This work focuses on the use of biologically produced activated carbon for improving the physi-co-chemical properties of water samples obtained from the Tigris River. An eco-friendly and low-cost activated carbon was prepared from the Alhagi plant using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as an impregnation agent. The prepared activated carbon was characterised using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to determine the functional groups that exist on the raw material (Alhagi plant) and Alhagi activated carbon (AAC). Scanning electron microscope–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope was also used to investigate the surface shape and the elements that compose the powder. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis was used to evaluate the specific surface area and pore size of the prepared AAC. This study investigated three influential variables: activation temperature, activation time and impregnation ratio (IR) (KOH: dried solid wt./wt.). Central composite design was used to determine the interactions between the influential vari-ables. Results show that an activation temperature of 650°C, activation time of 2.5 h and IR of 1:2.6 are optimal for activated carbon preparation. © 2023 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.
In this study, the photodegradation of Congo red dye (CR) in aqueous solution was investigated using Au-Pd/TiO2 as photocatalyst. The concentration of dye, dosage of photocatalyst, amount of H2O2, pH of the medium and temperature were examined to find the optimum values of these parameters. It has been found that 28 ppm was the best dye concentration. The optimum amount of photocatalyst was 0.09 g/75 mL of dye solution when the degradation percent was ~ 96 % after irradiation time of 12 hours, while the best amount of hydrogen peroxide was 7μl/75 mL of dye solution at degradation percent ~97 % after irradiation time of 10 hours, whereas pH 5 was the best value to carry out the reaction at the highest degradation percent. In additio
... Show MoreBackground: The possibility of converting the organic fraction of municipal solid waste to mature compost using the composting bin method was studied. Nine distinct treatments were created by combining municipal solid waste (MSW) with animal waste (3:1, 2:1), poultry manure (3:1, 2:1), mixed waste (2:1:1), agricultural waste (dry leaves), biocont (Trichoderm hazarium), and humic acid. Weekly monitoring of temperature, pH, EC, organic matter (OM percent), and the C/N ratio was performed, and macronutrients (N, P, K) were measured. Trace elements, including heavy metals (Cd and Pb), were tested in the first and final weeks of maturity. Results: Temperatures in the first days of composting reached the thermophilic phase in MSW compost
... Show MoreBackground: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) can monitor the transmission of COVID-19 and viral alterations. Objectives: To provide information about testing techniques and infection control measures, as well as to direct the development of vaccines and treatments for the Corona virus. Methods: Six Iraqi SARS-CoV-2 strains were investigated using whole-genome sequencing using the next-generation sequencing method. The sequencing was carried out with an Illumina MiSeq system, and phylogenetic analysis was carried out for all Iraqi sequences retrieved from GISAID. Results: The analysis of the isolates from this study showed that all the sequences from the most recent wave, which happened in the summer of 2022, were primarily clustered
... Show MoreWater has been acknowledged as one of the key issues of humanity in modern society and worldwide economic advancements, especially with the continuing reductions in fresh-water supply. Solar energy, which is abundant as well as widely available in various fields, has the potential to solve the global challenges of long-term freshwater and energy reduction. Researchers are attempting to address the problem in a variety of methods. Due to the fact that solar energy is the foundation for freshwater, several researches have applied it for improving the effectiveness of solar desalination, evaporation, and wastewater treatment. One of the novel methods used for achieving this is known as “hydrogel,” which comes in a variety of forms. As a un
... Show MoreAbstract
The analysis of Least Squares: LS is often unsuccessful in the case of outliers in the studied phenomena. OLS will lose their properties and then lose the property of Beast Linear Unbiased Estimator (BLUE), because of the Outliers have a bad effect on the phenomenon. To address this problem, new statistical methods have been developed so that they are not easily affected by outliers. These methods are characterized by robustness or (resistance). The Least Trimmed Squares: LTS method was therefore a good alternative to achieving more feasible results and optimization. However, it is possible to assume weights that take into consideration the location of the outliers in the data and det
... Show MoreThe present study aims to establish an empirical correlation between biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the sewage flowing in Al-Diwaniyah wastewater treatment plant. The strength of the wastewater entering the plant varied from medium to high. High concentrations of BOD5 and COD in the effluent were obtained due to the poor performance of the plant. This was observed from the BOD5 /COD ratios that did not confirm with the typical ratios for the treated sewage. Regression equations for BOD5 and COD removal percentages were suggested which can be used to evaluate rapid effluent assessment after the treatment processes or optimal process control to improve the performance of wastewater treatment plants.
... Show MoreThe large protein clumps in dairy effluent make it harder for microbes to break down the waste, making traditional biological treatment methods less effective. This research generated an extracellular protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, partially purified it, and utilized it as an enzymatic pretreatment to improve substrate accessibility for biological processes. The purification method, which included ammonium sulfate precipitation and dialysis, raised the specific activity from 1.21 to 20.26 U mg −1 . This meant that the active enzyme fraction had been made stronger. Size-exclusion high-performa
The present study investigates the application of a combined electrocoagulation-electrooxidation (EC-EO) process for the treatment of wastewater generated from Al-Dewaniya petroleum refinery plant in Iraq. The EC-EO process was examined in terms of its ability to simultaneously produce coagulant and oxidant agents by using a parallel plate configuration system composed of stainless steel plates as cathode and pair of aluminum and graphite plates as anode at two different current concentrations (1.92A/l and 0.96A/l). The results showed that the best conditions for treatment of Al-Dewaniya petroleum refinery wastewater using the combined approach were current concentration of (0.96A/l), current density