Photocatalytic removal of 2-chlorophenol from water by using waste eggshell-derived calcium ferrite

A new approach to recycling low-value eggshell food waste was to produce a CaFe₂O₄ semiconductor with a narrow band gap (E_g = 2.81 eV) via hydrothermal treatments of powdered eggshell suspended in aqueous ferric salt (Fe³⁺) solutions at varying Fe loadings. It was possible to obtain a single phase of CaFe₂O₄ without any Ca(OH)₂ and CaO impurities using an optimal Fe loading (30 wt% of Fe³⁺ by eggshell weight). The CaFe₂O₄ material was used as a photocatalyst for the breakdown of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP, a herbicide model chemical) as a pollutant in water. The CaFe₂O₄ with a Fe loading of 7.1 wt% exhibited a high 2-CP removal efficiency of 86.1% after 180 min of UV-visible light irradiation. Additionally, the eggshell-derived CaFe₂O₄ photocatalyst can be effectively reused, giving a high removal efficiency of 70.5% after the third cycle, without the requirement of regeneration processes (washing or re-calcination). Although radical trapping experiments confirmed that hydroxyl radicals were generated in the photocatalytic reactions, photogenerated holes play a significant role in the high 2-CP degradation efficiencies. The performance of the bioderived CaFe₂O₄ photocatalysts in the removal of pesticides from water demonstrated the benefits of resource recycling in the area of materials science and in environmental remediation and protection.

Green calcium-based photocatalyst derived from waste marble powder for environmental sustainability: A review on synthesis and application in photocatalysis

Calcium, with its excellent adsorptive property and higher permissible limits in the environment, emerges as an effective wastewater treatment earth metal. Most of the catalysts, photocatalysts, and adsorbents reported in the literature have heavy metal complex, which creates a leaching problem. Majorly, precursors used for the synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts for wastewater treatment are costly. Therefore, the use of such precursors would be not suitable and feasible approach from an economic point of view. This review work is focused on giving an overview of the utilisation of calcium-based catalysts (adsorbents and photocatalyst) for the removal/degradation of various types of dye water pollutants and summarises the reported effects of calcium as a base on the removal efficiency of dopants. In this article, an extensive literature survey is presented on the various photocatalysts developed and the different syntheses involved in their preparation. As the utilisation of marble powder is a green sustainable approach, the scope of various calcium-based photocatalysts and their application is presented. This article also aims for the elementary and inclusive determination of the effect of introducing calcium as a base for different catalysts and adsorbents.

Catalytical efficiency, mechanism and characterization of hydrolysed waste eggshell in the subcritical water oxidation of pistachio processing wastewater

Sustainable, effective and environmentally friendly methods are needed in wastewater treatment as quality water is necessary for a healthy life. Valorisation of solid food waste is also of great importance. This study examines the effectiveness of hydrolysed waste eggshells (HES), a green catalyst, in pistachio processing wastewater (PPWW) treatment using subcritical water oxidation (SWO). HES was prepared in the subcritical water medium (513 K, 100 bar of N₂, 2 h) with a 92.3% yield. 88.8% of COD, 100% of both TPC and color removals of PPWW were achieved. The effects of independent variables such as temperature (363-403 K), treatment time (20-100 min), the concentration of H₂O₂ (0.25-1.25 M) and amount of catalyst (0-100 mg/100 mL) on the responses were investigated using response surface methodology (RSM). SEM, EDX and XRD were used to investigate the characterization of the waste eggshells. The percentage of Ca in HES increased with the hydrolysis, thus CaO increased the catalysis of hydrogen peroxide to form hydroxyl radicals.

Recent advances in waste-derived functional materials for wastewater remediation

Water pollution is a major concern for public health and a sustainable future. It is urgent to purify wastewater with effective methods to ensure a clean water supply. Most wastewater remediation techniques rely heavily on functional materials, and cost-effective materials are thus highly favorable. Of great environmental and economic significance, developing waste-derived materials for wastewater remediation has undergone explosive growth recently. Herein, the applications of waste (e.g., biowastes, electronic wastes, and industrial wastes)-derived materials for wastewater purification are comprehensively reviewed. Sophisticated strategies for turning wastes into functional materials are firstly summarized, including pyrolysis and combustion, hydrothermal synthesis, sol-gel method, co-precipitation, and ball milling. Moreover, critical experimental parameters within different design strategies are discussed. Afterward, recent applications of waste-derived functional materials in adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, electrochemical treatment, and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are analyzed. We mainly focus on the development of efficient functional materials via regulating the internal and external characteristics of waste-derived materials, and the material's property-performance correlation is also emphasized. Finally, the key future perspectives in the field of waste-derived materials-driven water remediation are highlighted.

Optimization and biosynthesis of calcined chicken eggshell doped titanium dioxide photocatalyst based nanoparticles for wastewater treatment

Abstract

This study presents, biosynthesis of calcinated eggshell (CES) doped with Titanium dioxide (TiO2,) photocatalyst for photodegradation of methylene blue from synthetic wastewater. The influence of three independent variables for improving photodegradation efficiency was investigated and optimized using response surface methodology of Box–Behnken Design on the removal of methylene blue using the calcined chicken eggshells (CES) doped with titanium dioxide. The experimental result showed that 95.8% degradation efficiency of methylene blue by prepared photocatalyst at a contact time of 180 min, initial concentration of methylene blue of 10 ppm, and calcined eggshells (CES) doped with titanium dioxide dose of 2.5 g/L. The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-spectrometer, and X-ray diffractometer and UV–vis Spectroscopy for determined their functional group, structure, and bandgap energy respectively. Their results depict the calcined eggshell doped with titanium dioxide photocatalyst is a promising option for the degradation of methylene blue from industrial wastewater under the stated condition.

Highlights

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Fe3O4/PVA/Eggshell Hybrid Nanocomposite for Photodegradation and Antibacterial Activity

In the 21st century, hybrid nanocomposites were widely used in bioelectronic, biosensing, photocatalytic, and biomedical applications. In the present study, we fabricated a novel Fe3O4/PVA/Eggshell hybrid nanocomposite and physicochemically characterized it using powder XRD, EDS, FTIR, VSM, and HR-TEM analysis. The XRD spectrum revealed the crystalline and FCC configuration of Fe3O4 NPs with average crystal size of 16.28 nm, and the HRTEM image indicates the prepared hybrid nanocomposite is of spherical shape with less agglomeration. This hybrid nanocomposite showed a significant photodegradation property in degrading organic pollutants such as congo red and crystal violet dyes under the sunlight irradiation. In addition, the hybrid nanocomposite also displayed a potent antibacterial property against different Gram +ve and Gram −ve bacterial pathogens. This study provides a significant example in the overview of fabrication of cost effectively, eco-friendly, and multiple-application hybrid nanocomposites through eggshell membrane fibers.