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Air borne uptake of toluene and ethylbenzene by twelve plant species was examined. Of the twelve plant species examined, the highest toluene removal was found in Sansevieria trifasciata, while the ethylbenzene removal from air was with Chlorophytum comosum. Toluene and ethylbenzene can penetrate the plant׳s cuticle. However, the removal rates do not appear to be correlated with numbers of stomata per plant. It was found that wax of S. trifasciata and Sansevieria hyacinthoides had greater absorption of toluene and ethylbenzene, and it contained high hexadecanoic acid. Hexadecanoic acid might be involved in toluene and ethylbenzene adsorption by cuticles wax of plants. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis or the potential quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) in toluene exposed plants showed no significant differences between the control and the treated plants, whereas plants exposed to ethylbenzene showed significant differences or those parameters, specifically in Dracaena deremensis (Lemon lime), Dracaena sanderiana, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, and Cordyline fruticosa. The Fv/Fm ratio can give insight into the ability of plants to tolerate (indoor) air pollution by volatile organic chemicals (VOC). This index can be used for identification of suitable plants for treating/sequestering VOCs in contaminated air. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Removal of trimethylamine (TMA) by 10 different living Sansevieria spp. and their dried leaf materials was studied. The results showed that living Sansevieria kirkii was the most effective plant while Sansevieria masoniana was the least effective in TMA removal. Two major pathways were involved in stomata opening and epicuticular wax on the leaf surface. In the presence of TMA, the stomata opening in Sansevieria spp. was induced, which enhanced TMA removal under light conditions. Dried leaf powders of Sansevieria spp. adsorbed TMA through their waxes. Therefore, both living and non-living Sansevieria spp. can be effectively used for removal of TMA.

Cadmium (Cd) contaminated in rice grains is a serious problem because most Asians consume rice on a daily basis. Rice grown in Cd-contaminated soil normally did not have high concentration of Cd. However, soil samples used in this study had high concentrations of Cd. The purpose of this study was to clearly see the effects of biochar and microorganism addition in rice growing in Cd-contaminated soil. The initial Cd concentration in Cd-contaminated soil used in this study was about 650 mg kg(-1). Cadmium concentration in rice plants grown in Cd-contaminated soil with the addition of 1% (w/w) different biochars such as sawdust fly ash (SDFA), bagasse fly ash (BGFA), and rice husk ash (RHA) was investigated. The results showed that SDFA was the best biochar in terms of reducing cadmium accumulation in rice grains when compared to BGFA and RHA under the same conditions. In addition, rice plants grown in Cd-contaminated soil with the addition of various nonpathogenic microorganisms, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Beauveria bassiana were also studied. The results showed that the addition of 2% (v/v) microorganisms can reduce Cd accumulation in grains. It was found that grains obtained from Cd-contaminated soil with the addition of P. aeruginosa had the lowest cadmium concentration compared to the ones from soil amended with other strains. This was due to the fact that P. aeruginosa adsorbed more Cd itself into its cells than other strains. The rice plants grown in Cd-contaminated soil with the addition of biochars and microorganisms were also compared. The results showed that adding 2% (v/v) microorganisms seemed to reduce Cd accumulation in rice grains better than adding 1% (w/w) biochars. In addition, the amounts of calcium and magnesium in rice grains and the dry weight of plant in Cd-contaminated soil amended with P. aeruginosa were the highest in comparison to other microorganisms, biochars, and the soil without any amendments (Cd-soil control). It might be possible that microorganisms can cause leaching of Ca, Mg, etc. from contaminated soil and compete with Cd to be uptaken by plants. This would cause the increase in plant dry weight and higher mineral nutrients accumulation in grains. Both biochars and microorganisms are suitable for reducing the amount of Cd in rice grains. The application should depend on farmers, biochars available in nearby areas, etc. Therefore, microorganisms and biochars can be used to solve the problem of cadmium contamination in rice grains.

Coir pith samples were chemically modified by grafting with acrylic acid for the removal of Cr(VI) from electroplating wastewater. The presence of acrylic acid on the coir pith surface was verified by a scanning electron microscope with an electron dispersive x-ray spectrometer (SEM/EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetry (TG). The carbonyl groups (C==O) from the carboxylic acids (COOH) increased on the coir pith surface after grafting with acrylic acid. In addition, the thermal stability of the acrylic acid-grafted coir pith also improved. The optimum conditions for grafting the acrylic acid on the coir pith consisted of 2 M acrylic acid and 0.00125 M ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN, as an initiator). The maximum Cr(VI) removal (99.99 ± 0.07%) was obtained with the following conditions: a 1.3% (w/v) dosage of acrylic acid-grafted coir pith, a system pH of 2, a contact time of 22 h, a temperature of 30 °C, a particle size of <150 μm and an initial Cr(VI) of 1,171 mg l(-1). At system pH of 2, Cr(VI) in the HCrO(4)(-) form can be adsorbed with acrylic acid-grafted coir pith via an electrostatic attraction. The adsorption isotherm of 2 M acrylic acid-grafted coir pith exhibited a good fit with the Langmuir isotherm. The maximum Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of the 2 M acrylic acid-grafted coir pith was 196.00 mg Cr(VI) g(-1) adsorbent, whereas for coir pith without grafting, the maximum Cr(VI) removal was 165.00 mg Cr(VI) g(-1) adsorbent. The adsorption capacity of the acrylic acid-grafted coir pith for Cr(VI) was higher compared to the original coir pith. This result was due to the enhancement of the carbonyl groups on the coir pith surface that may have involved the mechanism of chromium adsorption. The X-ray absorption near edged structure (XANES) and desorption studies suggested that most of the Cr(III) that presented on the acrylic acid-grafted coir pith was due to the Cr(VI) being reduced to Cr(III) on the adsorbent surface. FTIR confirmed the involvement of the carbonyl groups (C==O) and the methoxy groups (OCH3) in the mechanism of chromium adsorption. Thermodynamic study, such as enthalpy (ΔH), free energy (ΔG) and entropy change (ΔS) indicated that the overall adsorption process was endothermic, spontaneous and randomness. In addition, the adsorption process was favored at high temperatures., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

New measurements using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques are consistent with Cr in the Cr(III) oxidation state as the main product from the adsorption of Cr(VI) on coir pith. These confirm the previous X-ray measurements, but differ from the results of previous EPR studies, which indicated that Cr(V) was the main form of Cr. The reason for this discrepancy is the presence of a broad signal from Cr(III) in an unsymmetrical environment that was missed previously; the Cr(V) component is in fact only a minor reaction product. As a result of this problem with spectral acquisition and interpretation, some simple recommendations are presented for conducting EPR investigations on natural systems., (Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The oxidation state of chromium in coir pith after Cr(VI) adsorption from aqueous solution was investigated using electron spin resonance (ESR). To elucidate the mechanism of chromium adsorption on coir pith, the adsorption studies of Cr(VI) onto lignin, alpha-cellulose and holocellulose extracted from coir pith were also studied. ESR signals of Cr(V) and Cr(III) were observed in coir pith adsorbed Cr(VI) at solution pH 2, while ESR spectra of lignin extracted from coir pith revealed only the Cr(III) signal. In addition, ESR signal of Cr(V) was observed in alpha-cellulose and holocellulose extracted from coir pith adsorbed Cr(VI). These results confirmed that lignin in coir pith reduced Cr(VI) to Cr(III) while alpha-cellulose and holocellulose extracted from coir pith reduced Cr(VI) to Cr(V). The Cr(V) signal exhibited in ESR of alpha-cellulose and holocellulose might be bound with glucose in cellulose part of coir pith. In addition, xylose which is main in pentosan part of coir pith, indicated that it is involved in form complex with Cr(V) on coir pith. The adsorption kinetic of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution on coir pith was also investigated and described well with pseudo second order model. ESR and desorption experiments confirmed that Cr(VI), Cr(V) and Cr(III), exist in coir pith after Cr(VI) adsorption. The desorption data indicated that the percentage of Cr(VI), Cr(V) and Cr(III) in coir pith were 15.63%, 12.89% and 71.48%, respectively.

The removal of Cr(VI) from electroplating wastewater by coir pith was investigated in a fixed-bed column. The experiments were conducted to study the effect of important parameters such as bed depth (40-60cm) and flow rate (10-30ml min(-1)). At 0.05 C(t)/C(0), the breakthrough volume increased as flow rate decreased or a bed depth increased due to an increase in empty bed contact time (EBCT). The bed depth service time model (BDST) fit well with the experimental data in the initial region of the breakthrough curve, while the simulation of the whole curve using non-linear regression analysis was effective using the Thomas model. The adsorption capacity estimated from the BDST model was reduced with increasing flow rate, which was 16.40mg cm(-3) or 137.91mg Cr(VI)g(-1) coir pith for the flow rates of 10ml min(-1) and 14.05mg cm(-3) or 118.20mg Cr(VI)g(-1) coir pith for the flow rates of 30ml min(-1). At the highest bed depth (60cm) and the lowest flow rate (10mlmin(-1)), the maximum adsorption reached 201.47mg Cr(VI)g(-1) adsorbent according to the Thomas model. The column was regenerated by eluting chromium using 2M HNO(3) after adsorption studies. The desorption of Cr(III) in each of three cycles was about 67-70%. The desorption of Cr(III) in each cycle did not reach 100% due to the fact that Cr(V) was present through the reduction of Cr(VI), and was still in coir pith, possibly bound to glucose in the cellulose part of coir pith. Therefore, the Cr(V) complex cannot be desorbed in solution. The evidence of Cr(V) signal was observed in coir pith, alpha-cellulose and holocellulose extracted from coir pith using electron spin resonance (ESR).