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.
Background: Essential oils extracted from plants have been widely used in antimicrobial activity, particularly the Callistemon viminalis, with a high number of essential oils extracted. Objectives: To identify the chemical composition of essential oil derived from Callistemon viminalis and evaluates its antimicrobial activity against selected bacterial and fungal strains. Subjects and methods: During the study, the antimicrobial activity of different selected essential oils on some bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumonia) and fungus (Candida albicans) was evalua |
In this study, concentrations of radon and uranium were measured for twenty six samples of soil. The radon concentrations in soil samples measured by registrant alpha-emitting radon (222Rn) by using CR-39 track detector. The uranium concentrations in soil samples measured by using registrar fission fragments tracks in CR-39 track detector that caused by the bombardment of U with thermal neutrons from 241 Am-Be neutron source that has flux of 5 ×103n cm-2 s-1.
The concentrations values were calculated by a comparison with standard samples The results show that the radon concentrations are between (91.931-30.645Bq/m3).
The results show that also the uranium concentrat
Wastewater treatment plants operators prefer to make adjustments because they are more cost effective, to use the existing tank instead of building new ones. In this case an imported materials would be used as bio-loads to increase biomass and thus maintain efficiency as the next organic loading increases.In the present study, a local substance "pumice stone" was used as a biological carrier in the aeration tank, and the experiments were carried out in five stages: without biological carriers, filling ratio of 4%,10%,20%, and25% with pumice stone, the maximum organic loading at each stage (1.1884, 1.2144, 1.9432, 2.7768, 3.3141)g BOD /l.d respectively.Other experiments were carried out to determine the best filling ratio, the SS remova
... Show MoreEthanolic crude extracts of leaves from Laurus nobilis and Alhagi maurorumfor were screened for alkaloids, saponins, tannins, anthraquinones, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides, and glucosides contents. Biochemical activities, including antibacterial activity, antioxidant, and antihemolytic activity, were investigated. Antibacterial activity against Three types of pathogenic bacteria was detected by disc diffusion analysis and characterized by zone of inhibition (ZOI). Antioxidant properties were determined by a diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Results revealed that the inhibitory activity of the plants against G+ve and G-ve bacteria were different, where the greatest ZOI of Alhagi maurorum a
... Show MoreThis research describes a straightforward procedure for extracting the pigment of Methylene Blue (MB) dye from aqueous solutions by utilizing a low-cost, safe, natural, and national source. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to determine contact time, adsorbent dose, and the starting concentration of the adsorbate. For the analysis, a UV spectrophotometer was employed. Dye adsorption equilibrium was obtained after 120 minutes of contact time. Temkin, Langmuir, and Freundlich isotherm adsorption were used at solution concentrations of (3, 4, 6, and 8) mg/l. Adsorption data is used to predict the pseudo first and pseudo second order kinetic equations, Elovich kinetic models, and intra-particle diffusion using pseudo f
... Show MoreThe presence of heavy metals in the environment is major concern due to their toxicity. In the present study a strong acid cation exchange resin, Amberlite IR 120 was used for the removal of lead, zinc and copper from simulated wastewater. The optimum conditions were determined in a batch system of concentration 100 mg/L, pH range between 1 and 8, contact time between 5 and 120 minutes, and amount of adsorbent was from 0.05 to 0.45 g/100 ml. A constant stirring speed, 180 rpm, was chosen during all of the experiments. The optimum conditions were found to be pH of 4 for copper and lead and pH 6 for zinc, contact time of 60 min and 0.35 g of adsorbent. Three different temperatures (25, 40 and 60°C) were selected to investigate the effect
... Show MoreThe Catharanthus roseus plant was extracted and converted to nanoparticles in this work. The Soxhlet method was used to extract alkaloid compounds from the Catharanthus roseus plant and converted them to the nanoscale. Chitosan polymer was used as a linking material and converted to Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs). The extracted alkaloids were linked with Chitosan nanoparticles by maleic anhydride to get the final product (CSNPs-Linker-alkaloids). The pure Chitosan, Chitosan nanoparticles, and CSNPs-Linker-alkaloids were characterized by X-ray diffractometer, and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. X-ray results show that all samples have an orthorhombic structure with crystallite size in nanodimensions. FTIR spectra prove that
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