Mehwish Anis | University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Pakistan (original) (raw)

Papers by Mehwish Anis

Research paper thumbnail of Removal of Ibuprofen and Diclofenac using Azadirachta indica leaves extract modified with Iron oxide

Desalination and water treatment, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Turning trash into treasure: Torrefaction of mixed waste for improved fuel properties. A case study of metropolitan city

Research paper thumbnail of Hydrochemical, hydrogeological, and cancer health risk analysis of groundwater due to anthropogenic activities, Hasilpur, Pakistan

Environmental monitoring and assessment, Mar 4, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Enzymatic Pretreatment of Sugarcane Bagasse and Fruit-Vegetable Waste for Energy Conversion by Co-digestion

Waste and Biomass Valorization, Sep 28, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of An innovative design of septic tank for wastewater treatment and its performance evaluation: An applicable model for developing countries

Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, Apr 1, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Adsorption of Lead and Copper from Aqueous Solution Using Unmodified Wheat Straw

Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating adsorptive potential of low-cost adsorbents and biopolymer composite for heavy metals removal

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT

Research paper thumbnail of Water pinch analysis using multiple contaminants for all wet streams in ‎textile industry‎

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT

Research paper thumbnail of Hybrid treatment of textile wastewater through catalytic thermolysis and catalytic heterogeneous Fenton processes

International journal of environmental science and technology, May 20, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Enzymatic Co-Fermentation of Onion Waste for Bioethanol Production Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris

Energies

This paper evaluates the feasibility of bioethanol production from onion waste by Saccharomyces c... more This paper evaluates the feasibility of bioethanol production from onion waste by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris and their novel co-culture through fermentation. The process parameters were optimized for each strain and their combination to observe the synergistic effect of co-fermentation. A dinitro salicylic acid (DNS) test was conducted to study the reducing sugar content of samples at different time intervals. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis was used to compare results for functional groups of samples before and after fermentation, and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) analysis was performed to measure the bioethanol concentration obtained at different combinations of pH (5, 5.5, 6), temperature (20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C), and time (24–110 h). The maximum bioethanol concentration was achieved through a monoculture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, i.e., 30.56 g/L. The ethanol productivity was determined based on the ethanol ...

Research paper thumbnail of Synthesis and analysis of cellulose based layered double hydroxide nanocomposite adsorbent for arsenic removal from water

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT

Arsenic is a potential carcinogenic element and found in groundwater worldwide in concentration h... more Arsenic is a potential carcinogenic element and found in groundwater worldwide in concentration higher than the permissible limits for drinking. A low-cost solution for removal of arsenic from water was the objective of this study. A new adsorbent, that is, cotton linter cellulose (CLC) magnesium aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH) bio-nanocomposite (CLC-Mg|Al LDH) was synthesized. The adsorbent and CLC were characterized using XRD and FTIR to identify difference in mixed phase of successful synthesis. Adsorbent was also characterized using BET, SEM, TEM and AFM techniques. XRD analysis showed that adsorbent was crystalline, TEM analysis showed that structure of adsorbent was sheet like having size range in nanometers. SEM analysis indicated that adsorbent had rough and porous surface while AFM results showed that adsorbent had good agglomeration of particles. After characterization optimization studies for various parameters was performed for arsenic removal. Optimum arsenic removal was achieved at pH, contact time, dose and temperature of 7, 25 min, 0.67 g/L and 25°C, respectively. Kinetic studies revealed adsorption followed pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption capacity of adsorbent was found to be 1.46 mg/g with 99.3% removal at 150 ppb initial arsenic concentration. Thermodynamic studies showed that adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. The cost of treatment came out to be USD 0.15/m 3 of treated water.

Research paper thumbnail of Zeolite supported iron nanoparticles for the catalytic Fenton oxidative remediation of theophylline in aqueous medium

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 2021

Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) are an emerging class of contaminants found in water and ... more Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) are an emerging class of contaminants found in water and wastewater. The objective of this study was to develop and test a novel catalyst for the treatment of theophylline-a commonly occurring xanthine (a PhAC) for heterogeneous Fenton oxidation (HFO). The catalyst used was iron nanoparticle-loaded zeolite developed through coprecipitation of iron salts. Elemental composition, particle size and its distribution and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of the catalyst were determined. The deposition of iron nanoparticles was ensured through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. Effect of treatment variables (pH, iron to oxidant ratio, and oxidation time) was evaluated through batch mode oxidation experiments. The experimental design was carved using response surface methodology and optimization done using Design-Expert v. 10.0 software. pH and iron to oxidant ratio were determined to be the most influencing parameters for theophylline removal. Moreover, it was observed that interaction between pH and iron to oxidant ratio, significantly affects the theophylline removal. Effective theophylline removal (~95%) was observed at pH 7, oxidation time of 60 min and iron to oxidant ratio of 3. Theophylline was transformed into its degradation product, that is, 1,3-methyluric acid after heterogeneous Fenton oxidation of theophylline. The developed catalyst was stable, durable and reusable for at least three experimental runs without compromising the catalyst performance. The treatment cost of theophylline using HFO was $14.41/m 3 .

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Plastic Household Biosand Filter (BSF) In Combination with Solar Disinfection (SODIS) For Water Treatment

Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan, 2015

ABSTRACT Efficiency of a household plastic biosand filter (BSF) for the removal of turbidity and ... more ABSTRACT Efficiency of a household plastic biosand filter (BSF) for the removal of turbidity and fecal contamination was evaluated. Water of river Ravi was used as influent. Water filtered through BSF was further treated using Solar Disinfection (SODIS). The study was conducted for raw water with low pollution level (total coliforms <500 MPN/100 ml) and high pollution level (total coliforms between 500-20,000 MPN/100 ml). The average value of turbidity removal by BSF was 94.5 % with 0.9 NTU as average turbidity of effluent. For raw water with low pollution level, the BSF was able to achieve a maximum of 2.2 log10 unit reduction (99.4 %) for total coliforms (39 MPN/100 mL in effluent) and 1.95 log10 unit reduction (98.5 %) for fecal coliforms (9 MPN/100 mL in effluent). While for raw water with high pollution level, the maximum removal of 1.5 log10 unit (97.5 %) for total coliforms (1430 MPN/100 mL in effluent) and 1.8 log10 units (98.4 %) for fecal coliforms (387 MPN/100 mL in effluent) was achieved in BSF. To make the effluent fit for drinking it was further treated using SODIS, which rendered the BSF effluent fit for drinking with zero fecal coliforms count (for full sunny and partially cloudy conditions). Newly proposed plastic BSF could be a good replacement of already used concrete household BSF (used in more than 63 countries) being cheaper in cost and lighter in weight by 85% and 80%, respectively than the concrete BSF.

Research paper thumbnail of Health risk assessment of endocrine disruptor bisphenol A leaching from plastic bottles of milk and soft drinks

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021

Bisphenol A (BPA) is of major concern to public health due to its toxic potential and xenoestroge... more Bisphenol A (BPA) is of major concern to public health due to its toxic potential and xenoestrogenic endocrine-disrupting effect. One of the major sources of BPA comes from the plastic bottles used to pack milk and soft drinks. The purpose of the present study was to assess and compare the risk associated with BPA transfer from plastic bottles to milk and soft drinks being stored in summer and winter conditions. A sensitive and reliable method of solid phase extraction cartridge packed with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was employed. In milk samples (supplied in plastic bottles) of winter season, BPA levels were 0.17–0.32 mg/ kg. In milk samples of summer season, BPA levels were 0.77–1.59 mg/ kg. In soft drink samples of winter, BPA levels were between 0.14 and 0.3 mg/kg. While in 4-month-aged summer soft drink samples, BPA levels were 0.7–1.02 mg/kg of food. The daily exposure dose (DED) of BPA in milk samples of winter season was 1.42–2.67 μg/kg which was below the standard tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 50 μg of BPA/kg of body weight as per USEPA. The DED of BPA in milk samples of summer season was 5.58–10 μg/kg of body weight which was also less than TDI. For soft drink samples, BPA from winter samples was ranged from 1.17 to 1.67 μg/kg of body weight while for summer 4-month-aged samples was 2.5–7.08 μg/kg of body weight. Both types of samples were still less than TDI of BPA.

Research paper thumbnail of Performance evaluation of hybrid constructed wetlands for the treatment of municipal wastewater in developing countries

Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Research paper thumbnail of Catalytic ozonation for the treatment of municipal wastewater by iron loaded zeolite A

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 2019

The work evaluates the performance of catalytic ozonation process on iron-loaded zeolite 4A (Fe-Z... more The work evaluates the performance of catalytic ozonation process on iron-loaded zeolite 4A (Fe-Z4A) for the chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of municipal wastewater. The effectiveness of adsorption (Fe-Z4A), ozonation (O 3), and catalytic (Fe-Z4A/O 3) ozonation processes were compared at wastewater pH. Furthermore, the removal of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), the effect of catalyst dose, the effect of tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA), reuse performance, and kinetic studies were conducted to understand the application of Fe-Z4A for municipal wastewater treatment. The results revealed that Fe-Z4A/O 3 process significantly remove COD and TKN in comparison with single processes. The results further reveal that Fe-Z4A show reasonably better reuse performance after three successive runs. The TBA effect indicates that Fe-Z4A/O 3 process follow radical mechanism. The kinetic studies revealed that Fe-Z4A/O 3 process follow pseudo-first-order kinetics for the treatment of COD. Moreover, the rate constant value was found significantly larger for the catalytic ozonation process in comparison with ozonation and adsorption. The experimental results reveal that Fe-Z4A catalyze the COD reduction from municipal wastewater.

Research paper thumbnail of Oxidative degradation of acetaminophen by continuous flow classical Fenton process

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 2019

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are mainly composed of products used in large quantities ... more Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are mainly composed of products used in large quantities in everyday life such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, surfactants, plasticizers, and different industrial additives. Some of the emerging contaminants are persistent and their complete removal is hard to achieve using conventional wastewater treatment processes. The current study focused on the application of classical Fenton process for the removal of selected pharmaceutical compounds (a sub-category of CECs). Acetaminophen was selected to represent this class of compounds and Fenton oxidation was carried out in a column packed with synthetic Zeolites analcime. Face-centered central composite design strategy was adopted to design and perform the experimentation. Three factors, pH, Fe 2+ :H 2 O 2 , and empty bed contact time, were used with three levels of each for experimental design. Quadratic model (with reduced terms) was observed to best fit the experimental data. Experimental results supported with ANOVA indicated that pH and Fe 2+ :H 2 O 2 ratio had significant effect on removal of acetaminophen whereas empty bed contact time did not. pH (3-6) and Fe 2+ :H 2 O 2 ratio (1.5-3) is available to achieve complete removal of acetaminophen. Acidic pH of 3, a limitation of homogeneous Fenton process, could be subdued by increasing the Fe 2+ :H 2 O 2 ratio. The mechanism of removal of acetaminophen were observed to be Fenton oxidation as well as the adsorption on zeolites packed in column.

Research paper thumbnail of Heterogeneous Fenton Oxidation of Caffeine Using Zeolite-Supported Iron Nanoparticles

Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 2018

The current study aimed at exploring the potential of iron-embedded zeolites to serve as heteroge... more The current study aimed at exploring the potential of iron-embedded zeolites to serve as heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for the treatment of caffeine. Synthetic zeolites were modified through co-precipitation and subsequent deposition of iron precipitates on the zeolites. Catalyst was characterized through chemical composition, particle size and its distribution, BET specific surface area, FTIR, and XRD techniques. Batch mode studies were carried out, and process parameters including pH, contact time, and iron to hydrogen peroxide ratio (Fe +2 :H 2 O 2) were optimized. Response surface methodology was employed for this purpose using Design Expert 10.0 software. Fe +2 :H 2 O 2 ratio was found to be the most important parameter affecting the removal of caffeine. Significant interaction between pH and Fe +2 :H 2 O 2 ratio was also observed. More than 80% removal of caffeine was achieved when the pH was in the range of 5.8-7 and Fe +2 :H 2 O 2 ratio in the range of 2.5-3. Catalyst was found stable, and negligible loss of iron under experimental conditions was observed. Moreover, the catalyst could be reused for at least three successive runs of treatment without significant loss in the activity of the catalyst.

Research paper thumbnail of Heavy metal adsorption on agricultural residues

Research paper thumbnail of Environmental Engineering and Management Journal ADSORPTION OF LEAD AND COPPER FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION USING UNMODIFIED WHEAT STRAW

Potential of unmodified Wheat Straw as an adsorbent for the removal of lead and copper was studie... more Potential of unmodified Wheat Straw as an adsorbent for the removal of lead and copper was studied. Effect of pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and initial metal concentration on the removal of the metal ions were also investigated. Maximum removal of lead was found to be 43.55% by wheat straw under optimum conditions (pH=5, adsorbent dose=16g/L, contact time= 240 minutes, metal concentration=100 mg/L). Unmodified Wheat straw removed 0.381 mg/g of lead. While 56.36% copper removal was achieved using unmodified wheat straw under optimum conditions (pH=5, adsorbent dose=20g/L, contact time= 120 minutes, metal concentration=100 mg/L). Unmodified Wheat Straw removed 0.587 mg/g of copper. Langmuir isotherm was found to validate the equilibrium data of adsorption while kinetics were described by pseudo second order rate equation for both the metals.Furthermore, competitive adsorption of lead and copper showed that lead had more affinity for Wheat Straw as compared to copper. It was conclud...

Research paper thumbnail of Removal of Ibuprofen and Diclofenac using Azadirachta indica leaves extract modified with Iron oxide

Desalination and water treatment, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Turning trash into treasure: Torrefaction of mixed waste for improved fuel properties. A case study of metropolitan city

Research paper thumbnail of Hydrochemical, hydrogeological, and cancer health risk analysis of groundwater due to anthropogenic activities, Hasilpur, Pakistan

Environmental monitoring and assessment, Mar 4, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Enzymatic Pretreatment of Sugarcane Bagasse and Fruit-Vegetable Waste for Energy Conversion by Co-digestion

Waste and Biomass Valorization, Sep 28, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of An innovative design of septic tank for wastewater treatment and its performance evaluation: An applicable model for developing countries

Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, Apr 1, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Adsorption of Lead and Copper from Aqueous Solution Using Unmodified Wheat Straw

Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating adsorptive potential of low-cost adsorbents and biopolymer composite for heavy metals removal

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT

Research paper thumbnail of Water pinch analysis using multiple contaminants for all wet streams in ‎textile industry‎

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT

Research paper thumbnail of Hybrid treatment of textile wastewater through catalytic thermolysis and catalytic heterogeneous Fenton processes

International journal of environmental science and technology, May 20, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Enzymatic Co-Fermentation of Onion Waste for Bioethanol Production Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris

Energies

This paper evaluates the feasibility of bioethanol production from onion waste by Saccharomyces c... more This paper evaluates the feasibility of bioethanol production from onion waste by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris and their novel co-culture through fermentation. The process parameters were optimized for each strain and their combination to observe the synergistic effect of co-fermentation. A dinitro salicylic acid (DNS) test was conducted to study the reducing sugar content of samples at different time intervals. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis was used to compare results for functional groups of samples before and after fermentation, and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) analysis was performed to measure the bioethanol concentration obtained at different combinations of pH (5, 5.5, 6), temperature (20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C), and time (24–110 h). The maximum bioethanol concentration was achieved through a monoculture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, i.e., 30.56 g/L. The ethanol productivity was determined based on the ethanol ...

Research paper thumbnail of Synthesis and analysis of cellulose based layered double hydroxide nanocomposite adsorbent for arsenic removal from water

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT

Arsenic is a potential carcinogenic element and found in groundwater worldwide in concentration h... more Arsenic is a potential carcinogenic element and found in groundwater worldwide in concentration higher than the permissible limits for drinking. A low-cost solution for removal of arsenic from water was the objective of this study. A new adsorbent, that is, cotton linter cellulose (CLC) magnesium aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH) bio-nanocomposite (CLC-Mg|Al LDH) was synthesized. The adsorbent and CLC were characterized using XRD and FTIR to identify difference in mixed phase of successful synthesis. Adsorbent was also characterized using BET, SEM, TEM and AFM techniques. XRD analysis showed that adsorbent was crystalline, TEM analysis showed that structure of adsorbent was sheet like having size range in nanometers. SEM analysis indicated that adsorbent had rough and porous surface while AFM results showed that adsorbent had good agglomeration of particles. After characterization optimization studies for various parameters was performed for arsenic removal. Optimum arsenic removal was achieved at pH, contact time, dose and temperature of 7, 25 min, 0.67 g/L and 25°C, respectively. Kinetic studies revealed adsorption followed pseudo-second-order model. Adsorption capacity of adsorbent was found to be 1.46 mg/g with 99.3% removal at 150 ppb initial arsenic concentration. Thermodynamic studies showed that adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. The cost of treatment came out to be USD 0.15/m 3 of treated water.

Research paper thumbnail of Zeolite supported iron nanoparticles for the catalytic Fenton oxidative remediation of theophylline in aqueous medium

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 2021

Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) are an emerging class of contaminants found in water and ... more Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) are an emerging class of contaminants found in water and wastewater. The objective of this study was to develop and test a novel catalyst for the treatment of theophylline-a commonly occurring xanthine (a PhAC) for heterogeneous Fenton oxidation (HFO). The catalyst used was iron nanoparticle-loaded zeolite developed through coprecipitation of iron salts. Elemental composition, particle size and its distribution and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of the catalyst were determined. The deposition of iron nanoparticles was ensured through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. Effect of treatment variables (pH, iron to oxidant ratio, and oxidation time) was evaluated through batch mode oxidation experiments. The experimental design was carved using response surface methodology and optimization done using Design-Expert v. 10.0 software. pH and iron to oxidant ratio were determined to be the most influencing parameters for theophylline removal. Moreover, it was observed that interaction between pH and iron to oxidant ratio, significantly affects the theophylline removal. Effective theophylline removal (~95%) was observed at pH 7, oxidation time of 60 min and iron to oxidant ratio of 3. Theophylline was transformed into its degradation product, that is, 1,3-methyluric acid after heterogeneous Fenton oxidation of theophylline. The developed catalyst was stable, durable and reusable for at least three experimental runs without compromising the catalyst performance. The treatment cost of theophylline using HFO was $14.41/m 3 .

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Plastic Household Biosand Filter (BSF) In Combination with Solar Disinfection (SODIS) For Water Treatment

Journal of the Chemical Society of Pakistan, 2015

ABSTRACT Efficiency of a household plastic biosand filter (BSF) for the removal of turbidity and ... more ABSTRACT Efficiency of a household plastic biosand filter (BSF) for the removal of turbidity and fecal contamination was evaluated. Water of river Ravi was used as influent. Water filtered through BSF was further treated using Solar Disinfection (SODIS). The study was conducted for raw water with low pollution level (total coliforms <500 MPN/100 ml) and high pollution level (total coliforms between 500-20,000 MPN/100 ml). The average value of turbidity removal by BSF was 94.5 % with 0.9 NTU as average turbidity of effluent. For raw water with low pollution level, the BSF was able to achieve a maximum of 2.2 log10 unit reduction (99.4 %) for total coliforms (39 MPN/100 mL in effluent) and 1.95 log10 unit reduction (98.5 %) for fecal coliforms (9 MPN/100 mL in effluent). While for raw water with high pollution level, the maximum removal of 1.5 log10 unit (97.5 %) for total coliforms (1430 MPN/100 mL in effluent) and 1.8 log10 units (98.4 %) for fecal coliforms (387 MPN/100 mL in effluent) was achieved in BSF. To make the effluent fit for drinking it was further treated using SODIS, which rendered the BSF effluent fit for drinking with zero fecal coliforms count (for full sunny and partially cloudy conditions). Newly proposed plastic BSF could be a good replacement of already used concrete household BSF (used in more than 63 countries) being cheaper in cost and lighter in weight by 85% and 80%, respectively than the concrete BSF.

Research paper thumbnail of Health risk assessment of endocrine disruptor bisphenol A leaching from plastic bottles of milk and soft drinks

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2021

Bisphenol A (BPA) is of major concern to public health due to its toxic potential and xenoestroge... more Bisphenol A (BPA) is of major concern to public health due to its toxic potential and xenoestrogenic endocrine-disrupting effect. One of the major sources of BPA comes from the plastic bottles used to pack milk and soft drinks. The purpose of the present study was to assess and compare the risk associated with BPA transfer from plastic bottles to milk and soft drinks being stored in summer and winter conditions. A sensitive and reliable method of solid phase extraction cartridge packed with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was employed. In milk samples (supplied in plastic bottles) of winter season, BPA levels were 0.17–0.32 mg/ kg. In milk samples of summer season, BPA levels were 0.77–1.59 mg/ kg. In soft drink samples of winter, BPA levels were between 0.14 and 0.3 mg/kg. While in 4-month-aged summer soft drink samples, BPA levels were 0.7–1.02 mg/kg of food. The daily exposure dose (DED) of BPA in milk samples of winter season was 1.42–2.67 μg/kg which was below the standard tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 50 μg of BPA/kg of body weight as per USEPA. The DED of BPA in milk samples of summer season was 5.58–10 μg/kg of body weight which was also less than TDI. For soft drink samples, BPA from winter samples was ranged from 1.17 to 1.67 μg/kg of body weight while for summer 4-month-aged samples was 2.5–7.08 μg/kg of body weight. Both types of samples were still less than TDI of BPA.

Research paper thumbnail of Performance evaluation of hybrid constructed wetlands for the treatment of municipal wastewater in developing countries

Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2020

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Research paper thumbnail of Catalytic ozonation for the treatment of municipal wastewater by iron loaded zeolite A

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 2019

The work evaluates the performance of catalytic ozonation process on iron-loaded zeolite 4A (Fe-Z... more The work evaluates the performance of catalytic ozonation process on iron-loaded zeolite 4A (Fe-Z4A) for the chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of municipal wastewater. The effectiveness of adsorption (Fe-Z4A), ozonation (O 3), and catalytic (Fe-Z4A/O 3) ozonation processes were compared at wastewater pH. Furthermore, the removal of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), the effect of catalyst dose, the effect of tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA), reuse performance, and kinetic studies were conducted to understand the application of Fe-Z4A for municipal wastewater treatment. The results revealed that Fe-Z4A/O 3 process significantly remove COD and TKN in comparison with single processes. The results further reveal that Fe-Z4A show reasonably better reuse performance after three successive runs. The TBA effect indicates that Fe-Z4A/O 3 process follow radical mechanism. The kinetic studies revealed that Fe-Z4A/O 3 process follow pseudo-first-order kinetics for the treatment of COD. Moreover, the rate constant value was found significantly larger for the catalytic ozonation process in comparison with ozonation and adsorption. The experimental results reveal that Fe-Z4A catalyze the COD reduction from municipal wastewater.

Research paper thumbnail of Oxidative degradation of acetaminophen by continuous flow classical Fenton process

DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 2019

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are mainly composed of products used in large quantities ... more Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are mainly composed of products used in large quantities in everyday life such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, surfactants, plasticizers, and different industrial additives. Some of the emerging contaminants are persistent and their complete removal is hard to achieve using conventional wastewater treatment processes. The current study focused on the application of classical Fenton process for the removal of selected pharmaceutical compounds (a sub-category of CECs). Acetaminophen was selected to represent this class of compounds and Fenton oxidation was carried out in a column packed with synthetic Zeolites analcime. Face-centered central composite design strategy was adopted to design and perform the experimentation. Three factors, pH, Fe 2+ :H 2 O 2 , and empty bed contact time, were used with three levels of each for experimental design. Quadratic model (with reduced terms) was observed to best fit the experimental data. Experimental results supported with ANOVA indicated that pH and Fe 2+ :H 2 O 2 ratio had significant effect on removal of acetaminophen whereas empty bed contact time did not. pH (3-6) and Fe 2+ :H 2 O 2 ratio (1.5-3) is available to achieve complete removal of acetaminophen. Acidic pH of 3, a limitation of homogeneous Fenton process, could be subdued by increasing the Fe 2+ :H 2 O 2 ratio. The mechanism of removal of acetaminophen were observed to be Fenton oxidation as well as the adsorption on zeolites packed in column.

Research paper thumbnail of Heterogeneous Fenton Oxidation of Caffeine Using Zeolite-Supported Iron Nanoparticles

Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 2018

The current study aimed at exploring the potential of iron-embedded zeolites to serve as heteroge... more The current study aimed at exploring the potential of iron-embedded zeolites to serve as heterogeneous Fenton catalyst for the treatment of caffeine. Synthetic zeolites were modified through co-precipitation and subsequent deposition of iron precipitates on the zeolites. Catalyst was characterized through chemical composition, particle size and its distribution, BET specific surface area, FTIR, and XRD techniques. Batch mode studies were carried out, and process parameters including pH, contact time, and iron to hydrogen peroxide ratio (Fe +2 :H 2 O 2) were optimized. Response surface methodology was employed for this purpose using Design Expert 10.0 software. Fe +2 :H 2 O 2 ratio was found to be the most important parameter affecting the removal of caffeine. Significant interaction between pH and Fe +2 :H 2 O 2 ratio was also observed. More than 80% removal of caffeine was achieved when the pH was in the range of 5.8-7 and Fe +2 :H 2 O 2 ratio in the range of 2.5-3. Catalyst was found stable, and negligible loss of iron under experimental conditions was observed. Moreover, the catalyst could be reused for at least three successive runs of treatment without significant loss in the activity of the catalyst.

Research paper thumbnail of Heavy metal adsorption on agricultural residues

Research paper thumbnail of Environmental Engineering and Management Journal ADSORPTION OF LEAD AND COPPER FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION USING UNMODIFIED WHEAT STRAW

Potential of unmodified Wheat Straw as an adsorbent for the removal of lead and copper was studie... more Potential of unmodified Wheat Straw as an adsorbent for the removal of lead and copper was studied. Effect of pH, adsorbent dose, contact time and initial metal concentration on the removal of the metal ions were also investigated. Maximum removal of lead was found to be 43.55% by wheat straw under optimum conditions (pH=5, adsorbent dose=16g/L, contact time= 240 minutes, metal concentration=100 mg/L). Unmodified Wheat straw removed 0.381 mg/g of lead. While 56.36% copper removal was achieved using unmodified wheat straw under optimum conditions (pH=5, adsorbent dose=20g/L, contact time= 120 minutes, metal concentration=100 mg/L). Unmodified Wheat Straw removed 0.587 mg/g of copper. Langmuir isotherm was found to validate the equilibrium data of adsorption while kinetics were described by pseudo second order rate equation for both the metals.Furthermore, competitive adsorption of lead and copper showed that lead had more affinity for Wheat Straw as compared to copper. It was conclud...