Synthesis, characterisation and evaluation on the performance of ferrofluid for microplastic removal from synthetic and actual wastewater

Synthesis of ferrofluid without the addition of stabilizing agents or surfactants is an innovation of new method for microplastic removal. This study focuses on the ability of several types of oils as carriers and how they may improve the removal efficiency of the microplastic. The method is relatively low cost, simple and sustainable. The formation of ferrofluid involved the mixing of oil and iron oxide powder. The experimental work was commenced by adding 2 mm polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics into synthetic ferrofluid. Then, the removal efficiency of microplastics was examined by varying the elements of ferrofluid based on three specific parameters, namely type of oil, volume of oil and dosage of iron oxide to obtain a standard formulation of the optimum results. Overall findings of the study indicated that the optimum formulation for ferrofluid preparation was at a ratio of 1:2.5 (volume of oil: dosage of magnetite) using lubricating oil which has successfully removed 99% of microplastic from water media. Subsequently, the physical and chemical properties of the prepared ferrofluid were also analysed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Performance evaluation of the prepared ferrofluid on actual wastewater (laundry wastewater) revealed that 64% of microplastics were removed after treatment

Synthesis and physicochemical properties of magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4) as potential solid support for homogeneous catalysts

Black and dark magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) were successfully synthesised through a co-precipitation method as a crucial material to support palladium(II) complexes as they have the potential to become a stable solid support for homogeneous systems. The two-hour synthesis was done by mixing FeCl3.6H2O and FeCl2.4H2O in an alkaline medium. To improve the properties of iron oxide nanoparticles, the process was done under inert conditions. The physicochemical properties of this support was then characterised using various spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy that shows the X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The pore size distribution and the specific BET surface area were measured by N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The FTIR absorption spectroscopy was used to confirm the formation of Fe-O bond. The most intense peak correspond to the (311) crystallographic orientation of the spinel cubic phase of MNPs shown by XRD pattern result. The particle size of magnetite was successfully controlled in the range of 20-40 nm. All of the MNPs showed the superparamagnetic behaviour with high saturation magnetization

Harnessing Diesel-Degrading Potential of an Antarctic Microalga from Greenwich Island and Its Physiological Adaptation

Phytoremediation is a plant-based approach to extract, stabilise, eliminate, or render pollutants into less harmful form. The study highlights the use of a native polar microalga as a means of phytoremediation in Antarctica where imported microbes are prohibited. Since 1959, Antarctica has been a protected region to preserve its dynamic ecosystems, but it is increasingly vulnerable to climate change and pollution. One of the anthropogenic disturbances in the continent is diesel spillage. Due to the extreme polar environment, natural attenuation of spilled diesel is severely hindered; hence, the problem calls for an effective and sustainable solution. This laboratory study proved that Antarctic microalga was capable of removing diesel (57.6%) through biodegradation and biosorption in the span of nine days. Meanwhile, mixotrophic cultivation triggered the vacuolar activities and potentially stimulated lipid assimilation in the cells. The microalgal-based process offers a cheap alternative in water decontamination while bearing the economic potential through the secretion of valuable products, such as biolipids

Integration of Copperas and <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Seeds as Hybrid Coagulant for Turbidity and Ammonia Removal from Aquaculture Wastewater

The rapid development of the aquaculture industry has contributed to the high amount of nutrients in wastewater that subsequently led to eutrophication and deterioration of water quality. Aquaculture wastewater consists of uneaten fish feed, fecal and other excretion or residue of chemicals used. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the performance of hybrid coagulants of Moringa oleifera (MO) and copperas for aquaculture wastewater treatment. In this present study, different formulations of MO and copperas were explored in the coagulation treatment of aquaculture wastewater using a jar test experiment. The FTIR and SEM analysis are used to determine the morphology and surface of MO. This study focuses on the effect of coagulant aids formulation, coagulant dosage, the effect of initial pH and coagulation time on turbidity and ammonia removal in the coagulation of aquaculture wastewater. The finding shows that the highest removal of turbidity and ammonia was obtained with the use of 80% MO and 20% copperas at the condition of initial pH of 6 at 20 min of coagulation time, with the highest percentage removal of 66% and 91%, respectively. The coagulation isotherm of hybrid coagulant 80:20 is well described with the Freundlich isotherm model which describes the surface heterogeneity

Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Activity of Organotin(IV) Complexes featuring di-2-ethylhexyldithiocarbamate and N-methylbutyldithiocarbamate as Ligands

Organotin(IV) compounds have received tremendous attention for their synthesis, characterization and biological activities and their ability to bind with sulfur ligand such as dithiocarbamate ligand. Organotin(IV) dithiocarbamate complexes can be synthesized by the reaction of carbon disulphide with secondary amine. Four new organotin(IV) dithiocarbamate complexes were successfully synthesized by the reactions between di-2-ethylhexyldithiocarbamate, C16H34NCS2 and N-methylbutyldithiocarbamate, C5H12NCS2 with dibutyltin(IV) dichloride and triphenyltin(IV) chloride, RxSnClx (R = Bu, Ph) and (x = 1, 2 or 3). These series of complexes were synthesized using “in situ” insertion method and characterized by determination of melting point, CHNS elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The melting points of the synthesized compounds were in the range 88.3 - 128.4 °C. The experimental CHNS data of the compounds, mostly exhibit the calculated CHNS values. Using infrared spectra (FT-IR), the formation of organotin(IV) dithiocarbamate complexes were confirmed by the presence of v(C=N+) at 1464 - 1497 cm-1, v(C-S) at 963 - 1025 cm-1 and v(Sn-S) at 412 - 445 cm-1 in all complexes. Besides that, the UV-vis analysis showed the peaks chromophore of N=C within range 259 - 260 nm, nonbonding electron on sulphur and charges transferred between the tin metal and ligand (M-L). Using TGA analysis, complex 1 and 3 show two degradation curve but complex 2 and 4 shows only one degradation curves. The antibacterial activity of all synthesized organotin(IV) dithiocarbamate complexes were then determined towards four types of bacterial strains which were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella thypi and Bacillus cereus. Penicillin was used as positive control and streptomycin as negative control in order to compare diameter of inhibition zone between both controls and complexes. From antibacterial test, almost all synthesized complexes were found to give positive results. Thus, it can be concluded that the complexes formed do have applications in biological and medical aspects

Integration of Chitosan and Sugar Cane Bagasse as Adsorbent for Remazol Red Dyes Removal

In this study, the sugarcane bagasse biomass was modified and purpose as a bio-adsorbent to remove Remazol red dye from wastewater. The sugarcane bagasse was calcined at 200˚C, followed by the treatment with 1% chitosan solution. The adsorbent was morphologically characterized using FTIR, SEM, XRD analysis to study further the effect of chemical modification techniques on calcined biomass of sugarcane bagasse. Treated calcined sugarcane showed an irregular surface and appearance of pores effects of an acidic chitosan solution. It also clarified the presence of an active site for dye absorption on the adsorbent's surface, which is necessary for the dye adsorption attachment site. The adsorption performance revealed that treated sugarcane bagasse performed better with an optimum adsorbent dosage of 150 mg at an equilibrium time of 60 min. Remazol Red removal favored acidic conditions at pH 4 and decreased as dye concentration increased. With an R2 value, the equilibrium data adsorption fitted well with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm

Study of landfill leachate coagulation using hybrid coagulant of copperas/lime

Population growth and rapid industrial expansion has contributed to substantial amount of waste generation that subsequently lead to increased demand for landfill sites. Leachate is a harmful sub-stance that leaks from the landfill site consisting of vast amounts of organic and inorganic pollut-ants, and collected at the bottom of the site. Thus, we explored the potential of optimizing ferrous sulfate heptahydrate or copperas and lime in the coagulation treatment of leachate. Different for-mulations of copperas to lime (80:20 and 60:40) were employed for leachate treatment. This study evaluated the effect of initial pH 3–8, coagulant dosage 1,000–6,000 mg/L and coagulation time 15–75 min on leachate treatment. Finding showed that the hybrid coagulant of 60C:40L successfully achieved optimum removal of turbidity, color and suspended solids of about 89%, 91% and 96%, respectively, at pH 5, coagulant dosage of 5,000 mg/L, coagulation time of 30 min, and sedimenta-tion time of 60 min. It was also found that the Freundlich isotherm model was the best to describe the adsorption mechanism for the studied coagulant. The findings of this research are vital for the development of sustainable and cost-effective leachate treatment in the future