Cr(VI) resulted from the competition between ions for the adsorption sites. The adsorption kinetics were studied using pseudo 1st order and pseudo 2nd order models indicating that the pseudo second order model showed the best fit to the experimental data, signifying that the adsorption process is controlled by the chemisorption mechanism. Additionally, the nanocomposite showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 560 mg/g according to Langmuir isotherm. The study of the removal mechanism showed that Cr(VI) ions were removed via the reduction of high toxic Cr(VI) to lower toxic Cr(III) and the electrostatic attraction between protonated ppy and Cr(VI). Interestingly, the ppy/NC nanocomposite was reused for Cr(VI) uptake up to six cycles showing excellent regeneration results. Subsequently, Cr(VI) ions can be effectively removed from aqueous solution using the synthesized nanocomposite as reusable and cost-effective adsorbent.