Browsing by Author "Sophia, S."

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Concept of zero liquid dischare—present scenario and new opportunities for economically viable solution
(Elsevier, 2023) Shetty K, V.; Sophia, S.
Water scarcity, water utilization, and water regulations are the challenges faced by industries. Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a wastewater management strategy to recover almost 100% of the water for reuse, thus eliminating any liquid waste leaving the industrial facility and allowing the resource recovery. The ZLD market is growing with enforcement of stricter and stringent environmental regulations. Many industries are volunteering to reduce water discharge through recycle/reuse by initiating the implementation of ZLD, and improve the sustainability by reduction of the environmental footprint. This chapter presents the need for ZLD, the conventional and recent technological developments and practices to achieve ZLD with a focus to minimize the cost and energy requirements. The chapter discusses the various thermal processes for ZLD along with the improved technologies for thermal ZLD to handle the corrosion and temperature-related problems and the operating cost of the treatment. The membrane-based preconcentration steps like reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, electrodialysis/electrodialysis reversal and membrane distillation, and combination of the membrane processes prior to the thermal ZLD to improve the water recovery are discussed. The technologies and designs offered by various key ZLD players in the global ZLD market are discussed. The chapter concludes with a note that the goal toward the economical realization of ZLD may only be met by partnering efforts of researchers, industry, and the companies which are the key players in ZLD market. ZLD should not remain as a myth or enforced necessity, but must be embraced willfully by the industries as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Extracellular synthesis of heteroatom doped copper oxide nanoparticles from electronic waste – Transforming waste to resource for the remediation of nitrophenol contaminated water
(Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Sophia, S.; Shetty K, V.
Industrial effluents containing hazardous phenolic compounds such as 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) can threaten aquatic ecosystems and the environment. To address the environmental issues due to nitrophenol-contaminated industrial effluents and rapidly generating electronic waste (e-waste), catalytic nanoparticles are biosynthesized utilizing the waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) and the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of the bacteria Alcaligenes aquatilis for the catalytic reduction of 4-NP with sodium borohydride (NaBH4). The optimum synthesis parameters to maximize 4-NP reduction were an initial pH of 12.4 and a volume ratio of metal leachate to CFS of 1:3. These nanoparticles were found to be heteroatom-doped CuO/Cu2O (Bio-CuO/Cu2O-PCB) with spherical shape, average crystallite size of 19 nm and average particle size of 19.2 nm. The biosynthesized nanoparticles exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-NP with a pseudo-first-order rate constant (kapp) of 0.526 min-1, induction period of 2 min, and 90% reduction of 4-NP in 6 min. This work demonstrates the recovery of metal resources from waste as nanoparticles with excellent catalytic activity using a green, eco-friendly synthesis method under ambient conditions. Bio-CuO/Cu2O-PCB showed better activity than commercial CuO, biosynthesized and chemically synthesized CuO using precursor salt. The developed synthesis method is eco-friendly and could yield a recyclable catalyst for reducing harmful aromatic pollutants such as 4-NP present in wastewater to 4-aminophenol, a pharmaceutical intermediate. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd
Necessity driven implementation of zero liquid discharge in textile and fertilizer industries toward sustainability—Indian scenario
(Elsevier, 2023) Sophia, S.; Shetty, P.; Shetty K, V.
Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a wastewater management strategy that has become beneficial and a necessary option in the recent years for obviating water scarcity and water pollution problems by eliminating the generation of liquid waste. In this chapter, the importance of ZLD along with challenges which are faced in the development and implementation of ZLD are discussed with reference to different treatment schemes adopted in textile and fertilizer industry to achieve ZLD in context to Indian scenario. The ZLD scheme to be adopted depends on the effluent characteristics and the raw materials used in the process. Because of the employment of variety of chemicals for the textile fabric treatments, the effluents from textile industry contain refractory organics and inhibitory compounds with color. The degradation of such compounds by conventional biological treatment is ineffective due to the presence of lower biological oxygen demand (BOD)/chemical oxygen demand (COD) ratio. The nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilizer industry effluents majorly contain pollutants such as ammonia and ammonium salt; nitrates; urea; chromate, phosphates, cyanides and sulfides; BOD; fluorides and suspended matter. The thermal processes of evaporation–crystallization with multiple effect evaporator and membrane technology approach, mainly involving the reverse osmosis, are the important components of ZLD system. The future scope of ZLD can focus on the development of advanced technologies that consume low energy with cost-effective benefits. Continued efforts of the scientific community in developing sustainable technologies for ZLD, appropriate and frequent checks by the regulatory bodies along with responsible approach of the industrial organizations in implementation of ZLD may only drive the society toward sustainable development. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Phytoremediation of soil for metal and organic pollutant removal
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH info@springer-sbm.com, 2020) Sophia, S.; Shetty K, V.
In the recent decades, industrialization and urbanization have increased the concentration of heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and other contaminants in soil. Among the various strategies to tackle the environmental issues, phytoremediation may be applied to combat pollution or recover the contaminated site or limit the degradation of such entities. It is relatively cost-efficient and environmental-friendly and also provides easy public acceptance. Mechanisms for degradation and removal of contaminants, i.e., rhizofiltration, phytoextraction, phytovolatilization, phytostimulation, phytostabilization, and phytotransformation, are available. However, the condition of the soil, microbes residing in the rhizosphere, and the plants to be employed are the important factors to be considered and assessed before implementing the techniques. A wide understanding and appreciation are required to interpret the interactions between the microorganisms, plants, and contaminants involved. Genetic manipulation can also be implemented for better removal and contaminant uptake. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Recovery of Rare Earth Elements and Critical Metals from Electronic Waste
(wiley, 2024) Sophia, S.; Shetty K, V.
[No abstract available]
Zero liquid discharge technology strategies in Indian distilleries and pharmaceutical industries—a paradigm shift toward sustainability
(Elsevier, 2023) Shetty, P.; Sophia, S.; Shetty K, V.
Distilleries and pharmaceutical industries are identified as highly polluting industries in India. These sectors are striving for sustainability toward closed loop water cycle and zero liquid discharge (ZLD). ZLD is mandated in these industries in India. In a distillery effluent, pigment known as melanoidin is a recalcitrant and additional attention is required in degrading it, while the concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) and antibiotics in pharmaceutical wastewater needs a special attention. The design and development of ZLD scheme necessitates the knowledge and understanding of the effluent characteristics and the raw materials used. This chapter presents the various strategies being followed to achieve ZLD in Indian distilleries and pharmaceutical industries. In spite of the challenges in terms of huge investment required to attain ZLD, distillery industries in India are taking it in the right spirit and delivering focused efforts on achieving compliance to the government norms. In India, though ZLD technologies have been deployed to treat pharmaceutical effluents, the specific technologies for antibiotic residue treatment are not widely used. Many pharmaceutical industries practice partial ZLD and a partial treatment by conventional methods. A continued effort toward development of cost-effective and efficient technological strategies by the scientists and technologists, together with the appropriately enforced regulations, frequent inspections by the regulatory bodies, the provision of incentives to those companies which perform well in achieving ZLD, and a focused drive of the companies to achieve ZLD is essential toward sustainability. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.