Removal of Iron(II) from Effluents of Steel Mills Using Chemically Modified <i>Pteris vittata</i> Plant Leaves Utilizing the Idea of Phytoremediation
Dargai District Malakand, Pakistan, is a tax-free zone that attracts many industrialists to install their plants in this area. Along with other industries, a number of steel mills are polluting the natural environment of this locality. This study aimed to evaluate heavy metals levels in steel mills...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Water |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/13/2004 |
| _version_ | 1797441626590674944 |
|---|---|
| author | Qaiser Khan Muhammad Zahoor Syed Muhammad Salman Muhammad Wahab Farhat Ali Khan Naila Gulfam Ivar Zekker |
| author_facet | Qaiser Khan Muhammad Zahoor Syed Muhammad Salman Muhammad Wahab Farhat Ali Khan Naila Gulfam Ivar Zekker |
| author_sort | Qaiser Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dargai District Malakand, Pakistan, is a tax-free zone that attracts many industrialists to install their plants in this area. Along with other industries, a number of steel mills are polluting the natural environment of this locality. This study aimed to evaluate heavy metals levels in steel mills effluents and fabricate an efficient adsorbent from the leaves of plants growing on the banks of the drainage lines of the industries and having high phytoremediation capabilities, through chemical modifications. Initially, the effluents were analyzed for heavy metal concentrations, then the leaves of a plant (<i>Pteris vittata</i>) with better phytoremediation capability were chemically modified. The leaves of <i>Pteris vittata</i> were crushed into a fine powder, followed by chemical modification with HNO<sub>3</sub>, then washed with distilled water, neutralized with NaOH and finally activated through calcium chloride to enhance its biosorption ability, abbreviated as CMPVL. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface area analyzer, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the CMPVL. The modified leaves in the powdered form were then used for the reclamation of Fe(II) present in the effluents of the mentioned industries. Batch biosorption tests were performed under varied physicochemical conditions of pH (2–9), contact time (10–140 min), temperature (293–333 K), biosorbent dose (0.01–0.13 g), and initial metal concentration (20–300 mg L<sup>−1</sup>) to optimize the removal of the selected metal. Langmuir, Jovanovic, Freundlich, Temkin, and Harkins–Jura isotherm models were used to assess the equilibrium data. With a high R<sup>2</sup> value of 0.977, the Langmuir model offered an excellent match to the equilibrium data. The pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, power function, intraparticle diffusion, and Natarajan–Khalaf models were applied to experimental kinetics data. With R<sup>2</sup> values of 0.999, the pseudo-second order model well fitted the obtained data. The Van’t Hoff equation was used to calculate ΔH°, ΔS° and ΔG° of Fe(II) sorption on CMPVL. The ∆H° and ∆G° were negative, whereas ΔS° was positive, suggesting that the biosorption process was exothermic, favorable, and spontaneous. The selected plant leaves were found to be efficient in the reclamation of iron from the industrial effluents (as the plant has a high natural capability for remediating the selected metal ion) after chemical modification and may be used as an alternative to activated carbon as being a low-cost material and a high phytoremediator of iron metal. Such natural phenomena of phytoremediation should be utilized in obtaining efficient adsorbents for other metals as well. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:25:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7aac8452da074692b18f183d2ea9652c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:25:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-7aac8452da074692b18f183d2ea9652c2023-11-30T22:35:03ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412022-06-011413200410.3390/w14132004Removal of Iron(II) from Effluents of Steel Mills Using Chemically Modified <i>Pteris vittata</i> Plant Leaves Utilizing the Idea of PhytoremediationQaiser Khan0Muhammad Zahoor1Syed Muhammad Salman2Muhammad Wahab3Farhat Ali Khan4Naila Gulfam5Ivar Zekker6Department of Chemistry, Islamia College University, Peshawar 25000, PakistanDepartment of Chemistry, University of Malakand, Dir Lower 18800, PakistanDepartment of Chemistry, Islamia College University, Peshawar 25000, PakistanDepartment of Chemistry, Islamia College University, Peshawar 25000, PakistanDepartment of Pharmacy, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Dir Upper 18000, PakistanDepartment of Zoology, Jinnah College for Women, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 23000, PakistanInstitute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tartu, 14 Ravila St., 50411 Tartu, EstoniaDargai District Malakand, Pakistan, is a tax-free zone that attracts many industrialists to install their plants in this area. Along with other industries, a number of steel mills are polluting the natural environment of this locality. This study aimed to evaluate heavy metals levels in steel mills effluents and fabricate an efficient adsorbent from the leaves of plants growing on the banks of the drainage lines of the industries and having high phytoremediation capabilities, through chemical modifications. Initially, the effluents were analyzed for heavy metal concentrations, then the leaves of a plant (<i>Pteris vittata</i>) with better phytoremediation capability were chemically modified. The leaves of <i>Pteris vittata</i> were crushed into a fine powder, followed by chemical modification with HNO<sub>3</sub>, then washed with distilled water, neutralized with NaOH and finally activated through calcium chloride to enhance its biosorption ability, abbreviated as CMPVL. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface area analyzer, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to characterize the CMPVL. The modified leaves in the powdered form were then used for the reclamation of Fe(II) present in the effluents of the mentioned industries. Batch biosorption tests were performed under varied physicochemical conditions of pH (2–9), contact time (10–140 min), temperature (293–333 K), biosorbent dose (0.01–0.13 g), and initial metal concentration (20–300 mg L<sup>−1</sup>) to optimize the removal of the selected metal. Langmuir, Jovanovic, Freundlich, Temkin, and Harkins–Jura isotherm models were used to assess the equilibrium data. With a high R<sup>2</sup> value of 0.977, the Langmuir model offered an excellent match to the equilibrium data. The pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, power function, intraparticle diffusion, and Natarajan–Khalaf models were applied to experimental kinetics data. With R<sup>2</sup> values of 0.999, the pseudo-second order model well fitted the obtained data. The Van’t Hoff equation was used to calculate ΔH°, ΔS° and ΔG° of Fe(II) sorption on CMPVL. The ∆H° and ∆G° were negative, whereas ΔS° was positive, suggesting that the biosorption process was exothermic, favorable, and spontaneous. The selected plant leaves were found to be efficient in the reclamation of iron from the industrial effluents (as the plant has a high natural capability for remediating the selected metal ion) after chemical modification and may be used as an alternative to activated carbon as being a low-cost material and a high phytoremediator of iron metal. Such natural phenomena of phytoremediation should be utilized in obtaining efficient adsorbents for other metals as well.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/13/2004ironadsorptionphytoremediationindustrial effluents |
| spellingShingle | Qaiser Khan Muhammad Zahoor Syed Muhammad Salman Muhammad Wahab Farhat Ali Khan Naila Gulfam Ivar Zekker Removal of Iron(II) from Effluents of Steel Mills Using Chemically Modified <i>Pteris vittata</i> Plant Leaves Utilizing the Idea of Phytoremediation Water iron adsorption phytoremediation industrial effluents |
| title | Removal of Iron(II) from Effluents of Steel Mills Using Chemically Modified <i>Pteris vittata</i> Plant Leaves Utilizing the Idea of Phytoremediation |
| title_full | Removal of Iron(II) from Effluents of Steel Mills Using Chemically Modified <i>Pteris vittata</i> Plant Leaves Utilizing the Idea of Phytoremediation |
| title_fullStr | Removal of Iron(II) from Effluents of Steel Mills Using Chemically Modified <i>Pteris vittata</i> Plant Leaves Utilizing the Idea of Phytoremediation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Removal of Iron(II) from Effluents of Steel Mills Using Chemically Modified <i>Pteris vittata</i> Plant Leaves Utilizing the Idea of Phytoremediation |
| title_short | Removal of Iron(II) from Effluents of Steel Mills Using Chemically Modified <i>Pteris vittata</i> Plant Leaves Utilizing the Idea of Phytoremediation |
| title_sort | removal of iron ii from effluents of steel mills using chemically modified i pteris vittata i plant leaves utilizing the idea of phytoremediation |
| topic | iron adsorption phytoremediation industrial effluents |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/13/2004 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qaiserkhan removalofironiifromeffluentsofsteelmillsusingchemicallymodifiedipterisvittataiplantleavesutilizingtheideaofphytoremediation AT muhammadzahoor removalofironiifromeffluentsofsteelmillsusingchemicallymodifiedipterisvittataiplantleavesutilizingtheideaofphytoremediation AT syedmuhammadsalman removalofironiifromeffluentsofsteelmillsusingchemicallymodifiedipterisvittataiplantleavesutilizingtheideaofphytoremediation AT muhammadwahab removalofironiifromeffluentsofsteelmillsusingchemicallymodifiedipterisvittataiplantleavesutilizingtheideaofphytoremediation AT farhatalikhan removalofironiifromeffluentsofsteelmillsusingchemicallymodifiedipterisvittataiplantleavesutilizingtheideaofphytoremediation AT nailagulfam removalofironiifromeffluentsofsteelmillsusingchemicallymodifiedipterisvittataiplantleavesutilizingtheideaofphytoremediation AT ivarzekker removalofironiifromeffluentsofsteelmillsusingchemicallymodifiedipterisvittataiplantleavesutilizingtheideaofphytoremediation |