Removal of copper (II) ions by eco-friendly raw eggshells and nano-sized eggshells: a comparative study

Fabrication, Characterization, and Evaluation of Eggshells as a Carrier for Sustainable Slow-Release Multi-Nutrient Fertilizers

Development of environment-friendly fertilizers to adhere to the sustainability in agronomic practices and to overcome the limitations posed by the conventional fertilizers has been an important challenge. In this study, a cost-effective biowaste eggshell (ES) material was utilized as a sustainable support for eco-friendly slow-release multi-nutrient fertilizers (SMFs) by simple impregnation of micro- and macronutrients. The synthesized multi-nutrient composite was characterized by various characterization techniques. The leaching tests were conducted using simulated soil solutions and tap water, which showed slow and steady release patterns of the impregnated nutrients. Also, the water holding and water retention capacity of soil were improved upon addition of ES-SMF. Further, the results of pot experiments showed enhanced plant growth of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seedlings that proved the efficiency of ES-SMF to serve as an environment-friendly fertilizer in agriculture to attain sustainability.

Tailored functional materials as robust candidates to mitigate pesticides in aqueous matrices-a review

Pesticides are among the top-priority contaminants, which significantly contribute to environmental deterioration. Conventional techniques are not efficient enough to remove pollutants from environmental matrices. The development of functional materials has emerged as promising candidates to remove and degrade pesticides and related hazardous compounds. Furthermore, the nanohybrid materials with unique structural and functional characteristics, such as better material anchorage, mass transfer, electron-hole separation, and charged interaction make them a versatile option to treat and reduce pollutants from aqueous matrices. Herein, we present the current progress in the development of functional materials for the abatement of toxic pesticides. The physicochemical characteristics and pesticide-removal functionalities of various metallic functional materials (e.g., zirconium, zinc, titanium, tungsten, and iron), polymer, and carbon-based materials are critically discussed with suitable examples. Finally, the industrial-scale applications of the functional materials, concluding remarks, and future directions in this important arena are given.

New frontiers and prospects of metal-organic frameworks for removal, determination, and sensing of pesticides

Pesticides have been widely used in agriculture to control, reduce, and kill insects. Humans are also being using pesticides to control insidious animals in daily life. By these practices, a huge volume of pesticides is introduced to the environment. Despite broad-spectrum applicability, pesticides also have hazardous effects on both humans and animals at high and low concentrations. Long-term exposure to pesticides can cause different diseases, like leukemia, lymphoma, and cancers of the brain, breasts, prostate, testis, and ovaries. Reproductive disorders from pesticides include birth defects, stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, sterility, and infertility. Therefore, the application of determination and treatment methods for pre-concentration and removal of these toxic materials from the environment appears a vital concern. To date, different materials and approaches have been employed for these purposes. Among these approaches, multifunctional metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-assisted adsorption and determination processes have always been in the spotlight. These facts are due to exclusive properties of MOFs in terms of the crystallinity, large surface area, high chemical, and physical stability, and controllable structure as well as unique features of adsorption and determination process in terms of simple, easy, cheap, available method and ability to use in large and industrial scales. In the present work, we illustrate the exceptional features of MOFs as well as the possible mechanism for the adsorption of pesticides by MOFs. The use of these fantastic materials for pre-concentration and removal of pesticides are extensively explored. In addition, the performance of MOFs was compared with other adsorbents. Finally, the new frontiers and prospects of MOFs for the determination, sensing, and removal of pesticides are presented.