Biochar from A Freshwater Macroalga as A Potential Biosorbent for Wastewater Treatment

The multi-elemental composition, surface texture and morphology of biochar, produced by pyrolysis at 300, 350, 400 and 450 °C from freshwater macroalga Cladophora glomerata, as a biosorbent of toxic metals was examined with Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. It was found that the yield of pyrolysis was inversely proportional to temperature: for 300 °C it was 63%, whereas for 450 °C—47%. The proximate analysis revealed that also biochar’s moisture and volatile matter was inversely proportional to temperature. The content of ash increased with temperature. All biochars were characterized by a similar total pore area of about 20 m2 g−1. FT-IR analysis showed that all biochars peaked at 3500–3100 cm−1 which was attributed to O–H stretching of the hydroxyl groups, at 2850–2970 cm−1, stretching vibrations of C–H bonds in aliphatic CH2 and CH groups, at 1605 cm−1, stretching vibrations from C=C of aromatics, at 1420 cm−1, bending oscillations from CH2, at about 1111 cm−1, stretching vibrations of Si–O, at 618 cm−1, vibrations from Fe–O bonds, and at 475 cm−1—Si–O–Si deformation vibrations. The biosorption properties of biochar towards Cr(III) ions were examined in kinetic studies. The biosorption capacity of biochar increased with an increase of pyrolysis temperature: the highest was for biochar obtained at 450 °C—87.1 mg Cr(III) g−1 and the lowest at 300 °C—45.9 mg g−1. Cladophora biochar also demonstrated a good ability to simultaneously remove metal ions from a multi-metal system, e.g., wastewater. The removal efficiency for Cr(III) was 89.9%, for Cu(II) 97.1% and for Zn(II) 93.7%. The biochar derived from waste-freshwater macroalgae can be a potent and eco-friendly alternative adsorptive material

Restoration of soils contaminated with PAHs by the mixture of zeolite composites mixed with exogenous organic matter and mineral salts

Abstract The major cause of soil degradation (contamination, erosion, compaction) is closely linked to agriculture, i.e., unsustainable agriculture practices, which are reflected in the depletion of the soil organic carbon pool, loss in soil biodiversity, and reduction of C sink capacity in soils. Therefore, the agricultural practice of applying carbon-rich materials into the soil is an attractive solution for climate change mitigation and soil ecosystem sustainability. The paper aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the addition of organic-mineral mixtures to the mineral salts (NPK), including the exogenous organic matter (lignite) mixed with zeolite-carbon (NaX-C) or zeolite-vermiculite (NaX-Ver) composites in the restoration of soils contaminated with PAHs. The addition of zeolite composites to fertilizer resulted in a significant reduction in soil PAH levels and a corresponding reduction in plant tissue content, without compromising yields, compared to the control and separate application of NPK. A Significant correlation between PAHs and pHH2O, pHKCl, EC and dehydrogenase activity (DhA) was found in soils. The addition of zeolite composites with lignite significantly reduced the content of PAHs in straws, especially following the application of NaX-C. However, in the case of grains, the highest percentage reduction in comparison to NPK was observed for the highest dose of NaX-Ver

Zastosowanie surowców roślinnych w miejscowym leczeniu łuszczycy

Psoriasis is a relatively frequent, chronic, inflammatory skin disease. Estimated prevalence of psoriasis in the Polish population is about3%. Topical treatment is successfully used in all types of psoriasis. It is the main therapy of mild psoriasis and adjuvant treatment in advanced psoriasis. This disease is characterized by high incidence of recurrence and varied treatment responses. Patients unsatisfied with the efficacy of standard topical treatment often reach for alternative methods. In this article we focus on herbal constituents potentially useful in topical treatment of psoriasis. This review encompasses medicinal raw materials, their active ingredients, potential molecular mechanisms and clinical trials in order to estimate their effectiveness and safety.Łuszczyca to stosunkowo częsta przewlekła choroba zapalna skóry. Szacowana częstość występowania łuszczycy w polskiej populacji to około 3%. Leki miejscowe znajdują swoje zastosowanie we wszystkich rodzajach łuszczycy. Są podstawą terapii w przypadku łuszczycy łagodnej, jak również leczeniem wspomagającym w łuszczycy ciężkiej. Choroba ta charakteryzuje się dużą nawrotowością i zmiennością w odpowiedzi na leczenie. Pacjenci niezadowoleni z efektów standardowej terapii miejscowej często sięgają po środki alternatywne. W artykule omówione zostały surowce roślinne o potencjalnym zastosowaniu terapeutycznym w leczeniu miejscowym zmian łuszczycowych. Przegląd obejmuje przedstawienie surowców leczniczych, zawartych w nich składników aktywnych i potencjalnych mechanizmów działania oraz badań naukowych, które mogą wskazywać na efektywność i bezpieczeństwo ich stosowania