Jamil Anwar

Removal of Pb(II) and Cd(II) from water by adsorption on peels of banana.

The adsorption of lead(II) and cadmium(II) on peels of banana has been studied in batch mode using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy for metal estimation. Concerned parameters like adsorbent dose, pH, contact time and agitation speed were investigated. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherms were employed to describe adsorption equilibrium. The maximum amounts of cadmium(II) and lead(II) adsorbed (qm), as evaluated by Langmuir isotherm, were 5.71 mg and 2.18 mg per gram of powder of banana peels, respectively. Study concluded that banana peels, a waste material, have good potential as an adsorbent to remove toxic metals like lead and cadmium from water.

A novel application of quaternary ammonium compounds as antibacterial hybrid coating on glass surfaces.

A hybrid coating is prepared on a glass surface by a sol-gel process using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and Q(4)N(+)-Si(OR)(3). Transparent coatings with smooth surfaces were investigated against both Gram-positive (Escherichia coli) and Gram-negative bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). A rapid decrease of the count for both strains was observed within 72 h. A significant correlation has been observed between the concentration of Q(4)N(+)-Si(OR)(S) and the antibacterial activity which has been thoroughly investigated.

Removal of chromium (III) by using coal as adsorbent.

The adsorption of Cr(III) by two different coal varieties from Lakhra and Thar coalfields (Pakistan) have been studied in batch mode. The effect of adsorbent dose, pH, contact time and agitation speed on the adsorption of Cr(III) by both the coals were investigated. Adsorption equilibrium was achieved in 40-50 min. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherms were used to elucidate the observed sorption phenomena. The maximum Cr(III) removal was 2.61 mg of Cr(III) per gram of LC (Lakhra coal) and 2.55 mg of Cr(III) per gram of TC (Thar coal) as evaluated from Langmuir isotherm. The heat of sorption was in the range 3.75-3.87 kJ/mol as evaluated from Temkin isotherm. Best results were obtained at pH>5. It is proposed that low rank coals of Pakistan can be used for removal of toxic metals like Cr(III) from industrial effluents/waste waters.

ISOTHERMAL AND THERMODYNAMICAL MODELING OF CHROMIUM (III) ADSORPTION BY COMPOSITES OF POLYANILINE WITH RICE HUSK AND SAW DUST

The adsorption of Cr (III) from water by polyaniline composites with rice husk and saw dust of Eucalyptus camaldulensis has been investigated in this study. The surface of adsorbents was characterized by FT-IR. Effect of various operational conditions like agitation time, initial pH, adsorbent dose, particle size of composites and temperature were studied in batch mode. The suitability of the data was confirmed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Thermodynamic studies showed that adsorption of Cr (III) on these composites occur spontaneously. Rice husk and saw dust modified the morphology of polyaniline by preventing its aggregation and improving its adsorption capacity.

A new spectrophotometric method for the determination of promethazine–HCl from pure and pharmaceutical preparations

Promethazine-HCl reacts with potassium persulphate to give a pinkish red color complex exhibiting maximum absorbance at 515nm. The reaction is selective for promethazine-HCl, with 1mug/mL as visual limit of identification and provides a basis for a new spectrophotometric determination method. The color forming reaction obeys Beers Law from 0.001 to 0.125mg/mL of promethazine-HCl. The relative standard deviation does not exceed 0.005mg/mL. The method is successfully applied to pure and pharmaceutical formulations of promethazine-HCl. The quantitative assessment of tolerable amounts of possible interferants was also studied. The results are reproducible within +/-1% and in good agreement with those obtained by the standard procedure.

Micro-determination of arsenic in aqueous samples by image scanning and computational quantification

Arsenic is highly toxic in all of its forms found in natural groundwater. An improved method for the estimation of inorganic arsenic at low levels (μg L−1) in water has been proposed. The method involves the generation of arsine in a specially designed cell by borohydride reduction of arsenite (AsO21−). The resulting arsine is passed through a filter paper pre-dipped in mercuric bromide solution giving a yellowish brown complex. The color intensity of the spots is calculated by scanning the spotted paper and analyzing the image using specially designed software. The method was found to be effective at trace levels having a linear response at the concentration range 2–20μg L−1 (8–80ng). The detection limit of the proposed method is 1 μg L−1 (4 ng) which can be reduced further by making some modifications to the apparatus. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of synthetic samples and field samples of water.

Removal of Chromium on Polyalthia longifolia Leaves Biomass

Adsorption is an environmental friendly process for removal and/or recovery of heavy metals from wastewater. In recent years, it has been substantiated as a popular technique to treat industrial waste effluents, with significant advantages. In this work, batchwise removal of chromium (III) ions from water by Polyalthia longifolia leaves was studied as a function of adsorbent dose, pH, contact time, and agitation speed. Surface characteristics of the leaves were evaluated by recording IR spectra. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin adsorption isotherms were employed to explain the sorption process. It was found that one gram of leaves can remove 1.87 mg of trivalent chromium when working at pH 3.0. It has been concluded that Polyalthia longifolia leaves can be used as cost-effective and benign adsorbents for removal of Cr(III) ions from wastewater.

Microdetermination of fluoride by laser-excited molecular fluorescence spectroscopy in a graphite furnace☆

Abstract Fluoride at picogram levels is determined by using laser-excited molecular fluorescence of MgF produced in a graphite atomizer by adding magnesium to the fluoride sample. A pulsed dye-laser, tuned at 268 nm, is used to excite MgF and the resulting fluorescence is measured at 358 nm. Experimental parameters, including graphite furnace conditions and magnesium concentration, are optimized. The effect of other halides and anions on MgF fluorescence intensity have also been explored.

Determination of chloride at picogram levels by molecular fluorescence in a graphite furnace

Chloride was determined at nanogram levels by adding excess of indium to the sample introduced into a graphite furnace and measuring the laser induced molecular fluorescence of indium chloride. The diatomic molecules of indium chloride were excited by a pulsed dye laser at 267 nm and fluorescence was measured at 359 nm. The effects of various parameters including amount of indium added, furnace thermal conditions and presence of concomitants were also studied. A linear calibration in the range of 0.025-1.25 ng and a detection limit of 17 pg of chloride were obtained under optimum conditions. The analytical usefulness of the method was checked by determining the chloride content in National Institute of Standards and Technology, Standard Reference Materials 1571a and 1571b Orchard Leaves.

Determination of trace metals by voltamperometry in zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) employed as environmental bio-indicator

Abstract In the present work, metals (cadmium, lead, copper, nickel, tin, selenium, and mercury) have been estimated in the Ebro River (Spain) using the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) as an environmental bio-indicator. In two sequential studies, in 2006 and 2008, concentrations of metals were calculated in water as well as in the shells and fleshes of the zebra mussels. Samples were collected from assorted locations of the river. Metals were determined successfully at trace levels through voltamperometry, a sensitive technique. It has been noted that analysis of bioaccumulators like zebra mussels can be helpful in evaluating metal pollution in water.