Performance evaluation of polymer-marine biomass based bionanocomposite for the adsorptive removal of malachite green from synthetic wastewater.

In this experimental investigation, feasibility and performance of a polymer hybrid bio-nano composite were evaluated to remove malachite green (MG) under controlled environment conditions. The polymer hybrid bio-nanocomposite was characterized using FTIR, SEM and EDS. The influence of operating variables, namely effect of pH (2-11), nanocomposite dosage (20-100 mg), initial MG concentration (10- 200 mg/L), contact time (10-120 min) and temperature (298-318 K) were explored. The maximum removal efficiency (RE) of 99.79% was achieved at neutral pH at the dosage level of 50 mg with the initial MG concentration of 150 mg/L in 40 min. The equilibrium results revealed that the adsorption of MG data fitted to Langmuir isotherm (R2 > 0.970) indicating monolayer adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of polymer hybrid nanocomposite was found to be 384.615 mg/g. Kinetic studies were performed using five kinetic models and results showed the pseudo second order model fitted very well with the MG adsorption data (R2 > 0.990). The thermodynamic results confirmed that MG adsorption onto polymer hybrid nanocomposite is feasible and (ΔS ͦ = 0.2893 kJ/mol K), spontaneous (ΔH ͦ = 81.103 kJ/mol K) and exothermic (ΔG ͦ < 0). A mechanism is also proposed for the removal of MG using the polymer nanocomposite and identified that electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding as the major mechanism for removal of MG. FTIR results confirmed the presence of carboxyl (-COO) and hydroxyl (-OH) groups which helped in effective binding of cationic dye. The overall results revealed that polymer nanocomposite could be used as a potential adsorbent for removing MG from aqueous solution.

Green synthesis of bio-functionalized nano-particles for the application of copper removal - characterization and modeling studies.

Green technology for the synthesis of nanoparticles has gained momentum due to its cost-effectiveness and eco-friendly nature. In this research study, silver nanoparticles (AgNps) were synthesized using an eco-friendly biological method involving the use of marine algae, Halimeda gracilis. The surface properties of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were studied using UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy methods. During the synthesis of nano particles, the parameters namely temperature (30 °C to 90 °C), pH (6-10), silver nitrate (AgNO3) concentration (1-3 mg/ml) and quantity of algal extract (1-3 ml) were optimized to improve the production of AgNPs. The application of the synthesized silver nanoparticles for the adsorptive removal of copper from aqueous and industrial wastewater was investigated. Intra-particle diffusion mechanism was identified to be controlling step in metal removal. Regeneration of sorbent was carried out using 2.0 M HCl and the reusability was verified for 6 cycles. A removal efficiency of copper (64.8%) from electroplating wastewater demonstrated the industrial application potential of the synthesized silver nanoparticles.

Surface modified polymer-magnetic-algae nanocomposite for the removal of chromium- equilibrium and mechanism studies.

The present work explains the sorption ability of a novel nano-composite, Polypyrrole -iron oxide-seaweed (PPy - Fe3O4 - SW), for Cr(VI) removal. The influence of operating parameters, namely pH, contact time, nanocomposite dosage, initial Chromium concentration and operating temperature, on the hexavalent chromium removal was studied. The novel nano-composite was analyzed using FTIR, SEM and EDS to confirm the sorption of Cr(VI) and to understand the mechanism of sorption. PPy - Fe3O4- SW nano-composite removed 96.36% of Cr(VI) at the optimized conditions of pH = 2, temperature = 30 °C, initial Cr(VI) concentration = 50 mg/L, nanocomposite dosage = 100 mg and contact time = 30min. PPy-Fe3O4-SW nanocomposite has a maximum sorption capacity of 144.93 mg/g. The kinetic studies revealed that the metal adsorption obeys pseudo second order (PSO) model and the sorption was found to be monolayer in nature as confirmed by Langmuir isotherm (R2 > 0.9985). Electrostatic interaction and ion-exchange are identified as the fundamental mechanisms for Cr(VI) sorption on PPy-Fe3O4-SW composite.

Sustainable removal of cadmium from contaminated water using green alga - Optimization, characterization and modeling studies.

This research study reported the feasibility of cadmium removal using green algae, Caulerpa scalpelliformis, under controlled environmental conditions. The algal biosorbent could effectively remove cadmium under broad range of test conditions, namely, initial pH (3-6), adsorbent mass (0.5-2.5 gL-1) and shaking speed (60-100 rpm). The best operating conditions were identified using Central Composite Design under Response Surface methodology and found to be pH - 4.9, adsorbent mass - 2.1 gL-1 and shaking speed - 90 rpm. Equilibrium studies were conducted and monolayer sorption was identified as the mechanism, confirmed by Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9920). The maximum Cd uptake achieved at optimal conditions was 111.11 mg g-1. The kinetic constants of the best fit model (pseudo second order) were determined. The thermodynamic feasibility was verified (ΔG ͦ < 0) and the biosorption process was found to be endothermic (ΔH ͦ > 0). The mass transfer studies shows that the mass transfer coefficient was inversely related to the temperature. Presence of favorable surface functional groups and enhanced surface area confirmed the suitability of the synthesized biosorbent for effective removal of cadmium.

Kinetics studies on the removal of Methyl ethyl ketone using cornstack based biofilter.

The performance of cornstack based biofilter inoculated with a mixed culture was evaluated for gas phase MEK removal under various operating conditions. Experiments were carried out at different flow rates (0.03-0.12m3h-1) and various initial concentrations (0.2-1.2g-3). A maximum elimination capacity (EC) of 35g-3h-1 was achieved at an inlet loading rate of 60g-3h-1 with a removal efficiency of 95%. High elimination capacity reached with this system could have been due to the dominant presence of filamentous fungi among others. The experimental results were compared with the values obtained from the Ottengraf-van den Oever model for zero-order diffusion-controlled region. The critical inlet concentration, critical inlet load and biofilm thickness were estimated using the model predictions.

Optimization, kinetics, and modeling of inulinase production by K. marxianus var. marxianus.

Pressmud, a by-product from the sugarcane industry, was used as a carbon source for the production of inulinase in solid-state fermentation (SSF). Statistical experimental designs were employed to screen the nutrients and optimize the media composition for the production of inulinase by Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus. Eighteen various nutrients were selected for preliminary screening of production medium component by Plackett-Burman design (PBD) technique. Five nutrients were found to be significant for inulinase production and they were optimized by central composite design (CCD). The optimal media components for solid-state fermentation of inulinase using pressmud were (g/gds): corn steep liquor, 0.06072; urea, 0.01916; beef extract, 0.00957; FeSO4 · 7H2O, 0.00013; K2HPO4, 0.00441. The effect of moisture content and substrate concentration was also studied. From the results it was found that a maximum inulinase activity of 288 U/gds occurs at the moisture content of 65% and substrate concentration of 10 g. The constants in the Michaelis-Menten equation were evaluated and a high R (2) value implied the fitness of the model. Artificial neural network (ANN) modeling was also employed to predict the inulinase production.

Application of a polymer-magnetic-algae based nano-composite for the removal of methylene blue - Characterization, parametric and kinetic studies.

The potential ability of synthesized PPy-Fe3O4-SW nano-composite to remove Methylene Blue (MB) from synthetic textile dye solution was investigated under batch conditions. Through parametric studies, the influence of process parameters namely solution pH, on the effective performance of nano-composite was studied. PPy - Fe3O4- SW nano-composite removed 99.14% of MB at the optimized conditions of pH-10, temperature - 25 °C, initial MB concentration - 50 mg/L, nano-composite dosage - 20 mg and contact time - 20 min. PPy - Fe3O4- SW nano-composite has a maximum sorption capacity of 666.66 mg/g. The kinetics and isotherm study revealed that the chromium adsorption obeys pseudo second order (PSO) model (R2 = 0.9941) and Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.9910) respectively. The PSO kinetic constant (K2) was found to be 0.000442 (g/mg) min. The thermodynamic feasibility was confirmed through negative values of standard free energy at all tested conditions. The characteristics of adsorption study were analyzed and the results of FTIR, SEM and EDS confirmed the uptake of MB by PPy-Fe3O4-SW nano-composite.

Potential risks and approaches to reduce the toxicity of disinfection by-product - A review.

Water contamination through anthropogenic and industrial activities has led to the emergence and necessity of disinfection methods. Chlorine and bromine gases, often used to disinfect water, resulted in the by-product formation by reacting with organic matter. The Disinfectant by-products (DBP) led to the formation of Trihaloaceticacid (TAA), Trihalomethane (THM), and other minor components. The release of chemicals has also led to the outbreak of diseases like infertility, asthma, stillbirth, and types of cancer. There are new approaches that are found to be useful to compensate for the generation of toxic by-products and involve membrane technologies, namely reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration. This review mainly focuses on the toxicology effects of DBPs and various approaches to mitigate the same. The health hazards caused by different DBPs and the various treatment techniques available for the removal are discussed. In addition, a critical comparison of the different removal techniques was discussed.

Green synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles using plant biomass and their applications- A review.

Biosynthesized nanoparticles have sparked a lot of interest as rapidly growing classes of materials for different applications. Plants are considered to be one of the most suitable sources for Green synthesis (GS) as they follow the environment-friendly route of biosynthesis of nanoparticles (NPs). This article focuses on the excavation of Titanium dioxide (TiO2) NP from different parts of plants belonging to a distinct classification of taxonomic groups. During the process of biological synthesis of titanium NPs from plants, the extract derived from plant sources such as from root, stem, leaves, seeds, flowers, and latex possesses phytocompounds that tend to serve as both capping as well as reducing agents. TiO2NP is one of the most commonly used engineered nanomaterials in nanotechnology-based consumer products. This article will provide an overview of the GS and characterization of TiO2NPs from plant extracts of different taxonomic groups. Lastly, this review summarizes the current applications of TiO2NPs.

Anaerobic mixed consortium (AMC) mediated enhanced biosynthesis of silver nano particles (AgNPs) and its application for the removal of phenol.

In this research, silver nano particle (AgNP), was synthesized through a novel anaerobic mixed consortium mediation method and applied for the removal of phenol. The best operating conditions for the fabrication of silver nanoparticles were identified through response surface methodology (RSM) and the maximum yield was found to be 2.65 g/100 ml of anaerobic mixed consortium at optimal conditions of pH-8.6, temperature-90 °C, silver nitrate concentration-3 mg/ml and inoculum volume-3 ml. The synthesized nano particle exhibited a maximum phenol removal of 87.65% was achieved at pH:5.8. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by superior surface area (19.26 m2/g) and the stability was confirmed by thermo gravimetric analysis (upto 500 °C). The surface morphology was well explained using High Resolution Transmission Emission Microscopy (HR-TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscope with EDS (SEM-EDS) techniques. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the changes in crystalline structure due to the adsorption of phenol. Kinetic experiments fitted well with the intra-particle diffusion model. The nature of adsorption of phenol was confirmed as monolayer by the goodness of fit with Langmuir isotherm (R2 > 0.9969).

Optimization, equilibrium and kinetics studies on sorption of Acid Blue 9 using brown marine algae Turbinaria conoides.

In the present study, the parameters, temperature, adsorbent dose, contact time, adsorbent size and agitation speed were optimized for Acid Blue 9 removal from aqueous medium by using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions for maximum removal of Acid Blue 9 from an aqueous solution of 100 mg/l were found as follows: temperature (33 degrees C), adsorbent dose (3 g/l), contact time (225 min), adsorbent size (85 mesh (0.177 mm)) and agitation speed (226 rpm). At these optimized conditions, batch adsorption experiments were conducted to study the effect of pH and initial dye concentration for the removal Acid Blue 9 dye. Kinetic and equilibrium studies were carried out for the experimental results. From the kinetic studies it was found that pseudo second order model suits the system well. From the equilibrium studies, the Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson isotherm fit the data well.

Treatment of xylene polluted air using press mud-based biofilter.

In the present work, biofiltration of xylene vapors has been investigated on a laboratory scale biofilter packed with press mud as filter material inoculated with activated sludge from pharmaceutical industry. Four various gas flow rates, i.e. 0.03, 0.06, 0.09 and 0.12 m(3) h(-1), were tested for inlet xylene concentration ranging from 0.2 to 1.2 g m(-3). The biofilter proved to be highly efficient in the removal of xylene at a gas flow rate of 0.2m(3) h(-1) corresponding to a gas residence time of 2.8 min. For all the tested inlet concentrations, the removal efficiency decreased for high gas flow rates. For all the tested gas flow rates, a decrease in the removal efficiency was noticed for high xylene inlet concentration. The follow-up of carbon dioxide concentration profile through the biofilter revealed that the mass ratio of carbon dioxide produced to the xylene removed was approximately 2.52, which confirms complete degradation of xylene if one considers the fraction of the consumed organic carbon used for the microbial growth.

Utilization of copra waste for the solid state fermentative production of inulinase in batch and packed bed reactors.

In this study, screening and optimization of nutrients for inulinase production using copra waste has been studied. Plackett-Burman Design (PBD) was employed to screen the significant nutrients for inulinase production. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the effects of nutrient components in the medium. The second order regression equation provides the inulinase activity as the function of K2HPO4, ZnSO4 · 7H2O and soya bean cake. The optimum conditions are: K2HPO4--0.0047 g/gds, ZnSO4 · 7H2O - 0.02677 g/gds and soya bean cake--0.06288 g/gds. At these optimized conditions, experiments were performed in packed bed bioreactor to optimize the process variables like air flow rate, packing density, particle size and moisture content. The optimum conditions were: air flow rate--0.76 L/min, packing density--38 g/L, particle size--10/14 mesh and moisture content--60%. At the optimized conditions, a maximum inulinase production of 239 U/gds was achieved.

Enhanced inulinase production by Streptomyces sp. in solid state fermentation through statistical designs.

In this work, inulinase was produced by solid state fermentation by Streptomyces sp. using copra waste as carbon source. The nutrients were screened by Plackett-Burman design. From the pareto chart it was found that the nutrients, namely, soya bean cake, MgSO4·7H2O and (NH4)2SO4 were found to be most significant nutrient components. Hence, these three components were selected for further optimization using central composite design (CCD) in response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions were soya bean cake: 0.05711 g/gds, MgSO4·7H2O: 0.00063 g/gds and (NH4)2SO4: 0.00772 g/gds. Under these optimized conditions, the production of inulinase was found to be 131 U/gds. The constants in the Michaelis-Menten equation were evaluated and high R2 value implies the fitness of the model.

Inulinase production in a packed bed reactor by solid state fermentation.

In this work, production of inulinase was carried out in a packed bed reactor (PBR) under solid state fermentation. Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus was used to produce the inulinase using pressmud as substrate. The parameters like air flow rate, packing density and particle size were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to maximize the inulinase production. The optimum conditions for the maximum inulinase production were: air flow rate - 0.82 L/min, packing density - 40 g/L and particle size - 0.0044 mm (mesh - 14/20). At these optimized conditions, the production of inulinase was found to be 300.5 unit/gram of dry substrate (U/gds).

Optimization of Inulinase Production from Garlic by Streptomyces sp. in Solid State Fermentation Using Statistical Designs.

Plackett-Burman design was employed for screening 18 nutrient components for the production of inulinase using Garlic as substrate by Streptomyces sp. in solid-state fermentation (SSF). From the experiments, 4 nutrients, namely, NH(4)NO(3), MnSO(4)·7H(2)O, Soya bean cake, and K(2)HPO(4) were found to be most significant nutrient components. Hence, these 4 components are selected. The selected components were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions are NH(4)NO(3)-6.63 mg/gds, MnSO(4)·7H(2)O-26.16 mg/gds, Soya bean cake-60.6 mg/gds, and K(2)HPO(4)-5.24 mg/gds. Under these conditions, the production of inulinase was found to be 76 U/gds.