Using some Natural Minerals to Remove Cadmium from Polluted Water

تعد مشكلة ندرة المياه من اهم المشاكل التىتواجه الانسان فى مختلف المجالات المعيشية والاقتصادية مثل مجال الصناعة والزراعة و السياحة مما يدفع الانسان لاستخدام المياه منخفضة الجوده كمياه الصرف الصناعى. ويعتبر استخدام بعض المركبات الكيميائية فى التخلص من العناصر الثقيلة مثل الكادميوم هو نهج ضار بالبيئة. و من المعروف جيدًا أن عنصر الكادميوم يسبب مشاكل كبيرة عند وجوده في الماء ومن ثم يغزو التربة والنباتات والسلسلة الغذائية للإنسان. وبالتالى فان استخدام المواد الطبيعية بدلاً من المواد الكيميائية لإزالة الكادميوم من المياه الملوثة نهجصديقًا للبيئة. لذلك تم التركيز في هذا البحث على استخدام بعض المعادن الطبيعية مثلالمونتموريلونيتوالبنتونيتوالزيوليتلامتصاص عنصر الكادميوم من المياه الملوثة. و قد استخدمت تركيزات مختلفة من الكادميوم في المحاليل 10 و 30 و 50 جزء في المليون و تم معالجتها بثلاث نسب مختلفة لكل معدن (1 و 3 و 5٪ وزن الى حجم). وقد أثبتت النتائج التي تم الحصول عليها أن زيادة نسبة الاضافات إلى 5٪ تزيد من امتزاز الكادميوم من المحلول خاصة عند تركيز 50 جزء في المليون من الكادميوم. حصل الزيوليت على أعلى نسبة امتزاز (47.90 جزء في المليون) ، يليه مونتموريلونيت (44.99 جزء في المليون) وأقل نسبة كانت للبينتونيت (38.97 جزء في المليون). لذلك ، يمكن التوصية بأن إضافة الزيوليت هي المادة الأكثر ملاءمة لإزالة عنصر Cd من المياه الملوثة.Water scarcity is one of the most important problems facing humanity in various fields such as economics, industry, agriculture, and tourism. This may push people to use low-quality water like industrial-wastewater. The application of some chemical compounds to get rid of heavy metals such as cadmium is an environmentally harmful approach. It is well-known that heavy metals as cadmium may induce harmful problems when present in water and invade to soil, plants and food chain of a human being. In this case, man will be forced to use the low quality water in irrigation. Application of natural materials instead of chemicals to remove cadmium from polluted water is an environmental friendly approach. Attention was drawn in this research work to use some natural minerals as zeolite, bentonite and montmorillonite to adsorb cadmium element from polluted water. Various concentrations of cadmium in solutions 10, 30 and 50 ppm were treated with three different ratios of each mineral; 1, 3 and 5% (W/V). The obtained results proved that increasing the ratio of amendments to 5% increased Cd adsorption from solution particularly at 50ppm Cd. Zeolite obtained the highest ratio of adsorption (47.90 ppm), followed by montmorillonite (44.99 ppm) and the lowest was bentonite (38.97 ppm). Therefore, it can be recommended that addition of zeolite is the most favorable material to remove Cd element from polluted water

Growth and Mineral Status of Moringa Plants as Affected by Silicate and Salicylic Acid under Salt Stress

For evaluation of moringa growth and its minerals content response to irrigation with diluted seawater and spraying by potassium silicate solitary (Si) or in combination with salicylic acid (Si+SA), a pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of the National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt. Negative relationship was shown between salt stress degree and plant growth characters i.e. plant height, leaves area and dry weight of root, stem and leaves, which decreased as the salt concentration increased in the diluted seawater. Nevertheless, shoot/root ratio and leaf water content were increased with salinity increased. All growth characters increased with Si+SA addition. While adding sole silicate gave more plant height than the combined application without significant difference between them. The highest positive effect was shown when plants irrigated by tap water and spraying with Si+SA together. Significant depressions were obtained in nitrogen concentration or content as a result of growing moringa plants under salinity condition. Similar response in P content but the differences were not significant. Calcium and K concentrations did not significantly responded with salinity but Mg concentration decreased significantly only with the first level of salinity. Calcium showed its higher increment in content by spraying single Si under fresh water treatment. In most cases, application of potassium silicate in combination with salicylic acid gave the higher increases in mineral content estimated in this work. This means that, a synergistic effect was found between these two materials