Browsing by Subject "Heavy metals"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8

Open Access
Ab initio study of electronic properties of armchair graphene nanoribbons passivated with heavy metal elements
(Elsevier, 2019) Narin, P.; Abbas, J. M.; Atmaca, G.; Kutlu, E.; Lisesivdin, S. B.; Özbay, Ekmel
In this study, electronic properties of graphene nanoribbons with armchair edges (AGNRs) have been investigated with Density Functional Theory (DFT). Effects of heavy metal (HM) elements, including Zinc (Zn), Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Hg) atoms on electronic behavior of AGNRs have been calculated by passivating for both one and two edges of AGNRs in detail. To explain the electronic behavior of investigated AGNRs, the electronic band structure, the density of states (DOS), total energy have been calculated. Energetically favorable structures have been determined using calculated binding energy values. The obtained bandgap values of investigated structures changes between 0.30 and 0.64 eV. Increasing atomic number of passivation atoms have led to an increment in the bandgap of AGNRs.
Open Access
Chromium(VI) biosorption and bioaccumulation by Live and acid-modified biomass of a novel morganella morganii isolate
(Taylor and Francis, 2014) Ergul-Ulger, Z.; Ozkan A.D.; Tunca E.; Atasagun, S.; Tekinay, T.
Conventional methods of chromium removal are often insufficient for the remediation of chromium-contaminated natural environments, necessitating the development of alternative strategies. In this paper, we report the isolation of a novel Morganella morganii strain capable of reducing hexavalent chromium to its less-toxic and less-soluble trivalent form. Cr(VI) reduction by this strain was evaluated in both acidic environments and conditions reflecting natural freshwater sources. The isolate achieved equilibrium within 3 h and displayed a specific uptake rate of 24.30 ± 1.67 mg Cr(VI)/g biomass following HCl treatment. Without acid treatment, a reduction of over 90% was recorded within 72 h for an initial Cr(VI) concentration 20 mg/L, corresponding to a Cr(VI) removal capacity of 19.36 ± 1.89 mg/g. Absorption data of acid-treated STB5 biomass most closely followed the Toth and Langmuir models. FTIR results indicate that hydroxyl groups and extracellular or cell membrane polysaccharides may be potential adsorption sites for hexavalent chromium. Our results suggest that the isolate may be used in situ for treatment of polluted freshwater environments. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Open Access
Differences in the accumulation and distribution profile of heavy metals and metalloid between male and female crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus)
(2013) Tunca, E.; Ucuncu, E.; Ozkan, A.D.; Ulger, Z.E.; Cansizoǧlu, A.E.; Tekinay, T.
Concentrations of selected heavy metals and a metalloid were measured by ICP-MS in crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) collected from Lake Hirfanli, Turkey. Aluminum (Al), chromium (52Cr, 53Cr), copper ( 63Cu, 65Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and arsenic (As) were measured in the exoskeleton, gills, hepatopancreas and abdominal muscle tissues of 60 crayfish of both genders. With the exception of Al, differences were determined between male and female cohorts for the accumulation trends of the above-mentioned elements in the four tissues. It was also noted that the accumulation rates of Ni and As were significantly lower in gill tissue of females compared to males and no significant difference was observed for Cu isotopes in female crayfish. Cluster Analysis (CA) recovered similar results for both genders, with links between accumulations of Ni and As being notable. Accumulation models were described separately for male and female crayfish using regression analysis, and are presented for models where R2 > 0.85. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Open Access
Efficient removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals from water by electrospun nanofibrous polycyclodextrin membranes
(American Chemical Society, 2019) Çelebioğlu, Aslı; Topuz, Fuat; Yıldız, Zehra İrem; Uyar, Tamer
Here, a highly efficient membrane based on electrospun polycyclodextrin (poly-CD) nanofibers was prepared and exploited for the scavenging of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals from water. The poly-CD nanofibers were produced by the electrospinning of CD molecules in the presence of a cross-linker (i.e., 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid), followed by heat treatment to obtain an insoluble poly-CD nanofibrous membrane. The membrane was used for the removal of several PAH compounds (i.e., acenaphthene, fluorene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene) and heavy metals (i.e., Pb2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+) from water over time. Experiments were made on the batch sorption of PAHs and heavy metals from contaminated water to explore the binding affinity of PAHs and heavy metals to the poly-CD membrane. The equilibrium sorption capacity (qe) of the poly-CD nanofibrous membrane was found to be 0.43 ± 0.045 mg/g for PAHs and 4.54 ± 0.063 mg/g for heavy metals, and the sorption kinetics fitted well with the pseudo-second-order model for both types of pollutants. The membrane could be recycled after treatment with acetonitrile or a 2% nitric acid solution and reused up to four times with similar performance. Further, dead-end filtration experiments showed that the PAH removal efficiencies were as high as 92.6 ± 1.6 and 89.9 ± 4.8% in 40 s for the solutions of 400 and 600 μg/L PAHs, respectively. On the other hand, the removal efficiencies for heavy metals during the filtration were 94.3 ± 5.3 and 72.4 ± 23.4% for 10 and 50 mg/L solutions, respectively, suggesting rapid and efficient filtration of heavy metals and PAHs by the nanofibrous poly-CD membrane.
Open Access
Encapsulation of living bacteria in electrospun cyclodextrin ultrathin fibers for bioremediation of heavy metals and reactive dye from wastewater
(Elsevier B.V., 2018) San-Keskin, Nalan Oya; Çelebioğlu, Aslı; Sarıoğlu, Ömer Faruk; Uyar, Tamer; Tekinay, T.
Cyclodextrins (CD) are cyclic oligosaccharides produced from the enzymatic degradation of starch as a white powder form; on the other hand, they can be transformed into ultrathin electrospun fiber form by electrospinning technique. The electrospun cyclodextrin fibers (CD-F) can be quite attractive materials to encapsulate bacteria for bioremediation purposes. For instance, CD-F not only serve as a carrier matrix but also it serves as a feeding source for the encapsulated bacteria. In the present study, we demonstrate a facile approach by encapsulation of bacteria into CD-F matrix for wastewater treatment application. The natural and non-toxic properties of CD-F render a better bacterial viability for fibrous biocomposite. The encapsulated bacteria in CD-F exhibit cell viability for more than 7 days at 4 °C storage condition. Furthermore, we have tested the bioremediation capability of bacteria/CD-F biocomposite for the treatment of heavy metals (Nickel(II) and Chromium(VI)) and textile dye (Reactive Black 5, RB5). The bacteria/CD-F biocomposite has shown removal efficiency of Ni(II), Cr(VI) and RB5 as 70 ± 0.2%, 58 ± 1.4% and 82 ± 0.8, respectively. As anticipated, the pollutants removal capabilities of the bacteria/CD-F was higher compare to free bacteria since bacteria can use CD as an extra carbon source which promotes their growth rate. This study demonstrates that CD-F are suitable platforms for the encapsulation of bacterial cells to develop novel biocomposites that have bioremediation capabilities for wastewater treatment.
Open Access
Induction of triacylglycerol production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: comparative analysis of different element regimes
(Elsevier, 2014) Çakmak, Z. E.; Ölmez, T. T.; Çakmak, T.; Menemen, Y.; Tekinay, T.
In this study, impacts of different element absence (nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus and magnesium) and supplementation (nitrogen and zinc) on element uptake and triacylglycerol production was followed in wild type Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CC-124 strain. Macro- and microelement composition of C. reinhardtii greatly differed under element regimes studied. In particular, heavy metal quotas of the microalgae increased strikingly under zinc supplementation. Growth was suppressed, cell biovolume, carbohydrate, total neutral lipid and triacylglycerol levels increased when microalgae were incubated under these element regimes. Most of the intracellular space was occupied by lipid bodies under all nutrient starvations, as observed by confocal microscopy and transmission electron micrographs. Results suggest that sulfur, magnesium and phosphorus deprivations are superior to nitrogen deprivation for the induction triacylglycerol production in C. reinhardtii. On the other hand, FAME profiles of the nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus deprived cells were found to meet the requirements of international standards for biodiesel.
Open Access
Multifunctional ZnO nanorod-reduced graphene oxide hybrids nanocomposites for effective water remediation: effective sunlight driven degradation of organic dyes and rapid heavy metal adsorption
(Elsevier, 2017-10) Ranjith, K. S.; Manivel, P.; Rajendrakumar, R. T.; Uyar, Tamer
We demonstrate the multi-functionality engineering on nanocomposite by combining one dimensional (1D) ZnO nanorod (NR) and two dimensional (2D) reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for efficient water remediation. Nano-engineered ZnO NR-rGO nanocomposites show efficient water remediation in terms of degradation of organic dyes and removal of heavy metal ions. Herein, we report on the fabrication of ZnO NR-rGO nanocomposite via a facile template-free hydrothermal route with an aim to improve the visible photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnO NR based nanocomposites. The structural and morphological features reveal that the rGO sheets are attached on the ZnO NRs and form a hybrid composite assembly. The surface enabled ZnO NR-rGO nanocomposites were used to degrade organic dye molecules (methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (RhB)) under visible irradiation and adsorb Cu (II) and Co (II) ions from water through an adsorption process. The nanocomposite containing 7.5 wt% rGO and ZnO NRs shows a 4-fold enhancement in the visible photocatalytic activity and effective removal of Cu (II) and Co (II) ions from aqueous solution respectively. The photocatalytic performance is discussed in detail with respect to interaction between ZnO NRs and rGO sheets, light-harvesting properties of the nanocomposites. The effective experimental adsorption data also fit very well with the pseudo-second-order model which reveals the surface adsorption of metal ions. The results provide insight into a new method utilize for both visible photo degradation and adsorption for the removal of various wastewater pollutants. Construction of hybrid form of nanostructures delivers the effective catalytic properties with tunable functionalities for the water remediation.
Open Access
Synthetic biology approach for point-of-care device applications of biosensors
(2021-09) Köksaldı, İlkay Çisil
Synthetic biology has broadened the scope of detection tool alternatives, among which whole-cell biosensors and cell-free programmable riboregulators are straightforward, inexpensive to develop and easily implementable to fast-screening point-of-care devices. While considered as more convenient, reliable and low-cost alternatives to traditional detection and monitoring methods, the transfer rate of cellular bio-sensing devices to real life applications has been relatively slow. With the aim of precisely identifying and integrating multiple signals from environmental and serum samples, a series of whole-cell biosensors that respond to heavy metals including copper, lead, cadmium and arsenic were developed in Escherichia coli host. After characterization of single analyte biosensors, synthetic biology strategies such as promoter engineering and coupling with a genetic amplifier are used to enhance detection time and dynamic range for the signal output. Heavy metal bio-recognition modules were designed to produce different output molecules to employ multiplexed sensing where simultaneous detection of multiple molecules is needed for fast-screening. In addition, a novel attempt for transforming these bio-sensing systems to a point-of-care device has been investigated. Thorough functional biofilm amyloid protein and cellulose interactions, immobilization of whole-cell biosensors on a low-cost, easy-storage and portable paper-based platform has been aspired to attain more widespread application globally. Secondly, SARS-CoV-2 is a human pathogen and the main cause of COVID-19 disease, announced as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is characterized by severe conditions and early diagnosis can make dramatic changes for both personal and public health. Low cost, easy-to-use diagnostic capabilities can have a very critical role to control the transmission of the disease. Here, a state-of-the-art diagnostic tool was developed with in vitro synthetic biology approach by employing engineered de novo riboregulators. Our design coupled with a home-made point-of-care device can detect and report the presence of SARS-CoV-2 specific genes. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 related genes triggers translation of sfGFP mRNAs, resulting in green fluorescence output. The approach proposed here has the potential of being a game changer in SARS-COV-2 diagnostics by providing an easy-to-run, low-cost-demanding diagnostic capability. Overall, point-of-care device applications of both whole-cell and cell-free biosensor systems have been developed for distinct applications of sensing analytes and nucleic acids.