Equilibrium and Kinetic Studies of Biosorptive Removal of 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol from Aqueous Solutions Using Untreated Agro-Waste Pine Cone Biomass

Removal and detection of phenols through an SPE-HPLC method using microporous organic networks as adsorbent

The design and development of a facile synthesis approach to construct novel materials for the rapid adsorption and removal of environmental pollutants are of significant interest. In this work, we report the rational design and facile synthesis of magnetic core-shell-based microporous organic networks, Fe3O4@MON-TBPT-TEB (TTMON, achieved by reacting 2,4,6-tris(p-bromophenyl) triazine and 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene) and Fe3O4@MON-TBPM-DEBP (TDMON, achieved by reacting tetrakis (4-bromophenyl) methane and 4-4'-diethynylbiphenyl). These MONs possessed excellent dispersity, electrostatic attraction as well as plenty of π-π and hydrophobic interaction sites enabled them to efficiently absorb targeted environmental pollutants. TTMON and TDMON exhibited excellent adsorption capacities of 440 and 510 mg g-1, respectively, at 25 °C for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP). TCP, 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP), 2-naphthol (2-NT) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) from aqueous solution were treated by both MONs, followed by their analysis with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). For TDMON, the proposed SPE-HPLC-UV method showed an LOD of 0.03 μg L-1, LOQ of 0.11 μg L-1, and a wide linear range of 1-1000 μg L-1 for TCP. The adsorption kinetics, thermodynamics, isotherms, effect of pH and humic acid (HA), ionic strength, regeneration, and reusability of the MONs were also studied. The results revealed that the novel-designed MONs have potential applications as efficient adsorbents in sample pretreatment.

Synthesis of carboxymethyl starch co (polyacrylamide/ polyacrylic acid) hydrogel for removing methylene blue dye from aqueous solution

Natural polysaccharides, notably starch, have garnered attention for their accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and biodegradability. Modifying starch to carboxymethyl starch enhances its solubility, swelling capacity, and adsorption efficiency. This research examines the synthesis of an effective hydrogel adsorbent based on carboxymethyl starch for the elimination of methylene blue from aqueous solutions. The hydrogel was synthesized using polyacrylamide and polyacrylic acid as monomers, ammonium persulfate as the initiator, and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linker. Through FESEM, swelling morphology was evaluated in both distilled water and methylene blue dye. The adsorption data elucidated that the adsorption capacity of the hydrogel significantly depends on the dosage of the adsorbent, pH, and concentration of the MB dye. At a pH of 7 and a dye concentration of 250 mg/L, the hydrogel exhibited an impressive 95 % removal rate for methylene blue. The results indicate that the adsorption process follows pseudo-second-order kinetics and conforms well to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, indicating a maximum adsorption capacity of 1700 mg/g. According to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and FTIR analysis, methylene blue chemisorbs to the adsorbent material. Hydrogel absorbents regulate adsorption through both intra-particle diffusion and liquid film diffusion. These results highlight the potential of the new hydrogel absorber for water purification.

Modeling the Formation and Propagation of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, a Dominant Taste and Odor Compound, in Water Distribution Systems

2,4,6-trichloroanisole (2,4,6-TCA) formation is often reported as a cause of taste and odor (T&O) problems in water distribution systems (WDSs). The biosynthesis via microbial O-methylation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) is the dominant formation pathway in distribution pipes. This paper attempted to utilize the reported data on the microbial O-methylation process to formulate deterministic kinetic models for explaining 2,4,6-TCA formation dynamics in WDSs. The pipe material’s critical role in stimulating O-methyltransferases enzymatic activity and regulating 2,4,6-TCP bioconversion in water was established. The kinetic expressions formulated were later applied to develop a novel EPANET-MSX-based multi-species reactive-transport (MSRT) model. The effects of operating conditions and temperature in directing the microbiological, chemical, and organoleptic quality variations in WDSs were analyzed using the MSRT model on two benchmark systems. The simulation results specified chlorine application’s implication in maintaining 2,4,6-TCA levels within its perception limit (4 ng/L). In addition, the temperature sensitivity of O-methyltransferases enzymatic activity was described, and the effect of temperature increase from 10 to 25 °C in accelerating the 2,4,6-TCA formation rate in WDSs was explained. Controlling source water 2,4,6-TCP concentration by accepting appropriate treatment techniques was recommended as the primary strategy for regulating the T&O problems in WDSs.

Engineered biochar from wood apple shell waste for high-efficient removal of toxic phenolic compounds in wastewater

This study investigated a novel agricultural low-cost bio-waste biochar derived from wood apple fruit shell waste via the pyrolysis method, which is modified by ball milling and utilized to remove toxic phenol and chlorophenols (4-CPh and 2,4-DCPh) from contaminated aqueous media. The ball-milled wood apple fruit shell waste biochar (WAS-BC) sorbent was systematically analyzed by BET, CHN, and FTIR as well as particle size, SEM-EDS, XPS and TGA studies. The sorption equilibrium and kinetic studies exhibit that the sorption capacity was greater than 75% within the first 45 min of agitation at pH 6.0. The uptake capacity of 2,4-DCPh onto WAS-BC was greater than those of 4-CPh and phenol. Equilibrium results were consistent with the Langmuir isotherm model, while the kinetic data were best represented by the Elovich and pseudo-second-order model. The maximum uptake of phenol, 4-CPh, and 2,4-DCPh was 102.71, 172.24, and 226.55 mg/g, respectively, at 30 ± 1 °C. Thus, this study demonstrates that WAS-BC is an efficient, low-cost sorbent that can be used for the elimination of phenol and chlorophenol compounds from polluted wastewater.

Effect of Ionic Strength and Coexisting Ions on the Biosorption of Divalent Nickel by the Acorn Shell of the Oak Quercus crassipes Humb. & Bonpl

This study investigated the effect of ionic strength and background electrolytes on the biosorption of Ni2+ from aqueous solutions by the acorn shell of Quercus crassipes Humb. & Bonpl. (QCS). A NaCl ionic strength of 0.2 mM was established to have no effect on the Ni2+ biosorption and the biosorption capacity of the heavy metal decreased as the ionic strength increased from 2 to 2000 mM. The background electrolytes (KCl, NaNO3, Na2SO4, CaCl2, MgSO4, and MgCl2) had no adverse effects on the biosorption of Ni2+ at a concentration of 0.2 mM. However, at background electrolyte concentrations of 2 and 20 mM, divalent cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) had greater negative effects on the biosorption of Ni2+ compared to the monovalent cations (Na+ and K+). Additionally, the SO42− and Cl− anions affected the biosorption of Ni2+. The fractional power, Elovich, and pseudo-second order models represented the kinetic processes of the biosorption of Ni2+ adequately. The results show that QCS can be a promising and low-cost biosorbent for removing Ni2+ ions from aqueous solutions containing various types of impurities with different concentrations.