Search

Ettringite binder is widely used in mortars for technical applications such as patching mortars, self-leveling screeds, repair mortars thanks to their fast hardening ability and high early strength. However, depending on the amount and types of raw materials used in the composition, the properties of these types of binder have different behaviors at early-age and at long term. In this work, the influence of the nature and dosage of calcium sulfate in ettringite binder on the long-term strength of mortar in different curing conditions was determined. The results showed that the increase of calcium sulfate content in ettringite binder from 10–25 % improves the strength of mortars regardless of the calcium sulfate nature. In all curing conditions (endogenous, drying, outdoor), the strength of ettringite mortars with anhydrite is smaller than that of mortars containing hemihydrate. There is no major difference in the porosity of the mortars in different types of curing conditions before 28 days. However, after 28 days the porosity of mortar in drying condition is about 2–3 % higher than that of the mortars in endogenous and outdoor conditions.

Deep neural networks are widely considered as good models for biological vision. Here, we describe several qualitative similarities and differences in object representations between brains and deep networks that elucidate when deep networks can be considered good models for biological vision and how they can be improved.

Macaque monkeys are widely used to study vision. In the traditional approach, monkeys are brought into a lab to perform visual tasks while they are restrained to obtain stable eye tracking and neural recordings. Here, we describe a novel environment to study visual cognition in a more natural setting as well as other natural and social behaviors. We designed a naturalistic environment with an integrated touchscreen workstation that enables high-quality eye tracking in unrestrained monkeys. We used this environment to train monkeys on a challenging same-different task. We also show that this environment can reveal interesting novel social behaviors. As proof of concept, we show that two naive monkeys were able to learn this complex task through a combination of socially observing trained monkeys and solo trial-and-error. We propose that such naturalistic environments can be used to rigorously study visual cognition as well as other natural and social behaviors in freely moving monkeys.

This study investigates the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dyes from aqueous solutions using purified Moroccan bentonite, being mainly composed of silica and alumina, in the form of quartz and cristobalite. The temperature controls the adsorption capacity for the kinetics, increasing 5.08% (from 295.1 to 310.1 mg/g) for the MB and 55.47% (from 86.8 to 134.9 mg/g) for the MO. It was discovered that the pseudo-second-order model, with a low Bayesian criterion indicator of 12.72 and R 2 adj > 0.996, was the best suitable for explaining both systems. The adsorption isotherm, experimental data indicate that both systems follow the Langmuir isotherm. At lower temperatures, 298.15 K 1.22 molecules are adsorbed per site. However, at a higher temperature of 328.15 K, the number of molecules is less than a unit of 0.68. As for MO, the number of molecules remains above 1.4 per site for all the temperatures studied. The endothermic nature of the system is indicated by the observation that the adsorption energy tends to grow for both systems: for the MB, it increases from 18.85 to 21.26 kJ/mol, and for the MO, it increases from 14.83 to 19.01 kJ/mol. Last, thermodynamic functions indicate that maximum entropy is reached around the half-concentration saturation at 25 and 124 mg/L, which is the maximum energetic concentration of the system. The same results were obtained for Gibbs free energy, where the maximum energy found was - 5.39 × 10 -18 kJ/mol for the MB and - 1.99 × 10 -18 kJ/mol for the MO at 328.15 K., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Currently, pollution due to heavy metals, in particular dissolved mercury, is a major concern for society and the environment. This work aims to evaluate the current scenario regarding the removal/elimination of mercury. Mercury removal through adsorption is mainly done through artificial resins and metallic-organic frameworks. In the case of the zinc organic framework, it was able to adsorb Hg 2+ , reaching an adsorption capacity of 802 mg g -1 . As for the Hg (0) the coconut husk was found to have the lowest equilibrium time, 30 min, and the highest adsorption capacity of 956.2 mg g -1 . Experimental reports and molecular simulation indicate that the adsorption of mercury and other chemical forms occurs due to electrostatic interactions, ion exchange, precipitation, complexation, chelation, and covalent bonds, according to the material nature. The reported thermodynamic results show that, in most cases, the mercury adsorption has an endothermic nature with enthalpy levels below 40 kJ mol -1 . Thermal and chemical regeneration methods lead to a similar number of 5 cycles for different materials. The presence of other ions, in particular cadmium, lead, and copper, generates an antagonistic effect for mercury adsorption. Regarding the other current technologies, it was found that mercury removal is feasible through precipitation, phytoremediation, and marine microalgae; all these methods require constant chemicals or a slow rate of removal according to the conditions. Advanced oxidative processes have noteworthy removal of Hg (0) ; however, Fenton processes lead to mineralization, which leads to Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ in solution; sonochemical processes are impossible to scale up at the current technology level; and electrochemical processes consume more energy and require constant changes of the anode and cathode. Overall, it is possible to conclude that the adsorption process remains a more friendly, economical, and greener process in comparison with other processes., 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 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, novel lamellar double hydroxide composites (LDH-MgAl and LDH-MgFe) were synthesized at different metal salt ratios (1:1 to 3:1) and fully characterized using various techniques such as XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDS, and TGA. The resulting LDHs demonstrated a high affinity for efficiently removing tetracycline (TC) antibiotic from water, particularly at a moderate molar ratio of 3:1. This ratio exhibited improved structural characteristics, resulting in better TC uptake from water. The improved performance was supported by the increased abundance of surface functional groups (OH, NO 3 , CO 3 2- , C-O-C, Fe-O, and Al-O-Al). The TGA analysis established the high stability of the LDHs when subjected to high temperatures. The kinetics of TC adsorption onto LDH fitted with the PSO (R 2  = 0.935-0.994) and Avrami (R 2  = 0.9528-0.9824) models, while the equilibrium data fitted the Liu and Langmuir isotherm models, with maximum monolayer adsorption capacities of 101.1 mg g -1 and 70.83 mg g -1 , respectively-significantly higher than many reported values in the literature. The positive values of ΔH 0 and ΔS 0 indicate an endothermic process, with TC removal mechanisms influenced by physical interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, and π-cation with the surface functional groups of the LDH adsorbents. These results suggest that LDH-MgAl and LDH-MgFe are promising adsorbents for the removal of TC from water., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

It is alarming that synthetic food dyes (FD) are widely used in various industries and that these facilities discharge their wastewater into the environment without treating it. FDs mixed into industrial wastewater pose a threat to the environment and human health. Therefore, removing FDs from wastewater is very important. This review explores the burgeoning field of FD removal from wastewater through adsorption using biological materials (BMs). By synthesizing a wealth of research findings, this comprehensive review elucidates the diverse array of BMs employed, ranging from algae and fungi to agricultural residues and microbial biomass. Furthermore, this review investigates challenges in practical applications, such as process optimization and scalability, offering insights into bridging the gap between laboratory successes and real-world implementations. Harnessing the remarkable adsorptive potential of BMs, this review presents a roadmap toward transformative solutions for FD removal, promising cleaner and safer production practices in the food and beverage industry., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they habve no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, PROP adsorption was investigated using activated carbon derived from Bactris Guineensis residues and physical statistical modeling. The characterization results indicate high specific surface areas (624.72 and 1125.43 m 2  g -1 ) and pore diameters (2.703 and 2.321 nm) for the peel and stone-activated carbon, respectively. Adsorption equilibrium was investigated at different temperatures (298 to 328 K), and it was found that the adsorption capacity increased with temperature, reaching maximum values of 168.7 and 112.94 mg g -1 for the peel and stone-activated carbon, respectively. The application of physical statistical modeling indicates that a monolayer model with one energy site is adequate for describing both systems, with an R 2 above 0.986 and a low BIC of 20.021. According to the steric parameters, the density of molecules per site tends to increase by 116.9% for the stone and 61.6% for the peel. In addition, the model indicates that the number of molecules decreases with increasing temperature from 1.36 to 0.81 and from 1.03 to 0.82. These results indicate that temperature controls the number of receptor sites and the orientation in which propranolol is adsorbed at the surface. The adsorption energies were similar for both systems (approximately 10 kJ mol -1 ), which indicates that the adsorption occurred due to physical interactions. Finally, the application of thermodynamic potential functions indicates that the maximum entropy is reached at concentrations of half-saturation (C e 3.85 and 4.6 mg L -1 ), which corresponds to 1.60 × 10 -18 and 1.86 × 10 -18  kJ mol -1  K -1 for the stone and peel, respectively. After this point, the number of available sites tends to decrease, which indicates the stabilization of the system. The Gibbs energy tended to decrease with increasing concentration at equilibrium, reaching minimum values of - 1.73 × 10 -19 and - 1.99 × 10 -19  kJ mol -1 , respectively. Overall, the results obtained here further elucidate how the adsorption of propranolol occurs for different activated carbons from the same source., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The double layer adsorption of sulfamethoxazole, ketoprofen and carbamazepine on a phosphorus carbon-based adsorbent was analyzed using statistical physics models. The objective of this research was to provide a physicochemical analysis of the adsorption mechanism of these organic compounds via the calculation of both steric and energetic parameters. Results showed that the adsorption mechanism of these pharmaceuticals was multimolecular where the presence of molecular aggregates (mainly dimers) could be expected in the aqueous solution. This adsorbent showed adsorption capacities at saturation from 15 to 36 mg/g for tested pharmaceutical molecules. The ketoprofen adsorption was exothermic, while the adsorption of sulfamethoxazole and carbamazepine was endothermic. The adsorption mechanism of these molecules involved physical interaction forces with interaction energies from 5.95 to 19.66 kJ/mol. These results contribute with insights on the adsorption mechanisms of pharmaceutical pollutants. The identification of molecular aggregates, the calculation of maximum adsorption capacities and the characterization of thermodynamic behavior provide crucial information for the understanding of these adsorption systems and to optimize their removal operating conditions. These findings have direct implications for wastewater treatment and environmental remediation associated with pharmaceutical pollution where advanced adsorption technologies are required., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Fluoride contamination in water sources poses a significant challenge to human health and the environment. In recent years, adsorption technology has emerged as a promising approach for water defluoridation due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This review article comprehensively explores the advances in water defluoridation through adsorption processes. Various adsorbents, including natural and synthetic materials, have been investigated for their efficacy in removing fluoride ions from water. The mechanisms underlying adsorption interactions are elucidated, shedding light on the factors influencing defluoridation efficiency. Moreover, the review outlines the current state of technology, highlighting successful case studies and field applications. Future perspectives in the field of water defluoridation by adsorption are discussed, emphasizing the need for sustainable and scalable solutions. The integration of novel materials, process optimization, and the development of hybrid technologies are proposed as pathways to address existing challenges and enhance the overall efficacy of water defluoridation. This comprehensive assessment of the advances and future directions in adsorption-based water defluoridation provides valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working towards ensuring safe and accessible drinking water for all., 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 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Microbial lipids are a valuable source of potential biofuels and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. The optimization of the fermentation conditions is a strategy that affects the total lipid concentration. The genus Nigrospora sp. has been the target of investigations based on its potential bioherbicidal action. Therefore, this study developed a strategy to maximize the biomass concentration and lipid accumulation by Nigrospora sp. in submerged fermentation. Different media compositions and process variables were investigated in shaken flasks and bioreactor in batch and fed-batch modes. Maximum biomass concentration and lipid accumulations were 40.17 g/L and 21.32 wt% in the bioreactor, which was 2.1 and 5.4 times higher than the same condition in shaken flasks, respectively. This study presents relevant information to the production of fungal lipids since few investigations are exploring the fed-batch strategy to increase the yield of fungi lipids, as well as few studies investigating Nigrospora sp. to produce lipids.

Even at low concentrations, steroid hormones pose a significant threat to ecosystem health and are classified as micropollutants. Among these, 17β-estradiol (molecular formula: C 18 H 24 O 2 ; pK a  = 10.46; Log K ow  = 4.01; solubility in water = 3.90 mg L -1 at 27 °C; molecular weight: 272.4 g mol -1 ) is extensively studied as an endocrine disruptor due to its release through natural pathways and widespread use in conventional medicine. 17β-estradiol (E2) is emitted by various sources, such as animal and human excretions, hospital and veterinary clinic effluents, and treatment plants. In aquatic biota, it can cause issues ranging from the feminization of males to inhibiting plant growth. This review aims to identify technologies for remediating E2 in water, revealing that materials like graphene oxides, nanocomposites, and carbonaceous materials are commonly used for adsorption. The pH of the medium, especially in acidic to neutral conditions, affects efficiency, and ambient temperature (298 K) supports the process. The Langmuir and Freundlich models aptly describe isothermal studies, with interactions being of a low-energy, physical nature. Adsorption faces limitations when other ions coexist in the solution. Hybrid treatments exhibit high removal efficiency. To mitigate global E2 pollution, establishing national and international standards with detailed guidelines for advanced treatment systems is crucial. Despite significant advancements in optimizing technologies by the scientific community, there remains a considerable gap in their societal application, primarily due to economic and sustainable factors. Therefore, further studies are necessary, including conducting batch experiments with these adsorbents for large-scale treatment along with economic analyses of the production process., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Green roofs are promising tools in sustainable urban planning, offering benefits such as stormwater management, energy savings, aesthetic appeal, and recreational spaces. They play a crucial role in creating sustainable and resilient cities, providing both environmental and economic advantages. Despite these benefits, concerns persist about their impact on water quality, especially for non-potable use, as conflicting results are found in the literature. This study presents a comparative analysis of the quantity and quality of water drained from an extensive green roof against an adjacent conventional rooftop made of fiber-cement tiles in subtropical Brazil. Over a 14-month period, the water drained from both roofs was evaluated based on physical (turbidity, apparent color, true color, electrical conductivity, total solids, total dissolved solids, suspended solids), chemical (pH, phosphate, total nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, chlorides, sulfates, and BOD), microbiological (total coliforms and E. coli), and metal (copper, iron, zinc, lead, and chrome) concentration parameters. The discharge from the green roof was 40% lower than its counterpart measured at the control roof, while the water quality from both roofs was quite similar. However, the green roof acted as source of chlorides, electrical conductivity, color, BOD, total hardness, E. coli, phosphate, sulfate, and turbidity. On the other side, the green roof neutralized the slightly acidic character of rainwater, showcasing its potential to mitigate the effects of acid rain. The study's results underscored that the water discharged from the green roof generally aligned with non-potable standards mandated by both Brazilian and international regulations. However, the findings emphasized the imperative need for pre-treatment of the green roof discharge before its utilization, specifically adjusting parameters like turbidity, BOD, total coliforms, and E. coli, which were identified as crucial to ensure water safety and compliance with non-potable use standards., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Antibiotics are considered as the new generation water pollutants as these disturb endocrine systems if water contaminated with antibiotics is consumed. Among many antibiotics norfloxacin is present in various natural water bodies globally. This antibiotic is considered an emerging pollutant due to its low degradation in aquatic animals. Besides, it has many side effects on human vital organs. Therefore, the present article discusses the recent advances in the removal of norfloxacin by adsorption. This article describes the presence of norfloxacin in natural water, consumption, toxicity, various adsorbents for norfloxacin removal, optimization factors for norfloxacin removal, kinetics, thermodynamics, modeling, adsorption mechanism and regeneration of the adsorbents. Adsorption takes place in a monolayer following the Langmuir model. The Pseudo-second order model represents the kinetic data. The adsorption capacity ranged from 0.924 to 1282 mg g -1 . In this sense, the parameters such as the NFX concentration added to the adsorbent textural properties exerted a great influence. Besides, the fixed bed-based removal at a large scale is also included. In addition to this, the simulation studies were also discussed to describe the adsorption mechanism. Finally, the research challenges and future perspectives have also been highlighted. This article will be highly useful for academicians, researchers, industry persons, and government authorities for designing future advanced experiments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests. Environmental remediation of the norfloxacin in water by adsorption: Advances, current status and prospects, (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The potential of pyrolyzed Mytella falcata shells as an adsorbent for removing methylene blue dye molecules from aqueous solutions was investigated. The study found that the adsorbent produced at 600 °C of pyrolysis temperature, with an adsorbent mass of 0.5 g, particle diameter of 0.297-0.149 mm, and pH 12.0, demonstrated the highest dye molecule removal efficiency of 82.41%. The material's porosity was observed through scanning electron microscopy, which is favorable for adsorption, while Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-Ray diffraction analysis analyses confirmed the presence of calcium carbonate in the crystalline phases. The pseudo-second order model was found to be the best fit for the data, suggesting that the adsorption mechanism involves two steps: external diffusion and diffusion via the solid pores. The Redlich-Peterson isotherm model better represented the equilibrium data, and the methylene blue adsorption was found to be spontaneous, favorable, and endothermic. The hydrogen peroxide with UV oxidation was found to be the most efficient method of regeneration, with a regeneration percentage of 63% achieved using 600 mmol.L -1 of oxidizing agents. The results suggest that pyrolyzed Mytella falcata shells could serve as an ecologically viable adsorbent alternative, reducing the amount of waste produced in the local environment and at the same time removing pollutants from the water. The material's adsorption capacity remained almost constant in the first adsorption-oxidation cycles, indicating its potential for repeated use., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The production of cobalt oxide nanoparticles and their use in the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) from solution is described in the paper. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that the synthesized cobalt oxide nanoparticles have a crystalline cubic structure. The study of the adsorption of methylene blue onto the cobalt oxide nanoparticles involved determining the contact time and initial concentration of the adsorption of MB on the adsorbent. The kinetics of adsorption were analyzed using two kinetic models (pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order), and the pseudo-second-order model was found to be the most appropriate for describing the behavior of the adsorption. This study indicates that the MLTS (monolayer with the same number of molecules per site) model is the most suitable model for describing methylene blue/cobalt oxide systems, and the parameter values help to further understand the adsorption process with the steric parameters. Indicating that methylene blue is horizontally adsorbed onto the surface of the cobalt oxide, which is bonded to two different receptor sites. Regarding the temperature effect, it was found that the adsorption capacity increased, with the experimental value ranging from 313.7 to 405.3 mg g -1 , while the MLTS predicted 313.32 and 408.16 mg g -1 . From the thermodynamic functions, high entropy was found around 280 mg L -1 concentration. For all concentrations and temperatures examined, the Gibbs free energy and enthalpy of adsorption were found to be negative and positive, respectively, suggesting that the system is spontaneous and endothermic. According to this study's findings, methylene blue adsorption onto cobalt oxide nanoparticles happens via the creation of a monolayer, in which the same amount of molecules are adsorbed at two distinct locations. The findings shed light on the methylene blue adsorption process onto cobalt oxide nanoparticles, which have a variety of uses, including the remediation of wastewater.

The objective of this study is to develop a low-cost biosorbent using residual seeds of the Citrullus lanatus fruit for the removal of cationic dyes. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, adsorbent mass, contact time, and temperature were evaluated for their effects on dye removal. The biosorbent is composed of lignin and cellulose, exhibiting a highly heterogeneous surface with randomly distributed cavities and bulges. The adsorption of both dyes was most effective at natural pH with a dosage of 0.8 g L -1 . Equilibrium was reached within 120 min, regardless of concentration, indicating rapid kinetics. The Elovich model and pseudo-second-order kinetics were observed for crystal violet and basic fuchsin dye, respectively. The Langmuir model fitted well with the equilibrium data of both dyes. However, the increased temperature had a negative impact on dye adsorption. The biosorbent also demonstrated satisfactory performance ( R  = 43%) against a synthetic mixture of dyes and inorganic salts, with a small mass transfer zone. The adsorption capacities for crystal violet and basic fuchsin dye were 48.13 mg g -1 and 44.26 mg g -1 , respectively. Thermodynamic studies confirmed an exothermic nature of adsorption. Overall, this low-cost biosorbent showed potential for the removal of dyes from aqueous solutions.

Emerging contaminants were used during the COVID-19 pandemic, including ivermectin. Studies that limit the optimal adsorption parameters of ivermectin are scarce in the literature. In this study, we analyzed the adsorption of ivermectin with a high surface area and porosity charcoal. Isotherms were better fitted to the Koble-Corrigan model. The maximum capacity was 203 μg g -1 at 328 K. Thermodynamics indicated a spontaneous and endothermic behavior. The equilibrium was quickly reached within the first few minutes regardless of the ivermectin concentration. The linear driving force (LDF) model fitted the kinetic data (q exp = 164.8 μg g -1 ; q pred = 148.1 μg g -1 ) at 100 μg L -1 of ivermectin. The model coefficient (K LDF ) and diffusivity (D s ) increased with increasing drug concentration. Two sloped curves were obtained in the column experiments, with a breakthrough time of 415 min and 970 min. The capacity of the column (q eq ) was 76 μg g -1 . The length of the mass transfer zone was 9.04 and 14.13 cm. Therefore, it can be concluded that the adsorption of ivermectin is highly sensitive to changes in pH, being favored in conditions close to neutrality. Commercial activated charcoal was highly efficient in removing the studied compound showing high affinity with very fast kinetics and a good performance in continuous operation mode., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study explores the potential of the corozo fruit ( Bactris guineensis ) palm tree in the Colombian Caribbean as a source for porous carbon material. Its specific surface area, pore volume, and average pore size were obtained using N 2 adsorption/desorption isotherms. The images of the precursor and adsorbent surface were obtained using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were obtained to detect the main functional groups present and an X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) was performed in order to analyze the structural organization of the materials. By carbonizing the fruit stone with zinc chloride, a porous carbon material was achieved with a substantial specific surface area (1125 m 2 g⁻ 1 ) and pore volume (3.241 × 10- 1 cm 3 g⁻ 1 ). The material was tested for its adsorption capabilities of the drug propranolol. The optimal adsorption occurred under basic conditions and at a dosage of 0.7 g L⁻ 1 . The Langmuir homogeneous surface model effectively described the equilibrium data and, as the temperature increased, the adsorption capacity improved, reaching a maximum of 134.7 mg g⁻ 1 at 328.15 K. The model constant was favorable to the temperature increase, increasing from 1.556 × 10 -1 to 2.299 × 10 -1 L mg -1 . Thermodynamically, the adsorption of propranolol was found to be spontaneous and benefited from higher temperatures, indicating an endothermic nature (12.39 kJ mol⁻ 1 ). The negative ΔG 0 values decreased from -26.28 to -29.99 kJ mol -1 , with the more negative value occurring at 328 K. The adsorbent material exhibited rapid kinetics, with equilibrium times ranging from 30 to 120 min, depending on the initial concentration. The kinetics data were well-represented by the general order and linear driving force models. The rate constant of the general order model diminished from 1.124 × 10 -3 to 9.458 × 10 -14 with an increasing concentration. In summary, the leftover stone from the Bactris guineensis plant can be utilized to develop activated carbon, particularly when activated using zinc chloride. This material shows promise for efficiently adsorbing propranolol and potentially other emerging pollutants.

In this study, the residual pods of the forest species Erythrina speciosa were carbonized with ZnCl 2 to obtain porous activated carbon and investigated for the adsorptive removal of the drug paracetamol (PCM) from water. The PCM adsorption onto activated carbon is favored at acidic solution pH. The isothermal studies confirmed that increasing the temperature from 298 to 328 K decreased the adsorption capacity from 65 mg g -1 to 50.4 mg g -1 (C 0  = 175 mg L -1 ). The Freundlich model showed a better fit of the equilibrium isotherms. Thermodynamic studies confirmed the exothermic nature (ΔH 0  = -39.1066 kJ mol -1 ). Kinetic data indicates that the external mass transfer occurs in the first minutes followed by the surface diffusion, considering that the linear driving force model described the experimental data. The application of the material in the treatment of a simulated effluent with natural conditions was promising, presenting a removal of 76.45%. Therefore, it can be concluded that the application of residual pods of the forest species Erythrina speciosa carbonized with ZnCl 2 is highly efficient in the removal of the drug paracetamol and also in mixtures containing other pharmaceutical substances., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The Calophyllum inophyllum species annually produces a large volume of cylindrical fruits, which accumulate on the soil because they do not have nutritional value. This study sought to enable the use of this biomass by producing activated biochar with zinc chloride as an activating agent for further application as an adsorbent in batch and fixed bed columns. Different methodologies were used to characterize the precursor and the pyrolyzed material. Morphological changes were observed with the emergence of new spaces. The carbonaceous material had a surface area of 468 m 2  g -1 , D p  = 2.7 nm, and V T  = 3.155 × 10 -1 cm 3  g -1 . Scientific and isothermal studies of the adsorption of the diuron were conducted at the natural pH of the solution and adsorbent dosage of 0.75 g L -1 . The kinetic curves showed a good fit to the Avrami fractional order model, with equilibrium reached after 150 min, regardless of the diuron concentration. The Liu heterogeneous surface model well represented the isothermal curves. By raising the temperature, adsorption was encouraged, and at 318 K, the Liu Q max was reached at 250.1 mg g -1 . Based on the Liu equilibrium constant, the nonlinear van't Hoff equation was employed, and the ΔG° were < 0 from 298 to 328 K; the process was exothermic nature (ΔH 0  = -46.40 kJ mol -1 ). Finally, the carbonaceous adsorbent showed good removal performance (63.45%) compared to a mixture containing different herbicides used to control weeds. The stoichiometric column capacity (q eq ) was 13.30 and 16.61 mg g -1 for concentrations of 100 and 200 mg L -1 , respectively. The length of the mass transfer zone was 5.326 cm (100 mg L -1 ) and 4.946 cm (200 mg L -1 ). This makes employing the leftover fruits of the Calophyllum inophyllum species as biomass for creating highly porous adsorbents a very effective and promising option., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this paper, the adsorption of the herbicide 2,4-D and the drug ketoprofen on wheat husks Fagopyrum esculentum treated with H 2 SO 4 is experimentally and analytically analyzed. The adsorbent is fully characterized through some techniques such as FT-IR, SEM, and XRD. Adsorption tests are carried out to optimize the performances in terms of adsorbent dosage and solution pH. Subsequently, the impact of temperature is determined through the realization of adsorption isotherms. A multilayer model is employed to microscopically interpret the adsorption mechanism of both the investigated compounds. The modelling analysis shows that the number of molecules bound per adsorption site varied from 0.68 to 2.77 and from 2.23 to 3.59 for ketoprofen and herbicide 2,4-D, respectively. These estimated values testify that an aggregation process occurs during adsorption. The global number of formed layers of each adsorbate is also determined, showing a significant reduction from 5.73 to 2.61 for ketoprofen and from 1.79 to 1.5 for herbicide 2,4-D with the temperature. For a complete understanding of the adsorption mechanism, the saturation adsorption capacity and adsorption energy were calculated and interpreted. Overall, it may be inferred that physical interactions govern how these contaminants adsorb on the tested adsorbent., 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 Ltd. 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.)

Brazil's production and consumption of açai pulp (Euterpe oleracea) occur on a large scale. Most of the fruit is formed by the pit, which generates countless tons of residual biomass. A new purpose for this biomass, making its consumption highly sustainable, was presented in this study, where activated carbon (AC) was produced with zinc chloride for later use as an adsorbent. AC carbon formed by carbon and with a yield of 28 % was satisfactorily used as an adsorbent in removing the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Removal efficiency was due to the highly porous surface (Vp = 0.467 cm 3 g -1 ; Dp = 1.126 nm) and good surface área (SBET = 920.56 m 2 g -1 ). The equilibrium data fit the Sips heterogeneous and homogeneous surface model better. It was observed that the increase in temperature favored adsorption, reaching a maximum experimental capacity of 218 mg g -1 at 328 K. The thermodynamic behavior indicated a spontaneous, favorable, and endothermic behavior. The magnitude of the enthalpy of adsorption was in agreement with the physical adsorption. Regardless of the herbicide concentration, the adsorbent displayed fast kinetics, reaching equilibrium within 120 min. The linear driving force (LDF) model provided a strong statistical match to the kinetic curves. AC with zinc chloride (ZnCl 2 ), created from leftover açai biomass, is a potential alternative as an adsorbent for treating effluents containing 2,4-D.

The production and consumption of cassava ( Manihot esculenta ) occur in several places worldwide, producing large volumes of waste, mostly in the form of bark. This study sought to bring a new purpose to this biomass through producing activated carbon to use as an adsorbent to remove the herbicide Diuron from water. It was observed that the carbon contains the functional groups of methyl, carbonyl, and hydroxyl in a strongly amorphous structure. The activated carbon had a surface area of 613.7 m 2 g -1 , a pore volume of 0.337 cm 3 g -1 , and a pore diameter of 1.18 nm. The Freundlich model was found to best describe the experimental data. It was observed that an increase in temperature favored adsorption, reaching a maximum experimental capacity of 222 mg g -1 at 328 K. The thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption was spontaneous, favorable, and endothermic. The enthalpy of adsorption magnitude was consistent with physical adsorption. Equilibrium was attained within 120 min. The linear driving force (LDF) model provided a strong statistical match to the kinetic curves. Diffusivity (D s ) and the model coefficient (K LDF ) both increased with a rise in herbicide concentration. The adsorbent removed up to 68% of pollutants in a simulated effluent containing different herbicides. Activated carbon with zinc chloride (ZnCl2), produced from leftover cassava husks, was shown to be a viable alternative as an adsorbent for the treatment of effluents containing not only the herbicide Diuron but also a mixture of other herbicides.

In recent years the funeral industry has drawn attention from the scientific community concerning the potential pollution of the environment and the urban environment. In this review, the pollution caused by the cemeteries and crematoria around the world was addressed. The traditional burial leads to the production of ions, in the form of organic and heavy metals, bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that spread along with the soil and underwater. The crematoria produce small particles, trace gases (SO x , NO x , CO), and toxic organic volatiles. The effluent generated by both methods can lead to several environmental problems and further threaten human health. The current solution for the cemeteries in the development of a system in which effluent generated by the traditional burials are collected and treated before realizing in the environment. In addition to that, the green burial should be an alternative, since the corpse does not go through the embalming process, thus eliminating the presence of any undesired chemicals, that are further leached onto the environment. The crematoria should be employed as it is, however, the gas treatment station should be employed, to ensure the minimization of the impact on the environment. Last, future researches regarding the treatment of the cemeteries leached still need to be explored as well as the optimization and further development of the crematoria gas treatment process., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this work, coal bottom ash was modified by alkaline fusion route in order to improve its pore properties and make it a potential adsorbent to remove crystal violet dye from aqueous medium. The solids were characterized and posteriorly subjected to kinetic, isotherm, and thermodynamic studies, as well as regenerated and reused for five adsorption tests. The alkaline fusion step resulted in the amorphization of material and generation of high surface area (102 m 2 g -1 ) and pore volume (0.180 cm 3 g -1 ), resulting in superior performance compared to the raw material. Kinetic and equilibrium studies showed that the adsorption process was better adjusted by the pseudo-second order and Langmuir models, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity at equilibrium was 177. 37 mg g -1 , with the adsorptive step occurring spontaneously and endothermically. The adsorbent maintained notable levels of dye removal after five consecutive cycles of thermal regeneration and reuse. Besides, the adsorbent was able to remove 64% of the colour of simulated industrial wastewater. Therefore, the alkaline fusion step proved to be a route capable of transforming the coal bottom ash into an adsorbent with improved textural and adsorptive properties.

Pharmaceutical compounds are a serious problem in the environment. They cause damage to the aquatic, animal, and human organisms and soon became considered emerging pollutants where their removal is extremely urgent. Among the techniques used, adsorption has been used with success, where several adsorbent materials, including those from residual biomass, have been used to remove these pollutants. In this study, the skins of the pitaya fruit (Hylocereus undatus) productive chain were carbonized with ZnCl 2 to obtain activated carbon and later used in the adsorption of the drug naproxen (NPX) in a batch system. The Freundlich model demonstrated a better adjustment for the equilibrium isotherms. A high adsorption capacity for NPX (158.81 mg g -1 ) was obtained at 328 K, which can be attributed to the remarkable textural properties of the adsorbent, besides certain functional groups present on its surface. Thermodynamic studies confirmed the endothermic nature of the adsorption process (∆H 0  = 0.2898 kJ mol -1 ). The linear driving force model (LDF) presented a good statistical adjustment to the experimental kinetic data. The application of the material in the treatment of simulated wastewater composed of various pharmaceutical drugs and salts was very promising, reaching 75.7% removal. Therefore, it can be inferred that the application of activated carbon derived from pitaya bark is highly promising in removing the NPX drug and treating synthetic mixtures containing other pharmaceutical substances., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this work, buckwheat husks (Fagopyrum esculentum) were modified by acid treatment and posteriorly employed to remove the ketoprofen in batch adsorption. The characterization results indicated that a more irregular surface with new empty spaces was generated after acid treatment. The adsorptive process was favored at acidic pH = 3. The dosage of 0.85 g L -1 was fixed for the kinetic and isothermal tests, obtaining good removal and capacity indications. The kinetic studies were better represented by pseudo-second-order, obtaining an experimental capacity of 74.3 mg g -1 for 200 mg L -1 of ketoprofen. An increase in temperature negatively affected the adsorption isotherm curves, resulting in a maximum capacity of 194.1 mg g -1 . Thermodynamic results confirmed the exothermic nature of the process with physical forces acting. The adsorbent presented high efficiency in treating a synthetic effluent containing different drugs and salts, 71.2%. Therefore, adsorbent development from buckwheat husks treated with a strong acid is an excellent alternative, given the good removal results and the low cost for its preparation., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Bark residues of the forest species Cedrela fissilis were physically and chemically modified with zinc chloride (ZnCl 2 ) as an activating agent. The two modified materials were analyzed as adsorbents in removing atrazine and 2,4-D herbicides from effluents. Firstly, the precursor material and the modified ones were characterized by different techniques to identify the structural changes that occurred in the surfaces. Through TGA, it was observed that both modified materials have thermal stability close to each other and are highly superior to the precursor. X-ray diffractions proved that the amorphous structure was not altered, the three materials being highly heterogeneous and irregular. The micrographs showed that the treatments brought new spaces and cavities on the surface, especially for the material carbonized with ZnCl 2 . The pH PZC of the modified materials was close to 7.5. The physically modified material had a surface area of 47.31 m 2 g -1 and pore volume of 0.0095 cm 3 g -1 , whereas the carbonized material had a surface area of 98.12 m 2 g -1 and pore volume of 0.0099 cm 3 g -1 . Initial tests indicated that none of the adsorbents were efficient in removing 2,4-D. However, they showed good potential for removing atrazine. The Koble-Corrigan isothermal model best fits the experimental data, with a maximum capacity of 3.44 mg g -1 and 2.70 mg g -1 for physically modified and with ZnCl 2 , respectively. The kinetic studies showed that the system tends to enter into equilibrium after 120 min, presenting good statistical indicators to the linear driving force model (LDF). The surface diffusion coefficients were 2.18×10 -9 and 2.37×10 -9 cm 2 s -1 for atrazine adsorption on the physically and chemically modified materials. These results showed that the application of residues from the processing of cedar bark is promising. However, new future studies must be carried out to improve the porous development of the material and obtain greater adsorption capacities., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Schizolobium parahyba species can be found in all of South America, producing several residues that can be a major opportunity to develop activated carbon. This work presents the investigation regarding the development of a high specific surface activated carbon (981.55 m 2  g -1 ) and its application in the adsorption of ketoprofen from the aqueous media. The ketoprofen molecules were better adhered to the adsorbent surface under acidic conditions (pH = 2), being the ideal adsorbent dosage determined as 0.7 g L -1 , resulting in satisfactory values. It was found that the system reached equilibrium in 200 to 250 min depending on the initial concentration studied, achieving an adsorption capacity of 229 mg g -1 . The general order was the most suitable model for describing the experimental data, with an R 2  ≥ 0.9985 and MSR ≤ 63.40 (mg g -1 ) 2 . The equilibrium adsorption found that the temperature increases the adsorption capacity, achieving 447.35 mg g -1 at 328 K. Besides that, the Tóth model was the most suitable for describing the isotherms R 2  ≥ 0.9990 and MSR ≤ 25.67 (mg g -1 ) 2 , indicating a heterogeneous adsorbent. The thermodynamic values found that the adsorption of ketoprofen is spontaneous (average ΔG 0 of - 32.79 kJ mol -1 ) and endothermic (ΔH 0 10.44 kJ mol -1 ). The treatment of simulated effluent with the developed adsorbent was efficient, removing 90% of ketoprofen, ibuprofen, and salts. It was found that the adsorbent is reaming its adsorption capacity up to the 5th cycle, progressively decreasing the adsorption capacity until the adsorption does not occur past the 12th cycle. Overall, the results demonstrated that the activated carbon from residual biomass of the Schizolobium parahyba species could be an excellent alternative in obtaining an effective adsorbent to treat wastewater-containing drugs., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Activated carbon prepared from grape branches was used as a remarkable adsorbent to uptake naproxen and treat a synthetic mixture from aqueous solutions. The material presented a highly porous texture, a surface area of 938 m 2 g -1 , and certain functional groups, which were key factors to uptake naproxen from effluents. The maximum adsorption capacity predicted by the Langmuir model for naproxen was 176 mg g -1 . The thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The linear driving force (LDF) model presented a good statistical adjustment to the experimental decay data. A suitable interaction pathway of naproxen adsorption onto activated carbon was proposed. The adsorbent material was highly efficient to treat a synthetic mixture containing several drugs and salts, reaching 95.63% removal. Last, it was found that the adsorbent can be regenerated up to 7 times using an HCl solution. Overall, the results proved that the activated carbon derived from grape branches could be an effective and sustainable adsorbent to treat wastewaters containing drugs., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study used the bark of the forest species Campomanesia guazumifolia modified with H 2 SO 4 to absorb the anti-inflammatory ketoprofen from aqueous solutions. FTIR spectra confirmed that the main bands remained after the chemical treatment, with the appearance of two new bands related to the elongation of the carbonyl group present in hemicellulose. Micrographs confirmed that the surface started to contain a new textural shape after acid activation, having new pores and cavities. The drug adsorption's optimum conditions were obtained by response surface methodology (RSM). The adsorption was favored at acidic pH (2). The dosage of 1 g L -1 was considered ideal, obtaining good indications of removal and capacity. The Elovich model very well represented the kinetic curves. The isotherm studies indicated that the increase in temperature negatively affected the adsorption of ketoprofen. A maximum adsorption capacity of 158.3 mg g -1 was obtained at the lower temperature of 298 K. Langmuir was the best-fit isotherm. Thermodynamic parameters confirmed the exothermic nature of the system (ΔH 0 = -8.78 kJ mol -1 ). In treating a simulated effluent containing different drugs and salts, the removal values were 35, 50, and 80% at 15, 30, and 180 min, respectively. Therefore, the development of adsorbent from the bark of Campomanesia guazumifolia treated with H 2 SO 4 represents a remarkable alternative for use in effluent treatment containing ketoprofen., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this work, a novel and effective hydrochar was prepared by hydrothermal treatment of Prunus serrulata bark to remove the pesticide atrazine in river waters. The hydrothermal treatment has generated hydrochar with a rough surface and small cavities, favoring the atrazine adsorption. The adsorption equilibrium time was not influenced by different atrazine concentrations used, being reached after 240 min. The Elovich adsorption kinetic model presented the best adjustment to the kinetic data. The Langmuir model presented the greatest compliance to the isotherm data and indicated a higher affinity between atrazine and hydrochar, reaching a maximum adsorption capacity of 63.35 mg g -1 . Thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption process was highly spontaneous, endothermic, and favorable, with a predominance of physical attraction forces. In treating three real river samples containing atrazine, the adsorbent showed high removal efficiency, being above 70 %. The hydrochar from Prunus serrulata bark waste proved highly viable to remove atrazine from river waters due to its high efficiency and low precursor material cost., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)