Synthesis of denim waste-based adsorbents and their application in water defluoridation

This study evaluates the application of denim fiber scraps as a precursor for the synthesis of adsorbents for water treatment via pyrolysis and their application in water defluoridation. The best pyrolysis conditions for the synthesis of this novel adsorbent have been identified and a metal doping route with different salts of Al3 +, La3 + and Fe3 + was proposed to improve its fluoride adsorption behavior. Different spectroscopic and microscopic techniques (i.e., FTIR, XPS, XRF, SEM) were used to characterize the precursor and adsorbents, and to analyze the surface interactions involved in the fluoride removal mechanism. Experimental results showed that these adsorbents were effective for fluoride adsorption showing uptakes up to 4.25 mg/g. The Si-O–metal–F interactions appear to be highly relevant for the fluoride removal. This study highlights the potential of denim textile waste as a raw material for the production of added-value products, thus minimizing their associated disposal cost. It also shows the performance of denim textile waste as a precursor of adsorbents for addressing relevant environmental concerns such as fluoride pollution.

Removal of BrO3 − from drinking water samples using newly developed agricultural waste-based activated carbon and its determination by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Activated carbon was prepared from date pits via chemical activation with H3PO4. The effects of activating agent concentration and activation temperature on the yield and surface area were studied. The optimal activated carbon was prepared at 450 °C using 55 % H3PO4. The prepared activated carbon was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area. The prepared date pit-based activated carbon (DAC) was used for the removal of bromate (BrO3 −). The concentration of BrO3 − was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass tandem spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The experimental equilibrium data for BrO3 − adsorption onto DAC was well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model and showed maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 25.64 mg g−1. The adsorption kinetics of BrO3 − adsorption was very well represented by the pseudo-first-order equation. The analytical application of DAC for the analysis of real water samples was studied with very promising results.