Enhanced removal of Indigo Carmine dye from textile effluent using green cost-efficient nanomaterial: adsorption, kinetics, thermodynamics and mechanisms

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGThe release of Indigo Carmine in waterbodies may cause serious impact in aquatic ecosystems and human health. There is an interest in developing green, low-cost and effective adsorbents for the removal of toxic dyes from textile effluents. This study proposed the developing of an adsorbent material at the nanoscale using the waste from Moringa oleifera seeds generated after the oil extraction. Moringa oleifera seeds were grounded to obtain an adsorbent material at the nanoscale. Batch-adsorption tests were carried out to evaluate the capacity of the absorbent to retain Indigo Carmine from liquid solutions. The following variables were studied: pH, adsorbent-dye ratio, contact time, initial dye concentration and temperature. The adsorption process fitted the Langmuir isotherm in the equilibrium of adsorption and the power function in the kinetic behavior. The maximum adsorption capacity of the absorbent nanoparticles was 60.24 mg/g, which is 4.3 times higher than that of the bulk Moringa oleifera seeds. Thermodynamic results proved the adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. Hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interlinkage and π–π interactions were identified as the dominant mechanisms of Indigo Carmine adsorption on the nanoparticles. The adsorption-desorption study resulted in a slight decrease of the adsorption capacity after 4 cycles, from 94% to 88%. The removal of Indigo Carmine from a textile effluent (85%) was similar to that with pure Indigo Carmine solutions (91%). The results suggested the feasibility of Moringa oleifera seed nanoparticles as a promising, green and low cost adsorbent for textile wastewaters with dyes

Reclamation of Sodic Soils and Improvement of Corn Seed Germination Using Spent Grains, Cheese Whey, Gypsum, and Compost

Incubation and germination experiments were carried out to evaluate spent grain, cheese whey, gypsum, and compost for reclamation of sodic soils and enhancing corn (Zea mays L.) germination. Results indicated that all organic amendments effectively reduced exchangeable sodium percent (ESP), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and soil pH, while they enhanced soil organic matter, macronutrients, and corn germination percentages compared with gypsum and control. The positive impacts of all amendments followed the arrangement: spent grain > cheese whey > compost > gypsum > control. Moreover, one-month incubation was enough time for amendments to mitigate soil sodicity before crop plantation

Effects of Cheese Whey on Some Chemical and Physical Properties of Calcareous and Clay Soils

Cheese whey is the main by-products generated by the cheese industry. It is acidic and rich in organic matter and nutrients which makes it ideal candidate to use as soil amendment. Incubation experiment was conducted to assess the potential of using cheese whey to increase soil fertility in calcareous and clay soils. Amendments were six levels of mozzarella cheese whey; 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% (oven dry weight basis). Cheese whey were applied to the tested soils, placed in pots and incubated aerobically under field capacity and field conditions for three months. After incubation, selected soil chemical parameters were measured, the cumulative water evaporation was measured as well. The electrical conductivity (EC) of the whey treated soil increased slightly in comparison to the initial EC in both soils. While, soil OM, available N, available P, and available K were significantly increased by all application rates compared to the control in both tested soils. The increase range was from 84 to 300% for OM; 10 to 136% for N; 40 to 155% for P; and 71 to 157% for K in clay soil. However, in calcareous soil, the range was from 17 to 177% for OM; 9 to 93% for N; 120 to 584% for P; and 175 to 550% for K. The soil pH decreased with increasing levels of cheese whey from 8.10 to 7.54 in clay soil and from 8.21 to 7.87 in calcareous soil. Suggesting that cheese whey was effective at adding OM, N, P, and K to soils while decreasing the soil’s pH. The cumulative evaporation increased with time in both soils. The application of whey to the clay soils reduced the cumulative evaporation but it did not exhibit a trend in the calcareous soils. The use of cheese whey therefore in agricultural production provides an economic and environmentally friendly method of disposal, while improving soil fertility

Effects of Cheese Whey on Some Chemical and Physical Properties of Calcareous and Clay Soils

Cheese whey is the main by-products generated by the cheese industry. It is acidic and rich in organic matter and nutrients which makes it ideal candidate to use as soil amendment. Incubation experiment was conducted to assess the potential of using cheese whey to increase soil fertility in calcareous and clay soils. Amendments were six levels of mozzarella cheese whey; 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% (oven dry weight basis). Cheese whey were applied to the tested soils, placed in pots and incubated aerobically under field capacity and field conditions for three months. After incubation, selected soil chemical parameters were measured, the cumulative water evaporation was measured as well. The electrical conductivity (EC) of the whey treated soil increased slightly in comparison to the initial EC in both soils. While, soil OM, available N, available P, and available K were significantly increased by all application rates compared to the control in both tested soils. The increase range was from 84 to 300% for OM; 10 to 136% for N; 40 to 155% for P; and 71 to 157% for K in clay soil. However, in calcareous soil, the range was from 17 to 177% for OM; 9 to 93% for N; 120 to 584% for P; and 175 to 550% for K. The soil pH decreased with increasing levels of cheese whey from 8.10 to 7.54 in clay soil and from 8.21 to 7.87 in calcareous soil. Suggesting that cheese whey was effective at adding OM, N, P, and K to soils while decreasing the soil’s pH. The cumulative evaporation increased with time in both soils. The application of whey to the clay soils reduced the cumulative evaporation but it did not exhibit a trend in the calcareous soils. The use of cheese whey therefore in agricultural production provides an economic and environmentally friendly method of disposal, while improving soil fertility

Enhanced removal of Thiamethoxam from wastewater using waste-derived nanoparticles: adsorption performance and mechanisms

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGThiamethoxam (TMX) is a highly toxic systemic neonicotinoid pesticide and its entry into water bodies can greatly endanger human health and aquatic ecosystems. Hence, developing low-cost, ecofriendly and efficient adsorbents is urgently needed for removal of TMX from contaminated water. In this study, the nanostructured alum water treatment residuals (nWTR) were produced, characterized and evaluated, for the first time, for TMX removal from wastewater through sorption and mechanism studies. The impact of pH, sorbent/TMX solution ratio, exposure time, initial TMX concentration, and temperature on the TMX removal process were examined. The maximum adsorption capacity of TMX by nWTR was enhanced 2.6 times higher than that of bulk WTR due to enlarged specific surface area and pore volume. The adsorption equilibrium and kinetics data best followed Langmuir and first order models respectively. The thermodynamic study showed that the adsorption reaction of TMX onto nWTR was a spontaneous and endothermic process. The suggested mechanisms of TMX sorption by nWTR are hydrogen bonding, Al and Fe complexes formation and electrostatic interlinkage. Furthermore, the reusability study showed that nWTR sorbent can be effectively applied for up to 3 consecutive cycles for the remediation of TMX contaminated wastewater. The study demonstrates the potential use of nWTRs as cost effective, stable, reusable and promising adsorbent for TMX removal from wastewater

Influence of Environment-Friendly Organic Wastes on the Properties of Sandy Soil under Growing Zea mays L. in Arid Regions

Environment-friendly organic wastes of Brewers' spent grain, a byproduct of the brewing process, have recently used as soil amendment to improve soil fertility and plant production. In this work, treatments of 1% (T1) and 2% (T2) of spent grains, 1% (C1) and 2% (C2) of compost and mix of both sources (C1T1) were used and compared to the control for growing Zea mays L. on sandy soil under arid Mediterranean climate. Soils were previously incubated at 65% saturation capacity for a month. The most relevant soil physical and chemical parameters were analysed. Water holding capacity and soil organic matter (OM) increased significantly along the treatments with the highest values in T2. Soil pH decreased along the treatments and the lowest pH was in C1T1. Bicarbonate decreased by 69% in C1T1 comparing to control. Total nitrogen (TN) and available P varied significantly among all treatments and T2, C1T1 and C2 treatments increased 25, 17 and 11 folds in TN and 1.2, 0.6 and 0.3 folds in P, respectively related to control. Available K showed the highest values in C1T1. Soil micronutrients increased significantly along all treatments with the highest values in T2. After corn germination, significant variation was observed in the velocity of germination coefficients (VGC) among all treatments in the order of C1T1>T2>T1>C2>C1>control. The highest records of final germination and germination index were in C1T1 and T2. The spent grains may compensate deficiencies of macro and micronutrients in newly reclaimed sandy soils without adverse effects to sustain crop production with a rider that excessive or continuous use need to be circumvented

Cost-effective ecofriendly nanoparticles for rapid and efficient indigo carmine dye removal from wastewater: adsorption equilibrium, kinetics and mechanism

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGIn this study, a novel, ecofriendly and inexpensive nanoscale adsorbent, derived from the byproducts of water industry (nWTRs), was prepared and characterized for efficient removal of Indigo Carmine (IC) dye from contaminated water. The adsorption study analyzed the influence of pH, adsorbent/IC solution ratio, exposure time, IC concentration, and temperature to maximize IC dye removal from contaminated wastewater. The adsorption equilibrium data fitted to Langmuir model whereas power function and first order models fitted the adsorption kinetic data. The maximum adsorption capacity () of IC was found to be 30.86 mg g−1 for bulk WTR and 172.4 mg g−1 for nWTR. The nanosized adsorbent was 5.6 times more effective than the bulk WTR and the adsorption equilibrium can be reached within 30 min. The thermodynamic study in the interval 25–45 °C proved that IC adsorption in nWTR was spontaneous and endothermic. Hydrogen bonding, Al and Fe complexes formation and electrostatic interlinkage are the dominant processes of IC adsorption in nWTR. Repeated cycles of adsorption/desorption of IC in nWTR confirmed the stability of the adsorbent. The excellent IC dye removal efficiency of nWTRs from textile industry effluent suggests its promising potential in remediating IC contaminated wastewater

Nutrient Leaching and Soil Retention in Mined Land Reclaimed with Stabilized Manure

Two environmental problems in Pennsylvania are degraded mined lands and excess manure nutrients from intensive animal production. Manure could be used in mine reclamation, but the large application rates required for sustained biomass production could result in significant nutrient discharge. An abandoned mine site in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, was used to test manure nutrient stabilization by composting and by mixing with primary paper mill sludge (PMS). Reclamation treatments were lime and fertilizer, composted poultry manure (78 and 156 Mg ha−1), and poultry manure (50 Mg ha−1) mixed with PMS (103 and 184 Mg ha−1) to achieve C-to-N ratios of 20 and 29. Leachates were collected with zero-tension lysimeters, and during 3 yr following amendment application, −1 during 3 yr, 12.4 times more N than compost treatments), mostly as pulses of NO3− in the first two fall seasons following reclamation. The manure+PMS C:N 20 treatment leached 107 kg N ha−1 during 3 yr. Three years after amendment application, most of the N and P added with the manure-based amendments was retained in the mine soil even though net immobilization of N by PMS appeared to be limited to 3 mo following application. Composting or mixing PMS with manure to achieve a C-to-N ratio of 20 can effectively minimize N leaching, retain added N in mine soil, and provide greater improvement in soil quality than lime and fertilizer amendment

Reclamation of calcareous soil and improvement of squash growth using brewers’ spent grain and compost

Brewer’s spent grain represents approximately 85% of the by-products generated by the beer industry. It is acidic and rich in organic matter and nutrients. In Egypt, spent grain has no value and is available at no cost all year. Incubation and germination experiments were conducted to assess the potential of using spent grain and compost to increase soil fertility and squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) growth in a calcareous soil. Amendments were two rates of spent grain (13.5, 26.7 g kg−1), two rates of compost (24.7, 49.4 g kg−1), a blend of lowest rates of compost and spent grain and a control. Treatments were mixed with calcareous soil, placed in pots and incubated anaerobically under field conditions for one month. After incubation 15 squash seeds were planted in the soil pots. Highest rate of spent grain most effectively increased soil water holding capacity, organic matter, macronutrients, micronutrients, germination parameters, and reduced soil pH. Mixing compost with spent grain was more effective than high rate of compost in increasing water holding capacity, soil nutrients, and decreasing soil pH. While both treatments were equally effective in enhancing squash germination and increasing soil organic matter. Spent grain is more effective than compost in improving properties of calcareous soils, and is much less expensive. Keywords: Brewer’s spent grain, Calcareous soil, Compost, Cucurbita pepo L., Germination, Aridisol