Sohar University researcher turns date palm waste into a wastewater cleaner
A date palm biomass and iron oxide nanocomposite removed 80.3% of phenol from industrial wastewater and won a Young Researcher Award.
Abrar Said Al Ajmi, a lecturer at Sohar University, won the Young Researcher Award in the Environmental and Biological Resources category at the 12th National Research Award, organised by the Research and Innovation Authority.
Her work, carried out in the laboratories of Sohar University’s Faculty of Engineering, uses a nanocomposite made from date palm biomass and iron oxide to remove phenol, a hazardous pollutant found in industrial wastewater. Under optimal conditions of 30°C and pH 7.8 the material removed 80.3% of the phenol, and it proved stable and reusable. The study was published in Environmental Research with co-researchers Subrajit Bosu and Prof. Rajamohan Natarajan.
The team recommends piloting the technology at larger scale in petrochemical, refining and pharmaceutical wastewater systems.
Source: Times of Oman
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