Investigating the effectiveness of rice husk-derived low-cost activated carbon in removing environmental pollutants: a study of its characterization.

The chemically activated biochar was produced through the pyrolysis of rice husk. Thermal gravimetric and elemental analysis were conducted to characterize the raw rice husk. The activated biochar product underwent evaluation through SEM, BET and, FT-IR analysis. This cost-effective activated carbon was utilized as an adsorbent for the elimination of environmental pollutants. At a temperature of 25 °C, the activated biochar product exhibited an impressive maximum CO2 adsorption capacity of 152 mg/g. This exceptional performance can be attributed to its notable surface area and porosity, measuring at 2,298 m2/g and 0.812 cm3/g, respectively. This product was also utilized to remove methyl red (MR) dye from an aqueous solution. The optimal parameters for the removal of MR were determined as follows: a pH of 6.0, a temperature of 25 °C, an initial MR concentration of 50 mg/L, and an adsorbent dosage of 0.4 g/L. At a duration of 140 min, the system attained its maximum equilibrium adsorption capacity, reaching a value of 62.06 mg/g. Furthermore, the calculated maximum MR removal efficiency stood at an impressive 99.31%. The thermodynamic studies demonstrated that the MR removal process was spontaneous, exothermic, and increased randomness. Kinetic studies suggested that the pseudo-second-order model can fit well.

Rice is the staple food for a significant portion of the world's population. Rice husk, which is released during the production and processing of rice, is one of the most important agricultural wastes worldwide. In this study, low cost activated carbon was produced by converting renewable resource such as rice husk biomass into a product with high added value. The resulting product, with its high surface area, can offer a more sustainable, cost-effective, and versatile alternative for a range of industrial, environmental, and medical applications.

Investigation of effectiveness of pyrolysis products on removal of alizarin yellow GG from aqueous solution: a comparative study with commercial activated carbon.

The increasing use of dyestuff in industrial applications brings with it environmental problems. These dyes, which are an eco-toxic hazard, are common water pollutants, even at very low concentrations in water resources. Therefore, they must be removed in an economical way. In this study, low-cost biosorbents such as pine cone char, walnut shell char, and hazelnut shell char were prepared by pyrolysis process at different carbonization temperatures in the range of 400-700 °C. Biochars with the highest surface area were used to remove alizarin yellow GG from aqueous solution and the adsorption capacities of these materials were compared to commercially available activated carbon. Biomasses and prepared biochars were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric/differential thermogravimetry analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, partial and elemental analysis techniques. Operational parameters such as contact time, temperature, pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial dye concentration were considered as variables for the batch adsorption experiments. Among the biochars used, the highest adsorption efficiency (82%) was obtained in pine cone char (BET surface area 259.74 m2/g) at pH = 3, T = 45 °C, adsorbent dosage of 8 g/L, and initial dye concentration of 20 ppm. The adsorption mechanism has been investigated by applying different kinetic and isotherm models with the aid of time-dependent adsorption data. The adsorption process was best described by Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetic model.

A comprehensive study on adsorption behavior of some azo dyes from aqueous solution onto different adsorbents.

One of the major environmental problems is the existence of dye materials in water sources. This pollutant must be removed from water by appropriate methods. Although most of these methods are efficient for the treatment of waters contaminated with dye pollutants, they are very costly and commercially unattractive. Adsorption is one of the most popular methods for the removal of dye pollutants from water especially if the sorbent is inexpensive. Sorbents are classified as natural sorbents, commercial sorbents, and the sorbents obtained from industrial and agricultural wastes. Although commercial activated carbon is widely used in wastewater treatment applications, it is very expensive. In this study, usability of inexpensive materials - sepiolite as a natural adsorbent, and walnut shell and hazelnut shell as agricultural wastes - was investigated instead of commercial activated carbon to remove some azo dyes (methyl red, methyl orange and methyl yellow) from aqueous solution. Batch experiments were carried out to determine the effect of different adsorption parameters such as pH, initial dye concentration, contact time, adsorbent dose and temperature. The equilibrium of adsorptions was modeled using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. This comprehensive study showed that these alternative adsorbents had sufficient binding capacity to remove these azo dyes from water.

Investigation of color and physicomechanical properties of peek and pekk after storage in a different medium.

The aim of this study is to assess color stability, solubility, and water sorption on polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and polyether ketone ketone (PEKK) after immersion in different storage conditions. Material and Methods Ninety disc-shaped specimens (8 × 2) were obtained from CAD/CAM blocks [PEEK (n = 45) and PEKK (n = 45)]. Before immersion, baseline color value data were recorded with a spectrophotometer. The specimens were soaked in three solutions red wine, coffee, and distilled water at 37 °C for 28 days. Following immersion, color values were remeasured, and color-change values (ΔE) were calculated. Water sorption and solubility were assessed by mass gain or loss after storage in water for 28 days. The Kruskal-Wallis and the Mann-Whitney U test were used for analysis (P = 0.05). Results ΔE00 between PEEK and PEKK was significantly different statistically (P < 0.001). PEEK presented higher water sorption than PEKK (P = 0.005). The difference in solubility between PEEK and PEKK was not statistically significant (P = 0.163). The materials and storage medium types had a statistically significant impact (P = 0.100). In terms of staining potential, the solutions tested in this experiment were ranked as: coffee > red wine > distilled water. The results of this study demonstrated that PEKK was more successful in polymer-containing CAD/CAM materials as it exhibited less color change and water absorption.

Evaluation of the relationship between the geriatric anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety and fear levels in geriatric dental patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Illness, social isolation and loneliness may cause different psychological problems in the geriatric population, including depression and anxiety. Factors such as anxiety and fear can negatively affect dental treatment processes and prognoses. Thus, in terms of dental approach to geriatric individuals, it is important to be aware of the emotional processes the elderly may have experienced during the pandemic. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the relationship between the geriatric anxiety levels and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) anxiety and fear levels in the geriatric population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this correlational study, 129 geriatric individuals were selected through the convenience sampling method. To gather the data, the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS), the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale (CAS), the COVID-19 Fear Scale (CFS), and a questionnaire assessing demographic variables were used. Simple linear regression and Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the relationships between the variables. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 70.5% males and 29.5% females aged ≥65 years. The GAS total score (15.64 ±9.34) and its 3 subscale scores were strongly correlated with the CAS and CFS scores. The GAS total score and its subscale scores had a significant linear regression with both the CAS and CFS scores (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the anxiety and fear levels associated with the pandemic was observed in geriatric individuals. Thus, it should be considered that geriatric individuals may encounter some difficulties during dental treatment and prosthetic rehabilitation after the pandemic. Therefore, it is important to normalize the anxiety levels with the help of professionals, and to implement interventions such as socialization, physical activity and meditation to help balance the anxiety levels.

Effectiveness and safety of bleaching agents on lithium disilicate glass ceramics.

Background: Aesthetic expectations have increased the use of aesthetic materials in dentistry. Lithium disilicates are frequently used materials for these expectations. Bleaching is another method used to provide aesthetics. Bleaching processes on restorative materials are not fully known. This study investigated the effect of at-home and in-office bleaching methods on the color change, surface roughness, and topography of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic materials produced with two different techniques and subjected to different polishing procedures. Methods: A total of 144 disc-shaped pressed and computer-aided design (CAD) lithium disilicate glass-ceramic specimens were randomly divided into four groups. Glazing and three different chair-side polishing procedures were performed. The specimens in each group were randomly divided into two groups and subjected to at-home and in-office bleaching processes (n=9). The home bleaching process was repeated with 16% carbamide peroxide agent for six hours for seven days, while the in-office bleaching process was applied with 40% hydrogen peroxide agent for two sessions of 20 minutes. After the bleaching processes, the final color and surface roughness experiments of the specimens were carried out, and the results were recorded. ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison tests were used FOR the statistical analysis of the data (α=0.05). Results: The material*polish*bleaching, polish*bleaching, material*bleaching, and material*polishing interactions were not statistically significant regarding color and roughness changes of both specimens (P>0.05). Conclusion: Both bleaching processes can be safely applied to lithium disilicate glass-ceramic materials.