 |
| Lignosulphonate is a safe waste from pulp and paper industries. Photo Credit: Rodion Narudinov |
Ural Federal University specialists have developed a new method of obtaining growth stimulators for agriculture plants. Waste from pulp and paper industries, lignosulphonate, became the basis for the production of biologically active stimulants of prolonged action for plant crops. Due to the structural features, the obtained samples can be used not only to improve crop growth, but also to remove some toxic substances from wastewater. The results were published in the Journal of Molecular Liquids.
The Sulfite method is one of the currently used methods for extracting cellulose (the basis of any paper) from wood. In addition to the target product, large-capacity waste is formed in the form of salts lignosulphonic acids or lignosulphonates. These compounds are not toxic, they are biocompatible, water-soluble and relatively cheap.
Lignosulphonate-based nanoparticles have a porous structure and high mass content of carbon atoms that can be absorbed by the soil. Due to this fact, researchers consider them as “sponges” for dyes that can enter wastewater, and even as sorbents for oil. However, there is currently no efficient and cheap way to produce nanomaterials from this class of waste in industry.
Scientists have proposed a cost-effective and simple scheme for recycling pulp and paper waste.
“As a result of the experiments, we obtained nanoparticles with biological activity and capable of capturing soluble and insoluble dyes in water. Such particles can be recommended for wastewater treatment, including industrial drainage, and as new-generation agrobionic chemicals,” Tatyana Lugovitskaya one of the authors of the study, a senior researcher at the UrFU Laboratory of Advanced Technologies for Complex processing of mineral and technogenic raw materials of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
The specialist added that growth stimulation has been tested on crops of radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. Sativus) and common wheat (Tríticum aestívum). When treated with lignosulphonate nanoparticles, growth acceleration rates achieved 14-38%.
Funding: The work was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (project № 24-29-00105).
Published in journal: Journal of Molecular Liquids
Title: Preparation of lignosulphonate nanoparticles and their applications in dye removal and as plant growth stimulators
Authors: T.N. Lugovitskaya, D.A. Rogozhnikov, and S.V. Mamyachenkov
Source/Credit: Ural Federal University | Vladislava Lavrova
Reference Number: eco012325_01
.jpg)
