The utilization of date palm waste as an efficient adsorbent for the elimination of heavy metals from polluted water.

This study focuses on the removal of heavy metal ions, such as cadmium (Cd2+), lead (Pb2+), chromium (Cr6+), and zinc (Zn2+) from water. Metals, which are often present in water, can have various origins, i.e., industrial emissions, mining, melting, corrosion, municipal, industrial waste, and agrochemicals. These metals have the potential to cause adverse effects on human health. The study employed activated carbon derived from date palm waste as a means of removing heavy metals. The activated nanoparticles were characterized using various analytical techniques, including SEM, ICP, XRD, BET, Raman, and FTIR analysis. Batch studies were conducted to optimize the metal ion adsorption onto the activated carbon of date palm waste. The adsorption process was evaluated using isotherm models and reaction kinetics under various conditions, including contact time, dosage, pH, and initial concentration. The findings of this study revealed that the prepared activated carbon from date palm waste effectively removed up to 85% of Cr6+, Pb2+, Cd2+, and Zn2+ ions from water. This study highlights the potential of using agricultural waste, to produce effective adsorbents for heavy metal removal.

Facile synthesis of Zn-doped CdS nanowires with efficient photocatalytic performance.

In this study, one-dimensional zinc (Zn)-doped cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanowires were synthesised by a solvothermal method. The Zn doping concentrations were varied from 1 to 5 mol% (ZnxCd1-xS where x = 0.001, 0.003 and 0.005). As-prepared materials were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was conducted to measure the charge transfer resistance. The photocatalytic performance of prepared materials was evaluated by the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The result showed that 5% Zn-doped CdS is more photoactive as compared to other corresponding doped and undoped CdS. The increase in photocatalytic performance is due to improvement in the charge separation.

Assessment of heavy metal content of commonly consumed herbal medicines in Sindh, Pakistan.

In Pakistan, herbal medicines are extensively consumed by a major portion of people for the treatment of numerous ailments. Nowadays, the contamination of heavy metals in herbal medicines is a serious concern due to its toxic effects on human health. In the present study, quantitative evaluation of four heavy metals, namely, iron (Fe), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu), was carried out in forty herbal medicines, frequently sold in the markets of Sukkur and Khairpur, Pakistan, without any quality assurance. Conventional wet acid digestion method was used for the dissolution of samples, and the concentration of heavy metals was determined by using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Diverse concentration of metals was observed in different herbal medicines. The levels of Fe, Cd, Ni, and Cu were in the range of 30.3-798 mg/kg, 0.002-0.007 mg/kg, 1.52-27.3 mg/kg, and 15.2-194 mg/kg, respectively. The findings of our study were also compared with the WHO maximum permissible limits. It was observed that the concentrations of these heavy metals in most of the analyzed samples were within the permissible limits set by the WHO. Only a few samples of herbal medicines exceeded the recommended levels of Ni and Cu. These medicines should be regularly checked for quality assurance to avoid chronic exposure of metal to human beings.

Assessment of Zinc, Lead, Chromium, and Cobalt in Commonly Consumed Herbal Medicines in Sindh, Pakistan.

Herbal medicines are widely consumed by the people of Pakistan for the treatment of various diseases. In the current study, quantitative assessment of four heavy metals namely zinc, lead, chromium, and cobalt was carried out in forty commonly consumed herbal medicines purchased from the markets of Khairpur and Sukkur, Pakistan. The conventional wet acid digestion method was used for the dissolution of samples and the concentration of heavy metals was determined by using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Varied concentrations of metals were observed in different herbal medicines. The levels of Zn, Pb, Cr, and Co were in the range of 7.05-87.5 ppm, 5.62-44.9 ppm, 3.16-14.1 ppm, and 5.69-9.88 ppm, respectively. The findings of our study were compared with the WHO maximum permissible limits of these metals and it was observed that most of the analyzed samples exceeded the permissible levels. Keeping in view the levels of these metals in the selected herbal medicines, the prolonged intake of these drugs might be hazardous for human beings.