Home > Preparation and Modification of Various Adsorbents from Rice Husk and Their Use for the Removal of Toxic Dyes and Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Media
Preparation and Modification of Various Adsorbents from Rice Husk and Their Use for the Removal of Toxic Dyes and Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Media
Rice Husk (RH) was collected from the local rice processing mill in district Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The RH was thermally modified in the absence of air at 400oC to prepare the Rice Husk Char (RHC). Whereas the thermal modification of RH in the presence of air at 700oC leads to the production of Rice Husk Ash (RHA). Both the RHC and RHA were modified with KOH and labeled as KOH Modified Rice Husk Char (KMRHC) and KOH Modified Rice Husk Ash (KMRHA). The thermally and Thermo-chemically modified material were subjected as adsorbents for the removal of toxic dyes (Orange G and Titan yellow) and heavy metal ions (Pb2+) from aqueous media. Variation in the experimental conditions (agitation time, dye/metal ions concentration, adsorbent dose, pH and temperature) play significant role in the adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacity of Orange G (OG) on RHC andKMRHC was investigated as 28.8 mg/g and 38.4 mg/g respectively at pH = 4 using initial dye concentrations of 80 mg/L containing 2g/L of the adsorbent dose with agitation speed of 240 rpm at 303K. Under the same experimental conditions the uptake capacity (mg/g) of OG on RHA and KMRHA was inspected as 23.05 mg/g and 36.45 mg/g respectively. The percentage adsorption of OG on RHC and KMRHC were recorded as 65.1% and 96.0% respectively, whereas that on RHA and KMRHA was noted as 57.6% and 91.1% respectively. These results indicated that KOH modification of RHC and RHA resulted into efficient adsorbents for the removal of OG dyes from aqueous media. Almost similar results were also investigated for the removal of Titan yellow (TY) dye on these adsorbents. Slight variation the adsorption capacities (mg/g) and percent adsorption was attributed to the structural and compositional changes in the OG and TY dyes. The maximum removal of TY on these adsorbents were investigated at pH = 3.5. The optimum adsorption capacities (mg/g) of Pb2+ ions on RHC, KMRHC, RHA and KMRHA-adsorbents were investigated as 92.2mg/g, 119mg/g, 86.75mg/g and 113.7 mg/g respectively. This suggested that the modification of RHC with KOH enhanced its adsorption capacity from 92.2 to 119mg/g while that of RHA from 86.75 and 113.7 mg/L. The metal ions adsorption experiments were performed using initial Pb2+ ions concentrations of 250 mg/L containing 2g/L of the adsorbent dose at pH = 6 with stirring speed of 240 rpm at 303K. The maximum adsorption efficiencies of Pb2+ ions were noted as 74%, 95.9%, 86.75% and 90.6% on RHC, KMRHC, RHA and KMRHA-adsorbents respectively. This revealed that the percent 2 adsorption of Pb2+ ions on KMRHC and KMRHA are greater than the corresponding values of RHC and RHA, which suggested that KOH modified Rice Husk Char and Rice Hush Ash (KMRHC and KMRHA) are efficient adsorbents for the removal of Pb2+ ions from aqueous media. Adsorbent dose have a significant role on the adsorption capacity of metal ions on adsorbents. For 1g/L of adsorbent dose, the maximum adsorption capacity for Pb2+ ions on RHC, KMRHC, RHA and KMRHA was inspected as 136mg/g, 172mg/g, 106mg/g and 152 mg/g respectively other experimental conditions were the same as mentioned above. Thermodynamic studies of the adsorption of OG, TY and Pb2+ on RHC, KMRHC, RHA and KMRHA indicated that the values of ΔG and ΔH were negative which revealed that the adsorption process is exothermic and spontaneous. The negative value of ΔS suggested that randomness decreases at the interface of adsorbent-adsorbate during the adsorption process. The kinetics study indicated that the experimental data of the adsorption process best fits to pseudosecond order kinetic model. The equilibrium data was tested on Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherm models. It was inspected that the data followed all the three isotherm models (R2>0.90). However, the values of correlation coefficients (R2) indicated that the data is mostly best fit to the Langmuir isotherm model (R2>0.98) which suggest for chemi-sorption process. The RHC, RHA and KOH modified RHC and RHA were characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR and EDX. XRD pattern indicated the crystalline entities in the amorphous matrix had blocked the aggregation of silica particles and hence enhanced the surface area of the adsorbents for the maximum adsorption of dyes and heavy metal ions. SEM images indicated that the KOH modification of RHC and RHA made these materials highly porous which enable them more efficient adsorbents for the adsorption of toxic dyes and heavy metals from aqueous media. In the light of experimental results so obtained it was found that within the experimental range of various parameters used, the adsorption rate is appreciably affected but the overall order and hence the mechanism of adsorption may remain the same. However, the nature and mechanism of adsorption may vary by changing the type/nature of different adsorbents prepared. The overall results obtained in this work suggested that our new material would be applied for the removal of toxic dyes and heavy metals from waste water as an alternate and easier option. It will also motivate further research in the direction of removal of contaminants by applying modified RH.
کچھ روز سے میں اِک عجیب سے مخمصے سے دو چار ہوں۔ با ت کرتے کرتے کہیں کھو جا تی ہوں۔ میری حا ضر جوا بی و شگفتہ بیا نی جیسے مفقود ہو کررہ گئی ہے۔ اِک عجیب سی پز مر دگی سی چھائی ہو ئی ہے یوں کچھ کھو گیا ہو جو دھو نڈنے پر بھی مل کر نہ دے رہا ہو۔ اِک بے چینی نے میرے و جود کا احاطہ کر رکھا ہے۔ میں نا قا بلِ بیان اذ یت میں ہوں شکست و ریخت کے عمل سے دو چا ر ہوں۔ در اصل ہُوا یوں کہ ___مگر نہیں یوں آپ سمجھ نہیں پائیں گے پہلے میرا تعا رف ضروری ہے۔ میں ایک پینتیس چا لیس سا لہ نو جوا ن خا تون ہوں۔ پینتیس چا لیس سا لہ اورنو جوا ن۔ میرے اِس متضا د بیا ن پر یقینا ہنس رہے ہوں گے۔ آپ اپنی ہنسی میں حق بجا نب ہیں اور اپنے بیا ن میں مَیں بھی غلط نہیں۔ در اصل آپ نے مجھے دیکھا نہیں اگر دیکھ لیتے تو یقینا میرے بیا ن کی صحت پر ایما ن لے آتے۔ آپ اسے میری خو ش فہمی سمجھئے یا مجھے احساسِ بر تری سے ما ری ہو ئی حُسن کے زعم میں گُم کو ئی مغرور حسینہ مگر سچ یہی ہے کہ میں خود شنا س ہوں۔ میں جا نتی ہوں کہ میں اُن چند خوا تین میں سے ہُوں جن کے حُسن و جوا نی پر وقت جیسے آکر ٹھہر سا جا تا ہے اوراس صو رتِ حا ل سے میں اِ ک طویل مدت سے لطف اندوز ہو رہی ہوں۔ مجھے دیکھ کر لوگ پو چھتے ہیں:" Are you miss or mrs"اور جب...
In today’s world mankind seems to be skidding towards chaos and violence. Mankind is divided on the lines of faith, race, sect, colour, cast, language and creed. Odium and intolerance have become the orders of the day. This condition pushes to take the refuge of religion but the religious radicalism, intolerance and discrimination are also in the fold. In this situation Sufi message comes to give shelter for peace, love and humanity. The enlightened Sufi message is not for one nation, race, or community but it is for the whole of humanity. Pakistan has faced terrified situations due to dangerous trends of religious extremism, radicalism and social intolerance. In order to understand this problem, the concept of Sufism has been applied. This has been used as an approach / methodology to evade from hated and violent tendency to reorient Pakistan back on the track to peace and prosperity. Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan have been taken as case study to give the empirical evidence. This study demonstrates that the enlightened message of Sufism has enough potential to bring back peaceful environment.
This study was designed to determine the role of educational institutions in developing political awareness among the secondary level students in Pakistan. In developing political awareness, the curriculum, faculty, school environment and home environment play a significant role. Keeping in view these independent variables of political awareness, and the study was delimited to the public high and higher secondary schools in the Punjab, province of Pakistan. Six thousand four hundred and eighty seven (6487) High and Higher secondary schools from all over the Punjab were taken in this study. All the Head Teachers, 33561 Secondary School Teachers and 524336 students of tenth class of session 2012-14 were the population of this study. 414 Head Teachers, 828 Secondary School Teachers and 1242 students of tenth class were taken as study sample by using the Cochran‟s formula for taking sufficient sample size from the population. To seek the extent of content regarding political awareness, the content analysis of the text books being taught at secondary level out of the compulsory subjects was undertaken. Three five point rating scales were developed for the head teachers, teachers and the students under the direction of the supervisor keeping in view the different factors responsible for political awareness like “Curriculum, “School Environment” and “Home Environment”. In order to determine the level of political awareness among the students, a Test comprising the basic and key concepts of political education was also developed.The collected data were analyzed by applying descriptive (Mean, Average, Standard Deviation) as well as inferential (Z-Test, Chi Squire Test) statistics. The level of political awareness was determined by the content analyses of the texts, statement Wise and questionnaire Wise analysis of the questionnaires of the study sample and the results of the Test administered on the students‟ sample. The results of the study showed that a very little amount of content was found on political awareness in the text books at secondary level. The statement and questionnaire Wise analyses of the questionnaires of the study sample showed the unsatisfactory condition about the political awareness. The results of the Test also showed the lower level of achievement of students. Inculcation of basic and key concepts of political education in compulsory subjects at secondary level, political awareness drive in the form of seminars, debates and workshops at schools, appointment of expert subject specialists, provision of different societies and organizations like school councils and literary societies, continuous parent-teacher meetings and sufficient budget allocation were recommended in this study.