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Mubiayi MP, Muleja AA, Mamba BB. Data on physicochemical properties of natural clay and natural clay/multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite materials for various applications possibilities. Data Brief 2021; 39:107682. [PMID: 34934791 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural materials can provide cost-effective way in the development of various products for specific applications. On the hand, physicochemical properties of composite materials can be enhanced to perform a specific process of interest such as wastewater treatment. Clay materials have been used for many applications including brick making and wastewater treatment. To enhance the properties of natural materials such as clay, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used to enhance the properties of natural clays. Natural clays and MWCNTs composites were characterized to provide insights as a starting point for various applications. There are two sets of data presented in this study: i) raw material, unheated and heated (at 900 °C); ii) natural clay, MWCNTs and natural clay/MWCNTs composites. The chemical composition and phase identification analyzes were carried out using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), respectively. A Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer was used to determine the functional groups of the samples. The UV-vis analyzes were carried out to investigate the reflectance percentage of the natural clays and the composites samples. The Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analyzes were performed to investigate the weight loss and dehydration process of the samples. The presented data showed that natural clays and natural clays/MWCNTs composites can be used for various applications such as construction industry, for cosmetic usages and for the removal of pollutants in aqueous solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukuna P Mubiayi
- Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa
| | - Adolph A Muleja
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa
| | - Bhekie B Mamba
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Johannesburg 1710, South Africa
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Kamika I, Azizi S, Muleja AA, Selvarajan R, El-Liethy MA, Mamba BB, Nkambule TTI. The occurrence of opioid compounds in wastewater treatment plants and their receiving water bodies in Gauteng province, South Africa. Environ Pollut 2021; 290:118048. [PMID: 34479162 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The continuous influx of opioid compounds into aquatic environments has become an increasing and persistent concern, due to their extensive use. This is especially alarming as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are unable to completely remove them. Despite the reported health concerns, the occurrence of opioid compounds in the environment has not received much attention. The present study investigates the occurrence of 19 opioids in four WWTPs and their respective receiving water bodies. All wastewater samples revealed opioids at concentration ranging from ng/L to μg/L with most influents having higher concentrations than effluents. WWTPs appeared to perform poorly (p > 0.05 between influents and effluents), and were unable to remove some opioids including Methadone (-27.3%) from the Leeuwkuil WWTP, Codeine (-21.7%) and Thebaine (-3.77%) from the Sandspruit WWTP, and Hydrocodone (-1.06%) from the Meyerton WWTP, respectively. Samples collected from the Leeuwkuil WWTP were the most contaminated, with eighteen out of nineteen opioid analogues exceeding 1 μg/L. Upstream surface water contained less opioids (most < LOQ) than downstream (p < 0.05), with Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Hydromorphone, Fentanyl, Ketamine and Dihydrocodeine not detected. The occurrence of high concentrations of opioid analogues in downstream surface water (298 ng/L -10.8 μg/L for Klip River, 4.49 ng/L -13.1 μg/L for Vaal River, 70.5 ng/L -10.0 μg/L for Soutspruit River and 8.0 ng/L - 2.43 μg/L for Sun Spruit River) was directly linked to their mass loads in the respective wastewater effluent samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilunga Kamika
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa.
| | - Shohreh Azizi
- UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology College of Graduates Studies, University of South Africa, Muckleneuk Ridge, PO Box 392, Pretoria, 0003, South Africa; Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET)-Materials Research Department, IThemba LABS-National Research Foundation, P.O. Box 722, Somerset West, Western Cape Province, 7129, South Africa
| | - Adolph A Muleja
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa
| | - Ramganesh Selvarajan
- Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, P.O. Box 392, Florida, 1710, South Africa
| | - Mohamed Azab El-Liethy
- Environmental Microbiology Lab., Water Pollution Research Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt
| | - Bheki B Mamba
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa; State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, National Centre for International Joint Research on Membrane Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300387, PR China
| | - Thabo T I Nkambule
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa
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Mubiayi MP, Muleja AA, Nzaba SK, Mamba BB. Geochemical and Physicochemical Characteristics of Clay Materials from Congo with Photocatalytic Activity on 4-Nitrophenol in Aqueous Solutions. ACS Omega 2020; 5:29943-29954. [PMID: 33251430 PMCID: PMC7689898 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c04295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the geochemical and physicochemical characteristics of natural clay collected in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The optical properties of the sample collected in Golf (GOL) were tested in the removal of 4-nitrophenol in aqueous solution. The geochemical analysis depicted that all the samples are plotted within the shale quadrant. Furthermore, the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) indicated that the samples are extremely weathered. The particle size distribution ranged from 0.41 to 418.6 μm, while the pore diameters for all the samples were under 100 Å. A flake-like surface morphology was observed in all the samples. SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, K2O, and TiO2 were the major chemical compounds found in all the samples, while the XRD analysis showed the presence of quartz, kaolinite, magnetite, and illite. The presence of metal oxides (i.e., TiO2 and Fe2O3) indicated that these natural clays can be used for photocatalytic oxidation of pollutants. The sample collected in Katuba (KAT) displayed the higher reflectance percentages for the selected wavelengths except at 200 nm. Interestingly, the GOL sample exhibited lower energy band gaps (2.68 and 3.94 eV) necessary for photocatalysis. The untreated GOL clay sample removed 99.13% of 4-nitrophenol from aqueous solution through the photodegradation process. The usage of the untreated GOL clay could be a cost-effective solution in the removal of 4-nitrophenol in wastewater.
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Tshangana CS, Muleja AA, Nxumalo EN, Mhlanga SD. Poly (ether) sulfone electrospun nanofibrous membranes embedded with graphene oxide quantum dots with antimicrobial activity. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2020; 27:26845-26855. [PMID: 32382904 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09080-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This work describes the development of novel electrospun nanofibrous membranes (ENMs) prepared by embedding graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) into poly (ether) sulfone (PES). FTIR and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the successful incorporation of the GOQDs into the PES membranes. The optimal electrospinning polymer concentration that showed no defects or bead formation was at 26 wt% of the PES polymer. Spectroscopy, microscopy and contact angle were some of the techniques used to characterize the ENMs. SEM images showed smooth and unbranched ENMs. The average diameter upon incorporation of the GOQDs was determined to be 2.45 μm. XRD revealed that the GOQDs were structurally close to graphite with an interlaying space of 0.36 nm. The antimicrobial effect of the GOQDs-PES electrospun nanofibrous membranes was assessed against three bacterial strains (Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Bacillus cereus (B. cereus)) using the disc diffusion method. The electrospun nanofibres containing 10 wt% of GOQDs showed the most active antimicrobial activity against all three bacterial strains tested. The zones of inhibition ranged from 9 to 40 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined to be 0.5 mg/mL, 0.3 mg/mL and 0.2 mg/mL for E. coli, B. cereus and S. aureus, respectively. The results demonstrated that incorporating GOQDs in the PES nanofibre gives rise to new antimicrobial properties, and as a result, the GOQDs-PES nanofibrous membrane can be used in antimicrobial applications such as water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charmaine S Tshangana
- Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida, Johannesburg, 1709, South Africa
| | - Adolph A Muleja
- Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida, Johannesburg, 1709, South Africa
| | - Edward N Nxumalo
- Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida, Johannesburg, 1709, South Africa.
| | - Sabelo D Mhlanga
- Sabinano Innovation in Carbon Nanotechnology Research & Development and Industrial Applications Division, Strijdom Park, Randburg, Johannesburg, 2194, South Africa.
- DST/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre, Mintek, Private Bag X3015, Randburg, Johannesburg, 2124, South Africa.
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Gorimbo J, Taenzana B, Muleja AA, Kuvarega AT, Jewell LL. Adsorption of cadmium, nickel and lead ions: equilibrium, kinetic and selectivity studies on modified clinoptilolites from the USA and RSA. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018; 25:30962-30978. [PMID: 30182313 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2992-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The performance of modified clinoptilolites (zeolites) from two different sources (South Africa and the USA) for the adsorption of Ni2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ from synthetic industrial effluent contaminated with metal concentration levels at 50, 150 and 500 ppm was evaluated. The selectivity of the clinoptilolite for the adsorption of Ni2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ was investigated with mixed feed solutions containing all three ions in equal concentrations and single-component concentrations containing only one of the ions. The homoionic forms of the clinoptilolite were made of Na+, K+ and Ca2+. Batch experiments were then conducted to measure the uptake of metals by the zeolites. The zeolites were characterised using SEM, XRD and BET. The South African clinoptilolite showed a higher surface area and pore volume (17.52m2/g and 0.047cm3/g respectively) than the USA zeolite (12.26m2/g and 0.028cm3/g respectively) for the Na+ homoionic form. According to the equilibrium studies, the selectivity sequence was found to be Pb2+ > Cd2+ > Ni2+, with good fits being obtained using Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms for low metal concentrations. Examples of equilibrium adsorption capacities for RSA and USA clinoptilolite modified with Na+ for Pb were 26.94 mg/g and 27.06 mg/g when RSA-Na+ and USA-Na+ were used respectively. The adsorption was found to depend on the homoionic form of the zeolite and to a lesser extent the source of the zeolite. The selectivity of a particular zeolite for a particular heavy metal can be altered by the homoionic form of the zeolite. Overall, the adsorption capacity of the USA clinoptilolite was higher than the adsorption capacity of the SA clinoptilolite, revealing the potential of clinoptilolite in metal-polluted industrial effluent treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Gorimbo
- Institute for the Development of Energy for African Sustainability (IDEAS), University of South Africa (UNISA), Florida Campus, Private Bag X6, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa.
| | - Blessing Taenzana
- Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - Adolph A Muleja
- Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa (UNISA), Florida Campus, Private Bag X6, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa
| | - Alex T Kuvarega
- Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability Research Unit, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa (UNISA), Florida Campus, Private Bag X6, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa
| | - Linda L Jewell
- Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering, University of South Africa (UNISA), Florida Campus, Private Bag X6, Johannesburg, 1710, South Africa
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