Redefining water purification: gC3N4-CLDH's electrochemical SMX eradication.

The contamination of water sources by pharmaceutical compounds presents global environmental and health risks, necessitating the development of efficient water treatment technologies. In this study, the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of a novel graphitic carbon nitride-calcined (Fe-Ca) layered double hydroxide (gC3N4-CLDH) composite for electrochemical degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in water yielded significant outcomes are reported. SEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS analyses confirmed well-defined composite structures with unique morphology and crystalline properties. Electrochemical degradation experiments demonstrated >98% SMX removal and >75% TOC removal under optimized conditions, highlighting its effectiveness. The composite exhibited excellent mineralization efficiency across various pH levels, with superoxide radicals (O2●-) and hydroxyl radicals (●OH) identified as primary reactive oxygen species. With remarkable regeneration capability for up to 7 cycles, the gC3N4-CLDH composite emerges as a highly promising solution for sustainable water treatment. Humic acid (HA) in water significantly slows SMX degradation, suggests complicating SMX degradation with natural organic matter. Despite this, the gC3N4-CLDH composite effectively degrades SMX in groundwater and industrial wastewater, with slight efficiency reduction in the latter due to higher impurity levels. These findings highlight the complexities of treating pharmaceutical pollutants in various water types. Overall, gC3N4-CLDH's high removal efficiency, broad pH applicability, sustainability, and mechanistic insights provide a solid foundation for future research and real-world environmental applications.

Analyzing atmospheric plasma's potential for diesel soil remediation: Insightful mechanisms.

The remediation of diesel-contaminated soil is a critical environmental concern, driving the need for effective solutions. Recently, the methodology of Non-thermal Atmospheric Plasma (NTAP) technology, which is equipped with a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) electrode and has become a feasible approach, was proven to be viable. The reactive species from the plasma were exposed to the contaminated soil in this investigation using the NTAP technique. The reacted soil was then extracted using dichloromethane, and the amount of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) removed was assessed. Investigation into varying power levels, treatment durations, and hydrogen peroxide integration revealed significant findings. With an initial concentration of 3086 mg of diesel/kg of soil and a pH of 5.0, 83% of the diesel was removed from the soil at 150 W in under 20 min. Extended exposure to NTAP further improved removal rates, highlighting the importance of treatment duration optimization. Additionally, combining hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with NTAP enhanced removal efficiency by facilitating diesel breakdown. This synergy offers a promising avenue for comprehensive soil decontamination. Further analysis considered the impact of soil characteristics on removal efficacy. Mechanistically, NTAP generates reactive species that degrade diesel into less harmful compounds, aiding subsequent removal. Overall, NTAP advances environmental restoration efforts by offering a quick, economical, and environmentally benign method of remediating diesel-contaminated soil especially when used in tandem with hydrogen peroxide.

Exploring recyclable alginate-enhanced GCN-LDO sponge for U(VI) and Cd(II) removal: Insights from batch and column studies.

Developing effective water treatment materials, particularly through proven adsorption methods, is crucial for removing heavy metal contaminants. This study synthesizes a cost-effective three-dimensional material encapsulating graphitic carbon nitride-layered double oxide (GCN-LDO) in sodium alginate (SA) through the freeze-drying method. The material is applied to remove uranium (U(VI)) and cadmium (Cd(II)) in real water systems. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses conclusively verified the elemental composition and successful encapsulation of GCN-LDO within the SA matrix. Removal effectiveness was tested under various conditions, including adsorbent dose, ionic strength, contact time, temperature, different initial pollutant concentrations, and the impact of co-existing ions. The adsorption of U(VI) and Cd(II) conformed to the pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic model, signifying a chemical interaction between the sodium alginate-graphitic carbon nitride-layered double oxide (SA-GCN-LDO) sponge and the metal ions. The Langmuir isotherm indicated monolayer, homogeneous adsorption for U(VI) and Cd(II) with capacities of 158.25 and 165.00 mg/g. SA-GCN-LDO recyclability was found in up to seven adsorption cycles with a removal efficacy of 70%. The temperature effect study depicts the exothermic nature of the U(VI) and Cd(II) ion removal process. Various mechanisms involved in U(VI) and Cd(II) removal were proposed. Further, continuous fixed bed column studies were performed, and Thomas and the Yoon-Nelson model were studied. These insights from this investigation contribute to advancing our knowledge of the material's performance within the context of U(VI) and Cd(II) adsorption, paving the way for optimized and sustainable water treatment solutions.

Insights into kinetics, thermodynamics, and mechanisms of chemically activated sunflower stem biochar for removal of phenol and bisphenol-A from wastewater.

This study synthesized a highly efficient KOH-treated sunflower stem activated carbon (KOH-SSAC) using a two-step pyrolysis process and chemical activation using KOH. The resulting material exhibited exceptional properties, such as a high specific surface area (452 m2/g) and excellent adsorption capacities for phenol (333.03 mg/g) and bisphenol A (BPA) (365.81 mg/g). The adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic, benefiting from the synergistic effects of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction, and stacking interactions. Comparative analysis also showed that KOH-SSAC performed approximately twice as well as sunflower stem biochar (SSB), indicating its potential for water treatment and pollutant removal applications. The study suggests the exploration of optimization strategies to further enhance the efficiency of KOH-SSAC in large-scale scenarios. These findings contribute to the development of improved materials for efficient water treatment and pollution control.

Efficiency of Ppy-PA-pani and Ppy-PA composite adsorbents in Chromium(VI) removal from aqueous solution.

In this study, first time the combination of composites with Phytic acid (PA) as the organic binder cross-linker is reported. The novel use of PA with single and double conducting polymers (polypyrrole (Ppy) and polyaniline (Pani)) were tested against removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater. Characterizations (FE-SEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD, XPS) were performed to study the morphology and removal mechanism. The adsorption removal capability of Polypyrrole - Phytic Acid - Polyaniline (Ppy-PA-Pani) was deemed to be higher than Polypyrrole - Phytic Acid (Ppy-PA) due to the mere existence of Polyaniline as the extra polymer. The kinetics followed 2nd order with equilibration at 480 min, but Elovich model confirmed that chemisorption is followed. Langmuir isotherm model exhibited maximum adsorption capacity of 222.7-321.49 mg/g for Ppy-PA-Pani and 207.66-271.96 mg/g for Ppy-PA at 298K-318K with R2 values of 0.9934 and 0.9938 respectively. The adsorbents were reusable for 5 cycles of adsorption-desorption. The thermodynamic parameter, ΔH shows positive values confirmed the adsorption process was endothermic. From overall results, the removal mechanism is believed to be chemisorption through Cr(VI) reduction to Cr(III). The use of phytic acid (PA) as organic binder with combination of dual conducting polymer (Ppy-PA-Pani) was invigorating the adsorption efficiency than just single conducting polymer (Ppy-PA).