Fanyana Mtunzi

Vaal University of Technology | vut · Department of Chemistry

Biochar (BHC) and biochar-supported nanocomposite (BZNC) were employed for the removal of amoxicillin (AMX) from simulated and real wastewater. The biochar and nanocomposite were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) sp...

One major group of aqueous emerging contaminants is antibiotics. The occurrence in potable water is increasing, and their presence has several unintended consequences, including antibiotic resistance. This has led to over seven hundred thousand deaths annually, a value projected to hit 10 million by 2050, hence the need for their removal. Most curr...

(1) Background: The increasing generation of plastic and agricultural wastes is a critical environmental issue that requires urgent attention. Aiming to address this challenge, this study devel�oped a sustainable waste-to-wealth system through the utilization of Zea mays husk as a reinforcing material in the production of green composites. (2) Meth...

Agricultural waste leads to a number of environmental issues, including pollution and environmental degradation. In Nigeria, Zea mays husk is one of the most prevalent agricultural wastes, and it can be turned into a valuable resource of quality cellulose. The goal of this study was to establish a low-cost and sustainable chemical treatment method...

Though adsorption techniques are eco-environmentally friendly, most lack the effectiveness of complete contaminant elimination leading to increasing concerns about the presence of aqueous contaminants on humans. Thus, synergistic combination of low adsorption capacity adsorbents may be an effective method to enhance their aqueous contaminant uptake...

Despite its beneficial properties and the efficiency of essential oil in controlling mosquitoes and other hematopoietic insects, this biocontrol agent has several significant limitations, ranging from its chemical instability to its short protection time and sensitivity to oxidation. This research aimed to address these limitations by altering the...

This work looked into viability of using fennel-based adsorbents to simultaneously eliminate cadmium, methylene blue, and copper from water solution. Phosphoric acid (H 3 PO 4 ) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) 2 ) solutions were applied to the untreated fennel seeds (PFS) to yield H 3 FS and CaFS, respectively. The presence of –OH, –C–O–C–, and –C=O...

This research assessed the adsorption of a pharmaceutical compound, ibuprofen, using rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.) leaves to prepare low-cost activated carbon through orthophosphoric acid (H3PO4) activation. The activated carbon from rose geranium leaves (AC-RGL) was characterized by TGA, SEM and FTIR. The results were compared with tho...

This work reports on synthesis of fennel-based composites and their feasibility to remove and photo-degrade methylene blue dye from aqueous solution. Pristine fennel seeds (PFS) was impregnated with iron(III) oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NP) and iron(III)-1,2,3,4-tetracarboxylic acid (Fe-TCA) to yield the composites fennel seeds-nanoparticles (FS-NP)...

Synergistically combining lower performing adsorbents may effectively enhance the composite’s aqueous contaminant uptake and reduce water treatment cost. Hence in this study, Montmorillonite (Mont) was coupled to graphene oxide (GO)/reduced GO (rGO), and covalently bonded to polyethylene glycol methyl ether (PEG) using a scalable facile amidation m...

Herbal medicine is a form of medicine that has been extensively exploited in traditional medicine, and its therapeutic potential is accepted. Combretum is one of the most frequently happening genera in the African and Asia tropical and subtropical areas; some are widely used in African herbal medicine due to their ethnopharmacological properties. N...

Vitex negundo L., has been associated with a number of pharmacological activities, including enzyme inhibition, antifeeding action, larvicidal activity, and mosquito repellent effect. Between June and September, 50 kg of plant material each were collected from six states in the North-Central geopolitical zone to explore the chemotaxonomical variati...

Two metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), lanthanum-1,4-benzene dicarboxylate (LaBDC) and zinc-1,4-benzene dicarboxylate (ZnBDC) were synthesized via the reflux-controlled solvothermal process. The characterization of both adsorbents confirmed the physicochemical properties of well-defined surface morphology with high porosity and thermal stability grea...

The thermal behavior of mopane worms (Imbrasia belina), roasted peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), and sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) was investigated under inert conditions using the TGA-FTIR analytical technique heated from 64 to 844°C at a heating rate of 20°C/min. The degradation patterns of the food samples differed as sweet corn and peanuts...

For millennia, people have utilized essential oil-rich plants to control mosquitoes and other hematophagous insects. A review of the literature found that terpenoids and "sesquiterpenoid-rich oils" were effective in mosquito control. Due to the benign impression and successful prevention of mosquito bites, there has been a recent surge in the accep...

Globally, there is an upsurge in the use of unregulated veterinary pharmaceuticals with enhanced release into the environment, resulting in water pollution, which is difficult to remediate. To address this issue, we synthesized and characterized highly hydrophobic three-dimensional ordered engineered geomedia with multiple channels. Kaolin clay (K)...

Pollution removal from contaminated water is a vital step in environmental and human health protection. For impoverished countries, using biomaterials to remove heavy metals from polluted water is an environmentally benign and cost-effective strategy. In this study, Moringa Oleifera pod-Modified Feldspar Clay (MFC) was calcined after being modified...

This study aims to remove Copper (Cu(II)) and Chromium (Cr(VI)) from aqueous solution using activated carbon (AC) from fennel seeds and potassium permanganate (KMnO4) treated fennel seeds. The activated carbon adsorbents were prepared from fennel seeds at different temperatures (500, 600 and 700°C). These adsorbents were designated as FS-500, FS-60...

Ubiquitous toxic metal ions and pathogenic microbes in contaminated water affects the lives of millions of people globally. The synthesis of multifunction composites that can uptake metal ion from contaminated water and simultaneously inhibit the growth of microbes is a novel concept. This study developed composite substances from fennel seeds impr...

The accessibility of safe drinking water is currently a critical concern; the challenge is to develop an effective method to remove pollutants to ultra-low levels and recycle wastewater through purification. Among the water purification methods that have already been employed, nanotechnology has been considered the most promising method. This is be...

The effect of a two-pot postsynthetic modification of MOF with a modified LDH on the adsorption of Pb ions was investigated. Co-MOF was postsynthetically modified with an amino-silane substituted LDH and applied for the adsorption of Pb from aqueous solution. Synthetic and postsynthetic products were characterized by FTIR, PXRD and TGA/DTA. Blueshi...

This research work reports on pure and acid-treated fennel seed biomaterials for the removal of metal ions of copper Cu(II), lead Pb(II), and methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solution by batch adsorption. Pure fennel seeds were labelled as PFS; nitric and sulphuric acid-treated seeds were designated as NAFS and SAFS, respectively. The adsorbent...

Soils are highly heterogeneous dynamic mixtures with unique properties. Each soil’s general properties affect its contaminants sorption; thus, obtaining sorption information about any regional soil may require actual sorption experiments. Hence, two soil types (alfisol–AFL and oxisol–OXL) were sampled and used for ivermectin sorption in order to ob...

Several recent studies are shedding light on the potential of synergistically combined low-cost adsorbents for organic and inorganic contaminants removal in water treatment. However, there exists a dearth of data for their potential for removal of emerging contaminants. In this study, low-cost feldspar (FLC) was combined with blended Carica papaya...

Background: The present study aimed to extract, evaluate the physicochemical properties, and chemical characterization of the seed Enterolobium cyclocarpum. E. cyclocarpum is a legume of the Leguminosae family. It is used as foliage, for animal feeding and oil is extracted for several application in folk medicine for the treatment of sore throat, c...

In the present study, the copper oxide and copper nanoparticles were prepared by thermal decomposition of solid phase copper acetate at various time (1-3 h) and temperature (200-500 ºC). The method is simple, less expensive, avoid toxic solvent as well as avoid use of passivating agents. The FT-IR spectrum of the copper acetate monohydrate (calcine...

(1) Background: Malaria fever affects millions of people yearly in Africa and Asia’s tropical and subtropical areas. Because there is no effective vaccine, malaria prevention is solely dependent on avoiding human-vector interaction. (2) Aim: This study examines the interaction betweentheconstituents of Vitex negundo essential oil and Anopheles gamb...

The occurrence of residual antifungal agents through indiscriminate prophylactic use and inappropriate disposal has been reported in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), surface water, and groundwater environments. Opportunistic pathogenic aquatic yeasts develop resistance to commonly used antifungal agents through continued exposure to residual an...

Reducing the cost of adsorbents employed in contaminant removal during water treatment is vital to achieving sustainable clean water. Hence, two composites of commercial activated carbon (AC) and defatted Moringa oleifera (MS) seedcake biomass waste were prepared in ratio of 1:1 and 1:2, and named ACMS-1 and ACMS-2, respectively. Cursory adsorption...

Nanotechnology can be defined as the field of science and technology that studies material at nanoscale (1–100 nm). These nanomaterials, especially carbon nanostructure-based composites and biopolymer-based nanocomposites, exhibit excellent chemical, physical, mechanical, electrical, and many other properties beneficial for their application in man...

A large number of substances in the environment designated as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are amongst the most intoxicating compounds found in environmental waters. The removal of two EDCs: estrone (E1) and β-estradiol (E2) by activated carbon was examined in an agitated non-flow batch adsorption studies. The macadamia nutshell activated...

A headspace-solid phase microextraction - gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (HS-SPME-GC/FID) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of furan, 2-methylfuran and 2-furaldehyde in thermally processed Mopane worms, corn, and peanuts. The optimal HS-SPME conditions with polydimethylsiloxane/carboxen/divinylbenzene (PDMS/CAR/D...

Eucomis autumnalis subsp. autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt. (EASA) is a commonly used medicinal plant for the treatment of fractures, osteoarthritis, back pain, and wound healing in Southern Africa. In this study, the effects of water and acetone extracts of EASA on the viability, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization of human adipose derived stem...

Discharge of copper(II) and lead(II) ions into rivers and streams by industries and other human activities has gained serious consideration from regulatory bodies. These toxic metals are harmful to human beings and aquatic life when in high concentrations. Therefore, their removal from wastewater is very important. Hence, this work reports the bina...

Emerging water contaminants such as avermectins occur at low concentrations but cause several eco-toxicological effects and are very difficult to remove using conventional water treatment methods. As their presence in water becomes increasingly common due to progressively enhanced usage, there is a need for effective removal technologies. Thus, suc...

Quantity of water is a major concern, but the quality is of more urgent concern due to heavy metal pollution. In this study, the focus was to develop adsorbents (tannin resin (TR) and iron-doped tannin resin (Fe-TR)) from invasive Acacia mearnsii for Pb²⁺ and Ni²⁺ in solution. The developed TR and Fe-TR were prepared directly by crosslinking and ir...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Albizia lebbeck and Albizia zygia are used in Nigeria, South Africa and other countries for the treatment of flu, fever, pain, epilepsy, and inflammation. Aim of the Study: Application of plant essence for treating ailments is common among local communities. This research was designed to characterize the volatile comp...

Soils are the ultimate sink for environmental pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but the roles of major soil constituents in this process are still unclear. The fate of PAHs is governed by sorption processes which in turn affect transport, chemical and biological reactivity of these PAHs. Thus, the effects and contributions of...

Ivermectin has efficacious broad-spectrum action against several human and veterinary endo-/ectoparasites. However, it is an emerging contaminant in water, causing serious concern to environmental health experts because of its toxicity/adverse ecological effects and increasing input. Currently, conventional water treatment methods are not designed...

Several emerging contaminants are currently used in an unregulated manner worldwide, resulting in their increasing stringent limits in water by regulatory bodies. Thus, more viable and cheap treatment technologies are required. Recently, synergistic combinations of low-cost adsorbents have shown huge potential for aqueous toxic metals adsorption in...

olyamidoamine functionalized graphene oxide–SBA-15 mesoporous composite (PGOSBA) was synthesized, characterized, and examined for aqueous adsorption of metals (As(III) and Cd(II)) and emerging pollutants (ciprofloxacin, ivermectin, and tetracycline). The adsorption data were explained with kinetics and adsorption isotherm models. PGOSBA is mesoporo...

Testicular torsion is an acute urological emergency condition that occurs due to obstruction of blood flow to the testicles which may result in ischemia and loss of testicular functions. This study examined the protective effects of Proxeed Plus (PP), a dietary supplement on testicular ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injured rats using oxidative stress...

The use of herbal plants in recent years have increased tremendously owing to their user-friendliness, accessibility, and affordability. In this study, the plant species Combretum molle and Acacia mearnsii were phytochemical screened for the existence of active organic compounds, the content of total phenols, flavonoids and antioxidants using diffe...

Because of the need to source biologically active products from plants, this paper reports the chemical compounds, anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of essential oils hydrodistilled from the leaves and stem bark of Turnera diffusa Wild (Passifloraceae). The essential oils were separately isolated using hydrodistillation of the pulve...

Traditional water treatment technologies have been used to treat wastewater to ensure continuous supply of pure drinking water. However, these have proved costly and ineffective. The use of nanoparticles, mainly to remove microbial contaminants is becoming a major area of research. The aim of this study was to synthesize, characterize and investiga...

Diabetes Mellitus is an endocrine disorder which causes insulin deficiency. Medicinal plants are documented to be efficacious in the management of the disease. The current research set to determine the phytochemicals present, anti-oxidant activity and investigate the potency of Eriobotrya japonica against α-amylase inhibition. The leaves of the pla...

A wide variety of biomass materials have been used for the removal of toxic chromium(VI) by biosorption. The current study investigated the efficacy of Macadamia nutshells treated with sodium hydroxide, nitric acid, and the Fenton‐like reagent in the removal of Cr(VI). The adsorbents were characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA, and elemental analysis. Eff...

The volatile constituents, toxicity, antinociception, and anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil obtained from the leaf of Mucuna pruriens utilis collected from Nigeria are reported. The essential oil was analyzed comprehensively utilizing gas chromatography (GC)-flame ionization detector and GC coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) using...

Contamination of water by toxic chemical substances and microbes are ubiquitous and has caused an enormous environmental challenge. In fact, it has been reported that over 3 billion people of the global population live in water-stressed areas. Most current water treatment techniques are inaccessible, expensive or lack the effectiveness for complete...

A comparative photocatalytic degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2CP) in aqueous solution was investigated using pristine and Ag-doped semiconductor photocatalysts obtained from TiO2, ZnO and ZnS. Varying percentages (1, 3 and 5%) of Ag nanoparticles were doped on the semiconductor photocatalysts via the sol-gel method. The pristine and Ag-doped photoca...

The potential pharmaceutical application of nanoparticles has led to the toxicity within the male reproductive system. In the present study, the effects of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on hematological parameters, free radical generation, antioxidant system, sperm parameters, and organ histo-morphometry in male rats were investigated. Ag-NPs were...

Graphene oxide (GO) was functionalized using two silanes ((3‐aminopropyl)‐triethoxysilane and (3‐mercaptopropyl)‐triethoxysilane) to obtain, separately, the eco‐friendly amine‐functionalized GO (GONH) and thiol‐functionalized GO (GOSH). Both silanes were also used together to obtain the amine–thiol dual‐functionalized GO (GOSN). Various physicochem...

Recent advances in graphene chemistry indicate that it may play vital role in water treatment processes, especially when synergistically coupled with other functional moieties. Thus, graphene oxide (GO) was mono/dual-functionalized with amino and thiol groups to obtain amino–GO (GONH), thiol–GO (GOSH) and amino/thiol–GO (GOSN). These were character...

Our environment is filled with chemicals that pollute the air, water, soil and food, the need to find solutions to the pollution problem. In this study, owing to the research niches like waste beneficiation, macadamia nutshell activated carbon (MAC) was investigated for its potential usage as an adsorbent for chlorinated phenols: 3-chlorophenol, 2,...

BACKGROUND: Management of cellular metabolism and blood glucose levels are significant in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and oxidative diseases. Consequently, steroid and peptide hormone-based drugs such as methylprednisolone and insulin have been the most effective and safe methods of treatment. OBJECTIVE: Our study investigated the digestive...