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Moringa oleifera seeds were investigated as a biosorbent for removing metal ions from aqueous effluents. The morphological characteristics as well as the chemical composition of M. oleifera seeds were evaluated using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The FT-IR spectra showed the presence of lipids and protein components. Scanning electron micrographs showed that Moringa seeds have an adequate morphological profile for the retention of metal ions. The results suggest that M. oleifera seeds have potential application in Cd(II), Pb(II), Co(II), Cu(II) and Ag(I) decontamination from aqueous effluents.

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A simple method for the direct determination of mercury in ethanol fuel samples diluted with water by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS) is proposed. The chemical parameters (concentrations of NaBH 4 and HCl) used for the Hg vapor generation for its measurement by CV-AAS were optimized. The calibration curve showed a linear response over the studied range (1−25 μg L −1 ), with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999 and limits of detection and quantification of 0.05 and 0.17 μg L −1 , respectively. The relative standard deviations were lower than 3.5%. The accuracy of the method was estimated by applying the recovery test, and recovery values obtained were 84 and 106%. A sample throughput of 45 h −1 was achieved. Simplicity and sensitivity are among the advantages offered by the proposed method.