Search

Some of conventional wastewater disinfectants can have a harmful influence on the environment as well as human health. The aim of this investigation was synthesis and characterizes ecofriendly pectin/hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC)/clay and pectin/HEC/clay incorporated with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs) and use the prepared bionanocomposite as microbial disinfectants for real wastewater. Pectin/HEC/clay and pectin/HEC/clay/TiO 2 bionanocomposite were characterized by various methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Mechanical properties and water vapor permeability (WVP) were carried out. The results of SEM showed that, the prepared bionanocomposite had a smooth surface. Additionally, TiO 2 nanoparticles to the pectin/HEC/clay composites may lead to changes in the FTIR spectrum. The intensity of XRD peaks indicated that, TiO 2 NPs was small size crystallite. TGA illustrated that pectin has moderate thermal stability, while HEC generally exhibits good thermal stability. The TEM showed that, TiO 2 nanoparticles have diameters <25 nm. On the other hand, antimicrobial activities of pectin/HEC/clay against Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans have been enhanced by adding TiO 2 NPs. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of pectin/HEC/clay/TiO 2 against E. coli was 200 mg/mL. Moreover, complete eradication of E. coli, Salmonella and Candida spp. from real wastewater was observed by using pectin/HEC/clay/TiO 2 bionanocomposite. Finally, it can be concluded that, the synthesized bionanocomposite is environmentally friendly and considered an excellent disinfectant matter for removal of the microbial pathogens from wastewater to safely reuse., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors hereby declare that the disclosed information is correct and that no other situation of real, potential or apparent conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The forward osmosis (FO) process has recently gained significant interest in treating wastewater, brackish/seawater and concentrating feedstocks for various operations, including desalination. The study investigates the effect of different synthesis conditions of the polyamide-based thin-film composite (TFC) FO membranes on the membranes' final performance. Taguchi statistical analyses were used to fabricate and optimize the polyamide TFC FO membrane. The process parameters as factors were the amount of polyethersulfone (PES), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), m-phenylenediamine (MPD), and trimesoyl chloride (TMC), and TMC reaction-time (RT). The Taguchi method was adopted to investigate the optimal conditions and the significance of individual factors using an L16 (4 5 ) orthogonal array. Another Taguchi analysis (Taguchi 2) was adopted to investigate the influence of other important parameters like optimal conditions for MPD, TMC, and TMC reaction-time factors using an L9 (3 3 ) orthogonal array. Confirmation tests validated a maximum water flux of 46.4 ± 2.32 L/m 2 ·h with a specific combination of control factors for membrane synthesis: PES/PEG/PVP/MPD/TMC/TMC RT-16/7/0.5/1/0.05/30. These tests demonstrated a high-water flux of 7.05 ± 0.35 L/m 2 ·h when exposed to industrial wastewater (secondary effluent) as the feed solution (FS) and fertilizer as the draw solution (DS) in the FO process. The R 2 values were more than 90%. The experimental validation confirmed the models' predictive ability with different FSs, including industrial wastewater., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Waterborne pathogens threaten 2.2 billion people lacking access to safely managed drinking water services, causing over a million annual diarrheal deaths. Individuals without access to chlorine reagents or filtration devices often resort to do-it-yourself (DIY) methods, such as boiling or solar disinfection (SODIS). However, these methods are not simple to implement. In this study, we introduced an innovative and easily implemented disinfection approach. We discovered that immersing aluminum foil in various alkaline solutions produces alkali-treated aluminum foil (ATA foil) that effectively adsorbs Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, and Acinetobacter through the generated surface aluminum hydroxide. For example, a 25 cm 2 ATA foil efficiently captures all 10 4 E. coli DH5α strains in 100 mL water within 30 min. Using a saturated suspension of magnesium hydroxide, a type of fertilizer, as the alkaline solution, the properties of the saturated suspension eliminate the need for measuring reagents or changing solutions, making it easy for anyone to create ATA foil. ATA foils can be conveniently produced within mesh bags and placed in household water containers, reducing the risk of recontamination. Replacing the ATA foil with a foil improves the adsorption efficiency, and re-immersing the used foil in the production suspension restores its adsorption capacity. Consequently, ATA foil is an accessible and user-friendly alternative DIY method for underserved communities. Verification experiments covering variations in the water quality and climate are crucial for validating the efficacy of the foil. Fortunately, the ATA foil, with DIY characteristics similar to those of boiling and SODIS, is well-suited for testing under diverse global conditions, offering a promising solution for addressing waterborne pathogens worldwide., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The heavy metals, pesticides and dyes in agriculture and industry caused serious water pollution have increased the urgency for the advancement of biomass-based adsorbents due to their merits of low cost, high efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Thus, this review systematically examines the recent progress of lignin-based adsorbents dedicated to wastewater purification. Commencing with a succinct exposition on the intricate structure and prevalent forms of lignin, the review proceeds to expound rational design strategies tailored for lignin-based adsorbents coupled with adsorption mechanisms and regeneration methods. Emphasis is placed on the potential industrial applications of lignin-based adsorbents, accentuating their capacity for recovery and direct utilization post-use. The future challenges and outlooks associated with lignin-based adsorbents are discussed to provide novel perspectives for the development of high-performance and sustainable biosorbents, facilitating the effective removal of pollutants and the value-added utilization of resources in a sustainable manner., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Microplastics (MPs), as emerging pollutants, have attracted the attention of environmentalists, statespersons, and the scientific community over the last few decades. To address the spread of MPs in the environment, it is imperative to develop various removal techniques and materials that are effective, scalable, and ecologically benign. However, to the best of our knowledge, no review has systematically examined the removal of MPs using adsorption or provided an in-depth discussion on various adsorbents. Adsorption is an inexpensive and effective technology for wastewater treatment. Recently, many researchers have conducted studies on MP remediation using diverse adsorbent materials, such as biochar, activated carbon, sponges, carbon nanotubes, metal-layered oxides, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and zeolites. Each adsorbent has advantages and disadvantages. To overcome their disadvantages, researchers have been designing and developing hybrid adsorbents for MP remediation. This review provides insights into these individual adsorbents and also discusses hybrid adsorbents for MP removal. Finally, the review elaborates on future possibilities and ways to enable more efficient, scalable, and environmentally friendly MP cleanup. Overall, this review bridges the gap between contemporary MP remediation using adsorption techniques and adsorbent development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In modern times, wastewater treatment is vital due to increased water contamination arising from pollutants such as nutrients, pathogens, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues. Polysaccharides (PSAs) are natural, renewable, and non-toxic biopolymers used in wastewater treatment in the field of gas separation, liquid filtration, adsorption processes, pervaporation, and proton exchange membranes. Since addition of nanoparticles to PSAs improves their sustainability and strength, nanocomposite PSAs has gained significant attention for wastewater treatment in the past decade. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of PSA-based nanocomposites used for efficient wastewater treatment, focusing on adsorption, photocatalysis, and membrane-based methods. It also discusses potential future applications, challenges, and opportunities in adsorption, filtration, and photocatalysis. Recently, PSAs have shown promise as adsorbents in biological-based systems, effectively removing heavy metals that could hinder microbial activity. Cellulose-mediated adsorbents have successfully removed various pollutants from wastewater, including heavy metals, dyes, oil, organic solvents, pesticides, and pharmaceutical residues. Thus, PSA nanocomposites would support biological processes in wastewater treatment plants. A major concern is the discharge of antibiotic wastes from pharmaceutical industries, posing significant environmental and health risks. PSA-mediated bio-adsorbents, like clay polymeric nanocomposite hydrogel beads, efficiently remove antibiotics from wastewater, ensuring water quality and ecosystem balance. The successful use of PSA-mediated bio-adsorbents in wastewater treatment depends on ongoing research to optimize their application and evaluate their potential environmental impacts. Implementing these eco-friendly adsorbents on a large scale holds great promise in significantly reducing water pollution, safeguarding ecosystems, and protecting human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Flocculation is a common process for wastewater treatment. However, the most commonly used organic synthetic flocculants such as polyacrylamide are petroleum-based. In this work, biomass lignin was grafted with cationic starch to synthesize low-cost, green and fully biomass-based multifunctional flocculants. The cationic polyacrylamide was replaced by cheap industrial cationic starch. Hyperbranched multifunctional lignin-grafted cationic starch flocculant (CS-L) was successfully prepared via ring-opening reaction with epichlorohydrin. The mass content of lignin in the grafted product was between 16.6 % and 70.1 %. With the dosage of CS-L between 4.0 and 7.5 mg/l, the turbidity removal rate for 500 mg/l kaolin suspension reached more than 97 %. When the dosage of CS-L was 24 mg/l, the removal rate of 50 mg/l Cu 2+ reached 85.7 %. Importantly, when the mixed solution of kaolin particles and Cu 2+ was treated, the synchronous removal rates of kaolin and Cu 2+ reached 90 % and 72 % respectively in the range of 8.0-12.0 mg/l flocculant addition. The synthesized lignin-grafted cationic starch flocculant showed an excellent multifunctional flocculation function., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Electrospinning nanofibers membrane has received much attention to remove the insoluble oil from the sewage, while the poor mechanical strength and low oil/water separation efficiency of membranes limit their practical application. Here, we prepared a superwettable deacetylated cellulose acetate (d-CA)-based electrospinning nanofibers membrane simply dipped by bacterial cellulose (BC) and cross-linked with citric acid (CCA) to construct the spider-web structure spontaneously. Compared with the pristine d-CA membrane, the obtained d-CA/BC@CCA membrane exhibits the remarkable oil/water separation performance. The flux and separation efficiency of n-hexane/water emulsion without (SFE) and with (SSE) emulsifier for d-CA/BC@CCA membrane are 9364 L·m -2 ·h -1 ·bar -1 , 98.34 % and 5479 L·m -2 ·h -1 ·bar -1 , 99.39 %, respectively, which are mainly attributed to the improved hydrophilicity of its surface and the decreased pore sizes caused by the unique spider-web structure. In addition, d-CA/BC@CCA membrane also possesses the outstanding mechanical properties, the better cycle stability, as well as the excellent durability. This study provides a novel strategy for the construction of the high-performance oil/water separation membrane., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: Super-hydrophilic/underwater super-oleophobic materials composed of biomass show great advantages for the treatment of oily wastewater due to their inherent fouling resistance. However, the development of three-dimensional materials from biomass for oil-water separation is still a challenge. It is universally acknowledged that constructing a rough structure on the surface of hydrophilic substrates would significantly improve the underwater oleophobicity and oil-water separation performance., Experiments: In this work, a three-dimensional lignin/cellulose aerogel (LCA) was developed through sol-gel method with freeze-drying. The rough microstructure and 3D interconnected network composed of lignin and cellulose impart excellent underwater superoleophobicity to LCA for efficient oil-water separation., Findings: The introduction of lignin to cellulose aerogel could effectively enhance its surface roughness, water permeation speed and underwater oil contact angle. Especially, the swelling properties of the hydrogel could be regulated by modulating the content of lignin, which could further control the pore size of aerogels to optimize the separation flux. The as-prepared aerogel showed remarkable performance in separating various oil-water mixtures and oil-in-water emulsions, with a separation flux of 7646 ± 167 L·m -2 ·h -1 and oil rejection rate >99 %. These excellent properties combined with its facile fabrication make LCA a promising candidate for the treatment of oily wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The study analyzed the potential of leaf powder prepared from the residual leaves of the species Sansevieria trifasciata, as a potential adsorbent for methylene blue (MB) removal. The equilibrium was reached fast for almost all concentrations after 60 min, obtaining the maximum capacity of 139.98 mg g -1 for 200 mg L -1 . The increase in temperature disfavored the dye adsorption, with the maximum adsorption capacity of 225.8 mg g -1 , observed for 298 K. The thermodynamic parameters confirmed that the adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic. A direct sloping curve was established for the fixed bed, with breakthrough time (t b ), column stoichiometric capacities (q eq ), and the mass transfer zone lengths (Z m ) were 1430, 1130, and 525 min; 60.48, 187.01, and 322.65 mg g -1 ; and 8.81, 11.28, and 10.71 cm, for 100, 200, and 500 mg L -1 , respectively. Furthermore, in a mixture of several dyes, the adsorbent obtained the removal of 51% of the color., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Amoxicillin (AMX) is a widely used antibiotic, which induces harmful effects to nature via bioaccumulation and persistence in the environment if discharged untreated into water bodies. In the current study, a novel bionanocomposite, bismuth oxyiodide-chitosan (BiOI-Ch), was synthesized by a facile precipitation method and its amoxicillin (AMX) adsorption capacity in the presence of ultrasonic waves has been explored. Multiple batch experiments were performed to achieve the optimum operational parameters for maximum adsorption of AMX and the obtained results were as follows: pH 3, 80 mg g -1 AMX concentration, 1.7 g L -1 adsorbent dose, temperature 298 K and ultrasonication time 20 min. Composite removed approximately 90% AMX from the solution under optimized conditions, while the maximal adsorption capacity was determined to be 81.01 mg g -1 . BiOI-Ch exhibited superior adsorption capacity as compared to pure BiOI (33.78 mg g -1 ). To understand the dynamics of reaction, several kinetic and isotherm models were also examined. The adsorption process obeyed pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R 2  = 0.98) and was well fitted to Freundlich isotherm (R 2  = 0.99). The addition of biowaste chitosan to non-toxic bismuth-based nanoparticles coupled with ultrasonication led to enhanced functional groups as well as surface area of the nanocomposite resulting in superior adsorption capacity, fast adsorption kinetics and improved mass transfer for the removal of AMX molecules. Thus, this study demonstrates the synergistic effect of ultrasonication in improved performance of novel BiOI-Ch for potential application in the elimination of persistent and detrimental pollutants from industrial effluent after necessary optimization for large-scale operation., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Nanocellulose hydrogels are promising sustainable biosorbents for removing heavy metal ions for wastewater treatment. However, the nanocellulose hydrogels reported thus far typically suffer from inferior adsorption performance and/or poor mechanical stability, thus limiting their industrial applications. Achieving the goals of mechanical stability and high removal capability remains a crucial technical challenge, which may be addressed, as presented in this study, by developing novel core-shell carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibril (CMCNF)/sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel beads (CAbs). By immobilizing CMCNFs (shell) on the surface of the SA hydrogel bead (core) via electrostatic attractions and hydrogen bonding, a mechanically stable hydrogel bead with a core-shell configuration was constructed, which shows a Cu(II) removal capacity of up to 221 mg/g that exceeds that of CMCNFs and most other nanocellulose structural adsorbents. Furthermore, both the formation principle of the core-shell structure and the Cu(II) removal mechanism were explored in detail. Finally, we demonstrated a potential application of core-shell CAbs to treat drinking water with a low concentration of Cu(II) using a homemade column adsorption device. This work brings sustainable nanocellulose adsorbents a step closer to industrial applications for Cu(II) wastewater treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Coating manufacturing, textile processing, and plastic industry have led to dramatical release levels of hazardous organic dye pollutants threatening public health and the environment. To solve this problem, porous carbon materials are being developed following with the United Nations initiative on water purification. However, conventional porous carbon materials face many challenges, such as limited removal rates, low adsorption capacity, and high chemicals consumption, hampering their large-scale utilization in dye wastewater treatment. Herein, we demonstrate a high-performance lignin-derived hierarchical porous carbon (LHPC) material directly prepared from renewable lignin through a low-cost activation procedure. The large specific surface area (1824 m 2 /g) enables the rapid and effective adsorption of organic dyes. Therefore, the LHPC exhibits an ultrahigh adsorption ability (1980.63 mg/g) and removal rate (99.03% in 10 min) for Azure B, superior to that of other adsorbents. Additionally, the LHPC adsorbent, organic dyes, eluting agent, and water all can be recycled and reused in a designed close-looped system. Its high removal ability and rate, strong retrievability, low-cost and scalable production combined with high dyes adsorption universality, positions our LHPC as a promising commercial adsorbent candidate for the purification of harmful organic dye wastewater, especially for heavily polluted area with an insistent demand for clear water., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation has enormous promise for fresh water recovery and salt harvesting, but salt accumulation-related challenges stand in its way. Herein, we report a spined groove-ridge pairs inspired by the shell ornamentation of the Vasticardium vertebratum, which addresses salt accumulation by artfully integrating salt reflux into localized salt crystallization. The seashell-mimetic radial V-groove array enables the 3D evaporator to transport water rapidly and directionally, resulting in high-performance water evaporation (∼95% efficiency) and localized crystallization. The periodic spines enlightened by the spine-bearing ridge on the seashell provide considerable micro-unit salt reflux. The 2-in-1 integration design endows the three-dimensional evaporator with superior solar-driven zero liquid discharge and excellent long-term salt resistance even when dealing with high-salinity brine (20 wt% NaCl) and a series of heavy metallic salt solutions. Our design offers a new alternative solution to avoiding salt scaling and could advance locally crystallized solar evaporators towards practical applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Developing new and efficient technologies for environmental remediation is becoming significant due to the increase in global concerns such as climate change, severe epidemics, and energy crises. Air pollution, primarily due to increased levels of H 2 S, SO x , NH 3 , NO x , CO, volatile organic compounds (VOC), and particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere, has a significant impact on public health, and exhaust gases harm the natural sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon cycles. Similarly, wastewater discharged to the environment with metal ions, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, dyes, and aromatics/organic compounds is a risk for health since it may lead to an outbreak of waterborne pathogens and increase the exposure to endocrine-disrupting agents. Therefore, developing new and efficient air and water quality management systems is critical. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are novel materials for which the main application areas include gas storage and separation, water harvesting from the atmosphere, chemical sensing, power storage, drug delivery, and food preservation. Due to their versatile structural motifs that can be modified during synthesis, MOFs also have a great promise for green applications including air and water pollution remediation. The motivation to use MOFs for environmental applications prompted the modification of their structures via the addition of metal and functional groups, as well as the creation of heterostructures by mixing MOFs with other nanomaterials, to effectively remove hazardous contaminants from wastewater and the atmosphere. In this review, we focus on the state-of-the-art environmental applications of MOFs, particularly for water treatment and air pollution, by highlighting the groundbreaking studies in which MOFs have been used as adsorbents, membranes, and photocatalysts for the abatement of air and water pollution. We finally address the opportunities and challenges for the environmental applications of MOFs., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Solar-driven steam generation for desalination is a facile, sustainable, and energy-saving approach to produce clean freshwater. However, the complicated fabrication process, high cost, potential environmental impact, and salt crystallization of conventional evaporators limit their large-scale application. Herein, we present a sustainable Janus evaporator based on a biopolymer sponge from the water hyacinth petiole (WHP) for high-performance solar steam generation. The freeze-dried WHP maintained its original porous structure and aligned channels well, and therefore holds the capability for rapid water transport due to strong capillary action. The WHP coated with carbon nanotubes/ethyl cellulose paste on its surface (WHP-C) gains a good photothermal property, thus achieving an efficient solar steam generation with a rate of 1.50 kg m -2 h -1 under 1 sun irradiation. Moreover, the WHP-C after hydrophobic modification by fluorocarbon (WHP-CH) is endowed with high water repellency and exhibits good salt resistance during long-term solar desalination. Additionally, we demonstrate that a stable wet surface that enables efficient water supply and vapor escape is also significant to the successive desalination of a solar evaporator. Our work provides new insights into the high-value utilization of biomass waste, i.e., water hyacinth, and the development of sustainable interfacial solar evaporators for the environmentally friendly production of freshwater.

Water is a valuable natural resource, which plays a crucial role in ecological survival as well as economic progress. However, the water quality has deteriorated in recent years as a result of urbanization, industrialization and human activities due to the uncontrolled release of industrial wastes, which can be extremely carcinogenic and non-degradable, in air, water and soil bodies. Such wastes showed the presence of organic and inorganic pollutants in high dosages. Heavy metals are the most obstinate contaminants, and they can be harmful because of having a variety of detrimental consequences to the ecosystem. The existing water treatment methods in many situations may not be sustainable or effective because of their high energy requirements and ecological impacts. In this review, state-of-the-art water treatment methods for the elimination of heavy metals with the help of protein nanofibrils are covered featuring a discussion on the strategies and possibilities of developing protein nanofibrils for the active elimination of heavy metals using kitchen waste as well as residues from the cattle, agriculture, and dairy industries. Further, the emphasis has been given to their environmental sustainability and economical aspects are also discussed., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Over the previous three decades, the worldwide use of pharmaceuticals has surged by more than 2.5 times. Although being considered essential to save many lives, pharmaceuticals have also emerged as a large source of complex environmental contaminants in recent decades. Consequently, the pharmaceuticals and their breakdown products are ending up into the water bodies thus progressively contaminating them and the surrounding environments. Based on recent studies concentrations in water sources are typically >0.1 μg/l and the concentration in treated water is typically >0.05 μg/l. These pharma drugs are removed from aquatic systems by processes such as oxidation, Ultraviolet degradation, reverse osmosis and nano-filtration. However, hazardous sludge creation, incomplete removal, expensive capital and operating costs, and the need for professional operating and maintenance personnel have all limited the economic sustainability of these systems. As a result, the presence of pharmaceuticals in water necessitates even more advanced technologies of purification to harvest clean water, yet present approaches are constrained by their high costs, low reusability, and disposal issues. Here, we review sustainable adsorbents for the removal of pharmaceuticals from wastewater. In this comprehensive review, an evaluation of water contamination caused by pharmaceutical compounds is discussed. An overview of current research on the employment of sustainable adsorbents for the removal of the major pharmaceuticals prevalent in water sources. Numerous aspects of high adsorption efficiencies of these pharmaceutical compounds with such sustainable adsorbents were observed; however, other factors, such as adsorbent regeneration and cost evaluation, must be taken into account in order to assess the true applicability of adsorbents., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The rapid and efficient treatment of complex wastewater remains challenging. Herein, green paper-based materials with high wet strength, good oil-water separation property and high heavy metal ion adsorption capacity were prepared via a facile, cost-effective process. The introduction of amphoteric functional groups not only met the requirements for heavy metal ion adsorption, but also maintained the stable underwater superoleophobic properties of materials a wide pH range. The covalent crosslinking between cellulose fibers induced by polyethyleneimine and citric acid significantly improved the wet strength (up to 26.0 Nm/g) and the porosity. The membrane flux was increased up to 3515 L/(m 2 ·h) and the separation efficiencies were higher than 98%. Moreover, the theoretical maximum adsorption capacities for Cd(II) and Pb(II) reached 73.29 and 93.75 mg/g, respectively. Combined with filtration technology, the materials can realize the continuous and efficient purification of complex wastewater., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Cold caustic extraction (i.e. CCE) is an essential technique for removing hemicellulose from paper-grade pulp and thus obtaining high-purity dissolving pulp in pulp and paper industry. The generated wastewater from the CCE process contains large amounts of valuable hemicellulose which should be properly treated in a cost-effective way. Therefore, in this research, the hemicellulose has been used as a raw material for preparing hemicellulose-graft-polyacrylamide (hemi-g-pAAm) hydrogel particles for efficiently adsorbing methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The mass transfer kinetic behaviours of hemicellulose during a multiple CCE process were also studied. The MB adsorption kinetic test results showed that the removal efficiency can be higher than 90% for the simulated wastewater containing 500 mg/L of MB. Of note, the maximum removal capacities for the wastewater samples containing 500 and 1000 mg/L of MB could be reached up to ∼1800 and ∼2300 (mg/g) respectively with the equilibrium time of ∼40 min. Compared to other reported materials, the superior adsorption performance of the prepared hemicellulose-based hydrogel proved its great potential for application in the wastewater treatment of dye industry.