A PhD Thesis at UoB Discusses The Importance of Using Environmentally Friendly Nanomaterials in The Development of Water Treatment Processes

Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Yasmeen Khalaf)

31 January 2023

A scientific laboratory study conducted at the University of Bahrain (UoB) advised taking into account the local environmental conditions in the Kingdom of Bahrain, such as temperature and salinity, because they greatly affect the efficiency of nanomaterials in the water treatment process, stressing the importance of conducting laboratory experiments on local water, and developing technology based on the surrounding environmental conditions, in order to be more effective and sustainable.

This came in a study submitted as a PhD thesis titled: “Modification of the Properties of Unique Iron Zinc Oxide Nanocomposites and Its Impact on The Industrial Wastewater Treatment Process and Water Desalination Applications,” which emphasized the importance of modifying the properties of nanomaterials through heat treatment or hybridization, to enhance their effectiveness in the treatment of contaminated water practices and highly saline water from organic and inorganic pollutants such as highly toxic dyes and heavy metals. The primary treatment of brackish water from these pollutants has a major role in improving the efficiency of desalination processes using membranes.

The study, which was published in two separate papers in international peer-reviewed journals, aimed to manufacture unique nanomaterials that are highly effective in absorbing heavy metal ions and breaking down light compounds with the help of sunlight at a record speed.

Researcher Basma Taqi al-Najjar, a student in the Environment and Sustainable Development PhD program at the College of Science, was able to improve the absorption and optical emission properties of nanomaterials, which have been proven through spectral analyses, to make them highly responsive and effective for adhesion to highly toxic heavy metals. Moreover, practical experiments showed that these nanomaterials have the ability to dispose of toxic dyes through the process of photocatalysis, which breaks down stubborn chemical pollutants. The study showed that the effectiveness of these materials was affected in local seawater samples, as the intensity of salinity affected the process of interaction of pollutants with nanomaterials.

In addition, the effect of nanomaterials on micro marine life was studied, as the results of cytotoxicity in the laboratory revealed that all nano samples prepared showed minor effects on microalgae (Picochlorum sp), which was verified by infrared spectroscopy. On the other hand, no drastic changes were detected in the viable cell concentration and chlorophyll content, which indicates that these materials are environmentally friendly.

The researcher’s examination committee consisted of: Assistant Professor at the Department of Physics, College of Science, UoB, Dr. Hanan Mubarak Albuflasa, as a supervisor, Associate Professor at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, Dr. Nick Hankison, as an assistant supervisor, Professor at the University of the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus, Dr. Akim Oladipo, as an external examiner, and Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry, UoB, Dr. Ahmed Abdulfattah Hussain as an internal examiner.

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