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In this study, a novel immobilized TiO2/Ti film with exposed {001} facets was prepared via a facile one-pot hydrothermal route for the degradation of norfloxacin from aqueous media. The effects of various hydrothermal conditions (i.e., solution pH, hydrothermal time (HT) and HF concentration) on the growth of {001} faceted TiO2/Ti film were investigated. The maximum photocatalytic performance of {001} faceted TiO2/Ti film was observed when prepared at pH 2.62, HT of 3 h and at HF concentration of 0.02 M. The as-prepared {001} faceted TiO2/Ti films were fully characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). More importantly, the as-prepared {001} faceted TiO2/Ti film exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance toward degradation of norfloxacin in various water matrices (Milli-Q water, tap water, river water and synthetic wastewater). The individual influence of various anions (SO42-, HCO3-, NO3-, Cl-) and cations (K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Na+, Fe3+) usually present in the real water samples on the photocatalytic performance of as-prepared TiO2/Ti film with exposed {001} facet was investigated. The mechanistic studies revealed that •OH is mainly involved in the photocatalytic degradation of norfloxacin by {001} faceted TiO2/Ti film. In addition, norfloxacin degradation byproducts were investigated, on the basis of which degradation schemes were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work different compositions of smart poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-vinylacetic acid-acrylamide) poly(NIPAM-VAA-AAm) microgels with different vinyl acetic acid (VAA) contents have been synthesized successfully by conventional free radical emulsion polymerization. Silver metal nanoparticles (NPs) were fabricated inside the microgels network by insitu reduction method using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as reducing agent. The confirmation of polymerization and entrapment of metal NPs were carried out by FT-IR spectroscopy. Dynamic laser light scattering (DLLS) technique was used for calculating average hydrodynamic diameter of microgel particles. The optical properties of silver NPs were studied by UV-Visible spectroscopy at various conditions of pH and temperature. The hybrid microgels show red shift and increase in intensity of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band with the increase in temperature and decrease in pH of the medium. The synthesized materials were used as catalysts in the reduction process and it was found that the catalyst composed of high amount of VAA shows enhanced catalytic activity. The apparent rate constant (k1) for catalyst composed of 12% VAA was doubled (5.6×10-3sec-1) as compared to 4% VAA containing catalyst (2.8×10-3sec-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the decomposition of clofibric acid (CLF) by different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), such as UV (254nm), VUV (185 nm), UV / TiO2 and VUV / TiO2. The removal efficiencies of applied AOPs were compared in the presence and absence of dissolved oxygen. The removal efficiency of the studied AOPs towards degradation of CLF were found in the order of VUV / TiO2 + O2 > VUV/TiO2 + N2 > VUV alone > UV / TiO2 + O2 > UV / TiO2 +N2 > UV alone. The decomposition kinetics of CLF was found to follow pseudo-first order rate law. VUV / TiO2 process was found to be most cheap and effective one for decomposition of CLF as compared to other applied AOPs in terms of electrical energy per order. Degradation products resulting from the degradation processes were also investigated using UPLC-MS /MS, accordingly degradation pathway was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-radiation-induced degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in aqueous solution and the factors affecting the degradation process have been investigated. The results showed that CIP (4.6 mg/L) was almost completely degraded at an absorbed dose of 870 Gy. The kinetic studies of aqueous solutions containing 4.6, 10, 15 and 17.9 mg/L indicated that the decomposition of CIP by gamma irradiation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and the decay constant (k) decreased from 5.9  ×  10−3to 1.6  ×  10−3 Gy−1with an increase in CIP initial concentration from 4.6 to 17.9 mg/L. The effect of saturation of CIP solution with N2, N2O or air on radiation-induced degradation of CIP was also investigated. The effects of radical scavengers, such ast-BuOH andi-PrOH, showed the role of reactive radicals towards degradation of CIP in the order of. The apparent second-order rate constant ofwith CIP was calculated to be 2.64 × 109 M−1 s−1. The effects of solution pH as well as natural water contaminants, such as,,and, on CIP degradation by gamma-irradiation were also investigated. Major degradation products, including organic acids, were identified using UPLC-MS/MS and IC, and degradation pathways have been proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a novel TiO2/Ti film with enhanced {001} facets was synthesized by the hydrothermal technique followed by calcination for studying the removal of bezafibrate (BZF), from an aqueous environment. The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized by FE-SEM, XRD, HR-TEM, and PL-technique. The second-order rate constant of •OH with BZF was found to be 5.66 × 109 M-1 s-1. The steady state [•OH] was measured as 1.16 × 10-11 M, on the basis of oxidation of terephthalic acid. The photocatalytic degradation of BZF followed pseudo-first-order kinetics according to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model (k1 = 2.617 mg L-1 min-1 and k2 = 0.0796 (mg L-1)−1). The effects of concentration and the nature of various additives including inorganic anions (NO3-, NO2-, HCO3-, CO32-, Cl-) and organic species (fulvic acid) and initial solution pHs (2, 4, 6, 9) on photocatalytic degradation of BZF were investigated. It was found that the nature and concentration of studied additives significantly affected the photocatalytic degradation of BZF. The efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation process in terms of electrical energy per order was estimated. Degradation schemes were proposed on the basis of the identified degradation byproducts by ultraperformance liquid chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) films with dominant {001} facets coated on a titanium sheet (Ti) were synthesized with the simple hydrothermal method by using Ti as the precursor and substrate. The effect of addition of isopropanol into the hydrothermal solution on the structure, photocatalytic activity, and stability of as-synthesized TiO2 films was investigated. The presence of isopropanol obviously influenced the microstructure of as-synthesized TiO2 films, which was converted from microspheres into irregular close stack of truncated tetrahedrons. And the percentage of exposed {001} facets calculated from the Raman spectra increased from 48.2% to 57%. Accordingly, the TiO2 films prepared with addition of isopropanol showed high and stable photocatalytic activity, which is nearly 2.6 times as that of the conventional P25 TiO2 coated on Ti-substrate. In addition, the photocatalytic activity of as-synthesized TiO2 films was greatly enhanced after calcination treatment at 600°C, which can be attributed to removal of fluoride ions and organic residuals adsorbed on the surface of the catalyst. Photoluminescence (PL) technique was used for the detection of produced hydroxyl radicals COH) on the surface of UV-illuminated TiO2 using terephthalic acid as probe molecule. The photocatalytic degradation intermediates of bezafibrate were analyzed by an ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and accordingly the degradation pathways were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a research study on the use of vitrified-warmed oocytes for in vitro fertilization (IVF) in comparing the best combinations of 1,2-propanediol (PROH) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in breeding buffalo bulls. Vitrification procedure used three solutions of 1.5, 3 and 6 M DMSO or PROH while buffalo cumulus-oocyte complexes were aspirated from buffalo ovaries. Results showed that oocytes cleavage rate and index vitrified in PROH at germinal vesicle (GV) stage (PROH-GV) were 70% and 56% respectively. Conclusions indicated that GV stage oocytes vitrification with PROH is more effective than vitrification at stage II with PROH or DMSO.

The study was conducted to evaluate the quality of cryopreserved buffalo and zebu semen thawed and held at low temperature. Progressive motility of frozen semen thawed in a 37 °C water bath for 45 s (control) was compared with that of semen held in ice water (3-5 °C) for 180 min. Semen collected from 3 buffalo and 2 zebu bulls was used for this purpose over 3 weeks (replicates). Fertility was compared after performing 28 inseminations with buffalo semen and 100 inseminations with zebu semen either after control thawing or thawing straws in ice water for 30-60 min. Progressive motility of buffalo and zebu semen thawed and held in ice water for 30 and 90 min, respectively, was not different from that of semen thawed at 37 °C. The conception rate of buffaloes and zebu cows (69.2% and 60.0%) inseminated after control thawing was higher than that of animals inseminated with semen kept in ice water for 30 60 min (53.3% and 47.7%). However, the difference between conception rates after insemination with the 2 thawing methods was not significant in either case. It is concluded that there was a trend for decreased fertility for both buffalo and zebu semen when inseminations were performed after thawing and holding semen for 30-60 min in ice water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industries generate hazardous dye wastewater, posing significant threats to public health and the environment. Removing dyes before discharge is crucial. The ongoing study primarily focused on synthesizing, applying, and understanding the mechanism of green nano-biochar composites. These composites, including zinc oxide/biochar, copper oxide/biochar, magnesium oxide/biochar, and manganese oxide/biochar, are designed to effectively remove Actas Pink-2B (Direct Red-31) in conjunction with constructed wetlands. Constructed wetland maintained pH 6.0–7.9. At the 10th week, the copper oxide/biochar treatment demonstrated the highest removal efficiency of total suspended solids (72%), dissolved oxygen (7.2 mg/L), and total dissolved solids (79.90%), followed by other biochar composites. The maximum removal efficiency for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color was observed at a retention time of 60 days. The electrical conductivity also followed the same order, with a decrease observed up to the 8th week before becoming constant. A comprehensive statistical analysis was conducted, encompassing various techniques including variance analysis, regression analysis, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis. The rate of color and COD removal followed a second-order and first-order kinetics, respectively. A significant negative relationship was observed between dissolved oxygen and COD. The study indicates that employing biochar composites in constructed wetlands improves textile dye removal efficiency. The novelty of this study is the selection of Cymbopogon as a proper plant for phytoremediation of dye along with green metal oxide coated biochar. These were selected due to their good ability to remove organic pollutant. This study demonstrates the uptake and degradation processes of persistent dye in constructed wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Eosin modified TiO 2 film with co-exposed {001} and {101} facets was synthesized. • Sulfite/Eosin-TiO 2 system was used as SO 4 − based Advanced Oxidation Process. • Degradation of PABA was performed by sulfite/Eosin-TiO 2 /solar system. • Under visible light irradiation, Eosin-TiO 2 showed appreciable H 2 production rate. • Solar/Eosin-TiO 2 (/SO 3 2–) is a promising method for environmental sustainability. Owing to the increasing photosensitivity and DNA damage properties of para -aminobenzoic acid (PABA), concerns have been raised over the exposure of humans to PABA. Solar light-driven photocatalysis (SPC) provides a promising solution for the effective removal of organic pollutants especially when directed towards sulfate radical (SO 4 −) production. Herein, we have developed a sulfite-enhanced SPC using Eosin-Y sensitized TiO 2 /Ti film as a photocatalyst. The removal efficiency of PABA was enhanced by coupling Eosin-Y with TiO 2 /Ti film as revealed from 23.6 and 48.9 % PABA degradation by reference-TiO 2 /solar and Eosin-TiO 2 /solar, respectively. The apparent rate constant of PABA degradation by Eosin-TiO 2 was improved by 4.7 times in presence of 5 mM sulfite. Interestingly, Eosin-TiO 2 showed appreciable H 2 production rate under visible light illumination. Solar/sulfite/Eosin-TiO 2 system is a promising technology for environmental sustainability by using the renewable solar energy and air pollutants since sulfite is a waste from flue gas desulfurization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid Layered Double Hydroxides (HLDH) are promising adsorption materials for water treatment due to their excellent anion exchange capacities, abundance of active sites, and eco-friendliness. HLDH was synthesized utilizing the co-precipitation technique in this work to demonstrate its applicability for the removal of direct sky-blue dye via an adsorption procedure. The effects of pH, dose, contact time, initial dye concentration, and temperature on the direct sky-blue dye adsorption efficiency were thoroughly investigated. The adsorbents were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). Under the best conditions, the maximum adsorption capacity has been achieved for Mg–Cr–Cl (42.95 mg/g) > Zn–Al–CO3 (39.76 mg/g) > Mg–Fe–Cl (38.08 mg/g). The adsorption of dyes on Mg–Cr–Cl, Zn–Al–CO3, and Mg–Fe–Cl followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and exhibited Langmuir-type monolayer adsorption. The influence of temperature was studied to determine the thermodynamic parameters. The estimated results showed spontaneous and exothermic adsorption processes. Electrolyte enhances the adsorption capacity to some extent, while surfactants block the sites, thus reducing the adsorption capacity. The maximum desorption of dye was influenced by the sodium hydroxide solution. The research described here might be utilized to create novel adsorbents with improved adsorption capacities for preserving the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the major causes of death worldwide. It is the most common cause of death before the age of 70 years. The incidence and mortality of BC are rapidly increasing, posing great challenges to the health system and economy of every nation. Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at the Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratory of the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children (FMIC) to demonstrate the association of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2/Neu) and estrogen receptor (ER)/ progesterone receptor (PR) with clinical as well as pathological parameters among women with BC. A consecutive nonprobability sampling method was used for this study over a span of one and a half years. Results: One hundred twenty participants diagnosed with breast cancer were included in the study. The mean age at diagnosis was 44.58 ± 11.16 years. Out of the total patients, 68 (56.7%) were above 40 years old, 108 (90%) were married, 94 (78.3%) were multiparous, and 88 (73.3%) had a history of breastfeeding. 33.3% of cases were within the age range of menopause (40–50 years). The positive expression rates of ER, PR, and Her2/neu were found to be 48.8%, 44.6%, and 44.6%, respectively, and Her2/neu overexpression was found to be higher among ER/PR-negative cases. Conclusion: In our study, we demonstrated that among Afghan women, grade II invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified, was the most common type of BC and frequently affected women above the age of 40. We also revealed that the percentage of negative ER (50.4%), negative PR (54.4%), and concordant ER/PR-negative cases were high compared to other possibilities. Additionally, the study revealed that expression of Her2/neu was in contrast with the expression of ER and PR receptors. The findings of our study still support the importance of performing immunohistochemical stains for hormonal receptor classification in terms of better clinical outcomes and prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, activated carbon (AC) and nano-zerovalent copper (nZVCu) functionalized hydroxyapatite (HA) and alginate beads were synthesized and used for the removal of As3+ from aqueous solution. The characterization by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, BET surface area analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed successful formation of the AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate, nZVCu/HA-alginate, AC/HA-alginate, and HA-alginate beads. The scanning electron microscopy and surface analysis revealed the prepared beads to be highly mesoporous which led to the maximum adsorption of As3+, i.e., 13.97, 29.33, 30.96, and 39.06 mg/g by HA-alginate, AC/HA-alginate, nZVCu/HA-alginate, and AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate beads, respectively. The thermogravimteric analysis showed the nZVCu/HA-alginate beads to be highly stable while the AC composite beads as the least stable to heat treatment. The HA-alginate beads achieved 39% removal of As3+, however, removal efficiency was promoted to 95% by coupling AC and nZVCu with HA-alginate beads at a reaction time of 120 min. The removal of As3+ by the prepared AC & nZVCu coupled HA-alginate beads was promoted with increasing [As3+] 0 and [AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate] 0. The pH of aqueous solution significantly influenced the removal of As3+ by AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate beads and maximum removal was achieved at pH 5.8. Freundlich adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were found to best fit the removal of As3+ by the synthesized beads. The high performance of AC/nZVCu/HA-alginate beads in the removal of As3+ even after seven cyclic treatment as well as least leaching of Cu ions into aqueous solution suggest enhanced reusability and stability of HA-alginate beads by coupling with AC and nZVCu. The results suggest that the synthesized beads have good potential for the removal of As3+ from aqueous solutions. Image 1 • Characterization techniques proved nZVCu and AC coupled HA-Alginate beads formation. • Coupling AC and nZVCu enhanced performance and reusability of HA-Alginate beads. • Removal of As3+ best fitted Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order models. • Removal of As3+ was significantly affected by the pH of aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Highly stable nZVMn was synthesized by chemical reduction method. • Addition of S 2 O 8 2− promoted the performance of nZVMn. • Second-order rate constants of CIP with OH and SO4 − were calculated. • Proposed pathways for conversion of CIP into TPs were developed. • Acute and chronic toxicities of CIP and its TPs were evaluated. Abstract Nano zerovalent manganese (nZVMn, Mn0) materials have been synthesized in this study and used for degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP), an emerging water pollutant. The investigation of physiological characteristics of Mn0 by different characterization techniques proved successful formation of Mn0 by the chemical reduction method and found it to be highly crystalline. The Mn0 was highly efficient and resulted in 63% degradation of CIP using [CIP] 0 = 10 mg/L and [Mn0] 0 = 1.0 g/L at a reaction time of 80 min. Addition of S 2 O 8 2− to Mn0 promoted removal efficiency of CIP from 63 to 95% at a reaction time of 80 min using the conditions of [CIP] 0 = 10 mg/L, [Mn0] 0 = 1.0 g/L, and [S 2 O 8 2−] 0 = 50 mg/L. The presence of OH and SO 4 − scavengers inhibited the degradation of CIP by Mn0/S 2 O 8 2−. The comparable second-order rate constants of CIP with OH and SO 4 − were calculated to be 2.35 × 109 and 2.10 × 109 M−1 s−1, respectively. High S 2 O 8 2− and Mn0 concentrations and low pH accelerated the degradation of CIP. However, removal efficiency of CIP by Mn0 with the added S 2 O 8 2− was inhibited using high CIP concentration, high pH, inorganic anions, and NOM. Degradation pathways from OH and SO 4 − based degradation of CIP were developed. Acute and chronic toxicities of CIP and its products were estimated, showing the final product to be non-toxic. The as-synthesized Mn0 was found to be stable as well as environmentally friendly for treating CIP. This study suggests that Mn0 with the added S 2 O 8 2− is a promising alternative for potential remediation and detoxification of CIP and other emerging water pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, solar light responsive Bi 3+ and Fe 2+ doped ZnO were synthesized and used for photocatalytic degradation of norfloxacin (NOR), an emerging water pollutant. Analysis with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) confirmed coupling of dopants (i.e., Bi 3+ and Fe 2+ ) or co-dopants (Bi 3+ /Fe 2+ ) with ZnO and suggested small narrow size as well as highly crystalline and porous nature of the doped ZnO. Metal ions doping lowered band gap energy and inhibited recombination of electron-hole pair in the as-synthesized ZnO. Consequently, BiFe-ZnO showed enhanced photocatalytic activity and reusability, giving 80% removal of NOR as compared to 36% by un-doped ZnO at a reaction time of 120 min. The analysis with photoluminescence (PL) technique verified high yield of OH from solar light activation of BiFe-ZnO compared to Bi-ZnO, Fe-ZnO and ZnO. Performance of the as-prepared photocatalysts was promoted with the added HSO 5 − and increased with increasing [HSO 5 − ] 0 . Degradation of NOR by BiFe-ZnO with the added HSO 5 − was due to OH and SO 4 − and NOR showed high reactivity with OH and SO 4 − . The removal efficiency of NOR was inhibited using OH and SO 4 − scavengers. Photocatalytic activity of the as-synthesized photocatalysts with the added HSO 5 − was highly dependent on [NOR] 0 , [pH] 0 , co-existing ions, and natural organic matter. Degradation pathways were suggested from the pattern of NOR degradation and identified transformation products. The mineralization of NOR as well as formation of non-toxic end product suggests co-doped ZnO with added HSO 5 − to be a potential technology for treating antibiotics contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Norfloxacin (NOR), an important antibiotic used for the treatment of different infections which is reportedly causing huge quantity of water pollution and severe environmental issues. In this study, biochar prepared from Phoenix dactylifera roots biomass (PB) and composited with mesoporous nano-zerovalent cerium (nZVCe) was used for treatment of NOR solutions. The various characterization and treatment studies showed successful formation of the nZVCe and PB composite. The nZVCe was found to improve physiological characteristics and catalytic efficiency of PB. The nZVCe/PB composite caused 52% removal of NOR as compared to 23% by the individual PB. The use of peroxydisulfate (PDS) with PB and nZVCe/PB showed further improvement in the removal of NOR and caused 58 and 84% removal efficiencies of NOR by PB/PDS and nZVCe/PB/PDS, respectively. The use of PDS with PB and nZVCe/PB was found to yield ●OH and SO 4 ●– which improved degradation of NOR, however, addition of ●OH and SO 4 ●– scavengers impeded NOR degradation. The PB was found to have several oxygen functional groups which decomposed PDS into ●OH and SO 4 ●–. The nZVCe/PB showed high recovery, reusability, and stability and caused high removal of NOR even at fifth cycle of treatment both in the absence and presence of PDS. The treatment of NOR by nZVCe/PB-catalyzed PDS showed encouraging results under different pH, and varying concentrations of PDS, nZVCe/PB, and NOR as well as in real water samples which suggest potential practical applications of NOR contaminated water. Degradation of NOR resulted into several products and the resulting final product proved to be non-toxic. [Display omitted] • nZVCe and biochar composite was prepared and nZVCe improved properties of biochar. • Biochar and nZVCe/PB effectively decomposed PDS into.●OH and SO 4 ●–. • Radical scavengers inhibited role of.●OH and SO 4 ●– in degradation of norfloxacin. • The PB and nZVCe/PB effectively degraded norfloxacin in real water also. • The composite of biochar and nZVCe showed enhanced stability and reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The current review reports the properties and synthesis of MOFs and COFs. • It explains the types and composites of porous materials i.e., MOFs and COFs. • Elucidate different applications across different fields of chemistry. Covalent and metal organic frameworks have been discovered to be amazing materials with remarkable surface area, porosity, and morphological characteristics. There are different types of these materials and various methods have been used for their synthesis. Nonetheless, their properties have been enhanced by making their composites with different materials including polymers. These materials have been used so for various applications including adsorption, separation degradation, electrochemistry, etc. In this study, we first presented the porous materials and then provided a systematic overview of the various synthetic processes as well as recent developments and significant applications of these materials in various fields including electrochemistry, surface chemistry, medicinal chemistry and environmental chemistry, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textile industries contribute to water pollution through synthetic dye discharge. This study explores the use of natural bio-coagulants to remove acid dyes from wastewater, investigating factors like pH, coagulant dose, dye concentration, contact time, and temperature for optimal results. The optimum pH and coagulants capabilities of (CAAPP, CAAPH, CBAGL, CBAPP and CBAPH) were 3 (49.6 mg/g), 3 (42.5 mg/g), 3 (38.9 mg/g), 4 (35.7 mg/g), 4 (34.1 mg/g), and 4 (29.4 mg/g) respectively, while treating of selected BRF-221 dyes from water solution. The acidic range (3–4) was found to have the best pH for the maximal coagulation, and the optimal dose were found to be 0.05 g/50 mL. The equilibrium was attained within 45–60 min for all coagulants. After 60 min of shaking, the maximum coagulation capacities (21.9, 21.02, 16.5, 27.9, 25.3, and 23.4 mg/g) of several coagulant composites (CAAGL, CAAPP, CAAPH, CBAGL, CBAPP, CBAPH) were determined. The initial BRF-221 dye concentration in the range of 10–200 mg/L was considered as optimum for gaiting maximum elimination of dye using different coagulants. At a dye value of 100 mg/L of BRF-221, maximal coagulation capacities CAAGL (179.19 mg/g), CAAPP (166.06 mg/g), CAAPH (141.60 mg/g), and CBAGL (126.49 mg/g), CBAPP (113.9 mg/g), CBAPH (93.08 mg/g) were attained. The study found 35 °C to be the optimal temperature for maximum acid dye removal using bio-coagulants. Increasing temperature reduced coagulation capacity, indicating an exothermic process. Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms showed suitability for pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics in biosorption. Thermodynamic parameters were assessed for process feasibility. Effective coagulants demonstrated sensitivity to electrolyte variations. In column studies, adjusting parameters achieved maximum coagulation efficiency for removing BRF-221 dyes. The study successfully applied optimal parameters to remove real textile effluents at a practical scale. SEM, FT-IR, BET and XRD characterized coagulants, providing insights into stability and morphology. [Display omitted] • Maximal coagulation capacities of Reactive Blue BRF-221 ranges from 93.08 mg/g to 179.19 mg/g. • Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms demonstrated excellent suitability for biosorption. • Higher temperatures decreased coagulation efficiency, suggesting an exothermic process. • Green Hybrid Coagulants offer cost-effectiveness, and exceptional sorption capacity. • Surfactants and detergents greatly hindered BRF-221 dye coagulation in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Deep eutectic solvent and nitrogen-doping enhanced stability and efficiency of Ceria. • Removal of sulfamethaxazole was inhibited in the presence of h vb + and OH scavengers. • Second-order rate constant of sulfamethaxazole with OH was calculated. • Degradation pathways were established and estimated toxicities of SMX and its DPs. • Ceria NPs were highly active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, highly crystalline, mesoporous, small sized, stable, and efficient nitrogen-doped (N-doped) Ceria nanoparticles were synthesized using deep eutectic solvent (DES) and used for the photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethaxazole (SMX), a widely used human medication and emerging water contaminant. The N-doped Ceria resulted in 96% removal of SMX versus 59% by Ceria under solar irradiation at 150 min time using [SMX] 0 = 10 mg/L and [Ceria] 0 = [N-doped Ceria] 0 = 0.5 g/L. The solar irradiation of the photocatalysts produced OH which was proved with electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and radical scavenger studies and the resulting OH caused the degradation of SMX. The OH showed high second-order rate constant with SMX, e.g., 4.9 × 109 M−1 s−1. The photocatalytic degradation of SMX was influenced by pH, concentrations of SMX and photocatalysts, inorganic anions, and natural organic matter. The kinetics of the photocatalytic degradation of SMX was found to be pseudo-first-order. The SMX degradation resulted into several products which were identified by UPLC-MS/MS and the resulting products were used to establish degradation pathways of SMX. The synthesized Ceria and N-doped Ceria also showed good antimicrobial activities towards Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The treatment of SMX showed high reusability of N-doped Ceria, low leaching of cerium ions into reaction solution, and high decline in toxicity of SMX which suggests high potential of the synthesized nanoparticles towards SMX degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorpyrifos (CPY), an organophosphate pesticide is largely used throughout the world on different crops for the control of pests and causes severe health and environmental issues. In this study, highly efficient, crystalline, and nm-rang sized zerovalent zinc (nZVZn) catalyst was synthesized and used for removal of chlorpyrifos at semi-pilot scale. The nZVZn showed high activity and caused 55% removal of CPY at 90 min time under the conditions of [CPY] 0 = 10 mg/L, [nZVZn] 0 = 1.0 g/L, and flow rate of the reactor = 0.2 L/min. Using identical conditions of [CPY] 0 , [nZVZn] 0 and flow rate, the use of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) promoted the performance of nZVZn and caused 99.5% removal of CPY at [PMS] 0 = 40 mg/L. The electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy studies revealed that nZVZn catalyzed PMS reactions yield hydroxyl and sulfate radicals that degraded CPY and removal of CPY was suppressed by applying radical scavengers. The nZVZn catalyzed PMS based removal of CPY was optimum at high [PMS] 0 , [nZVZn] 0 and low pH of solution. The flow rate of the pilot plant reactor also influenced the degradation efficiency of CPY. High pH of solution, high [CPY] 0 as well as use of alcohols, NOM, and some inorganic ions inhibited removal of CPY by nZVZn catalyzed PMS. The analysis of degradation products (DPs) of CPY were used to propose degradation pathways of CPY. The high TOC removal of CPY, low leaching of Zn2+ from Zn0 into aqueous solution, and toxicity reduction of CPY suggest the nZVZn catalyzed PMS process to be highly effective and environmental benign for treatment of CPY. Image 1 • Nano zerovalent zinc was used for removal of chlorpyrifos at semi-pilot scale. • Removal of chlorpyrifos by zerovalent zinc was promoted by peroxymonosulfate. • Hydroxyl and sulfate radical rate constants with chlorpyrifos were calculated. • Proposed degradation pathways of chlorpyrifos were suggested. • Toxicities of treated chlorpyrifos solutions and zinc ion leaching were evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water pollution due to variety of organic contaminants is a serious global threat due to its adverse effects on aquatic life, terrestrial organisms and environment. In this sense, sustainable wastewater treatment using materials derived from lignocellulosic wastes has received considerable scientific attention because they are abundant, low-cost and functional-group rich. In this work, a facile approach has been demonstrated to design peanut shell biochar-graphene oxide (PBC@GO)-based binary composite. Herein, PBC@GO composite was fabricated and assessed as an adsorptive platform for cationic and anionic dyes viz. Crystal Violet (CV) and Bromophenol Blue (BPB), respectively, as model pollutants. The test materials were characterized by means of SEM, FTIR, XRD and TGA. The influence of pH, time, dosage and concentration of model pollutants was ascertained for optimal performance in batch mode. Results showed that PBC@GO efficiently removed CV (97 %) and BPB (87 %), whilst kinetic data accorded well with pseudo-second-order model with R2 values of 0.97 and 0.99 for CV and BPB, respectively. Moreover, equilibrium data was fitted to the Langmuir and Freundlich models to understand sorption mechanism for CV and BPB dyes. Comparative study showed synergistic effects of PBC and GO in terms of better removal efficiency due to the availability of multi-interaction sites in PBC@GO composite as compared to the precursors. Apart from superior pollutant's uptake ability, high % recoveries obtained by using spiked real water samples as well as long term stability of the prepared composite when subjected to five successive cycle of use without any substantial loss of its ability towards scavenging dyes were crucial for improving sustainability of water treatment systems. • Transforming peanut shell waste into biochar for environmental clean-up. • GO-based biochar composite was facilely fabricated. • PBC@GO enabled organic contaminant's scavenging with high efficiency. • Improved performance due to synergy of GO and biochar in resulting composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality concerns exist with stillbirth data from low- and middle-income countries including under-reporting and misclassification which affect the reliability of burden estimates. This is particularly problematic for household survey data. Disclosure and reporting of stillbirths are affected by the socio-cultural context in which they occur and societal perceptions around pregnancy loss. In this qualitative study, we aimed to understand how community and healthcare providers' perceptions and practices around stillbirth influence stillbirth data quality in Afghanistan. We collected data through 55 in-depth interviews with women and men that recently experienced a stillbirth, female elders, community health workers, healthcare providers, and government officials in Kabul province, Afghanistan between October-November 2017. The results showed that at the community-level, there was variation in local terminology and interpretation of stillbirth which did not align with the biomedical categories of stillbirth and miscarriage and could lead to misclassification. Specific birth attendant practices such as avoiding showing mothers their stillborn baby had implications for women's ability to recall skin appearance and determine stillbirth timing; however, parents who did see their baby, had a detailed recollection of these characteristics. Birth attendants also unintentionally misclassified birth outcomes. We found several practices that could potentially reduce under-reporting and misclassification of stillbirth; these included the cultural significance of ascertaining signs of life after birth (which meant families distinguished between stillbirths and early neonatal deaths); the perceived value and social recognition of a stillborn; and openness of families to disclose and discuss stillbirths. At the facility-level, we identified that healthcare provider's practices driven by institutional culture and demands, family pressure, and socio-cultural influences, could contribute to under-reporting or misclassification of stillbirths. Data collection methodologies need to take into consideration the socio-cultural context and investigate thoroughly how perceptions and practices might facilitate or impede stillbirth reporting in order to make progress on data quality improvements for stillbirth. • Sociocultural factors and perceptions of pregnancy loss affect stillbirth reporting. • Community frequently interchanged terms for stillbirth with other pregnancy losses. • Distinguishing between stillbirth and early neonatal death had cultural significance. • Institutional values and provider practices may affect stillbirth data in facilities. • Stillbirth data quality improvement efforts need to consider contextual factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) through "green" chemistry is an exciting area of research with wide applications. Trianthema portulacastrum's extract containing greater amount of reducing agents has been explored first time for the synthesis of ZnO-NPs that characterized with UV/Vis, XRD, FT-IR, SEM,EDX, HR-TEM and XPS. The particles of ZnO-NPs are crystalline and having the size in the range of 25–90 nm. The cell viability of ZnO-NPs was studied using Mouse pre-osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1 sub-clone 14 cells which confirmed its biocompatibility that render for biomedical applications. The antibacterial properties were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli which showed high potency of synthesized ZnO-NPs against these species. The antifungal activities of ZnO-NPs were screened against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus of fungal species. The antioxidant activity of the as-synthesized NPs was also studied using DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) substrate. The ZnO-NPs were evaluated for catalytic activity through degradation of Synozol Navy Blue-KBF textile dye using solar irradiation that causes 91% degradation of the dye in 159 min. Mechanistic pathways for the degradation of Synozol Navy Blue-KBF dye using ZnO-NPs were also proposed from the pattern of the degradation of the dye and the resulting by-products. The results concluded that the ZnO-NPs synthesized by green method have high biological and photocatalytic applications. Graphical Abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Greener synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles using Trianthema portulacastrum Extract. • Characterizations of ZnO-NPs by physical techniques like, XRD, FT-IR, SEM, HRTEM and XPS. • Antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant application of green Synthesized ZnONPs. • use of ZnONPs to enhanced the photocatalytic activities of synozol navy blue K-BF water soluble dyes. • solar radiation, mechanistic investigation of synozol navy blue K-BF water soluble dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Surfactant interactions, self-association, and self-organizing properties can play an important role in customizing colloidal particles surface. Colloidal silica (CS) is an essential biocompatible material, which makes it a suitable candidate for various studies related to surface modifications. In this work, colloidal silica (SiO 2) was synthesized using a modified Stober's process. Point of zero charge (PZC) was measured by standard pH titrations. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was employed to examine the particle's morphology while phase integrity was confirmed using powder X-rays diffraction (XRD) technique. CS interactions with a cationic dye "methylene blue" (MB) and anionic dye "congo red" (CR) were investigated spectrophotometrically. Later on, CS was modified using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and observed the changes in PZC and surface morphology, zeta potential and hydrodynamic diameter. The interactions of CTAB modified particles with MB and CR were reinvestigated. For both modified colloidal SiO 2 (MCS) and unmodified colloidal SiO 2 (CS), different models of adsorption and adsorption kinetics were applied to the UV–Vis spectroscopic data to quantify binding interactions, adsorption efficiency, changes in enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS), and free energy (ΔG) of the adsorption processes. CS has shown efficient adsorption of MB while MCS was found as a good adsorbent for CR. CTAB enabled the modification of an "anionic surface" of CS to an efficient "cationic surface" and this was demonstrated by significant absorption of an anionic dye CR on the CS surface as well as by the changes in zeta potential and hydrodynamic radius of particles before and after modifications by CTAB. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Synthesis of colloidal SiO 2 and its surface modification by CTAB • Adsorption of methylene blue by colloidal SiO 2 and congo red by CTAB modified colloidal SiO 2 • Self-assembled surfactant on surface of modified colloidal silica particles • Evidence of modification from FE-SEM results and changes in hydrodynamic radius • High adsorption capacities and thermodynamically favorable adsorption process [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This article reports an efficient removal of selected heavy metal ions using a low-cost superabsorbent polymer hydrogel (SPH) composed of acrylic acid and acrylamide in different compositions which were prepared by single step free radical polymerization technique using ammonium persulphate and N, N-methylene bis-acrylamide as an initiator and cross-linker respectively. The morphological, thermal and mechanical properties were assessed for superabsorbent polymer hydrogels. The effect of pH and monomer content on the swelling behaviour of SPH was studied in detail and a maximum swelling capacity of 1841% was found for composition having maximum acrylic acid (AA) content. All the samples were highly effective in the removal of Cd2+, Ni2+, Cu2+ and Co2+ from aqueous medium at pH range of 2–10 following pseudo second order kinetics and Freundlisch adsorption model. Also, the removal capacity was greater at pH 7 and materials showed high selectivity towards Co2+ and Cu2+ in competitive removal process. The high removal ability >75% for each metal ion, make these materials as an efficient, easily obtainable, and environmental friendly product. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Synthesis of superabsorbent polymer hydrogels in different ratio. • Swelling property is considered for removal of heavy metal ions. • Replacement of classical adsorbents with superabsorbent polymer hydrogels for removal of metal ions. • Optimum pH 7 was found for enhanced removal of metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of brilliant green (BG), a toxic organic and cationic dye, has been examined by UV/S 2 O 8 2− (PS), UV/HSO 5 − (PMS) and UV/H 2 O 2 processes. BG showed insignificant direct photolysis at 254 nm (i.e., 8.6% after 30 min). However, enhanced BG degradation was observed in UV/PS, UV/PMS and UV/H 2 O 2 systems as revealed from 63.1, 47.0 and 34.8% BG degradation, respectively, at 30 min of reaction time, using 0.05 mM BG and 1.0 mM oxidant initial concentration. The bimolecular rate constants of OH and SO 4 − with BG were determined to be 2.35 × 10 9 and 2.21 × 10 9 M −1 s −1 , respectively. Electrical energy per order (EE/O) values for UV/PS, UV/PMS and UV/H 2 O 2 processes were calculated to be 5.4, 6.8, and 7.8 KWh/m 3 /order, respectively. The addition of humic acid (HA) and inorganic anions inhibited the degradation of BG by UV/PS in the order of NO 2 −  > HA > HCO 3 −  > Cl −   > NO 3 −  ≈ SO 4 2− . The results of frontier electron densities (FEDs) showed that C-atom holding the three rings (C7), and C-atoms at para positions to N-alkyl groups of the two rings (C4 and C14) are the predominant sites for radical addition. Furthermore, nine degradation products (DPs) of BG were detected experimentally using LC/MS/MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is a widespread emerging water pollutant and thus its removal from aquatic environment is vital. The use of Fe3+/H2O2 and Fe2+/H2O2 resulted in 38 and 64% removal of CIP (8.0 ppm), respectively, within 80 min reaction time (pH 5.8, [H2O2]0 = 80 ppm, and [iron]0 = 20 ppm). Low pH, high temperature, high dose of H2O2 and Fe2+, and low CIP concentration facilitated removal of CIP. The radical scavenger studies proved in situ generated OH to be involved primarily in the removal of CIP. The effect of temperature was used to estimate enthalpy and activation energies of the removal of CIP. At 800 min reaction time, the Fe2+/H2O2 resulted in 54% mineralization of CIP using 16.0 ppm [CIP]0, 320.0 ppm [H2O2]0, and 40.0 ppm [Fe2+]0. The potential degradation pathways of CIP established from the degradation of CIP by OH and products evolved was found to be initiated at C6 through the loss of fluoride ion. The acute and chronic toxicities of CIP and its degradation products were estimated with the final product found to be non-toxic. The results suggest that Fe2+/H2O2-mediated AOPs have high potential for degradation as well as toxicity elimination of CIP and its degradation products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbamazepine (CBZ), a widely used antiepileptic drug, was removed by UV–254 nm based advanced oxidation processes. CBZ was found to be stable under sole UV, however, removal of CBZ was promoted using Fe3+ and Fe2+ with UV. Further, removal efficiency of CBZ was significantly enhanced by coupling H2O2 with UV and Fe3+/Fe2+. At 3600 mJ cm−2, 7.5, 60.2, 74.3 and 90.6% CBZ degradation was achieved in UV, UV/H2O2, UV/H2O2/Fe3+ and UV/H2O2/Fe2+, using CBZ, H2O2, Fe2+ and Fe3+ at 21.16, 1060.00, 17.91 and 17.91 μM, respectively. Higher CBZ degradation in the presence of H2O2 was attributed to HO whose second-order rate constant with CBZ was calculated to be (8.83 ± 0.27) × 109 M−1 s−1. Removal of CBZ by UV/H2O2/Fe2+ system was optimum at pH 3.0, as 80.8, 90.6 and 70.4% CBZ degradation was observed at pH 2.0, 3.0 and 6.5, respectively. The removal of CBZ by UV/H2O2/Fe2+ was retarded in the presence of Cl− and humic acid as revealed from 84.5 and 56.7% CBZ degradation in the presence of Cl− and humic acid, respectively, compared to 90.6% in their absence at 3600 mJ cm−2. The CBZ degradation products were found to be less toxic than the parent compound, suggesting important role of UV-assisted AOPs in efficient removal and toxicity reduction of CBZ and their degradation products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desethyl-atrazine (DEA) and desisopropyl-atrazine (DIA) are the two major degradation by-products of atrazine (a suspected human carcinogen and endocrine disrupting herbicide), and show an equal toxicity to their parent compound. This study investigated the degradation of DEA and DIA with OH and SO 4 − generated from the activation of peroxides, i.e., persulfate (S 2 O 8 2− ), peroxymonosulfate (HSO 5 − ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), by UV-254 nm radiation in the presence or absence of Fe 2+ . Quantum yields of DEA and DIA were independent of pH (3.0–11.0). The higher quantum yield of reactive radicals from UV/S 2 O 8 2− , i.e., 1.8 compared to 1.04 for UV/HSO 5 − and 1.0 for UV/H 2 O 2 , resulted in greater efficiency of UV/S 2 O 8 2− for both DEA and DIA degradation. The second-order rate constants of DEA and DIA with SO 4 − were calculated to be (6.42 ± 0.12) × 10 8 and (1.70 ± 0.30) × 10 9 M −1 s −1 , and that with OH were (1.14 ± 0.09) × 10 9 and (2.22 ± 0.44) × 10 9 M −1 s −1 , respectively, suggesting a strong impact of side chains toward radical reactions. Fe 2+ promoted slightly the activation of the examined peroxides at pH 7.4. Presence of organic matter and alkalinity in field water samples negatively influenced the efficiency of UV/S 2 O 8 2− . Based on the identified degradation by-products by GC–MS, potential degradation pathways were proposed for both compounds. The results obtained suggested that DEA and DIA can be efficiently removed from the contaminated water by OH and SO 4 − based-AOPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Different peroxides-based oxidative pathways were compared towards NOR degradation. • The peroxide HSO 5 − performed best in the degradation of NOR under UV-C and Fe2+. • The peroxides yield ●OH and SO 4 ●− under activation by UV-C and Fe2+ activation. • The ●OH and SO 4 ●− scavengers inhibited degradation of NOR. • Degradation products and ecotoxicities of NOR as well as its DPS were estimated. The removal of norfloxacin (NOR), a widely used pharmaceutical and emerging water pollutant, was studied using UV-C and Fe2+ catalyzed peroxides-based oxidative processes (e.g., UV-C/Fe2+/H 2 O 2 , UV-C/Fe2+/S 2 O 8 2− and UV-C/Fe2+/HSO 5 −) and compared with UV-C and UV-C/Fe2+. The UV-C and UV-C/Fe2+ degraded NOR to 38 and 55 %. However, use of peroxides, i.e., H 2 O 2 , S 2 O 8 2−, HSO 5 − with UV-C and UV-C/Fe2+ promoted NOR %degradation to 75, 83, and 90 % using [peroxides] 0 = 50 mg/L, [Fe2+] 0 = 1 mg/L, and [NOR] 0 = 10 mg/L, respectively. The significant impact of peroxides on NOR degradation was due to their decomposition into ●OH and SO 4 ●− which showed high activity towards NOR degradation. The ●OH and SO 4 ●− formation from peroxides decomposition and their contribution in NOR degradation was verified by different scavenger studies. Among the UV-C/Fe2+/peroxides processes, UV-C/Fe2+/HSO 5 − showed better performance. The changing concentrations of peroxides, Fe2+, and NOR affected degradation of NOR. The use of different pH and inorganic anions also influenced NOR degradation. The degradation pathways of NOR were established and analyzed acute as well as chronic toxicities of NOR and its DPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of chlorendic acid, an emerging water pollutant and potential carcinogenic, was investigated by gamma radiation in the absence and presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS, HSO 5 − ). The removal of chlorendic acid (1.40 μM initial concentration) by gamma radiation was promoted with PMS, i.e., 95% compared to 82% in the absence of PMS, at an absorbed dose of 1000 Gy. The removal of chlorendic acid by gamma-ray/PMS process was due to OH and SO 4 − . Second-order rate constants of 5.90 × 10 9 , 1.75 × 10 9 , and 2.05 × 10 9 M −1 s −1 for chlorendic acid with e aq − , OH, and SO 4 − , respectively, were determined. The removal efficiency of chlorendic acid was promoted with increasing initial PMS concentration and decreasing initial target contaminant concentration. The removal of chlorendic acid by gamma-ray/PMS was inhibited in the presence of CO 3 2− , NO 2 − , p -CBA, m -TA, and alcohols. The presence of Fe 2+ , Cu + , and Fe 3+ with gamma-ray/PMS promoted removal efficiency of chlorendic acid from 78% to 99, 94, and 89%, respectively, at 592 Gy. The degradation of chlorendic acid by OH and SO 4 − was found to be initiated at the carboxylate group as could be revealed from nature of the transformation by-products. Nevertheless, this study concluded that gamma-ray/PMS is of practical importance in treatment of natural water containing chlorendic acid, as potential detoxification of chlorendic acid solution can be revealed from 83% loss of chloride ion at 3000 Gy. In addition, gamma-ray/PMS process achieved efficient removal of chlorendic acid even in the presence of commonly found inorganic ions in natural water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of nanoparticles from biological materials is an economic and environmentally friendly strategy with several advantages. The current study is focused to synthesize silver nanoparticles using Petroselinum crispum plant extract. Various characteristics of biologically synthesized AgNPs were determined with UV–Visible (UV/Vis) Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, and High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM). The plasmonic resonance peak at 425 nm ensured the formation of AgNPs. The FTIR analysis showed that the as-synthesized particles contain alcoholic and polyphenolic constituents, which are responsible for their capping and reduction. The HRTEM results revealed spherical shape of AgNPs with size ranging from 25 to 90 nm. The as-synthesized particles demonstrated excellent antibacterial properties against Gram positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The antioxidant applications of the particles were determined with 2,2-diphenyle-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Moreover, the photocatalytic application of the synthesized AgNPs was evaluated for brilliant green dye (BG). The results demonstrated high degradation of BG due to small size and well-dispersed nature of AgNPs. Degradation products of BG were identified to suggest degradation pathways. The eco-toxicity of the BG and constituents derived from the dye were studied with Ecological Structure Activity Relationship (ECOSAR) software. • Green Synthesis of AgNPs using Petroselinum crispum plant extract. • Antimicrobial study of AgNPs against Gram positive and Gram-negative Bacteria. • Photocatalytic application of AgNPs using brilliant green dye. • Ecological Structure Activity Relationship (ECOSAR) study of Brilliant Green dye. • Eco- toxicity Study of Brilliant Green dye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, TiO 2 nanoparticles have been synthesized by hydrothermal process and characterized using the techniques like FTIR, XRD, and SEM analysis. FTIR spectral analysis confirms the presence of Ti O characteristic bond in TiO 2 nanoparticles. The rutile phase of TiO 2 nanoparticles having an average crystallite size of 26.8 nm was confirmed by XRD analysis. The SEM images indicate that the prepared nanoparticles are crystalline having a strong tendency to agglomerate. The 1-H-3-methylimidazolium acetate ionic liquid having aromaticity and conductive sites in its structure were synthesized using the simple neutralization method. A new colorimetric method was developed for acetone detection based on low-cost stable eosin dye as a substrate which reacts with acetone in the presence of ionic liquid coated TiO 2 nanoparticles. The colored eosin dye (brown color) solution has been changed to the colorless product after reaction with acetone as analyzed by UV–Vis spectrophotometry. The optimization of different parameters (time, pH, temperature, concentrations, loading of nanoparticles, etc.) was conducted in order to get the best results of the proposed sensor. This sensor shows a wide linear range of 1.6 × 10−6–6.1 × 10−5 mol L−1 and low limit of detection i.e. 2.7023 × 10−5 mol L−1 with an R2 value of 0.9995. The selectivity of the sensor was excellent when compared with the potential interfering substances. The response time was measured only 5 min for the proposed sensor. Moreover, the sensor was successfully applied to test acetone in the urine samples of diabetic patients having a blood sugar level in the range of 245–370 mg/dL. • Ionic liquid coated TiO 2 nanoparticles were used for sensing of acetone. • A low-cost stable eosin dye was used as a substrate in detection. • Optimized the sensing parameters. • Successfully applied to test acetone in the urine samples of diabetic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research work, surface-modified nano zerovalent copper (nZVC) was prepared using a simple borohydride reduction method. The spectroscopic and crystallographic results revealed the successful synthesis of surface-modified nano zerovalent copper (nZVC) using solvents such as ethanol (ETOH), ethylene glycol (EG) and tween80 (T80). The as-synthesized material was fully characterized for morphological surface and crystal structural properties. The results indicated that EG provides an excellent synthesis environment to nZVC compared to ETOH and T80 in terms of good dispersion, high surface area and excellent catalytic properties. The catalytic efficiency of nZVC/EG was investigated alone and with peroxymonosulphate (PMS) in the absence of light. The degradation results demonstrated that the involvement of PMS synergistically boosted the catalytic efficiency of synthesized nZVC/EG material. Furthermore, the degradation products (DPs) of CBZ were determined by GC-MS and subsequently, the degradation pathways were proposed. The ecotoxicity analysis of the DPs was also explored. The proposed (nZVC/EG/PMS) system is economical and efficient and thus could be applied for the degradation of CBZ from an aquatic system after altering the degradation pathways in such a way that results in harmless products.

Advanced oxidation/reduction processes (AO/RPs) are considered as effective water treatment technologies and thus could be used to solve the problem of water pollution. These technologies of wastewater treatment involve the production of highly reactive species such as • OH, H • , e - aq , SO 4 •- , and SO 3 •- . These radicals can attack the targeted contaminants present in aqueous media and result in their destruction. The efficiency of AO/RPs is highly affected by various operational parameters such as initial concentration of contaminant, solution pH, catalyst amount, intensity of light source, nature of oxidant and reductant used, and the presence of various ionic species in aquatic media. Among AO/RPs, the solar light-based AO/RPs are most widely used nowadays for contaminant removal from aqueous media because of their high environmental friendliness and cost effectiveness. By using these techniques, almost all types of pollutants can be easily removed from aquatic media within short intervals of time, and hence, the problem of water pollution can be solved effectively. This review focuses on various AO/RPs used for wastewater treatment. The effects of different operational parameters that affect the efficiency of these processes toward contaminant removal have been discussed. Besides, challenges and future recommendations are also briefly provided for the researchers in order to improve the efficiency of these processes., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been used extensively as insecticides and herbicides. This study investigates the occurrence of lindane in surface water from the Peshawar valley ( i.e. , Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan). Out of 75 samples tested ( i.e. , 15 samples from each district), 13 samples (including 2 from Peshawar, 3 from Charsadda, 4 from Nowshera, 1 from Mardan, and 3 from Swabi) are found to be contaminated with lindane. Overall, the detection frequency is 17.3%. The maximum concentration of lindane is detected in a water sample from Nowshera and found to be 2.60 μg L -1 . Furthermore, the degradation of lindane in the water sample from Nowshera, containing the maximum concentration, is investigated by simulated solar-light/TiO 2 (solar/TiO 2 ), solar/H 2 O 2 /TiO 2 and solar/persulfate/TiO 2 photocatalysis. The degradation of lindane by solar/TiO 2 photocatalysis is 25.77% after 10 h of irradiation. The efficiency of the solar/TiO 2 process is significantly increased in the presence of 500 μM H 2 O 2 and 500 μM persulfate (PS) (separately), represented by 93.85 and 100.00% lindane removal, respectively. The degradation efficiency of lindane is lower in natural water samples as compared to Milli-Q water, attributed to water matrix effect. Moreover, the identification of degradation products (DPs) shows that lindane follows similar degradation pathways in natural water samples as the one in Milli-Q water. The results show that the occurrence of lindane in surface waters of Peshawar valley is a matter of great concern for human beings and the environment. Interestingly, H 2 O 2 and PS assisted solar/TiO 2 photocatalysis is an effective method for the removal of lindane from natural water., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Local perceptions and understanding of the causes of ill health and death can influence health-seeking behaviour and practices in pregnancy. We aimed to understand individual explanatory models for stillbirth in Afghanistan to inform future stillbirth prevention. This was an exploratory qualitative study of 42 semi-structured interviews with women and men whose child was stillborn, community elders, and healthcare providers in Kabul province, Afghanistan between October-November 2017. We used thematic data analysis framing the findings around Kleinman's explanatory framework. Perceived causes of stillbirth were broadly classified into four categories-biomedical, spiritual and supernatural, extrinsic factors, and mental wellbeing. Most respondents attributed stillbirths to multiple categories, and many believed that stillbirths could be prevented. Prevention practices in pregnancy aligned with perceived causes and included engaging self-care, religious rituals, superstitious practices and imposing social restrictions. Symptoms preceding the stillbirth included both physical and non-physical symptoms or no symptoms at all. The impacts of stillbirth concerned psychological effects and grief, the physical effect on women's health, and social implications for women and how their communities perceive them. Our findings show that local explanations for stillbirth vary and need to be taken into consideration when developing health education messages for stillbirth prevention. The overarching belief that stillbirth was preventable is encouraging and offers opportunities for health education. Such messages should emphasise the importance of care-seeking for problems and should be delivered at all levels in the community. Community engagement will be important to dispel misinformation around pregnancy loss and reduce social stigma., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Christou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

This study is focused on synthesis of highly efficient Titania/reduced Graphene Oxide (TiO 2 /rGO) nanocomposites by means of simple hydrothermal technique. The TiO 2 /rGO were synthesized in different ratios of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3% by varying the concentration of rGO while the concentration of TiO 2 was kept constant and the obtained samples were designated as TrG0.5, TrG1, TrG2, and TrG3 respectively. Different characterization techniques (SEM, TEM, HRTEM, XRD, EDX, TGA, UV-DRS, PL, EIS, and BET) showed high crystallinity, small crystallite size (18.4 nm), high thermal stability, high purity, low band gap energy (E g = 3.12 eV), and high surface area (65.989 m 2 /g) for the as-synthesized TiO 2 /rGO nanocomposite. The efficiencies of TiO 2 /rGO were determined in terms of brilliant green (BG) dye degradation in aqueous media under UV light. The results revealed that 2% TiO 2 /rGO (TrG2) showed high efficiency for BG degradation with the k app of 0.023 min -1 compared to TiO 2 alone (k app of 0.006 min -1 ). The rate of BG degradation was further synergised by the addition of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to the system. The degradation of BG was improved to 99.4% by the incorporation of PMS in aqueous media compared to TrG2 alone. Furthermore, the degradation of BG was also examined in various media (neutral, acidic, and basic). The results revealed that by increasing pH of the medium from 3.85 to 8.2 the degradation of BG was enhanced from 99.4 to 99.9% with the corresponding k app of 0.0602 min -1 . Moreover, the photocatalytic degradation of BG followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics. Radical scavenging experiments showed that ● OH and SO 4 ●- were the main species responsible for the degradation of BG under UV light. Besides, for determining the efficiency of as-synthesized TrG2/PMS system, the degradation of BG was also performed in various water types (distilled water, tape water, synthetic wastewater, and industrial wastewater). The degradation products (DPs) of BG and their corresponding pathways were proposed, accordingly., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Binary composite of zerovalent iron and titanium dioxide (Fe 0 /TiO 2 ) was synthesized for the catalytic removal of dichlorophene (DCP) in the presence of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The as-prepared composite (Fe 0 /TiO 2 ) exhibits synergistic effect and enhanced properties like improved catalytic activity of catalyst and greater magnetic property for facile recycling of catalyst. The results showed that without addition of PMS at reaction time of 50 min, the percent degradation of DCP by TiO 2 , Fe 0 , and Fe 0 /TiO 2 was just 5%, 11%, and 12%, respectively. However, with the addition of 0.8 mM PMS, at 10 min of reaction time, the catalytic degradation performance of Fe 0 , TiO 2 , and Fe 0 /TiO 2 was significantly improved to 82%, 18%, and 88%, respectively. The as-prepared catalyst was fully characterized to evaluate its structure, chemical states, and morphology. Scanning electron microscopy results showed that in composite TiO 2 causes dispersion of agglomerated iron particles which enhances porosity and surface area of the composites and X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) results revealed successful incorporation of Fe 0 , and oxides of Fe and TiO 2 in the composite. The adsorption-desorption analysis verifies that the surface area of Fe 0 /TiO 2 is significantly larger than bare Fe 0 and TiO 2. Moreover, the surface area, particle size, and crystal size of Fe 0 /TiO 2 was surface area = 85 m 2  g -1 , particle size = 0.35 μm, and crystal size = 0.16 nm as compared to TiO 2 alone (surface area = 22 m 2  g -1 , particle size = 4.25 μm, and crystal size = 25.4 nm) and Fe 0 alone (surface area = 65 m 2  g -1 , particle size = 0.9 μm, and crystal size = 7.87 nm). The as-synthesized material showed excellent degradation performance in synthesized wastewater as well. The degradation products and their toxicities were evaluated and the resulted degradation mechanism was proposed accordingly. The toxicity values decreased in order of DP1 > DP5 > DP2 > DP3 > DP4 and the LC 50 values toward fish for 96-h duration decreased from 0.531 to 67.2. This suggests that the proposed technology is an excellent option for the treatment of antibiotic containing wastewater., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study reports the comparative removal of an emerging contaminant diclofenac sodium (DCF) by UV-254 nm-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), i.e. UV/S 2 O 8 2- /Fe 2+ , UV/HSO 5 - /Fe 2+ and UV/H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ processes. The results demonstrated that by applying [DCF] 0  = 0.30 mM and [H 2 O 2 ] 0  = [S 2 O 8 2- ] 0  = [HSO 5 - ] 0  = 3 mM, k app values were 0.082, 0.166, 0.221, 0.485 and 2.014 min -1 for UV-only, UV/Fe 2+ , UV/H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ , UV/S 2 O 8 2- /Fe 2+ and UV/HSO 5 - /Fe 2+ processes, respectively. At different [DCF] 0 from 0.30 to 0.90 mM, the degradation rate was increased from 0.01 mM min -1 to 0.12 mM min -1 , while the corresponding k app values were decreased from 2.01 min -1 to 1.04 min -1 . The removal performance of the applied AOP was significantly influenced by the presence of natural water contaminants (NO 3 - , Cl - , HCO 3 - , SO 4 2- and humic acid (HA)) and [pH] 0 . The inhibition of these natural water contaminants on the removal of DCF by UV/HSO 5 -/Fe 2+ process was in the order of HA > NO 2 - > SO 4 2- > HCO 3 - ≈ Cl - > NO 3 - . Furthermore, seven (07) degradation products (DPs) of DCF were explored by UPLC-MS/MS and accordingly degradation pathways of DCF were suggested. The practical applications of the proposed AOPs towards the removal of DCF were further strengthened by calculating total organic carbon removal and toxicity assessment.

Objective: This study aimed to explore bereaved parents' and healthcare providers experiences of care after stillbirth., Study Design: Qualitative in-depth interviews with 55 women, men, female elders, healthcare providers and key informants in Kabul province, Afghanistan between October and November 2017., Results: Inadequate and insensitive communication and practices by healthcare providers, including avoiding or delaying disclosing the stillbirth were recurring concerns. There was a disconnect between parents' desires and healthcare provider's perceptions. The absence of shared decision-making on seeing and holding the baby and memory-making, manifested as profound regret. Health providers' reported hospitals were not equipped to separate women who had a stillbirth and acknowledged that psychological support would be beneficial. However, the absence of trained personnel and resource constraints prevented provision of such support., Conclusion: Findings can inform future provision of perinatal bereavement care. Given resource constraints, communication training can be considered with longer term goals to develop context-appropriate bereavement care guidelines., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)