Abstract
Incense sticks ash is one of the most unexplored by-products generated at religious places and houses obtained after the combustion of incense sticks. Every year, tonnes of incense sticks ash is produced at religious places in India which are disposed of into the rivers and water bodies. The presence of heavy metals and high content of alkali metals challenges a potential threat to the living organism after the disposal in the river. The leaching of heavy metals and alkali metals may lead to water pollution. Besides this, incense sticks also have a high amount of calcium, silica, alumina, and ferrous along with traces of rutile and other oxides either in crystalline or amorphous phases. The incense sticks ash, heavy metals, and alkali metals can be extracted by water, mineral acids, and alkali. Ferrous can be extracted by magnetic separation, while calcium by HCl, alumina by sulfuric acid treatment, and silica by strong hydroxides like NaOH. The recovery of such elements by using acids and bases will eliminate their toxic heavy metals at the same time recovering major value-added minerals from it. Here, in the present research work, the effect on the elemental composition, morphology, crystallinity, and size of incense sticks ash particles was observed by extracting ferrous, followed by extraction of calcium by HCl and alumina by H2SO4 at 90–95 °C for 90 min. The final residue was treated with 4 M NaOH, in order to extract leachable silica at 90 °C for 90 min along with continuous stirring. The transformation of various minerals phases and microstructures of incense sticks ash (ISA) and other residues during ferrous, extraction, calcium, and alumina and silica extraction was studied using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). DLS was used for analyzing the size during the experiments while FTIR helped in the confirmation of the formation of new products during the treatments. From the various instrumental analyses, it was found that the toxic metals present in the initial incense sticks ash got eliminated. Besides this, the major alkali metals, i.e., Ca and Mg, got reduced during these successive treatments. Initially, there were mainly irregular shaped, micron-sized particles that were dominant in the incense sticks ash particles. Besides this, there were plenty of carbon particles left unburned during combustion. In the final residue, nanosized flowers shaped along with cuboidal micron-sized particles were dominant. present in If, such sequential techniques will be applied by the industries based on recycling of incense sticks ash, then not only the solid waste pollution will be reduced but also numerous value-added minerals like ferrous, silica, alumina calcium oxides and carbonates can be recovered from such waste. The value-added minerals could act as an economical and sustainable source of adsorbent for wastewater treatment in future.
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05 November 2021
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-17310-y
Abbreviations
- CFAS:
-
calcium-ferro-aluminosilicate
- ISA:
-
incense sticks ash
- FE:
-
incense sticks ash residue after ferrous recovery
- FeCa:
-
incense sticks ash residue after ferrous and calcium recovery
- FeCaAl:
-
incense sticks ash residue after ferrous, calcium and aluminum recovery
- FeCaAlSi:
-
incense sticks ash residue after ferrous, calcium, aluminum and silica recovery
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Acknowledgements
The authors extend their appreciation to the Deputyship for Research & Innovation, “Ministry of Education” in Saudi Arabia for funding this research work through the project number IFKSURG-1439-085. The authors are also thankful to Central Instrumental Facility (CIF), CUG, Gandhinagar, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and SRM University Chennai for extending their characterization and instrument facilities.
Funding
The authors extend their appreciation to the Deputyship for Research & Innovation, “Ministry of Education” in Saudi Arabia for funding this research work through the project number IFKSURG-1439-085.
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VKY investigated the samples for ICP-AES, XRF, and EDS, and prepared an original draft of the manuscript. Material preparation, data collection, analysis and supervision were performed by KKY. JA and MMSCP, investigated and interpreted XRD, FTIR, and PSA results. GG and HK critically evaluated the manuscript. MA analyzed and interpreted FESEM micrographs. AAH analyzed and interpreted TEM micrographs. FAA prepared the original draft of the manuscript. AKS prepared the original draft. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Yadav, V.K., Yadav, K.K., Alam, J. et al. Transformation of hazardous sacred incense sticks ash waste into less toxic product by sequential approach prior to their disposal into the water bodies. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 71766–71778 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15009-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15009-8