Aqueous heavy metals removal by adsorption on β-diketone-functionalized styrene–divinylbenzene copolymeric resin

An investigation was undertaken regarding the adsorption of different heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions using ??-diketone-functionalized styrene divinylbenzene resin under different experimental conditions such as initial concentration of metal ions, contact time, pH, and chelating capacity. The functionalization of resin was carried out by the condensation reaction of sodium salt of ??-diketones (pentane-1,3-dione) and chloromethylated styrene?Cdivinylbenzene resin in dichloromethane. Functionalized resin beads were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The batch method was employed using different metal ions solution from 5 to 15?mg/L at different contact times. The adsorption kinetics was tested for the pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order reaction at different experimental conditions. The rate constant of adsorption kinetic models were also calculated and good correlation coefficient (R ²?>?0.9941) was obtained for pseudo-second order kinetic model. The maximum adsorption value obtain for lead (0.725728?mg/g), chromium (0.9199?mg/g), nickel (0.4974?mg/g), cobalt (0.6196?mg/g) and cadmium (0.6519?mg/g) at equilibrium condition, which shows that ??-diketone-functionalized styrene divinylbenzene resin is an effective adsorbent for toxic metal ions.     

Biosorptive behaviour of mango leaf powder and rice husk for arsenic(III) from aqueous solutions

The present study deals with the biosorption of As(III) from aqueous solution using mango leaves powder (MLP) and rice husk (RH) in a batch operation. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transformation infrared spectrometry analysis shows the surface texture of biosorbents and metal binding of functional groups of before and after biosorption of As(III). The optimum pH was obtained at 7 and 6 with 7 and 6?g/l of dosage of MLP and RH, respectively. The adsorption of As(III) onto MLP and RH was favourably influenced by an increase in temperature. Equilibrium data were well represented by the Freundlich isotherm model. Nitric acid and ethylenediaminetetra acetic acid was found to be a better eluant for the desorption followed by hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide of As(III) with a maximum desorption efficiency of 69.5, 48.5 and 79.4, 86.3?%, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model was found to best fitted of the experimental data over the equilibrium time at 32?h. The positive values of heat of adsorption (23.89?kJ/mol for MLP and 52.26?kJ/mol for RH) indicate the endothermic nature of the adsorption process. The thermodynamic study showed the spontaneous nature of the sorption of As(III) onto MLP and RH.     

Photodegradation of amaranth in aqueous solution catalyzed by immobilized nanoparticles of titanium dioxide

The use of suspensions of nanoparticles of titanium dioxide in photocatalytic degradation of dye solution has disadvantages of inconvenient separation of fine particles for reuse and limited penetration of light for effective degradation. These problems can be minimized by supporting titanium dioxide on various inert supports. The present study involves the preparation of immobilized titanium dioxide films by three different techniques and characterization of the prepared films. The immobilized films of nanocrystals of titanium dioxide were prepared using sol?Cgel technique, polyvinyl alcohol?Cformaldehyde binder and acrylic emulsion. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared films for degradation of amaranth dye has also been evaluated and compared. Combination of photodegradation and adsorption processes induces strong beneficial effects on removal of dyes. Addition of high adsorption capacity activated carbon to photoactive titanium dioxide in photodegradation of dyes improves the efficiency of dye mineralization. The activated carbon has also been immobilized along with titanium dioxide in the present work to examine the dual effect of photodegradation and adsorption in the removal of amaranth. The films formed with the help of polyvinyl alcohol?Cformaldehyde binder showed better dye degradation capabilities.     

The age of the Nodular Limestone Formation (Late Cretaceous), Narmada Basin,central India

The age of the marine Nodular Limestone Formation of the Bagh Group is refined at Substage level through ammonoid and inoceramid index taxa. The study is based on the fresh collections from three well-defined successive intervals (Lower Karondia, Upper Karondia and Chirakhan members) of this formation having excellent exposures in different localities of the Narmada Basin, central India. The first record of the widely distributed Turonian ammonoid genera Spathites Kummel and Decker and Collignoniceras Breistroffer from the Nodular Limestone Formation constrained its age exclusively to Turonian. The Early Turonian species Spathites (Jeanrogericeras) aff. revelieranus (Courtiller) and Mytiloides labiatus (Sclotheim) occur in the lower part, while the Middle Turonian marker Collignoniceras cf. carolinum (d’Obrbigny) and Inoceramus hobetsensis (Nagao and Matsumoto) occurs in the upper part of the Karondia Member. The record of the index species Inoceramus teshioensis (Nagao and Matsumoto) in association with Placenticeras mintoi Vredenburg from Chirakhan Member allows a definite Late Turonian age. The present contribution is an attempt to resolve the controversies in the age of the Nodular Limestone Formation and also demarcation of the three divisions (Early, Middle and Late) of the Turonian Stage in the Narmada Basin, central India.     

Formation Mechanism of Mud Bank Along the Southwest Coast of India

Mud bank formation during the southwest monsoon along the southwest coast of India remains an enigma to the researchers and coastal community in spite of several earlier studies. The present study attempts to unravel the mystery through a high-frequency, season-long time-series observation at Alappuzha, located at the southern part of the west coast of India, a region of frequent occurrence of mud bank. Using 7-month-long weekly time-series observation, we identified strong winds and high waves associated with onset of the southwest monsoon and subsequent three episodic atmospheric low-pressure events (LPEs).With the help of in situ time-series data, we show that the strong winds and high waves associated with southwest monsoon pre-conditions the near shore bottom sediment to bring it into suspension. The high amplitude waves associated with the southwest monsoon, while propagating from the deep water to shallow water region, interact with the bottom initiating bottom-sediment movement and its suspension due to wave refraction and shoaling. The sporadic occurrence of the atmospheric LPEs enhances the process of suspension of bottom sediment in the near shore region leading to the formation of fluid mud. Simulations with a cohesive sediment transport model yielded realistic estimates of sediment transport, in the presence of an onshore current, a pre-requisite for transporting the fluid mud toward the coast. The prevailing onshore upwelling current during the southwest monsoon provides the favorable pre-requisite conditions for transporting the fluid mud through depression channel network towards the coast. Once sufficient quantity and thickness of fluid mud is accumulated in the near shore region, it acts as a wave damper for subsequent high monsoon waves, as indicated by the time-series wave data, leading to the formation of tranquil mud bank region. Depression channel networks extending from the shelf to the coast off Alappuzha, Kochi, Ponnani, Beypore, and Ullal were found in the bathymetric charts, thus explaining why mud banks occur only at few locations in spite of the prevalence of similar monsoon conditions.     

Structure,mechanical properties and evolution of the lithosphere below the northwest continental margin of India

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The continental breakup history at the northwest continental margin of India remained conjectural due to lack of clearly discernable magnetic anomaly...     

Static deformation of two welded monoclinic elastic half-spaces due to a long inclined strike-slip fault

Static deformation of two monoclinic elastic half-spaces in welded contact due to a long inclined strike-slip fault situated in one of the half-spaces is studied analytically and numerically. Closed-form algebraic expressions for the displacement at any point of the medium are obtained. The variation of the displacement at the interface with the horizontal distance from the fault is studied. The effect of anisotropy on the displacement field is examined. It is found that while the anisotropy of the source half-space has a significant effect on the displacement at the interface, the anisotropy of the other half-space has only a marginal effect.     

Light hydrocarbons geochemistry of surface sediment from petroliferous region of the Mehsana block,North Cambay Basin

A study was carried out to test the usefulness of surface geochemical methods as regional evaluation tools in petroliferous region of the Mehsana block, North Cambay Basin. A suite of 135 soil samples collected from the depth of 2.5 m, were analyzed for adsorbed light gaseous hydrocarbons and carbon isotopes (δ¹³C_methane and δ¹³C_ethane). The light gaseous hydrocarbon analysis show that the concentration ranges 402 ppb, 135 ppb, 70 ppb, 9 ppb and 18 ppb of C₁, C₂, C₃, iC₄ and nC₄, respectively. The value of carbon isotopic ranges of methane −29.5 to −43.0‰ (PDB) and ethane −19.1 to −20.9‰ (PDB). This data, when mapped, indicates patterns coinciding with major known oil and/or gas field of Sobhasan/Linch in this study area. The existence of un-altered petroliferous microseeps of catagenetic origin is observed in the study area. A regional study, such as the one described here, can provide important exploration facts concerning the regional hydrocarbon potential in a block. This method has been confirmed and can be applied successfully in frontier basins.     

Contamination of shallow aquifers by arsenic in upper reaches of Tista river at Siliguri–Jalpaiguri area of West Bengal, India

Arsenic is present in groundwater at Siliguri–Jalpaiguri area, West Bengal, India. This is the place where Tista river descending from the Himalayas meets the alluvial plain. The area represents alluvial fan and floodplains of Tista, Mahananda-Balasan, Jaladhaka and its tributaries. In the river sediment samples, para- and ferro-magnetic minerals within 0.3–0.05 mm fraction contain 9–80 ppm of arsenic. The study indicates that iron bearing minerals viz. biotite, hornblende as well as iron coated grains of the sediment are major contributors towards arsenic budget. Though magnetite as a mineral shows maximum arsenic content (22 ppm), it is volumetrically not of much significance. Measurement of groundwater collected from tube wells shows up to 0.05 ppm of arsenic. These arsenic contaminated tube wells occur in a linear fashion along the course of the rivers. Moreover, localization of contaminated tube wells coincides with the change of channel gradient as observed in longitudinal section. The study enumerates a cause–effect relationship of arsenic occurrence with river gradient and fluvial sedimentation.