Ismail Abustan

Kinetics and equilibrium adsorption of iron (II), lead (II), and copper (II) onto activated carbon prepared from olive stone waste

AbstractThe adsorption of heavy metals Fe2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ onto olive stone activated carbon (OSAC) was investigated in this study. The effects of different reaction parameters (i.e. adsorbent dosage, contact time, shaking speed, and initial pH) on the pollutant removal efficiency were determined. The adsorption processes of Fe2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+ were effectively explained using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. OSAC efficiently removed 99.39% Fe2+, 99.32% Pb2+, and 99.24% Cu2+ at pH 5 and with 200 rpm shaking speed. The adsorption equilibrium data were best represented by the Langmuir model, and the monolayer adsorption capacities were found to be 57.47, 22.37, and 17.83 mg/g for Fe2+, Pb2+, and Cu2+, respectively. A pseudo-second-order model sufficiently described the adsorption kinetics, which indicated that the adsorption process was controlled by chemisorption. The results revealed that OSAC can be used as a low-cost adsorbent for the treatment of wastewaters contaminated by heavy metals.

Preparation of Activated Carbon From Olive Stone Waste: Optimization Study on the Removal of Cu2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+ from Aqueous Solution Using Response Surface Methodology

The removal efficiencies of Cu2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+ from aqueous solution with olive stone activated carbon (OSAC) were investigated in this paper. Central composite design method was used to optimize the preparation of OSAC by chemical activation using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as chemical agent. The optimum conditions obtained were 715°C activation temperature, 2 hours activation time, and 1.53 impregnation ratio. This resulted in removal of 99.25% Cu2+, 94.98% Cd2+, 99.08% Ni2+, 99.33% Pb2+, 99.41% Fe2+, and 99.17% Zn2+, as well as 73.94% OSAC yield. The surface characteristics of the activated carbon (AC) prepared under optimized condition were examined by pore structure analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, total pore volume, and average pore diameter of the prepared activated carbon were 886.72 m2/g, 0.507 cm3/g, and 4.22 nm, respectively. The equilibrium data of the adsorption was well fitted to the Langmuir and the highest value of adsorption capacity (Q) on the OSAC was found for Fe2+ (57.47 mg/g), followed by Pb2+ (22.37 mg/g), Cu2+ (17.83 mg/g), Zn2+ (11.14 mg/g), Ni2+ (8.42 mg/g), and Cd2+ (7.80 mg/g). The prepared OSAC can be used for efficient removal of metals from contaminated wastewater.

Comparative studies on the olive stone activated carbon adsorption of Zn2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+ from synthetic wastewater

AbstractThe adsorption of a group of heavy metals namely, Zn2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+ onto olive stones activated carbon (OSAC) was carried out in this work. The effects of different reaction parameters, such as the adsorbent dosage, contact time, shaking speed, and initial pH, on pollutant removal efficiency were investigated. Adsorption of Zn2+, Ni2+, and Cd2+ was effectively explained by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. OSAC efficiently removed 99.03% Zn2+, 97.34% Ni2+, and 94.88% Cd2+ at pH 5 and shaking speed 200 rpm. Surface characteristics of the prepared AC were examined by pore structure analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, total pore volume and average pore diameter of the prepared AC were 886.72 m2/g, 0.507 cm/g, and 4.22 nm, respectively. The equilibrium data of the adsorption were fitted well to the Langmuir and the highest value of adsorption capacity (Q) on the OSAC was found for Zn2+ 11.14 mg/g, followed by...

Sustainability of Groundwater Resources in the North-Eastern Region of Bangladesh

Water is essential for economic, social, and environmental development. Global water resources are vulnerable due to increasing demand related to population growth, pollution potential, and climate change. Competition for water between different sectors is increasing. To meet the increasing demand, the use of groundwater is increasing worldwide. In this paper, the water-table dynamics of the north-eastern region of Bangladesh were studied using the MEKESENS software. This study reveals that the depth to water-table (WT) of almost all the wells is declining slowly. In many cases, the depth will approximately double by the year 2040, and almost all will double by 2060, if the present trend continues. If the decline of the water-table is allowed to continue in the long run, the result could be a serious threat to the ecology and to the sustainability of food production, which is vital for the nation’s food security. Therefore, necessary measures should be taken to sustain water resources and thereby agricultural production. Demand-side management of water and the development of alternative surface water sources seem to be viable strategies for the area. These strategies could be employed to reduce pressure on groundwater and thus maintain the sustainability of the resource.

Groundwater beneath the urban area of Khan Younis City, southern Gaza Strip (Palestine): hydrochemistry and water quality

This paper presents the results of a groundwater hydrochemical assessment in the urban area of Khan Younis City in the southern Gaza Strip by measuring its physicochemical parameters: major cations and anions, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), and total hardness. The assessment shows that the groundwater is neutral to slightly alkaline in nature with an ionic abundance of cations Na+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > K+ and anions Cl− > HCO32− > SO42− > NO32− > F. EC, TDS, Na+, and Cl− are from the same sources: brine upcoming from the deeper parts of the aquifer, brackish water flow from the adjacent Eocene eastern aquifer, aquifer overpumping, and wastewater infiltration into the aquifer. SO42− and NO32− are from wastewater infiltration and intensive agricultural practices in nearby areas, F− is from fluorite clay mineral, and the low K+ is from its tendency to be fixed by clay minerals. Hardness is mainly from Ca2+ and Mg2+ of carbonate mineral. The Piper diagram shows that the prevalent water type is Na+–Cl––SO42–, with alkaline earth metals exceeding the alkali metals. The Gibbs diagram indicates that the dominant processes controlling groundwater chemistry are evaporation, ion exchange, and anthropogenic activity (wastewater infiltration). Geochemical modeling using PHREEQC shows that the samples are supersaturated with carbonate-bearing minerals. Fluorite is undersaturated at lower F− concentrations and saturated at higher F− concentrations. Based on the standards of the World Health Organization, the groundwater samples in the study area are chemically unsuitable for drinking purposes.

Quantification of leachate discharged to groundwater using the water balance method and the hydrologic evaluation of landfill performance (HELP) model.

Landfills are a source of groundwater pollution in Gaza Strip. This study focused on Deir Al Balah landfill, which is a unique sanitary landfill site in Gaza Strip (i.e. it has a lining system and a leachate recirculation system). The objective of this article is to assess the generated leachate quantity and percolation to the groundwater aquifer at a specific site, using the approaches of (i) the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance model (HELP) and (ii) the water balance method (WBM). The results show that when using the HELP model, the average volume of leachate discharged from Deir Al Balah landfill during the period 1997 to 2007 was around, 6800 m3/year. Meanwhile, the average volume of leachate percolated through the clay layer was 550 m3/year, which represents around 8% of the generated leachate. Meanwhile, the WBM indicated that the average volume of leachate discharged from Deir Al Balah landfill during the same period was around 7660 m3/year—about half of which comes from the moisture content of the waste, while the remainder comes from the infiltration of precipitation and re-circulated leachate. Therefore, the estimated quantity of leachate to groundwater by these two methods was very close. However, compared with the measured leachate quantity, these results were overestimated and indicated a dangerous threat to the groundwater aquifer, as there was no separation between municipal, hazardous and industrial wastes, in the area.

Comparison between capabilities of HEC-RAS and MIKE11 hydraulic models in river flood risk modelling (a case study of Sungai Kayu Ara River basin, Malaysia)

River flood risk map prediction is a combination of hydrological modelling, hydraulic modelling, river flood visualisation and river flood risk mapping. Two hydraulic models were applied in this research regarding their capabilities in river flood risk studies. These are MIKE11 developed by Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) and HEC-RAS4.0 by US Army Corps of Engineers. These two hydraulic models are compared in four aspects including credibility, available outcomes, usability of the models and the availability. Sungai Kayu Ara River basin is the case study in this research which is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The results of the models were compared against observed water level at the outlet of the river basin. The results of this research show that HEC-RAS has more capabilities for river flood risk mapping in comparison with MIKE11 in this case study.

Effect of Different Olive Stone Particle Size on the Yield and Surface Area of Activated Carbon Production

Usually, a few preliminary stages have been done for raw materials before the actual production of activated carbon such as materials crushing, milling and sieving to an appropriate particle size. Particle size is important for the subsequent handling of the raw material, such as mixing with a catalyst or impregnation, but it can also affect the properties of the subsequent activated carbon. This research was assessed the effect of different olive stone particle size on activated carbon production by KOH using the yield and surface area response. Three particle size ranges were examined, namely 1-2mm, 2-4.75 and the raw material in its original form. The results demonstrated that the most suitable form was 2mm to 4.75mm which resulted in 38.67% of yield and 886.72 m2 g-1 of a surface area and it has more rigidity compared with finer particle size and has more surface area and yield compared with olive stone in its original form.

Removal of Iron and Total Chromium Contaminations in Landfill Leachate by Using Electrocoagulation Process

This research work involves the study removal of Iron and Total Chromium by electrocoagulation process. This project focused on leachate landfill from Pulau Burung, Nibong Tebal, Penang as an electrolyte solution. These heavy metals are the main factor contributing to pollution in leachate landfill. Types of electrodes used in this study were Aluminium (grade 5052) and Stainless Steel (grade 316). The ranges of initial pH applied were pH (3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) and voltages applied were 1.5V, 2.0V and 2.5V. These three parameters were evaluated and the operation time was 60 minutes. At the end of electrocoagulation process, the solutions were stored and analysed using AAS to determine the final concentration of electrolyte solution.

Detection of Groundwater Aquifer Using Resistivity Imaging Profiling at Beriah Landfill Site, Perak, Malaysia

This study explains the use of resistivity imaging profiling. The Resistivity Imaging Profiling (RIP) became the one of some important techniques in order to get more information for finding out some hidden water in geophysical survey and this has been applied in Beriah Landfill Site in task of exploring the location storing underground water. Two dimensional geoelectrical imaging has been applied for this study. The method can be used for map the distribution of resistivity for the subsurface materials layer. The principle goals of this survey are to define the depth of aquifer layers from the subsoil, the water table and the depth of bedrock as well as suitable site for well. The imaging method was used in this study to map the subsurface soil and groundwater in and around the landfill area that includes six resistivity line. Surveys were conducted using SAS4000 resistivity meter and ABEM LUND electrode and the measured resistivity profiles were interpreted with 2-D resistivity inversion programme (RES2DINV) software presented by two dimensions which is axis-x represent as a length on the ground surface while axis-y referred to the depth of the subsurface in meter.