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Description
This study compared the pollutant removal performance of nanoparticles derived from periwinkle (Tympanotonus fuscatus) and whelk (Thais coronata) shells in contaminated water treatment. Their treatment performance was evaluated through changes in physicochemical properties, heavy metal concentrations, hydrocarbon content, and microbiological indicators. Untreated water exhibited a pH of 8.31 ± 0.12, electrical conductivity of 35,100–36,500 µS/cm, and total dissolved solids of approximately 17,599.80 mg/L. Both materials improved the measured water quality parameters, although their relative performance varied with the treatment endpoint. Following treatment, pH decreased to 7.67 ± 0.08 for whelk-derived nanoparticles and 7.81 ± 0.10 for periwinkle-derived nanoparticles. Electrical conductivity decreased by approximately 5.8%, while total dissolved solids removal ranged from 5% to 12% across treatments. Heavy metal removal efficiencies ranged from 78–92% for iron, 70–88% for zinc, 75–90% for copper, 82–95% for lead, 80–93% for cadmium, and 72–89% for nickel. Lead and cadmium removal exceeded 90% in the best-performing treatments.). Periwinkle-derived nanoparticles performed better in hardness reduction and heavy metal removal, whereas whelk-derived nanoparticles achieved greater hydrocarbon reduction. These findings indicate that shell type influences treatment performance and supports the potential use of both materials for contaminant-specific water treatment. Their comparative strengths provide a basis for selecting shell-derived treatment materials according to the dominant contaminants present.
Keywords: Contaminated water; Heavy metal removal; Hydrocarbon removal; Periwinkle shells; Whelk shells.