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Item Unveiling the potential of Aspergillus terreus SJP02 for zinc remediation and its driving mechanism(Springer Nature, 2025-01) Verma, Sanjay Kumar; Gupta, Suresh; Panwar, JitendraIn present study, 15 morphologically different fungi isolated from rhizopheric soils of an industrial area were screened for their Zn2+ removal efficiency from aqueous solution. Isolate depicting highest potential was molecularly identified as Aspergillus terreus SJP02. Effect of various process parameters viz. biosorbent dose, contact time, temperature, agitation rate, pH and initial Zn2+ concentration on the fungal sorption capacity were studied. The biosorbent exhibited maximum Zn2+ sorption capacity of 10.7 ± 0.2 mg g− 1 in 60 min. Desorption studies showed 71.46% Zn2+ recovery rate in 120 min with 0.01 N HNO3, indicating efficient metal recovery for reuse and subsequent reutilization of spent mycosorbents. Acid digestion study suggested adsorption being the primary mechanism accounting for 87% Zn2+removal. It was further confirmed by the FE-SEM and EDX analysis. FTIR analysis suggested involvement of amino, hydroxyl, carbonyl, and phosphate functional groups of fungal cell wall in adsorption. The experimental results were in accordance with the tested isotherm and kinetic models, and suggested the role of physical adsorption for Zn2+ removal. Noteworthy, the present study showed better sorption capacity in considerably shorter equilibration time compared to previous reports and advocate potential utilization of A. terreus SJP02 for bioremediation of Zn2+ contaminated wastewater at industrial scale.Item Functionalized Cu-based metal oxide nanoparticles with enhanced Cd+2 adsorption capacity and their ecotoxicity assessment by molecular docking(Elsevier, 2022-04) Gupta, Suresh; Panwar, JitendraIn the present study, synthesis of eco-friendly Cu-based metal oxides nanoparticles [CuO, Cu2O, and CuO&Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs)] without and with functionalization with Diethylene glycol (DEG) has been demonstrated. The synthesized NPs were screened for their ability to adsorb multiple heavy metal ions from an aqueous solution. Based on the maximum Cadmium (Cd+2) ion adsorption capacity, functionalized Cu2O (fCu2O) NPs were selected for the detailed characterization and batch studies. The average size of fCu2O NPs was found to be 57.4 ± 6.14 nm in comparison to NPs without capping (72.6 ± 5.19 nm). The experimental parameters viz. contact time, initial pH, and initial concentration were optimized, and the obtained results were interpreted using standard isotherms and kinetic models. The maximum Cd+2 adsorption on fCu2O NPs was observed at initial solution pH 7. The adsorption of Cd+2 was found to be decreased at acidic pH due to the protonation of functional groups present on the NPs surface. A maximum Cd+2 adsorption capacity of 204 ± 6.2 mg g−1 was obtained from the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The crystal structure of NPs was prepared and docked with the protein targets of selected soil microbes in order to determine their ecotoxicity. The obtained results showed that NPs exhibited low affinity towards protein targets in comparison to the standard used. It suggests that NPs have less impact on the functionality of soil microbes and are thus safe for their disposal into the soil micro-environment.Item One-pot synthesis of metal oxide-clay composite for the evaluation of dye removal studies: Taguchi optimization of parameters and environmental toxicity studies(Springer, 2022-10) Panwar, Jitendra; Gupta, SureshThe present study demonstrates the synthesis of eco-friendly metal oxide-clay composites (MgO-clay and CaO-clay) with phytochemical functionalization. The physical and chemical properties of prepared composites were characterized using standard techniques viz. scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The effect of pH on the dye adsorption capability of the synthesized composites was studied. The adsorption of an anionic dye methyl orange (MO) and a cationic due methylene blue (MB) was favored in the acidic and basic regions, respectively. The Taguchi design approach was adopted for the removal of MO and MB from wastewater using the synthesized composites. The obtained results suggest that initial dye concentration and composite dosage were the most influential parameters in dye removal among all the studied parameters. The adsorption experiments were carried out using MgO-clay and CaO-clay composites with the optimum conditions obtained from Taguchi optimization to validate the predicted response. The experimental parameters viz. the effect of contact time, initial dye concentration, and solution temperature were studied for screened composite (CaO-clay) with optimized conditions. The obtained results were interpreted using standard isotherms and kinetic models. A maximum adsorption capacity of 571 ± 10 and 859 ± 14 mg g−1 was obtained from the Langmuir adsorption isotherm for MO and MB, respectively. Regeneration studies suggested that the CaO-clay composite can be utilized up to 3 cycles with reduced adsorption capacity of the dyes over cycles due to the solid binding nature of dyes on the CaO-clay composite. The fresh and utilized CaO-clay composite were tested for their environmental toxicity analysis using ecologically important soil microorganisms. The obtained results suggested no detrimental effects on soil microbe’s functionality, indicating their threat-free disposal in the soil environment.Item Phylloplane fungus Curvularia dactyloctenicola VJP08 effectively degrades commercially available PS product(Elsevier, 2024-02) Panwar, Jitendra; Gupta, SureshPolystyrene (PS), a widely produced plastic with an extended carbon (C–C) backbone that resists microbial attack, is produced in enormous quantities throughout the World. Naturally occurring plasticizers such as plant cuticle and lignocelluloses share similar properties to synthetic plastics such as hydrophobicity, structural complexity, and higher recalcitrance to degradation. In due course of time, phytopathogenic fungi have evolved strategies to overcome these limitations and utilize lignocellulosic waste for their nutrition. The present investigation focuses on the utilization of phylloplane fungus, Curvularia dactyloctenicola VJP08 towards its ability to colonize and degrade commercially available PS lids. The fungus was observed to densely grow onto PS samples over an incubation period of 30 days. The morphological changes showcased extensive fungal growth with mycelial imbrication invading the PS surface for carbon extraction leading to the appearance of cracks and holes in the PS surface. It was further confirmed by EDS analysis which indicated that carbon was extracted from PS for the fungal growth. Further, 3.57% decrease in the weight, 8.8% decrease in the thickness and 2 °C decrease in the glass transition temperature (Tg) confirmed alterations in the structural integrity of PS samples by the fungal action. GC-MS/MS analysis of the treated PS samples also showed significant decrease in the concentration of benzene and associated aromatic derivatives confirming the degradation of PS samples and subsequent utilization of generated by-products by the fungus for growth. Overall, the present study confirmed the degradation and utilization of commercially available PS samples by phylloplane fungus C. dactyloctenicola VJP08. These findings establish a clear cross-assessment of the phylloplane fungi for their prospective use in the development of degradation strategies of synthetic plastics.Item Remediation of multifarious metal ions and molecular docking assessment for pathogenic microbe disinfection in aqueous solution by waste-derived Ca-MOF(Springer, 2024-02) Panwar, Jitendra; Gupta, SureshThe present study demonstrates an eco-friendly and cost-effective synthesis of calcium terephthalate metal–organic frameworks (Ca-MOF). The Ca-MOF were composed of metal ions (Ca2+) and organic ligands (terephthalic acid; TPA); the former was obtained from egg shells, and the latter was obtained from processing waste plastic bottles. Detailed characterization using standard techniques confirmed the synthesis of Ca-MOF with an average particle size of 461.9 ± 15 nm. The synthesized Ca-MOF was screened for its ability to remove multiple metal ions from an aqueous solution. Based on the maximum sorption capacity, Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+ ions were selected for individual parametric batch studies. The obtained results were interpreted using standard isotherms and kinetic models. The maximum sorption capacity (qm) obtained from the Langmuir model was found to be 644.07 ± 47, 391.4 ± 26, and 260.5 ± 14 mg g−1 for Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+, respectively. Moreover, Ca-MOF also showed an excellent ability to remove all three metal ions simultaneously from a mixed solution. The metal nodes and bonded TPA from Ca-MOF were dissociated by the acid dissolution method, which protonated and isolated TPA for reuse. Further, the crystal structure of Ca-MOF was prepared and docked with protein targets of selected pathogenic water-borne microbes, which showed its disinfection potential. Overall, multiple metal sorption capability, regeneration studies, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity confirmed the versatility of synthesized Ca-MOF for industrial wastewater treatment.Item Unveiling the dye adsorption capability of Moringa oleifera functionalized hybrid porous MOF–GO composites: in vitro and in silico ecotoxicity assessment via antibacterial and molecular docking studies(RSC, 2024-06) Panwar, Jitendra; Gupta, SureshThe present study demonstrated the synthesis of sustainable and eco-friendly composites composed of Fe & Al metal–organic frameworks (Fe-MOF and Al-MOF) and their graphene oxide composites (AlGC and FeGC). Post-synthetic surface functionalization of developed composites was done with Moringa oleifera leaves powder extract. The synthesized MOFs and composites were characterized using standard techniques. The ability of synthesized MOFs and composites to remove methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB) dyes from wastewater was evaluated. Based on the higher dye removal ability, detailed dye adsorption studies were performed with functionalized composites (AlGC and FeGC). Taguchi optimization design was utilized to optimize the four testing factors, viz. contact time, initial dye concentration, composite dosage, and temperature, along with five levels for each factor to achieve the highest capacity for dye adsorption. The composites exhibited outstanding equilibrium adsorption capacities for MO (AlGC: 577 ± 37 and FeGC: 631 ± 42 mg g−1) and MB (AlGC: 336 ± 13 and FeGC: 387 ± 7 mg g−1) dyes, which are found to be the highest among the reported composites so far. Applying isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamic models confirmed the spontaneous, endothermic reactions for the physisorption of both dyes. The regeneration studies showed more than ∼65% dye removal efficiency of both the composites up to three adsorption–desorption cycles, which confirms their reusability at the industrial scale. The environmental toxicity of developed composites was analyzed by antibacterial studies against selected ecologically important soil bacteria as well as by molecular docking studies against protein targets of selected microorganismsItem Non-derivatizing solvent assisted waste-derived cellulose/ MOF composite porous matrix for efficient metal ion removal: comprehensive analysis of batch and continuous packed-bed column sorption studies(RSC, 2024-07) Panwar, Jitendra; Gupta, SureshThe use of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for wastewater treatment in continuous operation is a major challenge. To address this, the present study demonstrates the eco-friendly and economic synthesis of Ca-MOF immobilized cellulose beads (Ca-MOF-CB) derived from paper waste. The synthesized Ca-MOF-CB were characterized using standard analytical techniques. Batch sorption studies were performed to check the effect of cellulose composition (wt%), Ca-MOF loading, contact time, and initial metal ion (Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+) concentration. Ca-MOF-CB beads exhibited outstanding equilibrium sorption capacities for Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+, with estimated values of 281.22 ± 7.8, 104.01 ± 10.58, and 114.21 ± 9.68 mg g−1, respectively. Different non-linear isotherms and kinetic models were applied which confirmed the spontaneous, endothermic reactions for the physisorption of Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+. Based on the highest equilibrium sorption capacity for Pb2+ ion, in-depth parametric column studies were conducted in an indigenously developed packed-bed column set-up. The effect of packed-bed height (10 and 20 cm), inlet flow rate (5 and 10 mL min−1), and inlet Pb2+ ion concentration (200, 300, and 500 mg L−1) were studied. The breakthrough curves obtained at different operating conditions were fitted with the empirical models viz. the bed depth service time (BDST), Yoon–Nelson, Thomas, and Yan to estimate the column design parameters. In order to determine the financial implications at large-scale industrial operations, an affordable synthesis cost of 1 kg of Ca-MOF-CB was estimated. Conclusively, the present study showed the feasibility of the developed Ca-MOF-CB for the continuous removal of metal ions at an industrial scale.Item Sustainable Development of Functionalized Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles with Effective Cu(II) Sorbent Properties(Springer, 2024-08) Panwar, Jitendra; Gupta, SureshThe present work reports the solution combustion synthesis of negatively charged cobalt oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) using glycine as a fuel. The morphology, composition, crystallinity, and surface characteristics of synthesized CONPs were confirmed. The particles were oval in shape with an average size of 10 ± 2 nm and negatively charged functional groups (C-H and N = N = N) on their surface. Batch experiments were performed to estimate the optimum values of parameter to estimate the maximum Cu(II) adsorption of CONPs, which was found to be 523 ± 12.72 mg g−1. The acid treatment achieved regeneration of loaded CONPs, and their sustainability was checked by performing adsorption–desorption experiments up to 4 cycles. The obtained results showed only a 14.4% reduction in adsorption capacity up to 4 cycles. Further, the diversified application of CONPs was examined by exposing them to synthetically prepared textile industry effluent containing multiple metal ions. The batch study data were fitted to various isotherm and kinetic models to understand the adsorption kinetics. The possible mechanism for the adsorption of Cu(II) onto CONPs has also been discussed. The antimicrobial assay results advocated that the disposal of CONPs is harmless to the ecosystem.Item Rhamnolipid production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (SSL-4) on waste engine oil (WEO): Taguchi optimization, soil remediation, and phytotoxicity investigation(Taylor & Francis, 2023-09) Jha, Prabhat Nath; Gupta, Suresh; Jain, AmitEnvironmental concerns and rising biosurfactant demand emphasize the need for this study. The objective is to maximize rhamnolipid-biosurfactant production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (SSL-4) utilizing waste engine oil (WEO) as the sole substrate for use in soil bioremediation and commercial production. Using an L16 Taguchi orthogonal array, a signal-to-noise ratio, and an analysis of variance (ANOVA), the effects of environmental (pH, incubation temperature) and dietary parameters (carbon source concentration, carbon/nitrogen (C/N) and carbon/phosphorus (C/P) ratio) are examined. Variations of the following parameters were made within a carefully selected range: incubation temperature of 25–40℃, pH range of 5–11, WEO concentration of 1–7% (v/v), and C/N and C/P ratios of 10–40. Response variables in this batch study include surface tension reduction (mN/m), dry cell biomass (DCBM) (g/L), and rhamnolipids yield based on substrate consumption, YP/S (g/g). Rhamnolipid was synthesized under optimal conditions, providing a yield of 21.42 g/g. The oil recovery of 74.05 ± 1.481% was achieved from oil-contaminated soil at a CMC of ∼70 mg/L. FTIR, 1H NMR, and UPLC-MS techniques were utilized for the characterization of rhamnolipids, and AAS for determining heavy metals concentration in WEO and residual waste engine oil (RWEO). The Germination Index (GI) of ∼82.55% indicated no phytotoxicity associated with synthesized rhamnolipid.Item Bio-Mitigation of Carbon Dioxide Using Desmodesmus sp. in the Custom-Designed Pilot-Scale Loop Photobioreactor(MDPI, 2021-09) Gupta, Suresh; Raghuvanshi, Smita; Verma, Sanjay KumarToday’s society is faced with many upfront challenges such as the energy crisis, water pollution, air pollution, and global warming. The greenhouse gases (GHGs) responsible for global warming include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NOx), water vapor (H2O), and fluorinated gases. A fraction of the increased emissions of CO2 in the atmosphere is due to agricultural and municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems. There is a need for a sustainable solution which can degrade the pollutants and provide a technology-based solution. Hence, the present work deals with the custom design of a loop photobioreactor with 34 L of total volume used to handle different inlet CO2 concentrations (0.03%, 5%, and 10% (v/v)). The obtained values of biomass productivity and CO2 fixation rate include 0.185 ± 0.004 g L−1 d−1 and 0.333 ± 0.004 g L−1 d−1, respectively, at 10% (v/v) CO2 concentration and 0.084 ± 0.003 g L−1 d−1 and 0.155 ± 0.003 g L−1 d−1, respectively, at 5% (v/v) CO2 concentration. The biochemical compositions, such as carbohydrate, proteins, and lipid content, were estimated in the algal biomass produced from CO2 mitigation studies. The maximum carbohydrate, proteins, and lipid content were obtained as 20.7 ± 2.4%, 32.2 ± 2.5%, and 42 ± 1.0%, respectively, at 10% (v/v) CO2 concentration. Chlorophyll (Chl) a and b were determined in algal biomass as an algal physiological response. The results obtained in the present study are compared with the previous studies reported in the literature, which indicated the feasibility of the scale-up of the process for the source reduction of CO2 generated from waste management systems without significant change in productivity. The present work emphasizes the cross-disciplinary approach for the development of bio-mitigation of CO2 in the loop photobioreactor.