Lomefloxacin Hydrochloride (LFH), an antibacterial agent, and caffeine (CAF), a cognitive enhancer, are excreted by humans and end up in municipal sewage effluents and surface waters. This pharmaceutical concentration in bodies of water/treatment plants poses a serious threat to both aquatic habitats and humans. A laboratory batch study on the degradation of LFH, CAF and LC (CAF and LFH mixed solution) was carried out using NFO nanoparticles to stimulate potassium peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The NFO nanoparticles were synthesized through a co-precipitation method and characterised using FTIR, XRD, FESEM/EDX, TGA/DTA/DTG, BET, AFM, VSM, and Zeta potential. The particle size distribution from FESEM (using ImageJ software) revealed that 83.3

This study explores the degradation of caffeine using biogenic silver-doped zinc oxide (Ag/ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) as a heterogeneous photocatalyst. Zinc nitrate (Zn(NO3)2) and silver nitrate (AgNO3) were utilized as precursors in the biogenic synthesis of Ag/ZnO NPs. The synthesis involved incubating the mixtures for 72 h at pH 11 and a temperature of 28 °C ± 1 °C. The incorporation of silver resulted in a reduction of the bandgap energy of ZnO from 3.33 to 2.29 eV, confirming the successful synthesis of Ag/ZnO NPs. Key parameters were optimized to enhance caffeine degradation efficiency, including catalyst loading (5, 10, 15, and 20 mg), initial pollutant concentration (20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, and 140 ppm), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration (1, 3, 5, and 7 mM), and radiation exposure duration (20 to 200 min). The optimal conditions achieved a maximum degradation efficiency of 85.78

Children have higher lung function than adults and they spend most of their day time in schools. Also, children studying at schools located in the vicinity of busy roadways are vulnerable to childhood asthma and respiratory disorders. The present study is focused on estimating the sources of PM2.5 particles present in the indoor air quality in schools which are located adjacent to urban and suburban roadways. The indoor PM2.5 samples from all the four schools were collected using fine dust sampler from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sampling was carried out for one complete week during various seasons including both working and non-working days. The chemical compositions of the PM2.5 samples were analyzed for certain elements like Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti, V and Zn using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES) and ions like F−, Cl−, NO3−, PO43−, SO42−, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NH4+, Na+ using Ion Chromatography (IC). Source apportionment study using Chemical Mass Balance was carried out using the species concentration of the collected samples. The major sources were found to be Paved Road Dust, Soil Dust, Gasoline Vehicle Emissions, Diesel Vehicle Emissions and Marine Source Emissions. Among these, vehicular emissions contribution was found to be higher for the schools located close to roadways rather than the school located at a considerable distance from highway. The difference in source type contribution at each school clearly depicts the difference in nature of location and type of activities in the vicinity of the sampling sites.

In this study a paper-based analytical device was developed using screen printing technique for the determination of particulate iron from welding fumes. The operational parameters such as volume and concentration of 1,10-phenanthroline, volume and concentration of hydroxylamine were optimized by the Box Behnken Design (BBD) using Minitab. Additionally, the µ-PAD's sample solution holding capacity and reaction time were also optimized. Under the optimized condition, particulate metal concentrations were colorimetrically quantified usinga handheld mobile phone and image processing software, ImageJ. Very good analytical performance such as good linearity of the calibration curve and better selectivity was observed by the developed method. The limit of detection for Fe3+ assay was 4.6 mg/L; which is adequate to determine the threshold concentration limit of particulate iron set by the regulatory bodies (6 mg/L). The µ-PAD revealed 95-99% recovery compared with the UV-Vis spectrophotometry (98-100%). Furthermore, welding fume samples were collected in Addis Ababa over five days, using mixed cellulose ester filters and the findings show a high concentration that exceeds the standard levels. Analyzing particulate iron with µ-PADs yielded results consistent with UV-Vis spectrophotometry, suggesting µ-PADs' potential application for occupational particulate iron exposure measurement, eliminating the need for expensive analytical devices. KEY WORDS: µ-PADs, Particulate iron, Response surface methodology, Wax screen-printing, Welding fume, Colorimetric detection Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2024, 38(3), 563-576. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v38i3.2

A new β-CD functionalized nickel ferrite nanocomposite was synthesized and used to remove pharmaceutical drugs, such as ketoprofen (KF) and diclofenac (DCF). The co-precipitation approach was utilised to synthesize nickel ferrite (NFO) nanoparticles, which were then functionalized with TEOS to form NFO@SiO2; β-cyclodextrin was then functionalized using GPTMS as an interface to form NFO@SiO2@β-CD. FTIR, ZD, FE-SEM, EDX, TGA/DTG, VSM, BET, zeta potential and particle size analysis were then used to characterise the nanocomposites. The NFO@SiO2@β-CD has an average diameter of 109.1 nm, superparamagnetic behaviour, a mesoporous surface and a specific surface of 20.78 m2/g. The functionalized NFO@SiO2@ β-CD nanocomposite removed 94

Simple and facile fabrication of barium oxide (BaO) and zinc-decorated barium oxide (ZnBaO) nanocatalysts was accomplished through a co-precipitation technique. Irgalite violet (IV) dye was subjected to sunlight-induced catalytic degradation using novel catalyst ZnBaO nanorods. The synthesized nanocatalysts were subjected to various analytical techniques, including FE-SEM/EDX, XRD and FTIR, for their comprehensive characterization. X-ray diffraction confirmed the crystallinity of BaO and ZnBaO nanocatalysts. The FE-SEM image of the ZnBaO nanocatalyst revealed the occurrence of distinct nanorods with a mean size of 22.5 nm possessing an aspect ratio of 4.95. A characteristic UV absorbance peak was observed at 310 nm for BaO and 380 nm for ZnBaO nanocatalysts. The substitution of Zn to BaO led to a favorable decrease in the band gap energy from 5.315 eV (BaO) to 2.6 eV (ZnBaO). The synthesized BaO and ZnBaO nanocatalysts were used in parametric studies by varying catalyst dosage, irradiation time, pH and initial dye concentration. The ZnBaO nanorods showed a maximum degradation efficiency of 99.9

Nanotechnology and biogenic synthesis of metal nanoparticles using plants have attracted immense attention recently owing to their beneficial applications. Ultrasonication technique was employed for the rapid one-step phytochemical synthesis of AuNPs from the extracts of Nothapodytes foetida leaves. The N. foetida AuNPs exhibited the characteristic UV absorption peak at 524 nm. Several analytical techniques, including FESEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, ICP and zeta potential analysis, were performed for their effective characterization. These analyses revealed highly stable (- 60.7 mV) crystalline AuNPs, majorly spherical, ranging between 5 and 30 nm. Furthermore, CCD-RSM was incorporated to determine the influence of the temperature, N. foetida leaf extract and HAuCl4 concentration on the synthesis of AuNPs. LC-MS revealed the phytocompounds that contributed to AuNP synthesis which was subsequently confirmed by TPC and TFC reduction. Potent radical scavenging ability accompanied by the antibacterial activity of the AuNPs was also evaluated. Importantly, AuNPs also reduced the cell viability of MG63 and A549 cell lines, exhibiting significant anticancer activity along with appreciable wound-healing properties. These findings suggest that these AuNPs possess tremendous biological potentialities and can be bio-prospected further for various multidisciplinary applications.

Antibiotic consumption has increased globally, and its discharge into water bodies at concentrations ranging from a few ng/L to mg/L has a detrimental effect on the ecosystems. Amino acid functionalized nickel ferrite nanoparticles were chosen to improve the stability of bare nanoparticles and prevent oxidation and leaching ions in nanoparticles thereby targeting the antibiotics in the contaminated water bodies. The removal of ciprofloxacin and lomefloxacin hydrochloride in the aqueous phase was investigated using a hydrothermally synthesized L -Leucine functionalized nickel ferrite nanocomposite (NFO@L). Various analytical techniques were used to analyze L-Leucine functionalized nickel ferrite, and the nanocomposite's average particle diameter was deter-mined to be between 11 and 15 nm. The maximal measured zeta potential was-21.5 mV. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ninhydrin assay and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the attachment of L-Leucine onto nickel ferrite. The nanocomposite's surface-to-volume ratio was calculated to be 92.916 m2/g. The S-shaped curve from the vibrating sample magnetometer analysis reflected the superparamagnetic behaviour of the nanocomposite with a saturation magnetization of 0.665 emu/g. Various parametric experiments were conducted, in which 93.549% ciprofloxacin was removed in 120 min at 303 K, pH 8 and NFO@L dosage of 100 mg in 100 mL whereas 75.192% lomefloxacin hydrochloride was removed in 140 min at 333 K, pH 9 and NFO@L dosage of 70 mg in 100 mL. The plot of experimental datum in kinetic and isotherm studies fitted well with the Pseudo second order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm. There was no evidence of iron ions leaching from the final analyte. The recycle and regeneration studies showed good stability with a small reduction after four cycle runs. Based on these findings, the Leucine functionalized nickel ferrite nanocomposite could be a potent adsorbent for the removal of low-concentrated ciprofloxacin and lomefloxacin hydrochloride in the wastewater.

Several physicochemical techniques have been widely studied for heavy metals removal despite most of them are associated with challenges of higher cost, accessibility, and complex technical feasibility. In this study, nano-sorbent materials were developed from a naturally available clay matrices and its heavy metals (Cu2+ and Pb2+) removal capacity was tested at its pristine and iron impregnated form. Both top to down and borohydride reduction methods were used to produce the nano-sorbents. The nano-sorbents were characterized by XRD, XRF, SEM, FTIR, BET, and TGA/DGA. The sorption was studied in batch experiments. The surface area, pore-volume, and pore diameter of nano-clay were found 43.49 m2/g, 0.104 cm3/g, and 2.81 nm, respectively while iron impregnated nano-clay has shown a surface area (73.11 m2/g), pore-volume (0.153 m3/g), and pore diameter (3.83 nm). Both nanoparticles have shown a mesoporous nature. The highest Cu2+ and Pb2+ removal capacity of nano-clay was 99.2% (~11.9 mg/g) and 99.6% (~11.95 mg/g), respectively. Whereas, the iron impregnated nano-clay has achieved the highest Cu2+ and Pb2+ removal efficiency 99.8% (~11.97 mg/g) and 99.7% (11.96 mg/g), respectively. The highest Cu2+ adsorption efficiency of iron impregnated nanoclay was achieved at pH 5.0, adsorbent dose 0.83 g/L, contact time 150 minutes, and Cu2+ initial concentration 4 ppm while its highest Pb2+ adsorption activity was achieved at pH 5.0, contact time (90 minutes), Pb2+ initial concentration (6 ppm), and the adsorbent dose (0.67 g/L). Whereas, the Cu2+ adsorption using nano-clay was highest at pH 5.0, contact time (180 minutes), adsorbent dose (1.0 g/L), and Cu2+ initial concentration (2 ppm). While, pH 5.0, contact time (90 minutes), adsorbent dose (0.83 g/L), and Pb2+ initial concentration (4 ppm) was found to the conditions of highest Pb2+ removal. In all cases, the pseudo-second-order kinetics indicated the presence of chemisorption. Langmuir adsorption characteristics has been reflected on Pb2+ and Cu2+ removal activities of the nanoclay and iron impregnated nanoclay, respectively. Whereas, Freundlich isotherm model was better fitted for Cu2+ adsorption activity of the nanoclay. The −ΔG (<−20 KJ/mol), + ΔH°, and + ΔS° have shown a spontaneous and endothermic adsorption activity with a high level of adsorbents disorder. In general, the result of iron impregnated nano-clay has shown a promising result for the removal of Cu2+ and Pb2+ aqueous solution.

Nothapodytes foetida is an endemic medicinal plant belonging to the family Icacinaceae from the deciduous forests of the Western Ghats. The extract yield, nutritional and phytochemical composition, metabolite profiling of N. foetida leaf extract has been analysed, along with the assessment of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-cancer potentialities. The effect of different extracting solvents and techniques was optimized to obtain maximum extract yield, and ultrasonication-assisted extraction with aqueous methanol as the solvent was chosen. Appreciable amounts of total phenolics (67.59 mg GAE/g DW), total flavonoids (24.75 mg QCE/g DW), and total tannins (55.67 mg GAE/g DW) were detected. FT-IR spectroscopy also confirmed the presence of alcohols, phenols, alkanes, amino acids, carboxylic acids, nitro compounds and amines in the extract. Further, GC-MS analysis detected the presence of 33 volatile compounds that comprised of viminalol, alpha, beta-amyrins, beta, gamma-sitosterol, 9-methoxy-camptothecin, lupeols, and various di and tri terpenes in significant quantities. 1H NMR spectra revealed well-resolved signals for flavonoids, amino acids (trp, his, tyr, phe, ala, ile, gly, gln, thr, val) and organic acids. LC-MS analysis of the methanolic N. foetida extract depicted a higher polyphenolic content followed by the ethanolic and aqueous extracts. Additionally, the aqueous methanolic extract of N. foetida exhibited significant in-vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial activity and anti-cancer activity. The overall results of this work ascertain the potency of N. foetida in nutraceutical and biomedical applications.

Elevated levels of pharmaceutical pollutants in the aquatic environment have caused detrimental effects on water quality and biodiversity. Nanomaterials are among the most promising technologies to detect, adsorb, and remove these pollutants from the aqueous systems. The current work explores the applicability of nickel ferrite nanocomposite functionalized with L-cysteine attached 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane to remove a selective class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones (Lomefloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, and Norfloxacin). 20 mg of this nanocomposite achieve maximum removal efficiencies of 61%, 67%, and 75% for 40 mg L−1 of lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin, respectively. The nanocomposites also show good regeneration capacity with negligible reduction in the efficiencies up to three cycles. Furthermore, adsorption isotherms such as Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to characterize the removal of fluoroquinolones from the aqueous phase by the nanocomposites. The results show that the adsorption process was in good agreement with the Langmuir isotherm, thus confirming its monolayer sorption process and also reveals that adsorption kinetics follows a pseudo-second-order model. The maximum adsorption capacity of functionalized nickel ferrite nanocomposites are 122 mg g−1, 135 mg g−1, and 150 mg g−1 for lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Overall, all the results obtained indicate that the nickel ferrite nanocomposite functionalized with L-cysteine attached 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane is an effective adsorbent to remove fluoroquinolones from the aqueous systems and could be potentially incorporated in water treatment processes under well-defined parameters.

•A fluorescent, water-stable APTES coated ZnO QDs were synthesized.•Functionalized QDs were used for the detection of p-nitrophenol.•Functionalized QDs exhibited a lower detection limit of 0.089 μM.•The possible mechanism governing the detection of p-nitrophenol was elucidated.•Potential agent to detect hazardous pollutants in environmental samples.

Selenium contamination of air, aquatic environments, soils and sediments is a serious environmental concern of increasing importance. Selenium has a paradoxical feature in bringing about health benefits under the prescribed level, but only a few fold increase in its concentration causes deleterious effects to flora and fauna, humans and the environment.This book Environmental Technologies to Treat Selenium Pollution: Principles and Engineering: presents the fundamentals of the biogeochemical selenium cycle and which imbalances in this cycle result in pollution.overviews chemical and biological technologies for successful treatment of selenium contaminated water, air, soils and sediments.explores the recovery of value-added products from selenium laden waste streams, including biofortication and selenium-based nanoparticles and quantum dots.This book may serve both as an advanced textbook for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in environmental sciences, technology or engineering as well as as a handbook for tertiary educators, researchers, professionals and policy makers who conduct research and practices in selenium related fields. It is essential reading for consulting companies when dealing with selenium related environmental (bio)technologies.ISBN: 9781789061048 (Paperback)ISBN: 9781789061055 (eBook)

Pharmaceuticals are one of the emerging pollutants that pose a severe threat to the aquatic habitats, which in turn affects other species in the biosphere. The superparamagnetic based silica nanocomposites modified with aminosilane were characterized for their physicochemical properties and also the purity of the nanocomposite obtained was determined. The adsorptive properties of the nanocomposites were investigated for the removal of pharmaceutical pollutants such as Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, and Streptomycin from aqueous solutions. The adsorption process of pharmaceuticals was found to reach equilibrium within the first 15 min reporting high removal efficiency of up to 97% for Ibuprofen (IBF) followed by (94%) acetaminophen (ACE) and (70%) streptomycin (STR) for a concentration of 12 mg L-1. The adsorption process was found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetics and fits well with the Langmuir isotherm model, confirming the adsorption on to the homogenous surface of the nano-composite. The amine functional groups formed on the nickel ferrite nanocomposites by coating ami-nopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTS) were observed to aid the adsorption process. The adsorption capacity of the nanocomposites varies for IBF, ACE, and STR as 59, 58, and 49 mg g(-1) at pH 7.0, 6.0, and 5.0, respectively. The amine coated magnetic nanocomposite also showed excellent regeneration capacity for up to four cycles and can be a promising adsorbent, especially for removing of pharmaceutical pollutants from aqueous streams. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

There has been an increasing challenge from the emission of methylene blue (MB) dye-containing wastewater and its management methods in industry. The sorption process is one conventionally used method. In this study, nanoclay, nano zero valent iron (nZVI), and iron impregnated nanoclay were prepared and studied for the removal of MB dye in batch mode. The effects of operating parameters like pH, dye concentration, sorbent dosage, and contact time were investigated and optimized. The nZVI, nanoclay, and iron impregnated nanoclay sorbents showed zeta potentials of -32.1, -53.4, and -40.7 mV, respectively. All the nano adsorbents were crystalline. The nanoclay was characterized by an average surface area, pore volume and pore diameter of 43.49 m2 g-1, 0.104 cm3 g-1 and 2.806 nm, respectively. nZVI showed a surface area of 47.125 m2 g-1, pore volume of 0.119 cm3 g-1, and pore diameter of 3.291 nm. And iron impregnated nanoclay showed a surface area of 73.110 m2 g-1 with a pore volume of 15 cm3 g-1 and a pore diameter size of 3.83 nm. A Langmuir EXT nitrogen gas adsorption isotherm (R 2 ∼ 0.99) was the best fit. The thermodynamics parameters, such as ΔG° (-12.64 to -0.63 kJ mol-1), ΔH° (+0.1 to +62.15 kJ mol-1) and ΔS° (+0.10 to +0.22 kJ mol-1), confirmed that a spontaneous and endothermic adsorption process took place at a high rate of disorder. Iron impregnated nanoclay showed higher negative Gibbs free energy (-12.64 kJ mol-1), higher enthalpy change (+62.5 kJ mol-1) and entropy (+0.22 kJ mol-1) and gave a better MB removal performance. In addition, the lower negative heat of enthalpy for all adsorptions proved the dominance of physisorption. The methylene blue adsorption isotherm on nZVI and nanoclay showed the best fit with the Freundlich isotherm model with correlation coefficients (R 2) ∼0.98 and 0.99, respectively. Whereas the Langmuir adsorption isotherm was the best fit for iron impregnated nanoclay (R 2 ∼ 0.98). The adsorption activities of nZVI, nanoclay and iron impregnated nanoclay were fitted to a pseudo-second-order kinetic model with correlation coefficients (R 2) of 0.999, 0.997 and 0.983, respectively. The optimal pH 7.0 (RE: 99.1 ± 0.73%), initial MB concentration 40 ppm (RE: 99.9 ± 0.03%), contact time 120 min (RE: 99.9 ± 0.9%), and adsorbent dose 80 (99.9 ± 0.03%) were obtained for iron impregnated nanoclay. The optimal operational parameters of nanoclay and nZVI, respectively, were pH 11.0 and 13.0, initial MB concentration 20 and 20 ppm, adsorbent dose 100 and 140 mg, and contact time 120 and 140 min. In general, iron impregnated nanoclay has shown promising cationic dye adsorbance for industrial applications; but a recyclability test is suggested before scale-up.

Graphical AbstractFlow chart depicting the methods, preparing, and characterizing, by histological, and scanning electron microscopy, of wet (PW-HAM) and dry (PD-HAM)of wound healing dressing, and preparation of nanoparticles (HAMP ZnO NP); and application of HAM wound dressing.

Emerging contaminants (EC) are classified as major leading issues in treating wastewater, especially drugs and pharmaceuticals in the urban regions, and the detection and degradation of these pollutants have become an arduous task. Ampicillin is one such portentous beta- lactam antibiotic compound used extensively in the medical field for their antimicrobial and growth-enhancing properties in humans as well in veterinary sectors. Due to continuous exposure, the microbes in due course developed a shield towards the implication of antibiotics. The degradation of Ampicillin has also been succeeded by mixed metal oxides nanoparticles generally specified as AxB(2-x)O(4), which has been a fundamental catalyst in the Advanced Oxidation Process (AOPs). Magnetic nanoparticles, Cobalt Ferrite nanoparticles (CoFe2O4) were synthesized by the coprecipitation method further; it has employed in the activation of oxidizing agent Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) in the Ampicillin degradation. The material and chemical characterization of synthesized nanoparticles using XRD, TEM, SEM-EDX, and FTIR analysis were done. From the investigation, the nanoparticles were found to exhibit a cubic spinel configuration with a crystallite size of 10.10 nm. The impact of working parameters, such as the presence/absence of catalyst, pH, PMS concentration, and the time required for ampicillin degradation, were investigated. At neutral pH with 0.1 g/L of catalyst measure, 0.2 mM of PMS, 90 +/- 1.94 % Ampicillin degraded over 25 mM of contact time. The degraded intermediate products of Ampicillin were identified using LC-MS analysis.

The estrogenic property of bisphenol A (BPA) leads to potential adverse health and ecological effects. A simple, selective, and cost-effective sensor capable of detecting BPA would have a noteworthy relevance for the environmental system. The present work illustrates the synthesis and characterization of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) functionalized zinc oxide (ZnO) quantum dots (QDs) for the selective detection of BPA. BPA has a fluorescence quenching effect on functionalized ZnO QDs, and the decrease in fluorescence intensity is associated with the BPA concentration between 2 and 10 μM. Under the optimum reaction condition, a good linear correlation was obtained between relative fluorescence-quenching intensity of β-cyclodextrin-functionalized ZnO QDs and BPA concentration (R2 = 0.9891). The lower detection limit of functionalized QDs for BPA was estimated to be 0.19 μM, which is lower than the toxic limits in aquatic biota. The fluorescence-based detection of BPA may be ascribed to the electron transfer mechanism, which is elucidated with scientific details from the literature.