DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS FOR REMEDIATION OF POLLUTANTS IN WATER BY USING ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS TRANSFORMED FROM NATURAL AGRO WASTES

Abstract

In this dissertation, the potential of eco-friendly materials transformed from natural agro wastes for remediation of pollutants in water was demonstrated. Palm oil mill effluent (POME) discharged from palm oil industry was used as biosorbent for the removal of Hg(II) and Cd(II). Quantitative recovery of metal ions and regeneration of spent biosorbent were achieved. POME was also found to be useful for the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNps) in which it can act as both reducing and capping agents. In addition, rice hull waste was used as a natural source of silica in the synthesis of an iron-based Fenton-like catalyst for oxidative degradation of a xanthene dye, Rhodamine B. Considerably high degree of mineralization was achieved and further enhanced by using stepwise addition strategy. The catalytic performance was further improved by incorporation of POME-mediated biosynthesized AuNps in which it acts as an electron relay to reduce the electron recombination.