Environmental Engineering / Çevre Mühendisliği
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/4321
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Article Citation - WoS: 6Citation - Scopus: 6A New Electro-Biomembrane Integrated Renewable-Based System To Produce Power, Fresh Water and Hydrogen for Sustainable Communities(Elsevier, 2025) Goren, A. Yagmur; Dincer, Ibrahim; Khalvati, AliAs the consequences of global warming become more severe, it is more crucial than ever to capitalize on all locally accessible potential renewable energy sources and produce sufficient useable energy outputs to meet community demands while causing the least damage to the ecosystem. Therefore, this paper focuses on a unique parabolic trough collector solar system-powered electro-biomembrane unit that combines a heat and power system with fresh water, electricity and hydrogen production. The proposed integrated system contains the following subsystems: a combining parabolic trough collector solar system, an organic Rankine cycle, a steam Rankine cycle, a multi-stage flash desalination system, and an electro-biomembrane H2 and freshwater production system. A thorough analysis and parametric research are performed on the multigeneration system to determine how important characteristics affect system performance and evaluate the energy and exergy efficiencies, and exergy destruction levels for particular system elements. The study results show that solar irradiation is the most critical parameter for improving system performance. The highest freshwater production of 1,303,333.3 L/day is observed at the solar irradiation of 935,768 kWh/day. Furthermore, the combined output of three electricity production technologies exceeds 2,000,000 kWh/day, highlighting the ability of the system to harness solar thermal energy effectively. The study findings indicate that using solar power and biomass as renewable energy sources, the proposed integrated system provided 328.56 kg of biohydrogen per day. Overall, the energy and exergy efficiencies of the integrated system are obtained as 34.3 and 29.5 %, respectively.Article Citation - WoS: 17Citation - Scopus: 19Development of Ca(oh)2-Based Geopolymer for Additive Manufacturing Using Construction Wastes and Nanomaterials(Elsevier, 2023) Mortada, Youssef; Masad, Eyad; Kogbara, Reginald B.; Mansoor, Bilal; Seers, Thomas; Hammoud, Ahmad; Karaki, AymanRecent growth in additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing in the construction field has motivated the development of various materials that vary in its composition and properties. This paper introduces, characterizes, and evaluates the performance of a sustainable and environmentally friendly geopolymer mixture composed of construction wastes. The geopolymer mixture has calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) as the main alkaline activator and incorporates nanomaterials such as nano-silica and nano-clay to enhance its suitability for AM. The combined use of Ca(OH)2 for alkali activation, and nanomaterials for tailoring the behavior of construction wastes for 3D printing, is novel and addresses the shortcomings of conventional alkaline activators. The paper includes the outcomes of the analysis of the mechanical properties, printability, and microstructure of the geopolymer mixture. The 28-day compressive strength of the mixture reached 42 MPa with ambient temperature curing, which is comparable to traditional geopolymers. The inclusion of 1 wt % of nano-silica accelerated the geopolymerization process and led to the largest (35 %) reduction in the setting time. Similarly, incorporating 1 wt % of nano-clay led to reduction of the thermal conductivity from 0.709 W/mK to 0.505 W/mK, due to the introduction of thermal barriers. The printability of the studied waste-based geopolymer mixture was validated through the successful fabrication of a 3D-printed model. © 2023 The AuthorsArticle Citation - WoS: 15Citation - Scopus: 19Immobilization of Esterase From Bacillus Subtilis on Halloysite Nanotubes and Applications on Dibutyl Phthalate Degradation(Elsevier, 2023) Rosales, Emilio; Pazos, Marta; Sanroman, Maria Angeles; Balcı, Esin; Sofuoğlu, AysunDibutyl phthalate (DBP) is one of the listed phthalic acid esters (PAEs) known as the priority toxicants which exhibit carcinogenic and teratogenic properties and is responsible for endocrine disruption. Therefore, its removal has become a matter to tackle with. In this work, the feasibility of DBP degradation by esterase and lipase enzymes obtained from various microorganisms and the immobilization of the most effective in a clayey material were investigated. Esterase from Bacillus subtilis exhibited the highest degradation efficiency reaching a complete degradation. Its immobilization onto halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) by adsorption method was studied by response surface methodology using a central composite design face-centered. The four selected factors that affect the HNT-enzyme composite generation were: pH, adsorption time, enzyme/HNT (E/H) ratio, and adsorption temperature, and the optimal conditions were determined (pH 7, time 360 min, E/H ratio 0.2, temperature 30oC). Consequently, the activity did not significantly decrease by immobilization, and the adsorption efficiency and relative activity were determined to be 73.15% and 82.7%, respectively. Besides, the immobilization enhanced thermal and storage stability. As for enzyme reusability, after 7 continuous cycles, the composite maintained almost 75% of its initial activity. Both the free enzyme (1 mg/mL) and the composite degraded 100 mg/L DBP with 100% efficiency and several byproducts were detected. Moreover, the composite could be reused for 7 cycles keeping a remarkable catalytic activity. Overall, this study indicated that the HNT-enzyme composite may be used as an effective candidate for remediation of the environmental media contaminated with DBP and other PAEs.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Article Citation - WoS: 4Citation - Scopus: 5Continuous Treatment of Diethyl Hexyl and Dibutyl Phthalates by Fixed-Bed Reactor: Comparison of Two Esterase Bionanocomposites(Elsevier, 2022) Sanroman, Maria Angeles; Balcı, Esin; Rosales, Emilio; Pazos, Marta; Sofuoğlu, AysunThe removal of Diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) and Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is of great importance due to their potential adverse effects on the environment and human health. In this study, two bionanocomposites prepared by immobilization of Bacillus subtilis esterase by crosslinking to halloysite and supported in chitosan and alginate beads were studied and proposed as a green approach. The esterase immobilization was confirmed by physical-chemical characterization. Bionanocomposite using chitosan showed the best degradation levels in batch tests attaining complete degradation of DBP and around 90% of DEHP. To determine the operational stability and efficiency of the system, two fixed bed reactors filled with both bionanocomposites were carried out operating in continuous mode. Chitosan based bionanocomposite showed the best performance being able to completely remove DBP and more than 85% of DEHP at the different flowrates. These results proved the potential of these synthesized bionanocomposites to effectively remove Phthalic Acid Esters.Article Citation - WoS: 8Citation - Scopus: 8Removal of Arsenic in Groundwater From Western Anatolia, Turkey Using an Electrocoagulation Reactor With Different Types of Iron Anodes(Elsevier, 2022) Kobya, Mehmet; Dolaz, Mustafa; Özaydın Şenol, Burcu; Gören, Ayşegül YağmurElectrocoagulation (EC) is a significantly efficient method for As removal from waters and received considerable attention recently. In this study, the natural groundwater (GW) samples containing As concentrations of GW-1: 538.8 μg L−1, GW-2: 1132.1 μg L−1, and GW-3: 52, 000 μg L−1 were obtained from different provinces and treated by EC process using different iron anodes (plate, ball, and scrap). To achieve drinking water As standard (10 μg L−1), the operational time, applied current, and As removal optimization for all anode types were studied. At applied current of 0.025 A, the As removal efficiency, EC time, and operating cost were >99.9%, 180 min and 0.406 $ m−3 for ball anodes, >99.9%, 100 min and 0.0813 $ m−3 for plate anodes, >99.9%, 80 min and 0.0815 $ m−3 for scrap anodes for GW-3, respectively. It was observed that as the As concentration in the GW increased, the EC time and operating cost increased. Overall, it was concluded that Fe scrap anodes are more advantageous than other types of anodes in terms of operating cost in EC reactor for As removal.Article Citation - WoS: 40Citation - Scopus: 47Boron in Geothermal Energy: Sources, Environmental Impacts, and Management in Geothermal Fluid(Elsevier, 2022) Mott, A.; Baba, Alper; Hadi Mosleh, Mojgan; Ökten, Hatice Eser; Babaei, Masoud; Gören, Ayşegül Yağmur; Feng, C.; Recepoğlu, Yaşar Kemal; Uzelli, Taygun; Uytun, Hüseyin; Morata, Diego; Yüksel Özşen, AslıThe problem of hazardous chemicals in geothermal fluid is a critical environmental concern in geothermal energy developments. Boron is among the hazardous contaminants reported to be present at high concentrations in geothermal fluids in various countries. Poor management and inadequate treatment of geothermal fluids can release excessive boron to the environment that has toxic effects on plants, humans, and animals. Despite the importance of boron management in geothermal fluid, limited and fragmented resources exist that provide a comprehensive understanding of its sources, transport and fate, and the treatment strategies in geothermal energy context. This paper presents the first critical review from a systematic and comprehensive review on different aspects of boron in geothermal fluid including its generation, sources, toxicity, ranges and the management approaches and treatment technologies. Our research highlights the origin of boron in geothermal water to be mainly from historical water-rock interactions and magmatic intrusion. Excessive concentrations of boron in geothermal fluids have been reported (over 500 mg/L in some case studies). Our review indicated that possible boron contamination in geothermal sites are mostly due to flawed construction of production/re-injection wells and uncontrolled discharge of geothermal water to surface water. The dominancy of non-ionic H3BO3 species makes the selection of the suitable treatment method for geothermal waters limited. Combining boron selective resins and membrane technologies, hybrid systems have provided effluents suitable for irrigation. However, their high energy consumption and course structure of boron selective resins encourage further research to develop cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives.Article Citation - WoS: 42Citation - Scopus: 44Boron Carbon Nitride Nanosheets in Water and Wastewater Treatment: a Critical Review(Elsevier, 2022) Recepoğlu, Yaşar Kemal; Gören, Ayşegül Yağmur; Vatanpour, Vahid; Yoon, Yeojoon; Khataee, AlirezaThe availability and accessibility of clean and secure water supplies are pressing technological and scientific issues worldwide. As a result of global water constraints, wastewater treatment and reuse are being evaluated as feasible alternatives to fresh water for agricultural irrigation and domestic and industrial purposes. Boron carbon nitride (BCN) nanosheets have been studied intensively in the last decade in batteries, biosensors, and capacitors, and for use as catalysts, and they have recently been used in wastewater treatment. BCN materials, along with their synthesis processes, characteristics, and application areas in water and wastewater treatment, are discussed thoroughly in this paper. Additionally, synthesis processes for ternary BCN compounds, including chemical vapor deposition, ion beam-aided deposition, magnetron sputtering, and pulsed laser deposition, are described. BCN materials have also been explored because of their flexible electrical features, excellent mechanical strength, outstanding unreactivity, and significant stability, which make them appropriate for a range of severe environment applications. Thus, the use of BCN materials as photocatalysts and adsorbents and in electrochemical reduction and capacitive deionization are also discussed thoroughly. The highest ammonia production of 172,226.5 μg/h.mg.cat and faradic efficiency of 95.3% have been obtained using the BCN@Cu/CNT catalyst, whereas the ammonia production and FE values for metal-free BCN are 7.75 μg/h.mg.cat and 13.8%. Moreover, the maximum attained adsorption capacities of BCN nanosheets for Pb2+ and Hg2+ are 210 and 625 mg/g, respectively. Overall, this review indicates that essential work on BCN nanosheets is still needed. Future research should focus on the development of BCN nanostructures to encourage multidisciplinary research.Article Citation - WoS: 21Citation - Scopus: 24Phytoremediation of Olive Mill Wastewater With Vetiveria Zizanioides (l.) Nash and Cyperus Alternifolius L.(Elsevier, 2021) Gören, Ayşegül Yağmur; Yücel, Arzu; Sofuoğlu, Sait Cemil; Sofuoğlu, AysunOlive Mill Wastewater (OMW) contains high concentrations of contaminants, including organic, nitrogen, and phenolic compounds that are extremely harmful to the environment and human health. The key purpose of this study was to remove total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and phenolic compounds (TP) from OMW using floating wetland planted with Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash (vetiver) and Cyperus alternifolius L. (umbrella palm) species. A total of eighteen floating wetlands were constructed. Twelve tanks were planted with vetiver and umbrella palm while another six tanks were maintained as unplanted controls. Experiments were conducted with wastewater volume of 56 L for 67 days using 5% (OMW-5) and 15% (OMW-15) treatments of OMW in a greenhouse. The highest TOC, TN, and TP removal efficiencies were found to be 95.3 ± 0.01, 82.7 ± 2.55, and 98.8 ± 0.07% in umbrella palm planted OMW-5, while the removal efficiencies were 84.9 ± 0.38, 92.7 ± 0.37, and 38.9 ± 1.97% in vetiver planted OMW-5. Similarly, the TOC, TN, and TP removal efficiencies in OMW-15 were 89.3 ± 0.28, 40.86 ± 1.73, and 96.8 ± 0.18% with umbrella palm and 89.1 ± 0.70, 23.7 ± 1.27, and 92.1 ± 0.41% with vetiver. The plants accumulated trace elements, especially in the roots, with the order of Fe > Mn > Cu > Zn > B > Pb > Cr > Ni > Co > Cd for umbrella palm. The umbrella palm shoot phenol content was found to be 2358 ± 201 and 1421 ± 198 mg/kg in OMW-5 and OMW-15, respectively. Overall, this study revealed that floating wetlands planted with vetiver and umbrella palm species have the potential to be used as a green treatment method to treat diluted high strength OMW.Article Citation - WoS: 33Citation - Scopus: 37Energy Production From Treatment of Industrial Wastewater and Boron Removal in Aqueous Solutions Using Microbial Desalination Cell(Elsevier, 2021) Gören, Ayşegül Yağmur; Ökten, Hatice EserAs a result of a much needed paradigm shift worldwide, treated saline water is being considered as a viable option for replacing freshwater resources in agricultural irrigation. Vastly produced geothermal brine in Turkey may pose a significant environmental risk due to its high ionic strength, specifically due to boron. Boron species, which are generally found uncharged in natural waters, are costly to remove using high-throughput membrane technologies such as reverse osmosis. Recent advances in bioelectrochemical systems (BES) has facilitated development of energetically self-sufficient wastewater treatment and desalination. In this study, removal of boron from synthetic solutions and real geothermal waters, along with simultaneous energy production, using the microbial desalination cell (MDC) were investigated. Optimization studies were conducted by varying boron concentrations (5, 10, and 20 mg L-1), air flow rates (0, 1, and 2 L min(-1)), electrode areas (18, 24, 36, and 72 cm(2)), catholyte solutions, and operating modes. Even though the highest concentration decrease was observed for 20 mg-B L-1, 5 mg-B L-1 concentration experiment gave the closest result to the 2.4 mg-B L-1 limit value asserted by WHO. Effect of electrode surface area was proven to be significant on boron removal efficiency. Employing the optimum conditions acquired with synthetic solutions, boron and COD removal efficiencies from real geothermal brine were 44.3% and 90.6%, respectively. MDC, being in its early levels of technology readiness, produced promising desalination and energy production results in removal of boron from geothermal brine.Article Citation - WoS: 16Citation - Scopus: 16Lorentz Force Promoted Charge Separation in a Hierarchical, Bandgap Tuned, and Charge Reversible Nixmn(0.5−x)o Photocatalyst for Sulfamethoxazole Degradation(Elsevier, 2022) Anwer, Hassan; Park, Jae-WooHere, a hierarchical NixMn(0.5−x)O catalyst that propels charge carriers to opposite interfaces of core@shell nanoparticle is reported. The opposite drift of charge carriers was achieved by tuning band edges in a multilevel catalyst by varying the molar concentration (x, 0→0.5) of precursors in a series of input injections. Preferential oxidation by holes on the surface of the catalyst was confirmed with the oxidation state transformation of metal ions (platinum and lead) deposited on the catalyst from their respective solutions. To obtain an electron rich surface, the synthesis scheme was reversed (x, 0.5→0), which yielded a catalyst with an inverse geometry and directed electron flow towards the surface. The collective impact of the Lorentz force and internal charge carrier drift contributed to excellent recombination suppression and 98% sulfamethoxazole degradation in 30 min. Finally, structural integrity and catalytic potential of the composite after repeated magnetic separation and degradation cycles was assessed to establish its practical applicability.