Bharathiar University

About: Bharathiar University is a education organization based out in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Thin film & Adsorption. The organization has 5812 authors who have published 8628 publications receiving 143934 citations. The organization is also known as: BU.

Adsorptive Removal of 2,4‐Dichlorophenol from Aqueous Solution by Low‐Cost Carbon from an Agricultural Solid Waste: Coconut Coir Pith

Abstract: Coconut coir pith, a solid waste generated in coir fibre industries, was carbonized and used as adsorbent for the removal of 2,4‐dichlorophenol (2,4‐DCP) from water. Varying parameters such as agitation time, 2,4‐DCP concentration, adsorbent dose, pH, and temperature were investigated. Adsorption equilibrium reached at 60, 80, 100, and 120 min for 2,4‐DCP concentrations of 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg L−1, respectively. Adsorption followed pseudo‐second order kinetics. The adsorption equilibrium data moderately obeyed Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The adsorption capacity was found to be 19 mg g−1 of carbon. Increase of temperature increased adsorption. Acidic pH was favorable for the adsorption of 2,4‐DCP. Studies on pH effect and desorption show that both physisorption and chemisorption were involved in the adsorption process.

Characterization and mosquitocidal potential of neem cake-synthesized silver nanoparticles: genotoxicity and impact on predation efficiency of mosquito natural enemies

Abstract: Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) serve as important vectors for a wide number of parasites and pathogens of huge medical and veterinary importance. Aedes aegypti is a primary dengue vector in tropical and subtropical urban areas. There is an urgent need to develop eco-friendly mosquitocides. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNP) were biosynthesized using neem cake, a by-product of the neem oil extraction from the seed kernels of Azadirachta indica. AgNP were characterized using a variety of biophysical methods, including UV-vis spectrophotometry, FTIR, SEM, EDX, and XRD analyses. Furthermore, the neem cake extract and the biosynthesized AgNP were tested for acute toxicity against larvae and pupae of the dengue vector Ae. aegypti. LC50 values achieved by the neem cake extract ranged from 106.53 (larva I) to 235.36 ppm (pupa), while AgNP LC50 ranged from 3.969 (larva I) to 8.308 ppm (pupa). In standard laboratory conditions, the predation efficiency of a Carassius auratus per day was 7.9 (larva II) and 5.5 individuals (larva III). Post-treatment with sub-lethal doses of AgNP, the predation efficiency was boosted to 9.2 (larva II) and 8.1 individuals (larva III). The genotoxic effect of AgNP was studied on C. auratus using the comet assay and micronucleus frequency test. DNA damage was evaluated on peripheral erythrocytes sampled at different time intervals from the treatment; experiments showed no significant damages at doses below 12 ppm. Overall, this research pointed out that neem cake-fabricated AgNP are easy to produce, stable over time, and can be employed at low dosages to reduce populations of dengue vectors, with moderate detrimental effects on non-target mosquito natural enemies.