Particle size effect of Moringa oleifera Lam. seeds on the turbidity removal and antibacterial activity for drinking water treatment

©2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enceco.2024.07.008The treatment of drinking water using Moringa oleifera (MO) Lam. seeds is gaining popularity as a sustainable alternative to synthetic chemicals. However, there is limited literature on the effect of particle size of the ground MO seeds on their coagulation characteristics, which is revealed in this study. To investigate the impact of the particle size, the sun-dried MO seeds were ground and sieved into five distinct sizes ranging from (i) 5% variation. The study is also extended to explore the mechanism of coagulation of MO seeds, and the potential application of the research at a domestic scale is also discussed. Overall, the resulting water treated with MO met the WHO criteria.Published versio

Sequential novel use of Moringa oleifera Lam., biochar, and sand to remove turbidity, E. coli, and heavy metals from drinking water

© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwat.2024.100050This research investigates the individual and combined use of Moringa oleifera (MO) Lam., biochar, and sand to remove turbidity, pathogens, and heavy metals from drinking water. Contaminated water was synthetically prepared using kaolin, standard nickel/lead solutions, and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The optimal dose of MO seed protein, extracted in 1 M NaCl solution, was determined using a jar test flocculator. MO treatment reduced water turbidity from 200 to 4 NTU and achieved a 1–2 log reduction in E. coli from an initial count of 1×105 CFU/ml. Nevertheless, no significant reduction in nickel and lead concentrations was noted. Subsequently, the MO-treated water was passed through a biochar column supported on a sand bed, revealing clear water with 1 NTU turbidity and no trace of E. coli counts being detected. The sequential process of using biochar and sand reduced nickel and lead by 97.5 % and 99.3 %, respectively. The physicochemical properties of the treated water met WHO and UK standards for safe drinking water. All experiments were performed in duplicates (n=2; P < 0.05). The scalability and economic feasibility of the project, the mechanism of removal of contaminants by MO and biochar, and the study's limitations are also discussed.Published versio

Removal of cadmium and zinc from water using sewage sludge-derived biochar

© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B V. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scenv.2024.100118This research reveals the adsorption of cadmium (Cd2+) and zinc (Zn+2) from water using sewage sludge-derived biochar pyrolysed at 700 °C (SSB). The morphology and particle characteristics of SSB were characterised through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size distribution (PSD), fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The adsorption study showed that the optimum contact times for removing Zn2+ and Cd2+ were 80 and 140 minutes, respectively. 95.51% Zn2+ and 97.54% Cd2+ could be removed from spiked solutions featuring 50 mg/L of Zn2+ and 50 mg/L Cd2+, each treated with 25 g/L biochar. The optimum pH of the solutions was 8–9 at a temperature of 40°C, indicating some precipitation of the metal ions at an alkaline pH. The highest adsorption capacity of SSB for Cd2+ and Zn2+ was found to be 3.02 and 2.51 mg/g, respectively, which compares favourably with other adsorbents. The isotherm studies confirmed experimental data to closely follow the Langmuir isotherm model at an R2 value of 0.9846 and 0.9816 for Cd2+ and Zn2+, respectively. The kinetic study confirmed the physical interaction between the adsorbents and the adsorbate. The spontaneous and exothermic nature of the process was confirmed by negative values of change in Gibbs free energy (ΔG) and enthalpy (ΔH). SSB could be regenerated for 6 cycles. Overall, this study explores sustainability, recycling, and waste management by offering SSB as a potentially cost-effective and environment-friendly solution to remove Cd2+ and Zn2+ from water.Published versio

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Outcomes in Newly Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation and History of Acute Coronary Syndromes: Insights from GARFIELD-AF

BACKGROUND: Many patients with atrial fibrillation have concomitant coronary artery disease with or without acute coronary syndromes and are in need of additional antithrombotic therapy. There are few data on the long-term clinical outcome of atrial fibrillation patients with a history of acute coronary syndrome. This is a 2-year study of atrial fibrillation patients with or without a history of acute coronary syndromes

Analysis of Outcomes in Ischemic vs Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation A Report From the GARFIELD-AF Registry

IMPORTANCE Congestive heart failure (CHF) is commonly associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), and their combination may affect treatment strategies and outcomes