Tamarindus indica mucilage and its acrylamide-grafted copolymer as flocculants for removal of dyes

The application of Tamarindus indica seed mucilage (Tam), a food grade polysaccharide, and its acrylamide grafted copolymer as flocculants was assessed for the first time for removal of various types of dyes from model textile wastewater containing azo, basic, and reactive dyes. Acrylamide grafted T. indica mucilage (Tam-g-PAM) was obtained by ceric ion initiated polymerization technique. A series of contact time experiments were conducted to assess the system variables such as concentrations of mucilage and dyes and pH. These flocculants reduce the dye concentration by flocculation and settling. The grafted copolymer, Tam-g-PAM showed better results for dye removal. The optimal flocculant concentration, which was required to effect flocculation, was independent of dye concentration within the range examined. Both the flocculants performed better for removal of azo dyes than for reactive and basic dyes.     

OKRA(HIBISCUS ESCULENTUS)AND FENUGREEK(TRIGONELLA FOENUM GRACEUM)MUCILAGE:CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATION AS FLOCCULANTS FOR TEXTILE EFFLUENT TAEATMENTS

The use of new food grade polysaccharides (mucilage) obtained from Hibiscus esculentus and Trigonella foenum graceum,commonly called Okra and Fenugreek,respectively,as flocculants was described.These polysaccharides were used for removal of solids (suspended solids (SS) and total dissolved solids (TDS)) and dyes from real textile effluents and aqueous solutions of different class of synthetic dyes.Influences of varying polysaccharide concentration,contact time and pH on removal of pollutant from the textile wastewater were investigated.Results showed that polysaccharides (mucilage) obtained from Okra and Fenugreek were capable of removing 90%-94% of SS,30%-44% of TDS and 30%-35% of dye using a very low concentration of polysaccharide.X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of solid waste material obtained before and after the treatment with polysaccharides were used as a supportive evidence to explain the mechanism of flocculation.     

OKRA (HIBISCUS ESCULENTUS) AND FENUGREEK (TRIGONELLA FOENUM GRACEUM) MUCILAGE: CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATION AS FLOCCULANTS FOR TEXTILE EFFLUENT TREATMENTS

The use of new food grade polysaccharides (mucilage) obtained from Hibiscus esculentus and Trigonella foenum graceum,commonly called Okra and Fenugreek,respectively,as flocculants was described.These polysaccharides were used for removal of solids (suspended solids (SS) and total dissolved solids (TDS)) and dyes from real textile effluents and aqueous solutions of different class of synthetic dyes.Influences of varying polysaccharide concentration,contact time and pH on removal of pollutant from the text...     

Fenugreek mucilage as a flocculating agent for sewage treatment

The use of fenugreek mucilage, a natural polysaccharide and a direct food additive, as a flocculating agent for removal of suspended and dissolved solids from sewage effluent has been reported. A flocculation study has been done by the standard jar test method. The percent removal of suspended solid (SS) and dissolved solid (TDS) was determined by varying the polymer dose, pH and contact time. X-ray diffraction patterns of the solid waste material of mucilage and flocs (so obtained after treatment) were used to suggest the incorporation of the crystalline waste material in the mucilage. The optimal mucilage concentration was found to be 0.16 mg/l. The suitable pH range for maximum solid removal (SS and TDS) was alkaline and the time required for treatment was 1-3 h.     

Use of polyacrylamide-grafted<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Plantago psyllium</Emphasis> mucilage as a flocculant for treatment of textile wastewater

The chemical modification of Plantago psyllium mucilage (Psy), an anionic polysaccharide, was done by grafting polyacrylamide (PAM) chains to prepare a graft-copolymer (Psy-g-PAM). It was synthesized in the presence of nitrogen using ceric ammonium nitrate–nitric acid redox initiator and characterized by IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and viscosity measurements. This grafted copolymer was tested for its flocculation efficiency in textile wastewater by the standard Jar test method. The effects of polymer concentration, pH and contact time on the percentage removal of solid wastes [total dissolved solids (TDS) and suspended solids (SS)] and color from textile effluent are reported. The optimum dose was found to be 1.6 mg l^–1, at which maximum solid removal (SS and TDS) was seen. The most suitable pH for TDS and color removal was neutral (7.0) and for SS removal alkaline pH (9.2) was found to be most suitable. The optimum treatment duration for solid waste removal was 5 h. The X-ray diffraction analysis of Psy-g-PAM and solid waste before and after treatment suggests the interaction of the solid waste and Psy-g-PAM copolymer.     

Enhanced Removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) from Aqueous Solutions by Pretreated Biomass of Fusarium Solani

This study investigated the feasibility of Fusarium solani biomass as a biosorbent for Cu(II) and Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions. Batch sorption experiments were carried out for Cu(II) and Pb(II) to quantify the sorption kinetics, pH, biosorbent dose and pretreatment of F. solani biomass. Biomass metal uptake clearly competed with protons present in the aqueous medium, making pH an important variable in the process. The maximum biosorption by F. solani biomass was obtained with solutions having pH 5 for both metal ions. An enhanced Cu(II) removal (96.53%) was observed for aluminum hydroxide pretreated biomass. Maximum Pb(II) removal (95.48%) was observed with native biomass. Time dependence experiments for the metal ions uptake showed that adsorption equilibrium reached almost 240 min after metal addition. The kinetic studies showed that the biosorption process followed the pseudo second‐order rate model for Cu(II) and Pb(II). The equilibrium data fitted well to the Langmiur isotherm model.     

PLANTAGO PSYLLIUM-GRAFTED-POLYACRYLONITRILE： SYNTHESIS,CHARACTERIZATION AND ITS USE FOR SOLID REMOVAL FROM SEWAGE WASTEWATER

Plantago psyllium mucilage (PSY), an anionic natural polysaccharide consisting of pentosan and uronic acid obtained from the seeds of Plantago psyllium (Plantago family), was grafted with acrylonitrile (AN). Graft copolymers were prepared by ceric ion initiated solution polymerization technique and were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. These copolymers are good flocculating agents for removal of suspended (SS) and total dissolved solid (TDS) in sewage wastewater treatment. The effects of copolymer dose, pH and contact time on flocculation capacity of one selected copolymer sample were studied by jar test method. The suitable pH range for maximum solid removal was 7.0 to 9.2 and the optimum copolymer dose was 1.2mg/L. The overall process for solid removal took 4h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of grafted copolymer, PSY grafted polyacrylonitrile (PSY-g-PAN) and solid waste, before and after treatment are used to suggest the interaction of the solid waste with PSY-g-PAN copolymer.     

Silicon Nitride Capacitive Chemical Sensor for Phosphate Ion Detection Based on Copper Phthalocyanine – Acrylate‐polymer

In this work, we report the development of a highly sensitive capacitance chemical sensor based on a copper C,C,C,C‐ tetra‐carboxylic phthalocyanine‐acrylate polymer adduct (Cu(II)TCPc‐PAA) for phosphate ions detection. A capacitance silicon nitride substrate based Al−Cu/Si‐p/SiO₂/Si₃N₄ structure was used as transducer. These materials have provided good stability of electrochemical measurements. The functionalized silicon‐based transducers with a Cu(II)Pc‐PAA membrane were characterized by using Mott‐Schottky technique measurements at different frequency ranges and for different phosphate concentrations. The morphological surface of the Cu(II)Pc‐PAA modified silicon‐nitride based transducer was characterized by contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy. The pH effect was also investigated by the Mott‐Schottcky technique for different Tris‐HCl buffer solutions. The sensitivity of silicon nitride was studied at different pH of Tris‐HCl buffer solutions. This pH test has provided a sensitivity value of 51 mV/decade. The developed chemical sensor showed a good performance for phosphate ions detection within the range of 10⁻¹⁰ to 10⁻⁵ M with a Nernstian sensitivity of 27.7 mV/decade. The limit of detection of phosphate ions was determined at 1 nM. This chemical sensor was highly specific for phosphate ions when compared to other interfering ions as chloride, sulfate, carbonate and perchlorate. The present capacitive chemical sensor is thus very promising for sensitive and rapid detection of phosphate in environmental applications.     

Studies on selective flocculation of low-grade iron ore using statistical optimization

In this study, a two-level and three-variable full-factorial design is used to analyze the behavior of different variables of selective flocculation such as pulp density, pH, and flocculant dosage. The response of low-grade iron ore flocculation was investigated using a two-level and three-variable factorial design. From the studies, the optimal conditions were found to be pH (10), pulp density (6%), and flocculant dosage (0.5?mg/g), and the estimated values of for grade and recovery were 67.52% and 80.17%, respectively. The coefficients of determination (R²) for grade and recovery were found to be 99.80% and 99.97%, respectively.     

Medium optimization for polysaccharide production of Cordyceps sinensis

As a potential anticarcinogenic agent, polysaccharides from Cordyceps sinensis have been demonstrated to possess strong antioxidation activity. The aim of the present research was to study the optimal medium to produce polysaccharides of C. sinensis by using response surface methodology (RSM). The composition of optimized medium for polysaccharide production calculated from the regression model of RSM was 6.17% sucrose, 0.53% corn steep powder, 0.5% (NH₄)₂HPO₄, and 0.15% KH₂PO₄ at pH 4.44, with a predicted maximum polysaccharide production of 3.17 g/L. When applying this optimal medium, the maximum polysaccharide production was 3.05 and 3.21 g/L in a shake flask and a 5-L jar fermentor, respectively. When the pH was controlled at a higher level such as pH 5.0, both cell growth and polysaccharide production were inhibited. A low pH of 2.85 was required for maximum production of polysaccharides.     

一种复合脱色剂在印染废水中的应用研究

以甲醛、双氰胺、醋酸钠、氯化铵、氯化铝等为原料制备了一种印染废水脱色絮凝剂T-1。采用福州某纺织印染有限公司的印染废水为处理对象,以脱色率为主要考核指标,讨论了T-1的投加量、pH值、废水温度等对絮凝效果的影响。实验结果表明,双氰胺-甲醛缩聚物对印染废水具有优良的脱色絮凝效果,当投加量为100mg/L,废水温度为30℃,pH=8时,处理效果最佳,色度去除率达70%,COD去除率为78.3%。而且其絮凝性能明显优于聚合氯化铝(PAC)、聚合硫酸铝(PAS)絮凝剂。     

Equilibrium and kinetic studies of adsorption of phosphate onto ZnCl2 activated coir pith carbon

Phosphate removal from aqueous solution was investigated using ZnCl₂-activated carbon developed from coir pith, an agricultural solid waste. Studies were conducted to delineate the effect of contact time, adsorbent dose, phosphate concentration, pH, and temperature. The adsorption equilibrium data followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Langmuir adsorption capacity was found to be 5.1 mg/g. Adsorption followed second-order kinetics. The removal was maximum in the pH range 3–10. pH effect and desorption studies showed that adsorption occurred by both ion exchange and chemisorption mechanisms. Adsorption was found to be spontaneous and endothermic. Effect of foreign ions on adsorption shows that perchlorate, sulfate, and selenite decreased the percent removal of phosphate.     

Adsorption of fluoride, phosphate, and arsenate ions on a new type of ion exchange fiber

A new type of ion exchange fiber for the removal of fluoride, phosphate, and arsenate ions has been developed. A batch adsorption technique for investigating adsorption kinetic and equilibrium parameters and determining pH adsorption edges is applied. It is shown that the adsorption properties of the ion exchange fiber for fluoride, phosphate, and arsenate ions depend on the pH value and anion concentration. The adsorption of arsenate on the sorbent reaches a maximum of 97.9% in the pH value range of 3.5 to 7.0. The adsorption percentage of phosphate is more than 99% in the pH range of 3.0 to 5.5. The adsorption of fluoride on the ion exchange fiber is found to be 90.4% at pH 3.0. The Freundlich model can describe the adsorption equilibrium data of fluoride, arsenate, and phosphate anions. The sorption of the three anions on the ion exchange fiber is a rapid process, and the adsorption kinetic data can be simulated very well by the pseudo-second-order rate equation. The column performance is carried out to assess the applicability of the ion exchange fiber for the removal of fluoride, phosphate, and arsenate ions from synthetic wastewaters with satisfactory removal efficiency. The desorption experiment shows that fluoride ion sorbed by the fiber column can be quantitatively desorbed with 5 mL of 0.50 mol/L NaOH at elution rate of 1 mL/min, and 30 mL of NaOH is necessary for the quantitative recovery of phosphate and arsenate ions.     

Characterization and identification of the mucilage extracted from orchid bulbs (Bletia campanulata) by high temperature capillary gas chromatography (HT-CGC)

The aim of this work was to develop an analytical method by High Temperature Capillary Gas Chromatography (HT-CGC) to characterize and identify the presence of tzauhtli, orchid mucilage, in works of art. During the pre-Hispanic and colonial period, tzauhtli was used as an adhesive for paper and feathers, as well as paint binder, and was one of the components of the paste used to model corn stalk sculptures. The mucilage was extracted with hot water from orchid bulbs (Bletia campanulata) and lyophilized. The free sugars from the mucilage were analyzed by CGC after derivatization. The polysaccharide of the mucilage was characterized after its partial acid hydrolysis by HT-CGC analysis of the oligosaccharides obtained. The proposed chromatographic method allows the identification of different mucilages in works of art. This contribution is the first report of the oligosaccharides from the hydrolysis of the mucilage extracted from orchid bulbs (Bletia campanulata).     

Adsorption of phosphate and nitrate anions on ammonium-functionalized MCM-48: effects of experimental conditions

In this study, ammonium-functionalized MCM-48 (Mobil Composite Material No. 48) was used as an adsorbent to remove nitrate (NO(-)(3)) and monobasic phosphate (H(2)PO(-)(4)) anions from aqueous solutions. The effects of operating conditions such as temperature, adsorbent loading, initial anion concentration, pH, and the presence of competitive ions on the adsorption performances were examined. Results showed that adsorption capacity decreased with increasing temperature. The adsorption capacity increased with adsorbent loading and initial anion concentration. The removal of nitrate was maximum at pH<8, while phosphate removal was maximized at pH 5. The adsorption was almost unaffected by the presence of competitive ions in the case of phosphate anions. However, their presence adversely affected nitrate adsorption. Desorption of both anions was rapidly achieved within 10 min using NaOH at 0.01 M. Regeneration tests showed that the adsorbent retained its capacity after 5 adsorption-desorption cycles.     

Preparation of quaternized dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate grafted nonwoven fabric for the removal of phosphate

Dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA) grafted polyethylene/polypropylene (PE/PP) nonwoven fabric was prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization. Grafting conditions were optimized and about 150% DMAEMA grafted samples were used for further experiments. DMAEMA graft chains were later quaternized with dimethyl sulphate for the removal of phosphate ions. Adsorption experiments were conducted with quaternized DMAEMA grafted fabric for phosphate removal at low (0.5–25 ppm) and high phosphate concentrations (50–1000 ppm). Adsorbed phosphate amounts at pH 7 were found to be 63 mg phosphate/g polymer and 512 mg phosphate/g polymer for low (25 ppm) and high phosphate concentrations (1000 ppm) respectively showing the efficiency of the adsorbent material in removing phosphate. The pH effect on phosphate adsorption showed that the quaternized DMAEMA grafted nonwoven fabric can adsorb phosphate over a wide pH range (5.00–9.00) indicating that adsorbent material can effectively remove different forms of phosphate ions, namely H₂PO₄^?, HPO₄^2? and PO₄^3? in aqueous solution at this pH range where the species exist. Competitive adsorption experiments were also carried out with two concentration levels at pH 7 to investigate the effect of competing ions. Phosphate adsorption on quaternized DMAEMA grafted nonwoven fabric was found to be higher than the other competing ions at two concentration levels. At high concentration level, the adsorption order was phosphate>nitrite>bromide>sulphate>nitrate whereas at low concentration level, the order was phosphate?sulphate>bromide>nitrite>nitrate.     

Bioremediation of Heavy Metal Ions by Phosphate‐mineralization Bacteria and Its Mechanism

Bioremediation of heavy metal ions by phosphate‐mineralization bacteria (PMB), as a new green and en‐ vironmental method, relies on microbe‐inducing phosphate precipitation and can prevent heavy metal ions from transferring. The growth of PMB was investigated via four aspects respectively — the control of incubation time, pH value, environmental conditions, and heavy metal ions. At the same time, phosphate? mineralization precipitations and mechanism of four common kinds of heavy metal ions were analyzed. The experimental results indicated that PMB didn’t grow immediately in the first 5 hours, and they reached to the fastest reproduction rate after 13 hours. The pH value of PMB solution increased gradually from 7.0 to 8.6 when PM₀B grew, which plays an important role in the mineralization process. PMB could grow most rapidly at 30 °C, pH of 8 and low concentration of heavy metal ions. It showed that too high or too low temperature and pH, as well as high concentration of heavy metal ions, could inhibit the reproduction of PMB. Stable and large particles phosphate ‐ mineralization precipitation, whose particle size could be more than 10 microns, were obtained by the process that PMB induced substrate to decompose and thus mineralized heavy metal ions effectively.     

PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF EXTRACELLULAR BIOPOLYMER FLOCCULANT

The biopolymer flocculant （named PS-2） producing by Pseudomonas fluorescens was investigated. The PS-2 had high efficiency with small dosage, when dealing with kaolin suspension, formed larger floc, with big sedimentation rate, over a wide range of temperatures. Distributing of flocculating activity test showed that the biopolymer flocculant was an extracellular product. The composition analysis of purified biopolymer flocculant showed that it composed mainly of polysaccharide and nucleic acid. The content of polysaccharide was 86. 7%, which determined by using phenol-vitriol method, and the content of nucleic acid was 7.8%, which determined by UV absorption method. The biopolymer flocculant as a powder form showed much better stability than that as a supernatant. The character of biopolymer flocculant was stable even it was heated to 100℃ when it in acidic condition. The optimal conditions to flocculate kaolin suspension were as follows： pH 8-12, flocculant dosage lmL/L, and Ca^2＋ as the optimal cation.     

Influence of Surface Coating on Fluoride Removal by Magnetite

Al(OH)₃- and ZrO(OH)₂-coated magnetites were prepared and used for fluoride removal from aqueous samples. The influence of pH, sorbent mass, and ions such as chloride, sulfate, and phosphate on the removal of fluoride was characterized. The sorption process was highly pH dependent, and the optimal sorption was obtained from pH 4 to 5 for ZrO(OH)₂- and pH 4 to 7 for Al(OH)₃-coated magnetites. The sorption isotherm was well described by the Langmuir equation for the sorbents. The maximum adsorption capacity of ZrO(OH)₂-coated magnetite (57.47?mg-F?g^?1-sorbent) was higher than for Al(OH)₃-coated magnetite (23.87?mg-F?g^?1-sorbent). The ion-exchange reaction occurred in 5?min and more than 99% of fluoride was removed from solution. When the ZrO(OH)₂-coated magnetite was used, the presence of foreign ions negatively affected the fluoride removal. The prepared sorbents showed an excellent performance for the removal of fluoride in water samples.     

A novel barium polymeric membrane sensor for selective determination of barium and sulphate ions based on the complex ion associate barium(II)-Rose Bengal as neutral ionophore

A simple, long life, rapid response and sensitive barium(II)-PVC membrane sensor that typically follows Nernstian behavior has been developed for the assay of barium(II) ions. The developed sensor has been made by incorporating the complex ion associate of barium(II)-Rose Bengal (Ba-RB) as an ionophore into a plasticized PVC matrix. The sensor is stable and exhibited fast potential response of 20 s and gave a good linear response with a Nernstian slope of 28.5 ± 0.4 mV/decade of activity within the concentration range 5 × 10⁻⁵ to 10⁻¹ M over a wide range of pH 4.5-10.0 for barium(II) ions. The developed sensor showed comparatively good selectivity for barium(II) ions with respect to other alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions. The plasticizer o-nitrophenyloctyl ether controlled significantly the calibration slope and the lifetime of the fabricated sensor. The proposed sensor was used successfully for the analysis of barium(II) ions in wastewater samples and in lithophone pigment with excellent recovery percentages in the range 98.9-99.8 ± 1.6%. The determination of sulphate in fresh and potable water samples with the developed sensor has been also achieved successfully. The described sensor provides a reliable means with good correlation with the data obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and other spectrophotometric methods for the analysis of trace amounts of barium(II) and/or sulphate ions in different matrices.