August 23, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 20, 1429

HYDERABAD, Aug 22: A PhD final seminar was held on Friday at the National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh.

Research scholar Ms Ghulam Zohra Memon delivered her lecture titled “Solid phase extraction of selected pesticides from water using agricultural waste material”.The PhD work was based on the separation and removal of pesticides from water using agricultural waste materials. The research study was carried out at the National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh and Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol, England and UK. Professor Dr M. Iqbal Bhangar and Dr Mubeena Akhtar were the supervisors of the research fellow.

The scholar presented the characteristics as well as the efficiency of agricultural waste material for the removal of pesticides from water.

The researcher proposed to exploit the use of cheaper materials such as watermelon peels, mango kernels, peach nut shells and walnut shells for the elimination of toxic pesticides i.e. methyl parathion, carbofuran, chloropyriphos and endosulfan from water systems.

The analytical method proposed may be used on a large scale for industrial and domestic water treatment, the scholar said.

The scholar recommended to the Environmental Protection Agency the use of currently studied materials which are inexpensive, environment friendly, active, stable and easy to reuse.