Agro-Waste based Antibacterial Cellulosic Nanogel for Heavy Metal Adsorption from Contaminated Water
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Abstract
India being an agricultural land, generates a lot of agricultural wastes. In the present study, cellulose was extracted using different methods using waste sugarcane bagasse one of the agricultural wastes generated in India including rice husk and rice straw, which was utilized to prepare a nanogel (waste valorisation). According to the pollution control board, India emits one of the highest levels of heavy metals, including chromium (VI) and arsenic (As III), a major source of water pollution. The heavy metals in high quantities in effluents interfere with natural water bodies and supplies, have severe toxicological consequences for the environment, and influence human health significantly. Discharge of heavy metals such as arsenic and chromium spreads toxicity as well as decreases the water quality. As a result, effluents must be thoroughly treated before discharging which emphasizes the need of water reusability options. The idea for the current work is to design an efficient, sustainable and cost-effective nanogel to remove heavy metals from contaminated water. The cellulose nanogels have exceptional stability, dispersion of functional groups, and even a large surface area. The nanogels had strong antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E. gergoviae, which are generally present in contaminated water. The nanogels also have an excellent adsorption ability for arsenic ions (As III) as well as chromium ions (Cr VI), commonly found in contaminated water. This study demonstrates the adaptability of cellulosic nanogels as potential wastewater treatment materials, with dual functionality in heavy metal adsorption and antibacterial activity. It emphasizes the value of sustainable material design and the use of cellulose (renewable resource) in various environmental applications. Chemical and Structural characterization were performed using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Arsenic adsorption was investigated using both a qualitative (strip assay) and quantitative (ICPMS) recorded 94% arsenic removal and chromium adsorption was recorded by using UV-Visible Spectroscopy (Qualitative) at 540 nm and ICPMS (Quantitative) recorded 60% removal.