Congratulations to our colleague, we wish you a successful continuation of your meaningful work!

 

In the dissertation, Edith is investigating the development and application of chitosan- graphene oxide nanocomposites and thin films together with metal oxide and metal nanoparticles, focusing on their potential for environmental protection.

 

"The core of this research lies in the development of biodegradable materials that not only address the pressing problem of plastic pollution, but also serve as effective adsorbents for radionuclides, especially for radionuclides such as europium, plutonium and americium from water. By synthesizing and characterizing these nanocomposites, I investigate their properties such as mechanical strength, antibacterial activity and biodegradability, adsorption efficiency and migration potential (the ability of a material to limit the diffusion of radionuclides in the environment).

 

The research aims to present innovative solutions for food packaging and contaminant removal that can reduce environmental impact while improving food safety and environmental protection," says the chemist.

 

 

 

According to E. F. Joel, the relevance of this thesis is multifaceted. Firstly, it deals with the global challenge of plastic waste, which poses a significant environmental problem due to its longevity in ecosystems:

 

"By developing biodegradable alternatives using chitosan and graphene oxide with Cu2O/Cu nanoparticles, my work is helping to reduce the reliance on synthetic plastics in food packaging.

 

Secondly, the research focuses on the removal of water contamination by radionuclides using graphene oxide-chitosan-maghemite nanoparticles, which is a critical issue given the expansion of nuclear energy and the associated risks. The effective removal of these hazardous substances from water sources is essential for public health and environmental safety.

 

For example, we have successfully removed americium, polonium and europium from sea and river water in Lithuania. Overall, this work is in line with societal goals of sustainability and health and offers practical solutions that can lead to safer food and cleaner water resources. In addition, we used a hybrid artificial intelligence model to better understand the adsorption processes and optimize material performance."

 

 

 

The key findings of Edith's research include several important findings:

 

Food packaging: "I have successfully synthesized thin chitosan-graphene oxide composite films with copper oxide/copper nanoparticles that exhibit improved mechanical properties and biodegradability while showing lower copper ion migration rates (0.7 mg/kg) from food packaging into food simulants (mimicking real food) than previous studies related to copper nanoparticles in food packaging. Characterization of these materials confirmed their suitability for food packaging applications."

 

Adsorption efficiency: "The GO-MGH-CS composites showed exceptional adsorption capacities for europium ions in laboratory experiments. The removal efficiency varied from 74% to 100%, depending on the natural water source from Lithuania, indicating their effectiveness in real applications. I successfully applied the ANFIS (Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System) calculation model to predict the adsorption capacity of the composites for europium ions. This model showed robust performance and accuracy and paved the way for future studies in adsorption science."

 

Overall, E. F. Joel finds it most rewarding that her research not only contributes to scientific knowledge but also offers practical solutions to pressing environmental challenges.