In this study, the potential of adsorption of amoxicillin antibiotic (AMOX) from aqueous solutions using prepared activated carbon (AC) was studied. The used AC was prepared from an inexpensive and available precursor (sunflower seed hulls (SSH)) and activated by potassium hydroxide (KOH). The prepared AC was examined for its ability to remove AMOX from aqueous contaminated solutions and characterized with the aid of N2 -adsorption/desorption isotherm Brunauer–Emmett– Teller, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared. Zeta potential of the prepared activated carbon from sunflower seed hulls (SSHAC) were studied in relation to AMOX adsorption. The physical and chemical properties of SSHAC were analyzed and it showed successful preparation of SSHAC with a preferable surface area, micropores volume and average pore diameter of 928.706 m2 /g, 0.565 cm3 /g and 2.55 nm, respectively due to the hierarchical porosity of the prepared adsorbent. SSHAC exhibited a removal percentage of 95% for AMOX at a solution pH of 6, SSHAC dosage of 0.75 g/L and an initial AMOX amount of 50 mg/L. Equilibrium analysis were performed in a batch model within the range of 5–9 solution pH, 0.25–1.25 mg/mL SSHAC dosage and 50–250 mg/L AMOX initial concentration. The experimental data obtained were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models. The equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir model with a maximum AMOX adsorption capacity of 272.44 mg/g. Pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models were utilized to examine the kinetic data obtained at various inlet AMOX concentrations. The kinetic experimental data were well fitted with the pseudo-first-order equation. A proposed adsorption mechanism by π–π interactions were introduced. From the obtained results, SSHAC is recommended as a highly efficient adsorbent for removal of AMOX from aqueous solutions
Hazardous materials, heavy metals, and organic toxins released into the environment have caused considerable harm to microbes, plants, animals, and humans. Wastewater is one of the most contaminated ecosystems due to heavy metals emitted mostly by human activity. Bioremediation of wastewater is an ecologically acceptable and cost-effective method of removing heavy metals from sewage; the general purpose of this study is to analyse the dependability of anaerobic sludge biomass in removing sulfur compounds and heavy metals from waste water. The anaerobic sludge biomass evaluated in this work was taken from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Al-Rustumiya, Baghdad, and grown in the mineral medium for anaerobic growth. In serum bottl
... Show MoreA microbubble air flotation technique was used to remove chromium ions from simulated wastewater (e.g. water used for electroplating, textiles, paints and pigments, and tanning leather). Experimental parameters were investigated to analyze the flotation process and determine the removal efficiency. These parameters included the location of the sampling port from the bottom of the column, where the diffuser is located to the top of flotation column (30, 60, and 90 cm), the type of surfactant (anionic, SDS, or cationic, CTAB) and its concentration (5, 10, 15, and 20 mg/L), the pH of the initial solution (3, 5, 7, 9, and 11), the initial contaminant concentration (10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/L), the gas flow rate (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5 L/mi
... Show MoreThe removal of Ibuprofen antibiotics (IBU) by photo-degradation UV/H2O2/Fe+2 system was investigated in a batch reactor under different initial concentrations of H2O2 (100-500) mg/L, Fe+2 (10-40) mg/L, pH (3-9) and initial concentrations of IBU (10-80) mg/L, and their relationship with the degradation efficiency were studied. The result demonstrated that the maximum elimination of IBU was 85.54% achieved at 300 mg/L of H2O2, 30 mg/L of Fe+2, pH=3, and irradiation time of 150 min, for 10 mg/L of IBU. The results have shown that the oxidation reagent H2O2 plays a very important role in IBU degradation.
In this study, vegetable tanned leather waste of cow (VTLW-C) is used as adsorbent for removing methyl violet 10B dye from aqueous solution. The VTLW-C adsorbent was characterized by FTIR and SEM in order to evaluate its surface properties before using in adsorption experiments. Batch adsorption method was applied to study the effect of different factors such as weight of leather waste, time of shaking, and starting concentration of methyl violet 10B dye. Different isothermal models such as Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D–R) were used to analyze the experimental data. Kinetic study proceeds using (PFO) kinetic model and (PSO) kinetic model. The results showed better agreement with the Freundlich model; this means
... Show MoreThe cathodic deposition of zinc from simulated chloride wastewater was used to characterize the mass transport properties of a flow-by fixed bed electrochemical reactor composed of vertical stack of stainless steel nets, operated in batch-recycle mode. The electrochemical reactor employed potential value in such a way that the zinc reduction occurred under mass transport control. This potential was determined by hydrodynamic voltammetry using a borate/chloride solution as supporting electrolyte on stainless steel rotating disc electrode. The results indicate that mass transfer coefficient (Km) increases with increasing of flow rate (Q) where .The electrochemical reactor proved to be efficient in removing zinc and was abl
... Show MoreSix isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis were isolated from Iraqi soil characterized as non- insecticidal and non- hemolytic parasporal inclusion proteins. Bacterial isolates were propagated on nutrient broth. Then, the parasporal inclusion proteins were extracted and processed with proteinase K and trypsin. The major protein segments produced of 64KDa were characterized and tested for cytocidal activity against human leukemic T- cells (CLL) (Chronic lymphoid leukemia). Results indicated that the treated parasporal proteins of four isolates (Bt2, Bt3, Bt4 and Bt6) showed strong cytotoxicity with no significant differences between normal lymphocytes and leukemic lymphocytes. Two isolates BtA1 and BtA5 show discriminative cytotoxicity between n
... Show MoreAdsorption capacity of a waste biomass, date stones, for phenolic compounds such as phenol (Ph) and p-nitro phenol (PNPh) was investigated. The characteristics of such waste biomass were determined and found to have a surface area and iodine number of 495.71 m²/g and 475.88 mg/g, respectively. The effects of temperature, initial sorbate concentration, and contact time on the adsorption process were studied. Experimental equilibrium data for adsorption of Ph and PNPh on date stones were analyzed by the Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips isotherm models. The results show that the best fit was achieved with the Sips isotherm equation with maximum adsorption capacities of 147.09 and 179.62 mg/g for Ph and PNPh, respectively. The kinetic data wer
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