This study was carried out to develop a green approach to synthesising sodium cyanide (NaCN) using hydrogen cyanide (HCN) extracted from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaves after 120 min of maceration at 30 °C and 45 min of recovery under vacuum at 35–40 °C. The CN^- ion released via autolysis was reacted with the Na⁺ ion following vacuum extraction of the former to produce NaCN by saturating the absorbing sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. This specific extraction method avoided direct contact between the cassava leaves homogenate and the absorbing solution. NaCN was crystallised by drying the NaCN slurry at 100 °C in an air oven. A total of 15.70 kg of fresh cassava leaves was needed to produce 32.356 g of NaCN (green-NaCN) (% NaCN yield = 0.21%). The results of X-ray diffraction, attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, show that NaCN was successfully prepared using the proposed method. These spectral techniques showed that the control and green-NaCN contained sodium carbonate impurities. The latter was quantified by the titration experiments and was found to be 0.61% and 2.29% in the control and green-NaCN, respectively. Furthermore, the titration experiments revealed that the residual NaOH content was 1.63% in control NaCN and 4.68% in green-NaCN. The aim of modifying the green synthesis route for producing NaCN from cassava, developed by the Attahdaniel research group in 2013 and 2020, was achieved.

South Africa mainly relies on Eskom's coal-fired power plants for electricity generation. However, the use of coal causes several adverse environmental impacts, including the release of selenium into the hydrosphere. Selenium is an essential nutrient for humans, animals, and microbes, but excess selenium is toxic. This paper describes the determination of total dissolved selenium in wastewater from selected coal-fired power plants and river waters near coal-fired power plants in South Africa. A sensitive and robust inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method for determining total dissolved selenium in wastewater and river water was developed using a certified reference material (NIST SRM 1640a Trace Elements in Natural Water). The results agreed with the certified values, with percentage recoveries ranging from 92–96%. The method detection limit was 0.13 µg/L. Total Se concentrations in wastewater samples from Kriel and Lethabo Power Stations ranged between 4.86 and 8.53 µg/L, and in river water samples from the Olifants and Wilge Rivers, the concentrations ranged from 2.63–8.20 µg/L. These results indicate that the Se levels in the wastewater are too low to pose a health hazard to humans and livestock but pose an environmental threat to aquatic life. The low concentrations in the river samples also show that there may be slight Se pollution (regarding aquatic life) from the selected coal-fired power plants in South Africa. There may be slight Se pollution (with regards to aquatic life) from Duvha and Kendal Power Stations because an increase from 2–8 µg/L was observed in river water samples collected near these selected coal-fired power plants.

Adsorption has become an attractive method for the extraction and recovery of metals from wastewater effluents. This study involved the fabrication of mesoporous neat polyacrylonitrile (PAN) monoliths and composite polymer monoliths of PAN and poly-4-vinylpyridine (P4VP) as adsorbents for toxic elements (As(V), Cr(VI)) and the recovery of PGMs(Ru(III), Rh(III), Pd(II)) from simulated wastewater solutions. Fabrication of the mesoporous polymer monoliths was conducted using the non-solvent induced phase separation method (NIPS). The monoliths were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). Adsorption studies were conducted using crushed monoliths saturated in 1 mg·L⁻¹ simulated wastewater solutions. Spectroscopic analyses of the resulting filtrates were conducted using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). In this study, the NIPS method was successfully optimized and mesoporous PAN, as well as composite polymer monoliths, were successfully fabricated. A concentration of 1 mg·L⁻¹ of Ru(III) and Pd(II) was completely adsorbed by both monoliths. The mesoporous composite polymer monoliths exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for Rh(III), As(V), and Cr(VI). The mesoporous polymer monoliths showed great potential for use as wastewater cleaning aids as well as remediators of precious metals.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C ₂₆ H ₂₄ FN ₃ O ₃ , contains one molecule comprising a tricyclic chromeno[2,3- d ]pyrimidine core formed by fused cyclohexanone, pyran and pyrimidine rings. The sp ³ -hybridized methine carbon atom bears a 2-methoxyphenyl substituent, which is oriented almost perpendicular to the pyran ring, with a dihedral angle of 84.11 (5)°. The 4-fluorophenylamino substituent is twisted relative to the pyrimidine ring, as indicated by the C—C—N—C torsion angle of 29.79 (18)° and the dihedral angle of 27.59 (4)° In the crystal, C—H...O and C—H...F hydrogen bonds link the molecules into supramolecular chains extending diagonally within the ac plane. An intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond is also present between the amino and methoxy groups.