Dunya Ibrahim Saleh

Oily wastewater generated from petroleum operations poses significant environmental challenges due to the presence of hydrocarbons. This study investigates the removal of oil using natural clay in a fixed-bed adsorption column under continuous flow conditions. Wastewater collected from the North Oil Company (Iraq) was treated at different operating parameters, including influent concentration, flow rate, bed height, particle size, pH, and temperature. Breakthrough analysis showed that increasing influent concentration and flow rate accelerated column saturation, whereas increasing bed height and reducing particle size enhanced adsorption performance and delayed breakthrough. Equilibrium data were well described by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 0.362 kg kg ⁻¹ . Adsorption performance was optimal under moderately acidic conditions and decreased with increasing temperature, indicating an exothermic process. These results demonstrate that natural clay is an effective and low-cost adsorbent for oily wastewater treatment and provide practical insights for the design and optimization of fixed-bed adsorption systems.

Synthetic dyes found in wastewater create substantial environmental hazards and health risks, which require effective and sustainable wastewater treatment methods. This study investigates the use of Cyperus Rotundus as a natural adsorbent to remove methyl orange in aqueous solutions under a batch system. A total of 71 experimental runs were conducted to examine the effects of initial dye concentration (5–100 ppm), pH (3–11), contact time (10–90 min), and temperature (25–45°C) on the adsorption process. The maximum removal efficiency of 97% was obtained at a dye concentration of 10 ppm, pH of 4, and contact time of 90. Isotherm analysis revealed that the Langmuir model can provide the best fit with a maximum adsorption capacity of 2.25 mg/g, and a coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.657) while kinetic data followed the pseudo-second-order model indicating that chemisorption is the dominant mechanism (R2 > 0.95). Thermodynamic analysis proved that this adsorption is both spontaneous (with a standard Gibbs free energy change ranging from ΔGo = - 4.76 to -5.69 kJ/mol) and endothermic (enthalpy change ΔH° = 9.10 kJ/mol). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to confirm the presence of dye adsorbent interactions by testing structural and functional changes of the groups that occurred after adsorption. The results show that Cyperus Rotundus is a low-cost biosorbent in methyl orange removal and can serve as a sustainable wastewater treatment material.

Molecular sieves are used in various industries, especially petroleum and gas processing plants, as catalysts. These materials are in contact with crude oil products. After several operational years, these materials’ activities were reduced to a nonfeasible level called spent molecular sieve. Tens of tons are disposed of annually from oil and gas companies in Iraq. The paper aims to determine the kinds and amounts of toxic materials carried by the nickel oxide sulfur bed spent catalyst and then submit the suitable treatment methods, such as leaching by water, base solution, and acid solution. Aradioactive test was first done to ensure the material was free from the radioactivity array. The material was tested for nickel oxide concentration after each step of treatment. It was found that the leaching by water reduces the content by 4.5% during 24 h of leaching and 15.5% after 7 days. The leaching by alkaline sodium hydroxide 10% concentration solution reduces the content by 7% during 24 h and 14.3% after 7 days. The 10% hydrochloric acid concentration solution leaching reduces the nickel content by 10.8 during 24 h and 65.7 after 7 days. Leaching by acid solution is more efficient in the extraction of nickel oxide. The treatment method novelty is to be carried out at reasonable temperatures with high metal extraction efficiency. The research results achieved this goal of attaining extraction at an easily achievable temperature of 70°C with a relatively good extraction rate higher than 65%.

Shortcomings in the chemical safety and security curriculum in Kurdistan universities and a lack of awareness have led to undesired incidents. Unassessed chemical risks in academic centers challenge compliance with health, safety, and environmental policies. To address this, a pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of a new chemical risk management curriculum. Results showed a 57.4 % increase in participants’ knowledge of chemical safety and security principles. Awareness of the distinction between safety and security improved significantly, from 18.8 % to 42.6 %. Interest in learning more about chemical safety rose from 35 % to 50 %. Statistical analysis summarized the findings, including weighted mean, ranked mean, grouped standard deviation, count, and percentages. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test assessed differences between pre- and post-surveys, with a p-value of 0.05 or less confirming statistical significance. This pilot study demonstrates the curriculum’s potential to enhance chemical safety and security knowledge, offering a model for other universities to reduce incidents and improve compliance with safety protocols.

The inaugural Advancing Chemical Safety and Security Education symposium was held at the 27th IUPAC International Conference on Chemistry Education (ICCE2024). Speakers showcased innovative strategies for seamlessly integrating security concepts into established safety programs, addressing specific needs of diverse academic institutions, and evaluating the effectiveness of different pedagogical approaches. This proceedings publication encapsulates insights from 11 oral presentations, 12 poster presentations, and panel discussions including key recommendations for future advancements in educating chemical safety and security education for academic and industry audiences.