S. Bhattarai, M.A. Oluwagbemiga, N.F. Adegboyega
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
United States
Keywords: composite, wastewater pollution, remediation, SDG
Summary:
Water pollution stemming from sewage and industrial activities is a global challenge that demands innovative approaches to combat, and the application of agro-industrial solid wastes as feedstock to design composite materials for wastewater treatment has received much interest due to their significant role in addressing the global demand for clean water. The current work is a preliminary assessment of the antimicrobial efficacy of grape seed-inspired composite and a demonstration of its effectiveness against removing Methylene blue dye. The agar well diffusion method showed notable efficacy of the composite against P.aeruginosa, an ampicillin-resistant bacterium, with the zone of inhibition in the range of 16-19.17mm compared to controls. While the inhibitory effects against E. coli were not as pronounced, there were notable impacts on K. pneumoniae with an inhibition zone >8mm. The asymmetry in effectiveness suggests a varying response across bacterial strains. Batch adsorption studies at different conditions, including adsorbent dosages, adsorbate initial concentration, and pH, showed a quick removal of methylene blue dye (MB) within 30 minutes. A higher percent removal was also observed at pH 8. The composite showed a 33% increase in adsorption capacity and a 78% removal efficiency in an alkaline medium. All samples showed increased adsorption capacities with decreasing adsorbent dosages. The adsorption of the methylene blue dye followed a pseudo-second-order kinetics reaction. These results support a crucial advancement in pursuing an environmentally sustainable and economically viable approach to wastewater treatment, with an overall implication to addressing the United Nations sustainable development goal (SDG#6).