Phosphates in wastewater at elevated concentrations cause eutrophication of water bodies and their removal from treated wastewater is essential before effluents are discharged to the environment. Phosphates are predominately removed during wastewater treatment by chemical precipitation which is usually expensive and has a significant environmental footprint. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of waste recycled bricks as adsorbent for phosphate removal during wastewater treatment. The kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics of adsorption were investigated to establish the mechanisms of adsorption. The results showed that adsorption capacities increased with an increase in contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial phosphate concentration. The kinetic study indicated that adsorption was governed by several mechanisms with various processes dominating different stages of the adsorption. The adsorption process was better represented by the pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm adequately described the adsorption of phosphates onto brick particles with a maximum adsorption capacity of 5.35 mg/g. The thermodynamic studies showed that the adsorption process was exothermic and proceeded spontaneously, demonstrating that waste bricks can be used as a sustainable alternative for the effective removal of phosphates from wastewater.

As artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbot technologies like ChatGPT continue to evolve, educators grapple with the risks and benefits these advances bring to online assessment. The democratisation of AI-based technologies, while offering personalised learning experiences, threatens online assessment legitimacy and academic integrity. This paper critically examines the intersection of AI chatbots and online assessments, in the context of their impact on the design of authentic online assessments. The widespread usage of AI chatbots has caused serious problems for the validity of online tests because of the possibility of student abuse. This underlines the need for ‘authentic assessments’ that concentrate on higher-order cognitive skills, problem-solving, creative thinking, and collaborative talents and calls for a reevaluation of conventional assessment methods. These types of assessments not only align with the evolving pedagogical needs of the 21st century but also present tasks that are significantly challenging for AI chatbots to replicate, thereby preserving their integrity. Conversely, the paper also explores how AI can facilitate the assessment process by automating certain tasks, providing personalised learning experiences, and supporting collaborative assessments. The era of AI chatbots presents an opportunity to rethink and enhance online assessments, making them more authentic, meaningful, and resistant to AI-assisted malpractice.

World orange production is estimated at 60 million tons per annum, while the annual production of orange peel waste is 32 million tons. According to available data, the adsorption capacity of orange peel ranges from 3 mg/g to 5 mg/g, while their water uptake is lower than 1 mg/g. The low water uptake of orange peel and the abundance of biomass in nature has made orange peel an excellent biosorption material. This review summarised different studies on orange peel adsorption of various contaminants to identify properties of orange peel that influence the adsorption of contaminants. Most of the literature reviewed studied orange peel adsorption of heavy metals, followed by studies on the adsorption of dyes, while few studies have investigated adsorption of oil by orange peel. FTIR spectra analysis and SEM micrographs of raw and activated orange peels were studied to understand the structural properties of the biomass responsible for adsorption. The study identified pectin, hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, and amine groups as components and important functional groups responsible for adsorption in orange peel. Furthermore, changes were observed in the structural properties of the peel after undergoing various modifications. Physical modification increased the surface area for binding and the adsorption of contaminants, while chemical treatments increased the carboxylic groups enhancing adsorption and the binding of contaminants. In addition, heating orange peel during the thermal modification process resulted in a highly porous structure and a subsequent increase in adsorption capacities. In conclusion, physical, chemical, and thermal treatments improve the structural properties of orange peel, resulting in high biosorption uptake. However, orange peels treated with chemicals recorded the highest contaminants adsorption capacities.

Oil spills remain an inevitable risk in the exploration, production, and transportation of hydrocarbons. Their impacts on the environment are usually severe, hence effective and efficient response strategies are essential to minimise environmental damage. Conventional synthetic oil sorbents are the most widely used sorbents for spill cleanup but are usually expensive and non-biodegradable. Low-cost nonconventional biopolymeric sorbents are now emerging as alternatives to conventional sorbents used in oil spill cleanup owing to their availability and eco-friendliness. In this review, we present low-cost nonconventional cellulose- and keratin-based biopolymeric oil sorbents highlighting their oil sorption capacities, properties, and mechanisms.