Journal of Water and Environmental Nanotechnology
Volume:1 Issue: 2, Autumn 2016

An uptake of Cd(II) from aqueous solutions by ion exchange on Iranian natural zeolitic (TOSKA) has been studied. Experiments were carried out using batch method as a function of the initial concentration of metal ions, contact time, and temperature. The adsorbent is characterized using XRF, FTIR, TEM, and XRD. The TEM images showed that the zeolite particle sizes are reduced into the size range of less than 90 nm by means of ball milling. The characterization of sample indicates that the natural zeolite used in this study was classified into clinoptilolite. Equilibrium modelling data were fitted to linear Langmuir and Freundlich models. Thermodynamics parameters such as change in free energy (ΔG◦), enthalpy (ΔH◦) and entropy (ΔS◦) were also calculated. The negative values obtained for ΔG◦ indicated that the sorption of Cd(II) on natural zeolite was spontaneous at all studied concentrations. These results show that natural zeolites hold great potential to remove Cd(II) from industrial wastewater.

Water is critically important, because its supply is under stress. In oil fields, the ratio-of-water-to-oil (WCUT%) can be 95% or higher. Managing this produced water is a great challenge whereas the best opportunity to reduce costs, improve profitability and preserve the natural environment. The oil industry is looking for more effective ways to reduce water consuming and improve the recovery rates. Nano materials are an obvious place to look. This study provides new insights into ZnO nanoparticles effects on residual oil saturation (SOR) and WCUT% through steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process by experimental work. Laboratory tests were conducted in two experiments through the use of 2 dimensional scaled SAGD cell from an Iranian heavy oil reservoir. In the first experiment, the SAGD cell was saturated with heavy oil and in the second one, the cell was flooded with nanoparticles before saturation with oil. The amount of recoveries were monitored during 12 hours. Results show that the ultimate oil recoveries increase from 52.43% to 87.93% by adding ZnO nanoparticles, respectively. The experimental results provide the nanoparticles ability to reduce produced water and minimize fresh water use can contribute to water conservation.

The present study establish extracellular production of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) using Fusarium solani, from medicinal plant Withania somnifera (L.) (ashwagandha) and it’s antibacterial and cytotoxicity effects. Biological- AgNP (Bio- AgNP) were synthesized by using fungal cell free extract and characterized by SEM, TEM, UV spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR and AFM analysis.  Antibacterial properties were assayed by well diffusion and cytotoxicity by RBC lysis test and MTT assay respectively. X- ray diffraction and microscopic analysis revealed the well dispersed and crystalline nature of spherical nanoparticles with a calculated size ranging from 10 - 50 nm. The Bio-AgNP exhibited significant antibacterial properties in a range of 50-100 µgml-1 against the selected clinical pathogens Escherichia coli,Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The observed hemolysis of 3.906 % at 50 µg ml-1   suggested the safe therapeutic application of Bio - AgNP. MTT assay revealed that at the suggeseted concentration 69 % of cells are viable. These outcomes are extremely encouraging to utilize Bio-AgNP as a medication. Exploiting the endophytic organisms from therapeutic plants for improvement of nanomaterial is a uninvestigated and relatively novel territory. This may improve the likelihood in future to push the limit ahead in nanomedicine.

The β-cyclodextrin coated magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by the surface modification of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles using carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin. Prepared nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and vibrating sample magnetometer. The β-cyclodextrin modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles have a narrow size distribution with mean diameter about 10 nm. They exhibit superparamagnetic properties at room temperature with saturation magnetization of 48 emu/g. Since, the most reported technologies for arsenic removal are more effective in removing As(V) rather than As(III), the adsorption ability of these nanoparticles was investigated for removing As (III) from aqueous solution. The adsorption behavior of this material can be influenced by various factors such as contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage and initial concentration of As(III), which their effects were studied. Equilibrium data were fitted by Langmuir isotherm and the maximum removal percentage was obtained about 85% at optimum conditions. Using these modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles, the arsenic concentrations can be reduced to the allowed limits declared by the World Health Organization.

A sensor system, adapted to evaluate tap water, was fabricated and tested. Interdigitated  gold-coated microelectrodes were covered with various conducting polymers, single or mixed, under several different conditions. Polymer films were laid down by a  self-assembly technique and their impedance was analyzed over a range of frequencies from 1Hz to 1MHz. Samples collected from different localities at São Paulo state (Brazil) were used. The results of sensorial system analyzed by Principal Component Analysis had allowed completing discrimination of tap water samples. Good discrimination between the sensors was observed when there was obtained a PCA with different samples, obtaining the total variance (PC1 = 62.03%; PC2 = 37.97%) of the observations. The sensorial system based in global selectivity using interdigitated electrode and nanostruturated conducting polymers allowed a statistical discrimination of sample waters of different locations. The future expectations are the upgrading of the system and implementation of a monitoring of tap water systems based nanostructured sensors.

In the present study, adsorptive properties of Polyaniline (PAn) were investigated for Amido Black 10B dye in aqueous solution. Different variables, including adsorption time, adsorbent dosage, solution pH and initial dye concentration were changed, and their effects on dye adsorption onto PAn nano-adsorbent were investigated. The study yielded the result that an increase in pH decreases the adsorption efficiency of nano-adsorbent. Also, Dye adsorption capacity increased with increase in the initial dye concentration. Optimum adsorption time and nano-adsorbent dosage were obtained 30 min and 0.1 gr, respectively.  Kinetic studies illustrated that the Amido Black 10B dye adsorption process onto PAn nano-adsorbent followed the pseudo-second-order model, which indicates that the adsorption process is chemisorption-controlled. Also, adsorption equilibrium data were fitted to Freundlich isotherm. The maximum dye adsorption capacity, predicted by the Langmuir isotherm, was 142.85 mg/g. Moreover, Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm showed that the adsorption of dye onto PAn nano-adsorbent is a chemisorption process.

Hydrothermally synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles containing different amounts of silver were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDX) techniques. XRD results showed prepared samples include 100% anatase phase. The presence of silver in TiO2 nanoparticle network was established by XRD, SEM/EDX and FT-IR techniques. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared catalysts was tested for the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) under visible light.. The experiments demonstrated that 2,4-DCP was effectively degraded in the presence of Ag/TiO2 samples. It was confirmed that the presence of Ag on TiO2 catalysts could enhance the photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-DCP in aqueous suspension. It was found that an optimal dosage of 1.68 wt% Ag in TiO2 achieved the fastest 2,4-DCP degradation (95% after 180 min irradiation) under the experimental conditions. On the basis of various characterizations of the photocatalysts, the reactions involved to explain the photocatalytic activity enhancement due to Ag doping include a better separation of photogenerated charge carriers. GC-MS analysis showed the major intermediates of 2,4-DCP degradation are simple acids like oxalic acid, acetic acid, etc. as the final products.

The olive mill wastewater (OMW) is generated from olive oil extraction in olive mills. It contains a very high organic load and considerable quantities of phytotoxicity compounds. Comprehensive articles with different methods have been published about the treatment of OMW. This paper reviews the recent reports on the variety methods of OMW treatment. Biological process, containing aerobic pre-treatment by using different cultures and anaerobic co-digestion with other sewage and also added external nutrient with optimum ratio attracted much attention in the treatment of OMW. However, advanced oxidation process (AOP) due to the high oxidation potential which causes destruction of organic pollutants, toxic and chlorinated compounds have been considered. Furthermore, membrane technologies consist of microfiltration, ultrafiltration and especially nanofiltrationin wastewater treatment are growing in recent years. They offer high efficiency and mediocre investments owing to novel membrane materials, membrane design technics, module figures and improvement of the skills. In addition, fouling reduces the membrane performances in time, which is a main problem of cost efficiency.