Nanocellulose extracted from wheat straw: facile synthesis, characterization and application as an efficient U(VI) scavenger for groundwater of Bathinda district, SW-Punjab

Groundwater with high prevalence of uranium (> WHO limit, 30 µg/L) associated with natural radioactivity and chemical toxicity, poses severe health risks and necessitates efficient water treatment methods for removing uranium to provide safe water for human consumption. In the current work, nanocellulose (NC) extracted from wheat straw using facile chemical process, was investigated of its structural, chemical, and surface properties utilising various techniques such as XRD, FESEM, EDX, and FT-IR followed by systematic batch mode studies to explore its adsorptive potential for U(VI) in water. The adsorption data so obtained were examined using thermodynamic, isotherm, and kinetic models. The adsorption process was found to be spontaneous and endothermic, with maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of 77.13 mg/g. Remediation of U(VI) from aqueous solution is primarily accomplished through monolayer chemisorption and electrostatic interactions. The potential of NC as a key filling component in columns used in water filtration systems was explored for practical application and successfully utilized for treatment of high prevalent groundwater samples from Bathinda district of SW-Punjab, India.