Simultaneous removal of phosphate and tetracycline using LaFeO3 functionalised magnetic biochar by obtained ultrasound-assisted sol-gel pyrolysis: Mechanisms and characterisation.

Excessive phosphate and tetracycline (TC) contaminants pose a serious risk to human health and the ecological environment. As such exploring the simultaneous adsorption of phosphate and TC is garnering increasing attention. In this study, an efficient lanthanum ferrate magnetic biochar (FLBC) was synthesised from crab shells using an ultrasound-assisted sol-gel method to study its performance and mechanisms for phosphate and TC adsorption in aqueous solutions in mono/bis systems. According to the Langmuir model, the developed exhibited a maximum adsorption capacity of 65.62 mg/g for phosphate and 234.1 mg/g for TC (pH:7.0 ± 0.1, and 25 °C). Further, it exhibited high resistance to interference and pH suitability. In practical swine wastewater applications, whereby the concentrations of phosphate and TC are 37 and 19.97 mg/L, respectively, the proposed material demonstrated excellent performance. In addition, electrostatic adsorption, chemical precipitation and ligand exchange were noted to be the main mechanisms for phosphate adsorption by FLBC, whereas hydrogen bonding and π-π interaction were the main adsorption mechanisms for TC adsorption. Therefore, this study successfully prepared a novel and efficient adsorbent for phosphate and TC.

Exploring the potential of mahogany extract as a natural dye for the coloration of jute fabric.

The use of synthetic dyes in the textile industry is mostly non-degradable, which are carcinogenic and pollute the environment severely. Natural dyes have gained significant attention recently due to their potential to mitigate the environmental challenges associated with synthetic colorants. This investigation is centered around the extraction of natural dyes sourced from mahogany trees and the exploration of environmentally friendly techniques for coloring jute fabric. The derived dyes were procured from distinct segments of the mahogany tree: namely, the bark, fruits, and wood remnants. Employing an aqueous extraction methodology, inherent coloring agents were meticulously separated and subsequently applied to jute fabric subsequent to appropriate mordanting employing a variety of mordant categories. An exhaustive assessment encompassing wash, light, rubbing, and perspiration resistance was conducted on jute fabric that was subjected to dyeing using three distinct variants of mahogany tree-derived dyes. Notably, jute fabric treated with wood wastage-sourced dye exhibited commendable to exceptional resistance properties. The efficacy of this dyeing process was further substantiated through diverse characterization techniques, inclusive of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which unequivocally affirmed the successful bonding of mahogany-derived dyes onto the surface of the jute fabric. The textile industry, particularly dyeing operations that use large, designed colors and synthetic chemicals, is wreaking havoc on the sea-going environment by dumping emissions directly into bodies of water. Synthetic colors are commonly used to dye jute fabric, which has major health and environmental consequences. Therefore, concerning the environmental challenges, the dyeing of jute fabric using naturally extracted dyes from mahogany trees can be a suitable alternative to synthetic dyes in the textile industry.