Development of new economically feasible eco-friendly products from natural plants/agricultural wastes for removal of pollutants from coastal aquaculture systems is the objective of our continued research. In the present study, attempts have been made to harness lignocellulosic agricultural waste material (bagasse) for the removal of chromium (VI) from highly saline coastal water used for aquacultural practices using brackish water. Five different products prepared from bagasse were evaluated for the detoxification of Cr(VI) from high saline coastal water. The maximum removal capacity for Cr (VI) was found for the material charred with sulphuric acid. Dried bagasse powder was the second most effective product. These substrates are efficient for Cr removal from coastal water owing to their very low cost.

Development of new economically feasible ecofriendly products from agricultural wastes or byproducts for shrimp farm wastewater treatment is the objective of our continued research. Ammonia is a nitrogenous toxicant, which is commonly found in wastewater from shrimp farms. In the present study, we explored the possibility of the use of simply and inexpensively prepared bagasse products so that this abundant crop byproduct could be used to remove ammonia from shrimp farm wastewater. Bagasse, a natural highly fibrous lignocellulosic byproduct of sugarcane, was converted into five different products. Experimental results have shown that ammonia is efficiently removed from wastewater by four bagasse products with a dose of 1 to 6 g/L within 24 hours. The effect of bagasse products on other water quality parameters and growth kinetics of biofilm bacteria onto bagasse fiber have also been studied. Efficacies of products were compared by using statistical analysis. Products developed from bagasse are useful and economical. Water Environ. Res., 78, 938 (2006).

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Bagasse is a complex native lignocellulosic agricultural waste left after extraction of juice from sugar cane in sugar mills. Bagasse is commonly used as a captive boiler fuel aside from its minor use as a raw material in the paper industry and in low-value products. There remains an ever present need to convert this material to useful value added products, which is an objective of our continued research. The aim of the present study is to investigate four different materials prepared from bagasse for the removal of nitrite from shrimp farm brackishwater (salinity 27±1 ppt) in laboratory condition. The experimental results showed that nitrite removal is effective using bagasse materials with the dose of 1 and 3 g•L-1. Raw bagasse fiber was found to be most effective followed by dried bagasse powder, which can be attributed to the rapid increase in bacterial counts and periphytic growth combined with ion exchange mechanism. Effect of bagasse materials on other water characteristics such as pH, salinity, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, ammonia and phosphates has also been studied. The very low cost of lignocellulosic materials is a real advantage that renders it as a suitable alternative for the remediation of nitrite from aquaculture water.