Appreciatively Efficient Sorption Achievement to U(VI) from the El Sela Area by ZrO2/Chitosan

The need to get uranium out of leaching liquid is pushing scientists to come up with new sorbents. This study uses the wet technique to improve the U(VI) sorption properties of ZrO2/chitosan composite sorbent. To validate the synthesis of ZrO2/CS composite with Zirconyl-OH, -NH, and -NH2 for U(VI) binding, XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDX, and BET are used to describe the ZrO2/chitosan wholly formed. To get El Sela leaching liquid, it used 150 g/L H2SO4, 1:4 S:L ratio, 200 rpm agitation speed, four hours of leaching period, and particle size 149–100 µm. In a batch study, the sorption parameters are evaluated at pH 3.5, 50 min of sorbing time, 50 mL of leaching liquid (200 mg/L U(VI)), and 25 °C. The sorption capability is 175 mg/g. Reusing ZrO2/CS for seven cycles with a slight drop in performance is highly efficient, with U(VI) desorption using 0.8 M acid and 75 min of desorption time. The selective U(VI) recovery from El Sela leachate was made possible using ZrO2/CS. Sodium diuranate was precipitated and yielded a yellow cake with a purity level of 94.88%.

Monitoring of contaminated toxic and heavy metals, from mine tailings through age accumulation, in soil and some wild plants at Southeast Egypt

This study includes tailing from gold mine, at Allaqi Wadi Aswan, Egypt, used by incident Egyptian and after by some English companies. Tailings, soils and wild plants (Acia Raddiena and Aerva Javanica) were sampled and analysed for toxic metals (Hg, Cd, Pb and As) and associated heavy metals (Cr, Ag, Ni, Au, Mo, Zn, Mn and Cu) using ICP-MS, ICP-AES, CVAAS and FAAS techniques. The present work concerns the distribution and mobility of these metals from tailing to the surrounding soils and wild flora. The results reveal that Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni, Ag, Au, Mn, Hg, As, Ag, Au and Pb in soil decreased as faraway from the tailing, after then irregular trends as a result of input from surrounding rocks. Acia Raddiena plant accumulated As, Cd and Pb in higher levels than Aerva Javanica. Quantification of soil and plant pollution was studied using enrichment factors, contamination factor, pollution index and bioaccumulation factors and show good interpretations of the results. The overall results of this study show that the soil and plants near the gold mine tailing were highly toxic, and the plants and soil must not be uses for grazing or agriculture.

Fruit stones from industrial waste for the removal of lead ions from polluted water

Lead, one of the earliest metals recognized and used by humans, has a long history of beneficial use. However, it is now recognized as toxic and as posing a widespread threat to humans and wildlife. Treatment of lead from polluted water and wastewater has received a great deal of attention. Adsorption is one of the most common technologies for the treatment of lead-polluted water. This technique was evaluated here, with the goal of identifying innovative, low-cost adsorbent. This study presents experiments undertaken to determine the suitable conditions for the use of peach and apricot stones, produced from food industries as solid waste, as adsorbents for the removal of lead from aqueous solution. Chemical stability of adsorbents, effect of pH, adsorbents dose, adsorption time and equilibrium concentration were studied. The results reveal that adsorption of lead ions onto peach stone was stronger than onto apricot stone up to 3.36% at 3 h adsorption time. Suitable equilibrium time for the adsorption was 3-5 h (% Pb adsorption 93% for apricot and 97.64% for peach). The effective adsorption range for pH in the range was 7-8. Application of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models show high adsorption maximum and binding energies for using these adsorbents for the removal of lead ions from contaminated water and wastewater.

Assessment of essential and toxic elements in some kinds of vegetables

Vegetables provide the human body with the essential bioavailable trace elements, and a constant supply of these various elements is necessary and highly recommended for daily life. Minor elements such as Ca, Fe, K, Mg, and Na as well as trace elements such as Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer in 12 different species of vegetables from Saudi Arabia (the Al-Taif district). These vegetables were cucumber, vegetable marrow, tomato, potato, green pepper, eggplant, carrots, parsley, lettuce, spinach, salq, onion, leek, watercress, and cabbage. The results reveal that the different element concentrations of each vegetable depend upon the selective uptake of the elements by the plant. Salq and watercress exhibited higher element concentrations than the other vegetables. Cluster analysis, principle component analysis, and transfer factor analysis of elements from soil to plant were applied to the elements database and produced good interpretations of the data. The element concentrations of these vegetables were within safety baseline levels for human consumption.

Monitoring of environmental heavy metals in fish from Nasser Lake

Lake ecosystems are, in particular, vulnerable to heavy metal pollution. Tilapia nilotica is one of the aquatic organisms affected by heavy metals. Therefore, heavy metals Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Sr and Zn were determined in different tissues of T. nilotica (ages 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 years), which include the muscle, gill, stomach, intestine, liver, vertebral column and scales, to assess the fish pollution with heavy metals. In addition, the study was extended to determine these elements in the aquatic plant (Najas armeta), sediment and water of Khor E1-Ramel in Nasser Lake (Egypt). The study showed that of all the fish parts, fish liver accumulated the highest levels of Cu and Zn. Manganese presented in the intestine and stomach in the highest concentration. Scales exhibited the highest levels of Co, Cr, Ni and Sr, while the gill and vertebral column contains the lowest level of the studied elements. Heavy metals in different parts of T. nilotica differ with the fish growth and extraction rate of these elements from sediment, aquatic plant and lake water. Heavy metals under study in the edible parts of the investigated fish were in the safety permissible levels for human uses.

Cadmium and lead levels in fish (Tilapia nilotica) tissues as biological indicator for lake water pollution

Cadmium and lead were determined in different tissues (muscle, gill, stomach, intestine. liver, vertebral column and scales) of Tilapia nilotica from the High Dam Lake, Aswan (Egypt) to assess the lake water pollution with those toxic metals. Fish samples were chosen from different ages and weights to be analyzed along with samples of the aquatic plant (Najas armeta), sediment and lake water. The results showed that cadmium and lead concentrations were higher in fish scales and vertebral column than in the other parts of the fish. Cadmium and lead levels in High Dam lake water and fish (Tilapia nilotica) were a result of the pollution which uptakes from aquatic plants, sediments and gasoline containing lead that leaks from fishery boats. Tilapia nilotica fish was used as a good bio-assay indicator for the lake pollution with cadmium and lead. The fish muscles in this study were in the safety baseline levels for man consumption.