The Influence of Stereochemistry of the Active Compounds on Fluoride Adsorption Efficiency of the Plant Biomass
Hezron T Mwakabona,
Revocatus L Machunda,
Karoli N Njau
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 4, July 2014
Pages:
42-47
Received:
16 July 2014
Accepted:
29 July 2014
Published:
20 August 2014
Abstract: Several studies have reported various defluoridation capabilities of plant biomasses. The resultant variations in fluoride removal capacities are associated with the presence of different types of active functional groups in the respective biomasses. This study reports of the fluoride removal efficiencies of sisal leaf biomass in comparison. Comparison with other plant biomasses were made and hence the fluoride removal efficiencies of maize leaf (ML), goose grass (GG), banana false stem (BFS), Aloe vera (AV), untreated sisal fibre (USF) and sisal pith (SP) with similar active functional groups but different stereochemistry and solubility of the active compounds are reported. A portion of 0.5 g of each biomass was mixed with a 10 mg/l fluoride solution in a 10 ml portions under the same experimental conditions. The maximum fluoride removal capacity of sisal fibre biomass was found to be 26.6 %. By comparison, the fluoride removal efficiencies of ML, GG, BFS, AV, USF and SP were found to be, 4.1, 4.6, 7.1, 26.6, 29.4 and 47.3 % respectively. This suggests that, stereochemistry and solubility of the active compounds have a significant role to play in water defluoridation by plant biomasses, and thus, knowledge of the stereochemistry and solubility of the active compounds in plant biomass is very important to fully unlock biomass’ defluoridation potentials.
Abstract: Several studies have reported various defluoridation capabilities of plant biomasses. The resultant variations in fluoride removal capacities are associated with the presence of different types of active functional groups in the respective biomasses. This study reports of the fluoride removal efficiencies of sisal leaf biomass in comparison. Compar...
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Analysis of Chemical Contaminations in Natural Resources
Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 4, July 2014
Pages:
48-58
Received:
30 July 2014
Accepted:
15 August 2014
Published:
20 August 2014
Abstract: Natural forest resources like Sundarbans mangroves in Asia including Bangladesh, India, and East Africa previously contained a much fuller range of species (Seidensticker, and Hai, 1983; Khan, 1997). In the Southeast Asian region, species diversity of mangroves was previously much higher, where approximately two-thirds of all species and 70% of the major vegetation types with 15% of terrestrial species in the Bangladesh-India-Malayan realm have already been destroyed (Ellison, 1998, 2000). Despite this designation, this natural forest resources (Sundarbans) in Bangladesh has been facing tremendous problems, including that of dieback (top-dying), human destructions, deforestations, illicit fellings, miss-management of the main tree species (Heritiera fomes) which is affecting millions of trees. The cause of this dieback is still not well understood unknown. The present work has investigated one of the possible factors that might be causing this top-dying, namely the concentrations of various chemical elements present in the sediments, particularly heavy metals, though other chemical parameters such as the pH, salinity, moisture content of the sediment and nutrient status were also assessed. Tree height and trunk diameter were determined as indications of tree growth, counts of seedlings and saplings were made to assess regeneration success, and the intensity of top-dying within the sampled plots was recorded on a rank scale. However, the present results have showed that Sn, Exchangeable K, soil pH, Pb , Zn and Ni could be directly linked with top-dying disease of Heritiera fomes (Sundri) in Sundarbans, probably particularly by weakening the vigor of the trees and people and allowing other factors such as pathological agents to attack the plants and surrounding people in Sundarbans, Bangladesh (Awal, 2014). In fact, from since then and still now, the natural resource of Bangladesh like Sundarbans is being disturbed ecologically by human destruction.
Abstract: Natural forest resources like Sundarbans mangroves in Asia including Bangladesh, India, and East Africa previously contained a much fuller range of species (Seidensticker, and Hai, 1983; Khan, 1997). In the Southeast Asian region, species diversity of mangroves was previously much higher, where approximately two-thirds of all species and 70% of the...
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