Remediation of arsenic-contaminated water using agricultural wastes as biosorbents

Shakoor, Muhammad Bilal,Niazi, Nabeel Khan,Bibi, Irshad,Murtaza, Ghulam,Kunhikrishnan, Anitha,Seshadri, Balaji,Shahid, Muhammad,Ali, Shafaqat,Bolan, Nanthi S.,Ok, Yong Sik,Abid, Muhammad,Ali, Fawad Informa UK (TaylorFrancis) 2016 Critical reviews in environmental science and tech Vol.46 No.5

<P>Arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater reservoirs is a global environmental and health issue given to its toxic and carcinogenic nature. Over 170 million people have been affected by As due to the ingestion of As-contaminated groundwater. Conventional methods such as reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and electrodialysis are commonly used for the remediation of As-contaminated water; however, the high cost and sludge production put limitations on their application to remove As from water. This review critically addresses the use of various agricultural waste materials (e.g., sugarcane bagasse, peels of various fruits, wheat straw) as biosorbents, thereby offering an eco-friendly and low-cost solution for the removal of As from contaminated water supplies. The effect of solution chemistry such as solution pH, cations, anions, organic ligands, and various other factors (e.g., temperature, contact time, sorbent dose) on As biosorption, and safe disposal methods for As-loaded biosorbents to reduce secondary As contamination are also discussed.</P>

Human health implications, risk assessment and remediation of As-contaminated water: A critical review

Shakoor, Muhammad Bilal,Nawaz, Rab,Hussain, Fida,Raza, Maimoona,Ali, Shafaqat,Rizwan, Muhammad,Oh, Sang-Eun,Ahmad, Sajjad Elsevier 2017 Science of the Total Environment Vol.601 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Arsenic (As) is a naturally occurring metalloid and Class-A human carcinogen. Exposure to As via direct intake of As-contaminated water or ingestion of As-contaminated edible crops is considered a life threatening problem around the globe. Arsenic-laced drinking water has affected the lives of over 200 million people in 105 countries worldwide. Limited data are available on various health risk assessment models/frameworks used to predict carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects caused by As-contaminated water. Therefore, this discussion highlights the need for future research focusing on human health risk assessment of individual As species (both organic and inorganic) present in As-contaminated water. Various conventional and latest technologies for remediation of As-contaminated water are also reviewed along with a discussion of the fate of As-loaded waste and sludge.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Arsenic is recognized as a Class-A human carcinogen. </LI> <LI> Groundwater As contamination has affected over 200 million people worldwide. </LI> <LI> This paper reviews current knowledge regarding As in the environment. </LI> <LI> A critical assessment of remediation of contaminated water is presented. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Arsenic removal by natural and chemically modified water melon rind in aqueous solutions and groundwater

Shakoor, Muhammad Bilal,Niazi, Nabeel Khan,Bibi, Irshad,Shahid, Muhammad,Sharif, Fakhra,Bashir, Safdar,Shaheen, Sabry M.,Wang, Hailong,Tsang, Daniel C.W.,Ok, Yong Sik,Rinklebe, Jö,rg Elsevier 2018 The Science of the total environment Vol.645 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Contamination of groundwater with toxic arsenic (As) has become an emerging health and environmental problem around the world, which has seen significant attention amongst the scientists for development of new sorbents to remediate As-contaminated water. Here, we explored the arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)) sorption to natural water melon rind (WMR), xanthated WMR and citric acid-modified WMR in aqueous solutions, and determined potential of the most potent sorbent for As removal in groundwater. Xanthated WMR (X-WMR) showed relatively higher As(V) and As(III) removal than the citric acid modified WMR (CA-WMR) and natural WMR. The maximum As(III) (99%) and As(V) (98%) removal was obtained at pH 8.2 and 4.6, respectively, by X-WMR at 4 mg L<SUP>−1</SUP> initial As(V) and As(III) concentrations and sorbent dose of 1 g L<SUP>−1</SUP>. Langmuir isotherm model best fitted (<I>R</I> <SUP> <I>2</I> </SUP> of up to 0.96) the data both for As(III) and As(V) sorption to X-WMR. Sorption kinetics of As(V) and As(III) was well described (<I>R</I> <SUP> <I>2</I> </SUP> of up to 0.99) by the pseudo second-order model on surface of the X-WMR. Thermodynamic investigations revealed that As(V) and As(III) sorption was endothermic and spontaneous. The FTIR spectroscopy depicted the presence of different surface function groups (OH, COOH, S-bearing (C=S, S=O and S–S)) which were involved in As(V) and As(III) sequestration on the sorbents examined here. Significantly, X-WMR showed (up to 49%) greater As(III) and As(V) sorption than that of natural WMR. Our results demonstrated that X-WMR efficiently removed 94%–100% (<I>n</I> = 16) of As from As-contaminated drinking well water which possessed detectable concentrations of some anions (e.g., SO<SUB>4</SUB>, CO<SUB>3</SUB>, HCO<SUB>3</SUB>). This study highlights that the X-WMR has potential to remove As, notably As(III), from solutions and drinking water, and might be utilized as a reactive medium for the treatment of As-contaminated water.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Water melon rind (WMR) was tested for arsenic removal potential from water. </LI> <LI> Xanthated WMR removed up to 99% of As(III)/As(V) in solutions. </LI> <LI> Langmuir and pseudo second-order models provided the best fits for As(III) and As(V). </LI> <LI> FTIR spectra showed arsenic sequestration with surface functional groups of sorbents. </LI> <LI> Xanthated WMR successfully removed 94–100% arsenic from drinking well water. </LI> </UL> </P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Design, Analysis and Experimental Investigation of Micro Piezoelectric Vibrational Energy Harvester with Enhanced Power Extraction at Low Frequency

Muhammad Shahbaz,Sohail Iqbal,M. Mubasher Saleem,R. I. Shakoor 한국정밀공학회 2023 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.24 No.2

Wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) and embedded microsystems (EMS) have become a center of focus for researchers from all over the world due to their enormous sensing and monitoring applications in multiple areas including biotechnology, agriculture, healthcare, and consumer electronics. To ensure proper functioning of these systems, continuous power supply is required. The research paper presents a piezoelectric vibrational energy harvester that is designed with enhanced power extraction capability at low frequency. A compliant trapezoidal beam with optimized proof mass placement at one end, to enhance piezoelectric output, is designed, fabricated, and experimentally tested. The parametric design of the energy harvester consists of a piezoelectric ceramic crystal barium titanate (BaTiO3) bonded to an optimized micro-folded trapezoidal beam. The designed energy harvester has been analytically modeled using Euler beam theory and simulated using MATLAB. The static, dynamic and piezoelectric energy conversion response of the energy harvester is verified through finite element method (FEM) based Multiphysics simulations. The fabrication of the energy harvester design has been carried out using low-cost wire cutting process. The experimental characterization of the proposed energy harvester shows that 32.36 V voltage and 2.216 mW power can be extracted at the operational frequency of 15 Hz with a factor of safety of 1.30. The experimental characterization results showed a good agreement with the FEM simulations with an error < 7%. The proposed energy harvester can be used to power WSNs, EMS, micro control units and microdevices using low frequency vibrations.

Optoelectronic Properties and Temperature Dependent Mechanisms of Composite-Hydroxide-Mediated Approach for the Synthesis of CdO Nanomaterials

Taj Muhammad Khan,Tauseef Shahid,Rana I. Shakoor 대한금속·재료학회 2015 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.11 No.3

We report the successful synthesis of polycrystalline CdO nanomaterials at various process temperatures in the range from (180°C - 300°C) by a single step, conventionally simple and cost effective approach. The approach is based on hydroxide melts as solvents and termed as composite-hydroxide-mediated (CHM) approach. The effect of growth temperature on particle nucleation and consequently on the fabrication and purity of CdO nanostructures is investigated for a constant reaction time (24 h). As revealed by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, CdO nanostructures can be reproduced in high purity with no traces by varying the synthesis temperature. These nanostructures have random orientations and non-uniform distribution with average crystallite sizes varying from 27 nm down to 7 nm. A study of the optical properties, based on photoluminescence, has demonstrated that emission peaks of CdO nanomaterials are centered at 491 nm and 528 nm which signifies purity of the product from the CHM approach. The direct bandgap determined for CdO (2.49 eV - 2.51 eV) exhibits a blue-shift with process temperature. The photoluminescence peak at 491 nm is attributed to near band-edge emission. Based on experimental results size and morphology manipulation, and possible growth mechanisms for the synthesized product are proposed with CHM at low temperature and without surfactant.

Reinforcement of Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Characteristics in PVDF‑PMMA Nanocomposite by Intercalation of Carbon Nanofibers

Anam Naseer,Muhammad Mumtaz,Muhammad Raffi,Izhar Ahmad,Sabih D. Khan,Rana I. Shakoor,Shaista Shahzada 대한금속·재료학회 2019 ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LETTERS Vol.15 No.2

With the recent developments in the millimeter and sub-millimeter wave instruments and devices, there is a need to developelectromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing materials in these frequency bands for applications like electromagnetic interferencecontrol, electromagnetic compatibility, etc. In this work, carbon nanofi bers (CNF) were uniformly dispersed in a blend ofpoly(methyl methacrylate), polyvinylidene fl uoride and cyanoacrylate for air spray coating a fi lm on the cellulosic substrates. The samples were characterized for evaluation of their structure, morphology, electrical and EM absorption properties in0.15–1.2 THz range by X-ray diff raction, fi eld emission electron microscopy, I–V measurements and terahertz time domainspectroscopy. These coatings can conveniently be applied to the material surfaces by conventional air spray painting method,which makes this technique cost-eff ective as well as easy to deploy in various applications. The electrical conductivityenhancement in the samples has been attributed to the formation of conducting network by uniform distribution of CNFs inthe insulating polymer matrix. As a result, the shielding eff ectiveness (SE) has been observed to improve with the increasein CNF’s loading in the polymer matrix. The SE is also a function of frequency, which is attributed to the increase in theskin depth. A SE of 20 dB has been estimated in these samples for the frequencies 1 THz and higher, which is of signifi cantimportance for the use of this technique in practical applications.

MORE GENERAL FORMS OF (∈, ∈ VQ_k) FUZZY FILTERS OF ORDERED SEMIGROUPS

Khan, Asghar,Muhammad, Shakoor,Khalaf, Mohammed M. The Honam Mathematical Society 2017 호남수학학술지 Vol.39 No.2

In the paper [Y. B. Jun, B. Davvaz and A. Khan, Filters of ordered semigroups based on the fuzzy points, JIFS 24 (2013) 619-630]. Jun et al. discussed the notion of (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q_k$)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filters as a generalization of the notion of (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q$)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filters of ordered semigroups. In this article, we try to obtain a more general form that (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q_k$)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filters in ordered semigroups. The notion of (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q_k^{\delta}$)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filters is discussed, and several properties are investigated. Characterizations of an (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q_k^{\delta}$)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filter are established. A condition for an (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q_k^{\delta}$)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filter to be a fuzzy left (resp., right) filter is provided. The important achievement of the study with an (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q_k^{\delta}$)-fuzzy left (right) filter is that the notion of an (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q_k$)-fuzzy left ( right) filter and hence an (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q$)-fuzzy left (resp. right) filter are special cases of an (${\in},{\in}{\vee}q_k^{\delta}$)-fuzzy left (resp. right) filter, and thus several results in published papers are becoming corollaries of our results obtained in this paper.

MORE GENERAL FORMS OF (∈; ∈ ∨Q_k) FUZZY FILTERS OF ORDERED SEMIGROUPS

( Asghar Khan ),( Shakoor Muhammad ),( Mohammed M. Khalaf ) 호남수학회 2017 호남수학학술지 Vol.39 No.2

In the paper [Y. B. Jun, B. Davvaz and A. Khan, Filters of ordered semigroups based on the fuzzy points, JIFS 24 (2013) 619-630]. Jun et al. discussed the notion of (∈; ∈ ∨q_k)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filters as a generalization of the notion of (∈; ∈ ∨q)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filters of ordered semigroups. In this article, we try to obtain a more general form that (∈; ∈ ∨q_k)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filters in ordered semigroups. The notion of (∈; ∈ ∨q^δ_k)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filters is discussed, and several properties are investigated. Characterizations of an (∈; ∈ ∨q^δ_k)- fuzzy left (resp., right) filter are established. A condition for an (∈; ∈ ∨q^δ_k)-fuzzy left (resp., right) filter to be a fuzzy left (resp., right) filter is provided. The important achievement of the study with an (∈; ∈ ∨q^δ_k)-fuzzy left (right) filter is that the notion of an (∈; ∈ ∨q_k)-fuzzy left ( right) filter and hence an (∈; ∈ ∨q)-fuzzy left (resp. right) filter are special cases of an (∈; ∈ ∨q^δ_k)-fuzzy left (resp. right) filter, and thus several results in published papers are becoming corollaries of our results obtained in this paper.

겨울철은 가금사육자들의 관리능력을 시험하는 계절

뉴캐슬대학, 농업대 식품 농촌개발학과 Muhammad Yousaf & Abdul Shakoor Chaudhtry 한국오리협회 2009 오리마을 Vol.67 No.-

따뜻한 날씨에서 추운 날씨로, 혹은 추운 날씨에서 따뜻한 날씨로 변하는 환절기에는 사람과 동물 모두 계절적인 변화를 견딜 수 있도록 적절한 대책과 배려를 필요로 하기 때문에 가축의 효과적인 유지 관리를 위해서는 각 계절에 따라 생산성의 효율을 증진시킬 수 있는 환경을 제공해야 한다.

Synthesis and characterization of hexagonal ferrite Co2Sr2Fe12O22 with doped polypyrrole composites

Irshad Ali,Abdul Shakoor,M.U. Islam,Muhammad Saeed,Muhammad Naeem Ashiq,M.S. Awan 한국물리학회 2013 Current Applied Physics Vol.13 No.6

Y-type hexagonal ferrite Co2Sr2Fe12O22 was prepared by microemulsion route. A conducting polymer,polypyrrole was chemically synthesized and doped with dodecylbenzenesulphonic acid (PPy$DBSA). FTIR and magnetic properties of Co2Sr2Fe12O22 were investigated and compared with composite made by mixing the Co2Sr2Fe12O22 with this conducting polymer PPyeDBSA by 1:1 molar ratio. Phase analysis was performed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showing heterogonous distribution of grains. The field dependent magnetic properties of the prepared samples were investigated at room temperature by using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). It has been observed that mixing of polymer in ferrite plays a crucial role in enhancing the coercivity, while saturation magnetization (Ms) and remanance were observed to decrease. Due to fine grain size, the density of grain boundaries increases where the domain wall pinning can take place,hence the coercivity of the composite samples increases. Appreciable improved value of coercivity guaranteed the use of these synthesized materials in the recording media, which is ¼1896(Oe) in the present samples. The suitable signal-to-noise ratio in the high density recording media can be achieved due to small particles size of this synthesized composite, which is expected in the present ferriteepolymer composite sample.