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One of the biggest problems that threaten the production of strawberry in the world is the rapid damage and high rate of deterioration after harvest or during cold storage. Therefore, the current study was conducted to investigate the possibility of decreasing the post-harvest damage percentages and increasing the fruit quality of Fragaria x ananassa cv. 'Estavana' after harvest immediately or during the cold storage period. The strawberry plants were dipped for 3 to 5 minutes at 25 α in a solution of 10 L made from distilled water and containing salicylic acid (SA) at 0, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/L or chitosan (CHIT) at 0, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/L during the period of 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 16 days after harvesting. The results showed that the fruit firmness was notably decreased, and the loss and decay percentages were increased by increasing the period of storage, but it could be decreased by using SA or CHIT. Fruit content from soluble solids, total sugars and anthocyanin was significantly increased in the 16 days stored fruits treated with 500 mg/L SA or 50mg/L CHIT. Treating the fresh harvested without or with SA or CHIT increased the fruit content from vitamin C. The highest fruit content from titratable acidity was in the fresh harvested fruits compared with treated fruits with SA or CHIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic, an element found in the Earth’s mantle, can be highly toxic, especially in its As(III) form. It enters our food chain through human activities like melting metals, using arsenic-based pesticides, and natural processes like volcanoes and rock breakdown. Consuming too much arsenic is extremely dangerous, impacting many countries worldwide. To tackle this issue, various methods like filtering, adding chemicals, and using electricity have been developed to clean arsenic-contaminated water. Among these, adsorption is a standout approach due to its simplicity and effectiveness. Biopolymers from living sources offer a natural solution, easily tweaked for arsenic removal. These biopolymers contain functionalities that can strongly latch onto toxic materials, acting like magnets. By customizing them with compounds like titanium dioxide (TiO2), magnetite (Fe3O4), and others, they become even better at capturing arsenic, shaped into tiny particles or beads. This adaptation makes biopolymers a promising choice for cleaning arsenic from water. This review focuses on ways to clean water, specifically exploring how materials like chitosan, alginate, and modified cellulose can be used to remove arsenic by adsorption. It investigates how these materials work under different conditions, highlighting important details. By sharing these insights, this article contributes to the ongoing efforts to ensure cleaner water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural product waste treatment and the removal of harmful dyes from water by adsorption are two of the crucial environmental issues at present. Traditional adsorbents are often not capable in removing detrimental dyes from wastewater due to their hydrophilic nature and because they form strong bonds with water molecules, and therefore they remain in the dissolved state in water. Consequently, new and effective sorbents are required to reduce the cost of wastewater treatment as well as to mitigate the health problems caused by water pollution contaminants. In this study, the adsorption behaviour of methyl orange, MO, dye on chitosan bead-like materials was investigated as a function of shaking time, contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial MO concentration, temperature and solution pH. The structural and chemical properties of chitosan bead-like materials were studied using several techniques including SEM, BET, XRD and FTIR. The adsorption process of methyl orange by chitosan bead materials was well described by the Langmuir isotherm model for the uptake capacity and followed by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model to describe the rate processes. Under the optimal conditions, the maximum removal rate (98.9%) and adsorption capacity (12.46 mg/g) of chitosan bead-like materials were higher than those of other previous reports; their removal rate for methyl orange was still up to 87.2% after three regenerative cycles. Hence, this chitosan bead-like materials are very promising materials for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to determine the effects of chitosan, sodium metabisulfite, and citric acid against melanosis, which causes significant economic losses during the storage of shrimps. For this purpose, two different types of chitosan were extracted from tiger prawn shell wastes. The extracted chitosan was characterized by viscosity, FT-IR, XRD, SEM imaging, and color analyses. Prevention of melanosis formation was investigated by testing chitosan, sodium metabisulfite, and citric acid. To achieve this, fresh deep-water pink shrimp samples immersed in different solutions were stored for 12 days at 4. Melanosis formation in the samples was observed via color measurement, sensory evaluation, and image analysis. According to the results of the research, the deacetylation degrees of chitosans were found to be 99.50 and 89.51% and 76.31 and 78.24% by two different methods, respectively. Viscosities were measured as 0.34 and 4.17 cSt, respectively. Regarding the color parameters, the L* values were 83.68 and 78.94, a* values were 0.55 and 2.71, and b* values were 10.33 and 13.85, respectively. According to the sensory evaluation conducted throughout the study, melanosis formation was observed in all groups starting from the 6th day. On the 8th day, the control groups exceeded the acceptability threshold, and on the 12th day, melanosis formation spread throughout the body in all groups. The sensory evaluation results were supported by the color measurement and image analysis implemented for the first time in this study. The present study's results showed that chitosan obtained from shellfish wastes decelerates melanosis formation as an alternative to commercially used chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By knowing the nutritional status of a plant, one can better manage and use it for ethnobotanical purposes. Various nutrients are accumulated as osmotica in plants of stressful environments. The type and quantity of nutrients present in plants also determine the effectivity of medicine obtained from that plant. Hence, practical utilization of these plants as food or medicines needs to explore the exact nature and presence of the nutrient ions for discrimination of their toxic or medicinal nature. In the present study, some important nutrients in a number of xerophytic plants from Cholistan desert of Pakistan were quantified. Leave, stem and root specimens of seasonally available herbs, shrubs and trees were collected and analyzed for sodium, potassium and phosphorus contents. Each sample was replicated thrice. Obtained data were statistically analyzed and presented as Means ± standard deviations. Among the shrubs, maximum concentration of sodium was observed in leaves of Salsola imbricata (269.99 mg/g). The highest concentration of potassium was recorded in stem of Calotropis procera (67.78 mg/g) while maximum phosphorus was found in stem of Pseuda fruticosa (7.051 mg/g). Among the herbs, maximum sodium was found in stem of Orobanche aegyptiaca (234.95 mg/g), maximum potassium in leaves of O. aegyptiaca (270.71 mg.g) and the maximum phosphorus in root of Citrullus colocynthis (9.34 mg/g). For trees, maximum concentration of sodium, potassium and phosphorus were recorded in leaves of Tamarix aphylla (305.40 mg/g), stem of Capparis decidua (132.6 mg/g) and stem of Acacia nilotica (5.90 mg/g) respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, blast furnace slag (BFS) was used as an adsorbent material for the removal of Pb (II) ions in solution in batch mode. The physico-chemical analysis used indicated that the BFS is essentially composed of silica, lime, and alumina. Its specific surface area was 275.8 m2/g and its PZC was around 3.8. The adsorption study indicated that the maximum amount of Pb (II) adsorbed under optimum conditions (agitation speed (Vag): 150 rpm; pH: 5.4; particle size (Øs): 300µm, T: 20°C) was 34.26 mg/g after 50 minutes of agitation, and adsorption yield was best for feeble initial concentrations. The most appropriate isothermal model was that of Langmuir, and the adsorption speed was better characterized by the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The adsorption mechanism study revealed that internal diffusion is not the only mechanism that controls the adsorption process and there is also an external diffusion, which contributes enormously in the transfer of Pb (II) from solution to adsorbent. Thermodynamic study indicated that the Pb (II) adsorption on the blast furnace slag (BFS) was spontaneous, exothermic, and that the adsorbed Pb (II) is more ordered at the surface of the adsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textile industries release dangerous wastewater that contain dyes into the environment. Due to their toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic nature, they must be removed before the discharge. Liquid–liquid extraction has proven to be an efficient method for the removal of these dyes. As extractants, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have shown excellent results in recent years, as well as presenting several green properties. Therefore, four different hydrophobic DESs based on natural components were prepared thymol:decanoic acid (T:D (1:1)), thymol:DL-menthol (T:M (1:1)), thymol:DL-menthol (T:M (1:2)) and thymol:coumarin (T:C (2:1)) for the extraction of Malachite Green (MG), Brilliant Blue G (BBG), Acid Yellow 73 (AY73), Reactive Red 29 (RR29), Acid Blue 113 (AB113), Reactive Black 5 (RB5), Remazol Brilliant Blue (RBB), Direct Yellow 27 (DY27), Acid Blue 80 (AB80), Direct Blue 15 (DB15) and Acid Violet 43 (AV43) dyes from water. The operational parameters of the liquid–liquid extraction were selected in order to save time and materials, resulting in 30 min of stirring, 15 min of centrifugation and an aqueous:organic ratio of 5:1. In these conditions, the highest values of extraction obtained were 99% for MG, 89% for BBG and 94% for AY73. Based on these results, the influence of the aqueous:organic phase ratio and the number of necessary stages to achieve water decolorization was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stocking density is one of the crucial factors affecting the growth and survival of Pacific white shrimp. A suitable density is critical in culturing shrimp, balancing the production as quantity and marketing as quality. Therefore, the present study optimized stocking density for pacific white shrimp reared in the pond ecosystem in Pakistan. The initial weight of postlarvae was (0.003±0.001 grams), and were stocked in 3 stocking densities (Treatment 1-133.3 PL/m², Treatment 2-300 PL/m², and Treatment 3-466.6PL/m²) for 114 days. The water quality parameters ranged between (29.3-30.2° C), (5.1-5.5 mg/L), (5.8-7.3), (24.16-16.44 ppt.), (118-120 mg/L), (0.29-0.41 mg/L), (0.97-1.51mg/L), (0.08-0.09 mg/L), (0.02-0.12 mg/L) and (560.66-610 mg/L) for temperature, DO, pH, salinity, alkalinity, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonium nitrogen and TSS, respectively. Treatment 1 had the highest final weight (24.30±0.90 g), final length (15.8±0.30 cm), average daily gain (0.21g/day), weight gain (24.29 g) and Viscerosomatic index (4.6 g), which was significantly different compared to treatment 2 and treatment 3 (p<0.05). SGR did not differ significantly (p>0.05) between treatment 1 (7.64 %/day) and treatment 2 (7.63%/day) but was significantly higher than treatment 3 (7.10 %/day). The Hepatosomatic index and Fulton's condition factor were not significantly varied among the treatments. Treatment 1 had the best FCR (1.11) compared to the other treatments. The survival rate of shrimp significantly varied among these treatments (p<0.05) and treatment 1 had the highest survival rate (90.6%), followed by treatment 2 (82.20%) and treatment 3 (75.38%). Moreover, polynomial regression showed that 133.3 PL/m² to 240 PL/m² is an excellent stocking density for L. vannamei. Furthermore, the stoking density from 240 PL/m² to 460 PL/m² decreased the growth and survival rate. The present study concluded that the stocking density of L. vannamei at 250-300 PL/m²) can achieve the best growth and survival rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Ficus religiosa leaves (FRLs) and Daucus carota pomace (DCP) were used effectively for the removal of carcinogenic and non-biodegradable Crystal Violet dye from the aqueous medium on the batch scale as low-cost and environment-friendly biosorbents. Certain experimental conditions such as adsorbent dose, contact time, pH, and temperature were studied for thermodynamic and isothermal data investigations and optimized conditions for F. religiosa leaves and D. carota pomace were: adsorbent dose; 0.8 and 1.8 g, contact time; 30 and 25 min, pH; 9 and 3 and temperature; 70 °C and 30 °C, respectively. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and D-R isotherms were studied, and the sorption process indicated chemisorption mode is predominant. The same is supported by kinetic investigation of equilibrium data. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) for F. religiosa leaves and D. carota pomace was obtained as 2.4 and 27 mg/g, respectively, which showed that D. carota pomace (DCP) is more effective adsorbent than F. religiosa leaves (FRLs) for removal of CV dye. Exothermic nature and intraparticle diffusion mode are more predominant during the removal of CV dye by these biomaterials, which can be recycled using ethanol. Novelty statement: Ficus religiosa and Daucus carota biowaste was explored here for removing an anionic dye. This study will be helpful for exploring the waste potential for phytoremediation of toxic substances using indigenous resources in an ecofriendly way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the investigation on the preparation, characterisation and utilisation of the modified industrial waste material of Fly Ash Cenosphere (FAC). Recently, the recycling of FAC is practiced to reduce the accumulation of waste in the environment. The surface of the cenosphere is enhanced by modification. FAC was modified by chitosan and prepared Fly-ash Cenosphere-Chitosan (FCC) composite. The surface and morphological features of the samples were carried out by using the SEM, EDAX, Surface area analyser, XRD and FT-IR analyser. The performance of the modified cenosphere was monitored by the jar test. The operating parameters such as dosage (2–12 g/L), Contact time (10–60 min), sedimentation time (10–60 min), pH (3–8) and mixing speed (30–150 rpm) of the jar test was varied and observed. The contaminant removal was measured by the removal of total solids and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) from the car wash water effluent. Before and after the treatment the FT-IR analysis was carried out. At an optimised condition, 63.6% of COD and 90% of solids were removed by FCC. FT-IR peaks also confirmed the contaminant removal efficiency of FCC. Based on the results, FCC composite could be recycled for the pretreatment of the car wash water effluent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micronutrient (iron, zinc and boron) deficiencies are a basic and prominent factor affecting grape quality and yield in the Pothwar region. To overcome these deficiencies, different levels of micronutrients were applied foliarly on grapevines at five different berry developmental stages during two consecutive growing seasons (2018 and 2019). The data suggested that foliar treatment of micronutrients significantly increased the yield, number of bunches per vine, bunch weight, yield per vines, bunch length, berry number per cluster, berry diameter, berry weight and cluster compactness. The biochemical quality attributes of berries, including sugars (reducing, non-reducing as well as total sugars), ascorbic acid content, pH and TSS values, were at their highest levels in grapevines supplemented with Fe, Zn and B treatment at 200 ppm, respectively, i.e., the highest concentrations used. Biochemical leaf values, including chlorophyll a and b and leaf micronutrient content (Fe, Zn and B), were also highest in grapevines that were sprayed with Fe, Zn and B at 200 ppm. Overall, the results revealed that the performance of grapevine cv. ‘Flame Seedless’ growing in agroclimatic conditions of the Pothwar region was improved as a result of the foliar application of Fe, Zn and B at 200 ppm. The results also suggested that a further increase in the concentration of each nutrient might be helpful to obtain berries of improved quantity and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted in the coastal pond ecosystems of Pakistan to evaluate the optimum salinity level for the best growth performance of a commercial shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Total of 6 lac seed was randomly distributed in three ponds with an average initial body weight of 0.1±0.01 g. The shrimps were cultivated in three different ponds demarcated as pond 1, pond 2 and pond 3 with salinity levels of 8 ppt, 22 ppt and 42 ppt, respectively for 105 days. The pacific white shrimp were fed with 35.0% crude protein diet with feeding frequency of 4 and initially feeding rate of 10% biomass per day. The feeding rate adjusted according to shrimp biomass on a weekly basis. Final weight, specific growth rate, average daily weight gain, viscerosomatic index, hepatosomatic index and survival rates were found optimum at salinity level of 22 ppt compared with salinity levels of 8 ppt and 42 ppt (p <0.05). FCR was better at 22 ppt salinity compared with two other tested salinity levels (p <0.05). The 22 ppt salinity level resulted in optimum growth of L. vannamei which might be due to improved osmoregulation. Feeding frequency of 4, protein 35% and salinity of 22 ppt were found suitable factors for the growth performance of L. vannamei reared in aquaculture system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural dyes have been used from ancient times for multiple purposes, most importantly in the field of textile dying. The increasing demand and excessive costs of natural dye extraction engendered the discovery of synthetic dyes from petrochemical compounds. Nowadays, they are dominating the textile market, with nearly 8 × 105 tons produced per year due to their wide range of color pigments and consistent coloration. Textile industries consume huge amounts of water in the dyeing processes, making it hard to treat the enormous quantities of this hazardous wastewater. Thus, they have harmful impacts when discharged in non-treated or partially treated forms in the environment (air, soil, plants and water), causing several human diseases. In the present work we focused on synthetic dyes. We started by studying their classification which depended on the nature of the manufactured fiber (cellulose, protein and synthetic fiber dyes). Then, we mentioned the characteristics of synthetic dyes, however, we focused more on their negative impacts on the ecosystem (soil, plants, water and air) and on humans. Lastly, we discussed the applied physical, chemical and biological strategies solely or in combination for textile dye wastewater treatments. Additionally, we described the newly established nanotechnology which achieves complete discharge decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the adsorption behavior of methyl orange (MO) by magnetic activated carbons (MACs) with different ratios of AC: Magnetite from aqueous solution. Batch experiments for MO adsorption were carried out for evaluating the thermodynamics and kinetics parameters onto the MAC adsorbents. Variables such as pH, initial concentration of the dye, contact time, and temperature have been analyzed. The physicochemical characteristics of MACs were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface area analyzer (BET), and X-ray power diffraction. The results of SEM and BET analysis showed that MAC adsorbents present a porous structure and large surface area, suitable conditions for the adsorption process. The X-ray diffraction patterns of MACs revealed that the adsorbents possess magnetite as magnetic material. Adsorption kinetic studies carried out onto MACs showed that the pseudo-second-order model provides a good description of the kinetic process. The adsorption equilibrium results were well adjusted to the Langmuir isotherm, showing that the maximum adsorption capacity was for MACs with a ratio 3:1 and 2:1 AC/magnetite. Thermodynamic analysis declares that the adsorption process was established as spontaneous, endothermic, and physical adsorption in nature. The results of the this study indicated that MAC adsorbents can be used successfully for eliminating MO from aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics in poultry as growth promoters have the perspective of products acceptability and human health concern. Plant extracts have been used as alternatives to antibiotics but dosage varies and reducing agents in the chicken gut in-activates most of the potential compounds. This research aimed to determine the antibacterial activity, acute toxicity in mice and the effect of Garlic and Onion Chitosan Nanoparticles on growth indices in Rainbow Rooster Chicken. Study involved two treatments, treatment 1 consisted of Chitosan Nanoparticles prepared from aqueous of Garlic (Allium sativum) and Onion (Allium cepa L.) (CHIAGO) whilst treatment 2 was Chitosan Nanoparticles prepared from total Phenol and Ajoene rich extract (CHITPA). Products were characterized by pH sensitivity, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Disc diffusion method was used to test for activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) with Fosbac as the positive control. Acute toxicity in mice through oral administration of the nanoparticles solution at dosage of 5% and 10%. Nanoparticles and chitosan solution were administered orally to chicken at dosage of 5% and 10%. The treatments against E. coli gave resistance zone of inhibition (≤ 12), an intermediate zone of inhibition (13 to 15) while against S. aureus gave resistance zone of inhibition (≤ 12), an intermediate zone of inhibition (13 to 15) and susceptible zone of inhibition (≥ 16). Alanine aminotransferase and urea had no significant changes (p > 0.05) but significant differences in PCV in mice (p < 0.05). There was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in chicken's body weight gain, growth rate, feed conversion ratio, villi height, width, and villi surface area with no significant increase (p > 0.05) observed in crypt depth and PCV% when compared with the contolled chicken. Garlic and Onion Chitosan Nanoparticles can act as alternative to antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have previously been done on efficacies of chitosan and zeolite in ammonium ion (NH4+) removal. However, no study compares the adsorption performance of natural zeolite (NZ) and activated NZ (ANZ) with high molecular weight chitosan (HMWC) and low molecular weight chitosan (LMWC). Hence, this study investigates the potentials of NZ, ANZ, LMWC, and HMWC in NH4+ removal. The characteristics of NZ, ANZ, LMWC, and HMWC such as functional groups, surface morphology, elemental composition, zeta potential, and particle size was also investigated. The deposition of NH4+ on the surface of NZ and ANZ was confirmed with the absence of nitrogen by the adsorption spectrum of energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) and supported by the presence of an Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) stretching band at ~3,500–3,300 cm−1, as well as broader and less intense bands ~1,600 cm−1 after the adsorption for all the adsorbents. The particle size of LMWC, HMWC, NZ, and ANZ were 98, 813, 22,354, and 9,826 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, after the activation process, the composition of O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, and Na was reduced. NH4+ batch adsorption was also studied. HMWC, NZ, and ANZ reached adsorption equilibrium at 15 h, meanwhile for LMWC, the equilibrium reached at t = 20 h. The adsorption capacity of LMWC, HMWC, NZ, and ANZ at an initial concentration of 50 mg/L was 0.769, 0.331, 2.162, and 2.937 mg/g, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: H. U. Hassan, K. Gabol, J. Wattoo, A. M. Chatta, Q. M. Ali, K. Mahmood, M. Hussain, N. A. Abro, M. Attaullah, S. U. Rahman, A. Rashid, M. A. [...]

The current study deals with the biosorption of Acid Yellow 12 (AY 12) dye using dead fungal biomass Trichoderma harzianum. The dead fungal biomass was characterized using FTIR, XRD, TG–DTA and SEM–EDAX. Effect of various parameters on the efficiency of biosorption like pH, biosorbent dosage and temperature has also been analysed. The adsorption capacity was found to be higher at pH 4, with an initial dye concentration of 100 mg/L and biosorbent dosage of 0.4 g/L. The adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamic studies of dye adsorption onto the biomass were also investigated. The biosorption between the dye and biomass followed Freundlich adsorption isotherm. The biosorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. Negative value of ΔG° shows the spontaneous nature of biosorption process, and positive ΔH° reveals adsorption as an endothermic process. Since T. harzianum is a low-cost industrial by-product, it can be used as an effective novel biosorbent for the removal of textile dyes. It also acts as one of the cheap sources of biosorbent for the removal of dye Acid Yellow 12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Textile industry wastewater has become a cause of concern to environmentalists due to its toxic composition and the difficulty of breaking down certain dyes. In this study, modified fish scales of Sardinella brasiliensis (SSb) were used as an alternative for a low-cost adsorbent to remove dyes from textile wastewaters. Adsorption efficiency was assessed by measuring the general, kinetic, and thermodynamic physico-chemical parameters of adsorption isotherms, using Reactive Turquoise Blue 15 (RTB15) and Reactive Red 120 (RR120) dyes as adsorbate models, as local textile industries commonly use these dyes. The isothermal data from the batch experiments were inserted in the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Langmuir-Freundlich (SIPS) equations; the Langmuir isotherm equation showed the most appropriate. The thermodynamic parameters showed that adsorption of dyes by the modified SSb adsorbent was an endothermic yet spontaneous process in the case of RR120. Sorbent-based on SSb material was concluded as adsorbing both of the tested dyes. Because of its abundant availability, and the small amount of activation needed to turn it into an adsorbent, this biowaste can be employed as a low-cost alternative for removal of dyes in the treatment of textile wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, biocomposites prepared from agro-based biomass were investigated for pyridine adsorption from water. Biosilica, synthesised from teff straw at ashing temperature of 900 °C, was blended with chitosan and alginate to obtain chitosan–biosilica (ChiBS) and alginate–biosilica (AlgBS). Pyridine removal efficiency was found to be affected by the adsorption parameters namely initial pyridine concentration, contact time, pH, biocomposite dosage and temperature. The optimum conditions were contact time of 240 min and biocomposite dosage of 2 g/L for both the composites, whereas optimum pH for AlgBS and ChiBS was 8.0 and 4.0, respectively. Maximum removal efficiency for initial pyridine concentration of 50 mg/L was 96 and 90%, respectively. Adsorption equilibrium data were analysed with common adsorption isotherms and kinetics equations. Langmuir model well-fitted the equilibrium data and the pseudo-second-order fitted the pyridine adsorption rate data. Furthermore, the calculated thermodynamic parameteric values indicated physical adsorption to be dominant on both ChiBS and AlgBS, and the pyridine adsorption to be endothermic in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among a variety of microbial materials employed for biosorption, algae have added advantages of non-toxic and autotrophic nature. In this study, biosorption of Hg(II) was studied with red algal biomass ofPorphyridium cruentum.The parameters affecting biosorption such as dosage of biosorbent, pH, contact time, initial metal concentration, temperature and effect of foreign metal cations in binary system were evaluated. Kinetic data were described with the help of pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm models were applied to adsorption equilibrium data. According to the results, the maximum removal capacity (qmax) was 2.62 mg/g observed at pH 7 with 0.25 g/L of biosorbent dosage for Hg(II) solution containing 10 mg/L of metal ions. The Langmuir isotherm model fits best to the adsorption data while the kinetic data followed the pseudo-second-order model. Thermodynamics studies showed that the biosorption process of Hg(II) onP. cruentumwas exothermic in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Peaches are well-liked amongst the stone fruits in Pakistan. The peach industry faces significant losses, from harvesting to marketing. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of foliar sprays of salicylic acid (SA) on the fruit quality of peaches (cv. 'Flordaking') at the harvest and postharvest life or stages. Different concentrations of SA (control, 1, 2 and 3 mM) were sprayed on the plants at three growth stages of fruit, i.e., the cell division, cell enlargement and pit-hardening stages. In general, all the SA treatments improved the fruit quality at harvest and maintained higher levels of flesh firmness, titratable acidity and ascorbic acid during storage. However, fruit weight loss, soluble solid contents, membrane leakage, chilling injury, color development, disease and decay incidence and the climacteric peak of ethylene were lowered by SA treatment after six weeks of low-temperature storage. SA at a 3-mM concentration was proven to be the most effective in maintaining the quality for a longer period of time during low-temperature storage. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the application of SA at fruit development stages can improve the harvest quality and storability of 'Flordaking' peaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary, most obvious parameter indicating water quality is the color of the water. Not only can it be aesthetically disturbing, but it can also be an indicator of contamination. Clean, high-quality water is a valuable, essential asset. Of the available technologies for removing dyes, adsorption is the most used method due to its ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and high efficiency. The adsorption process is influenced by several parameters, which are the basis of all laboratories researching the optimum conditions. The main objective of this review is to provide up-to-date information on the most studied influencing factors. The effects of initial dye concentration, pH, adsorbent dosage, particle size and temperature are illustrated through examples from the last five years (2017–2021) of research. Moreover, general trends are drawn based on these findings. The removal time ranged from 5 min to 36 h (E = 100% was achieved within 5–60 min). In addition, nearly 80% efficiency can be achieved with just 0.05 g of adsorbent. It is important to reduce adsorbent particle size (with Φ decrease E = 8–99%). Among the dyes analyzed in this paper, Methylene Blue, Congo Red, Malachite Green, Crystal Violet were the most frequently studied. Our conclusions are based on previously published literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a green and effective technique in the production of a large number of valuable products, the microbial conversion of chitinous fishery wastes is receiving much attention. In this study, protease production using the Paenibacillus mucilaginosus TKU032 strain was conducted on culture media containing several common types of chitinous fishery by-products serving as the carbon and nitrogen (C/N) nutrition source. Among the chitinous wastes, 1.5% (w/v) shrimp head powder (SHP) was found to be the most appropriate nutritional source for protease production when a maximal enzyme activity of 3.14 ± 0.1 U/mL was observed on the 3rd day of the culture period. The molecular mass of P. mucilaginosus TKU032 protease was estimated to be nearly 32 kDa by the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis method. The residual SHP obtained from the culture medium was also considered to be utilized for chitin extraction. The deproteinization rate of the fermentation was estimated to be 45%, and the chitin obtained from fermented SHP (fSHP) displayed a similar characteristic Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) profile as that from SHP. In addition, SHP, fSHP, and chitins obtained from SHP and fSHP were investigated for their adsorptive capacity of nine types of dyes, and chitin obtained from fSHP displayed a good adsorption rate on Congo Red and Red No. 7, at 99% and 97%, respectively. In short, the results provide potential support for the utilization of SHP in the production of P. mucilaginosus TKU032 protease via the fermentation as well as the preparation of chitin from fSHP as an effective dye adsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the scales of Micropogonias undulatus fish were investigated as precursors for the development of low-cost biosorbent for the removal of Pb(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous media. The biosorbent was characterised using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Adsorption parameters (temperature, biosorbent dosage and contact time) were optimised using response surface methodology Box–Behnken experimental design. The optimal factors for Zn(II) removal by croaker fish scale were 145.5 min, 7.01 g/L biosorbent dosage, 30 °C and pH 5.4. The optimal factors for the removal of Pb(II) were 179.3 min, 6.61 g/L biosorbent dosage, 20 °C and pH 3.4. The numerical optimisation revealed that the optimal removal efficiency for Zn(II) and Pb(II) sorption is 96.45% and 98.76%, respectively. The biosorption of both heavy metals was best fit to Freundlich isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. Thermodynamics studies revealed that the biosorption process was exothermic and spontaneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Habib Ul Hassan, M. A. M. Siddique, M. F. A. Abdel-Aziz, K. Gabol, A. E. Ahmed and M. S. Parvez Keywords: Litopenaeus vannamei, Stocking density, Growth performance, Survival INTRODUCTION [...]