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Microplastic Removal from Surface Water through Coagulation-Flocculation-Filtration Process
(Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering(MPE), Islamic University of Technology(IUT), Board Bazar, Gazipur-1704, Bangladesh, 2025-10-25) Laboni, Mohsinat Ahmed; Sadiqa, Wafia
Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles ranging from 1 µm to 5 mm in size, have emerged as a significant environmental pollutant in recent years. These particles pose serious risks to aquatic ecosystems and potentially to human health. Wastewater treatment systems face growing challenges in effectively removing microplastics, with inconsistent removal rates reported across various treatment facilities. There is currently limited guidance on how to optimize coagulation-to-filtration processes, including which operational factors most influence removal efficiency. To address this, a treatment sequence consisting of coagulation, flocculation, and filtration was developed and tested to evaluate the effectiveness of different coagulants. The study compared the performance of ferric chloride, polyaluminum chloride (PAC), ferrous sulfate, and alum. Chloride-based coagulants, particularly PAC, showed the highest effectiveness. PAC achieved an average removal efficiency of 45.26% (±24.64) for smaller microplastic particles, with a maximum of 84%, and 61.24% (±26.35) for larger particles, with a maximum of 88%. The study identified pH level and coagulant dosage as the most critical factors influencing removal success. The findings suggest that combining PAC-based coagulation with precise control of pH and dosing, followed by treatment through biochar and slow sand filtration (where applicable), can result in near-complete microplastic removal. This approach offers practical and scalable solutions, especially for policy implementation and plant upgrades in resource-limited areas. For two distinct MP sizes, this study went one step further and passed the PAC treated water separately through a slow sand filter and biochar. In both sizes (0-0.3 mm and 0.3-1.18 mm), biochar outperforms slow sand filters in terms of removal efficiency.
Sustainable Wastewater Treatment: Using Mahogany and Tamarind-Based Bio-Coagulants and Biochar
(Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering(MPE), Islamic University of Technology(IUT), Board Bazar, Gazipur-1704, Bangladesh, 2025-10-25) Sharmin, Nowrose; Samota , Atif Sharmila
Over the past several decades, ensuring an adequate supply of usable water has been a great challenge due to pollution, rapid population growth, overuse, declining resources and the impacts of climate change. While water purification can be a solution, conventional water treatment methods are often expensive and chemical-intensive, particularly in a developing country like Bangladesh. This study investigates the use of two locally available, low-cost agricultural byproducts - mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) fruit shell powder and tamarind (Tamarindus indica) seed powder, for their individual and combined application as bio-coagulants at varying dosages; and their performance when paired with conventional chemical coagulants (Alum and FeCl₃) in order to treat a mixed source of domestic and industrial wastewater. In addition, biochars prepared from the same materials were tested for adsorption efficiency under both batch and continuous flow conditions. The research focuses on turbidity and color removal, two key indicators of organic and industrial pollution in effluents. Batch experiments were conducted under constant operational conditions to determine the optimal dosage for the highest removal efficiency. The optimal dosages were found to be 10 mg/L for mahogany, 50 mg/L for tamarind and 25 mg/L for the combined dosage. Under identical conditions, turbidity removal efficiencies were 63.67%, 90.34% and 91.19%, respectively, while color removal efficiencies were 53.13%, 88.96% and 85.42%. The results indicate that both the materials and their combined usage exhibited noticeable removal efficiency, with tamarind seed powder showing the most effective overall performance among the bio-coagulants. To obtain a comprehensive comparison, the bio coagulants were also applied in combination with conventional chemical coagulants such as alum and ferric chloride (FeCl3) at optimized ratios. These hybrid systems showed improved removal efficiencies, with turbidity removal reaching up to 89.43% for the combined (bio-coagulant + alum) treatment and 88.15% for the (bio-coagulant + FeCl3) treatment at 70:30 and 80:20 ratios, respectively. Color removal efficiencies also improved moderately for these combinations. Overall, these experimental results highlight the potential of using natural materials in wastewater treatment, offering a sustainable x alternative that can reduce reliance on chemicals. In addition, biochar prepared from mahogany and tamarind was applied in adsorption studies to evaluate turbidity and color removal under both batch and continuous flow column conditions. Biochar batch adsorption exhibited high removal efficiencies for both turbidity and color. The biochars were able to remove upto 92% of turbidity and 73% of color, with equilibrium data best fitting the Freundlich isotherm model, indicating multilayer adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces. Continuous column experiments using these biochars further confirmed the reliability and stability of adsorption over time, demonstrating consistent reduction of turbidity and color under continuous flow and achieving 99% turbidity and 94-98% color removal of the effluent after 3 hours of operation. However, even after 12 hours of continuous operation, the adsorption performance of the biochars remained highly efficient, thus no breakthrough point was observed during the experiment. Overall, the findings suggest that the application of these bio-coagulants and biochars can significantly reduce reliance on chemical treatments and imported reagents. Their utilization offers a cost-effective, environment-friendly and sustainable approach to wastewater purification, particularly suitable for a developing country like Bangladesh, abundant with natural resources. Moreover, this study highlights the potential of transforming agricultural byproducts into valuable treatment materials, thereby contributing to circular resource management and sustainable water treatment development in Bangladesh.
Access to Safe Water and Sanitation in Gazipur, Bangladesh Advancing the Targets towards Sustainable Development Goal 6
(Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering(MPE), Islamic University of Technology(IUT), Board Bazar, Gazipur-1704, Bangladesh, 2025-10-25) Ahmed , Amir Uddin; Alam, Mahibur; Rafiq, Md. Farhan
Safe drinking water and basic sanitation remain major concerns in rapidly growing urban areas of Bangladesh. In this study, household water quality and sanitation conditions in eight unions of Gazipur were assessed with reference to SDG 6. Two hundred samples were taken from households during the dry (December-February) and wet (March-August) seasons, and 14 physio chemicals and microorganisms were analyzed. The storage practices, cleaning frequency of the tanks, access to sanitation and hygienic practices were recorded using a structured questionnaire. Results were presented with the Integrated Water Quality Index (IWQI) and differences among seasons were determined by Wilcoxon signed-rank test, relationship between practices was tested with Pearson’s chi-square tests and correlations between parameters analyzed. The outcome revealed that Microbiological contamination (E. coli) was a common problem for all seasons where manganese and to less extent iron often exceeded guideline. Dissolved salt generally reduced during monsoon while turbidity and risk towards microbial were high keeping IWQI classes lower than dry season. A strong association was also found with infrequent cleaning of tanks and E. coli presence, highlighting an intervention point. Overall, the results indicate that pre monsoon tank management, first flush diversion, point of use disinfection and focused heavy metal control including Fe and Mn can improve household water quality to contribute to achieving SDG 6 in Gazipur.
Sewage Waste (SW) and Industrial Furnace Waste (IFW) as Cement and Sand Replacement in Ultra-High Performance Concrete
(Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering(MPE), Islamic University of Technology(IUT), Board Bazar, Gazipur-1704, Bangladesh, 2025-10-25) Labib, Md Ishmam; Alvee, Abrar Jahin; Simon, Soyaibia Alam
Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) production involves high energy and material consumption because of cement, silica fume, and fine quartz sand. Therefore, this study presents an approach to UHPC that is more sustainable by substituting silica fume partially with Sewage Waste (SW) and also replacing sand with Industrial Furnace Waste (IFW). Both are wastes from industries-SW from wastewater treatment plants, and IFW from steelmaking industries-thus usable in the minimization of environmental burdens as well as CO₂ emissions besides enhancing waste valorization. Nine trial mixes and six SW-IFW incorporated UHPC mixes were prepared, cast, and tested for workability, compressive strength, water absorption, sorptivity, and shrinkage tests as per ASTM standards. The SW and IFW percentages composition were from o to 20% SW as a replacement of silica fume and from o to 5o% IFW as sand replacement respectively. Results indicated that moderate substitution levels maintained UHPC-grade compressive strength (over 120 MPa) with the possibility of reduction of up to 25% embodied CO₂ emissions. Higher replacement ratios negatively influence flowability and early age strength due to increased porosity and altered hydration kinetics. The findings show that incorporating SW and IFW into UHPC not only achieves high strength and durability but also promotes environmental sustainability through waste reuse and carbon reduction. The research validates SW-IFW-UHPC as a feasible, eco-efficient alternative for next-generation structural materials.
Temporal Analysis of AQI and Meteorological Influence on Air Quality In Gazipur
(Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering(MPE), Islamic University of Technology(IUT), Board Bazar, Gazipur-1704, Bangladesh, 2025-10-25) Priota , Faeeza Salauddin; Arpa, Abida Tasnim
This study explores the long-term trends of air quality and their relationship with meteorological conditions in Gazipur, Bangladesh, using data from the Department of Environment (DoE) collected between 2013 and 2024. The analysis focused on six key air pollutants — SO₂, NOₓ, CO, O₃, PM₂.₅, and PM₁₀ — through exceedance evaluation, temporal trend analysis, and correlation with meteorological parameters. Among all pollutants, PM₂.₅ was found to be the most critical, exceeding the WHO 2021 24-hour guideline (15 µg/m³) on about 89.92% of days and the national standard on 81.35% of days. The 12-year average PM₂.₅ concentration was 94.43 µg/m³, with the highest monthly average of 220.88 µg/m³ in January and the lowest of 19 µg/m³ in July, showing strong seasonal variation. The annual average AQI ranged from 176 to 271, which corresponds to “Unhealthy” to “Very Unhealthy” conditions. Meteorological analysis for 2020–2024 revealed that wind speed (r = –0.48) and rainfall (r = –0.42) had the strongest negative relationships with PM₂.₅, while temperature (r = –0.19) and relative humidity (r = –0.27) also contributed moderately. The combined influence of these factors explained about 58% (R² = 0.58) of the variation in PM₂.₅ levels. Seasonal assessment showed that winter had the highest pollution levels due to low wind speed, temperature inversion, and minimal rainfall, whereas monsoon conditions helped to dilute and wash out pollutants. The results highlight Gazipur’s ongoing air quality crisis, mainly driven by rapid industrialization, dense traffic, and unfavorable weather conditions. These findings underline the need for stronger emission control strategies, better urban air management, and the integration of meteorological forecasting in air pollution mitigation plans.