Quantitative Analysis of Polymetallic Ions in Industrial Wastewater Based on Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Dear authors, I would like to tell you that your article is interesting. Please, review the reference number 31 (last reference): the journal title - in italic / the year should be written in bold.
Author Response
Dear Editors and Reviewers:
Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Quantitative Analysis of Polymetallic Ions in Industrial Wastewater Based on Ultraviolet Visible Spectroscopy” (ID: sustainability-1273622). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are as flowing:
Responds to the reviewer’s comments:
Reviewer #1:
- Dear authors, I would like to tell you that your article is interesting. Please, review the reference number 31 (last reference): the journal title - in italic / the year should be written in bold..
Response: Thanks for your comments. We have made correction according to the Reviewer’s comments. The reference number 31 is revised as follows: ”Zhou, F.; Li, C.; Yang, C.; Li, Y. A spectrophotometric method for simultaneous determination of trace ions of copper, cobalt, and nickel in the zinc sulfate solution by ultraviolet-visible spectrometry. Spectrochim. Acta. A. 2019, 223, 117370”
We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.
Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.
Sincerely yours,
Prof. Dr. Changgeng Li, [email protected]
Dr. Fengbo Zhou, [email protected]
July 12, 2021
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments to author
Minor changes:
Abstract
L18 remove “ Partial least squares regression is used to study the simultaneous detection of zinc, cobalt and nickel” since repeated in L14, use the acronym PLSR after first full name use.
Introduction:
L69 to L75 This part contains the outcomes of the study and should be moved to results. The aim of the current work must be clearly specified (SMART objective) at the end of the introduction part.
L51, L68, L70, L99, L205, L255, L257: Partial least squares regression (PLSR) repeated many times, use the acronym PLSR after first full name use. Correct in the whole manuscript.
Results and discussions:
L215: The optimal number of factors… How did you decide o the optimal number of factors, according to the Eigenvalues? Need to be clarified.
L218: fewer principal component variables… the use f fewer or higher compared to what?
L232: highest R2 and lowest RMSEC in the calibration… The discussion must be changed to “significant” nor lowest pr highest according to the null hypothesis test (0.01 or 0.05). All R2 values are>0.99; how can they be judged as lower and higher? Need to change to “significant”.
Major changes
The author used the word “Industrial wastewater” in the manuscript extensively more than 40 times to indicate the detection of multi-heavy metals in an aqueous solution or simulated wastewater solution.
If real industrial wastewater were used, standard additions methods must be the correct methodology. The described method is only an aqueous solution of multi-elements which might be called simulated wastewater.
This must be corrected by removing this misleading wording from the Title and the experimental part. However, the author may indicate that the outcomes of this study could be used in real Industrial wastewater in the conclusion or recommendations section.
Linguistics:
L122: use of “a” and “The” must be reconsidered in the whole manuscript. E.g. “stabilizer” to the or stabilizer L210 . Correlation or a correlation.
L130: This is hard to read sentence. Suggest to separate as: “…of nitroso-R salt solution. The mixtures were then…”,
L142: use of hyphenation must be considered in whole manuscript. E.g. on-line or online , micro fiber or microfiber, time consuming or time-consuming .
L217: change . “As can be seen from” to “As shown in Table 1”
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
The manuscript deals with the study of quantitative analysis of Zn, Co and Ni ions present in industrial wastewater by means of UV-Visible spectroscopy. The authors have developed a novel method based on the pre-processing of the UV-Visible spectra by combining wavelet transformation (WT) with partial least square regression (PLSR). The method permits to eliminate spectral noise, enhance spectral feature information, and improve the linearity of the detected ions, among others, thus allowing the simultaneous quantitative detection of different ions present in the aqueous solution.
The work is of interest for both academic and industrial sectors, the results are relevant and original. Therefore, I consider the manuscript suitable for publication in this journal, with only a minor concern detailed below (see main comment):
Main comment:
What about the interference caused by the presence of other metal ions in the sample? It is possible that the UV-Vis. measurements could be distorted by the presence of other metals commonly appearing in industrial wastewater. Have the authors tried to evaluate this issue?
In my opinion, the authors should comment on that in the main text of the paper.
Author Response
Dear Editors and Reviewers:
Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Quantitative Analysis of Polymetallic Ions in Industrial Wastewater Based on Ultraviolet Visible Spectroscopy” (ID: sustainability-1273622). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are as flowing:
Responds to the reviewer’s comments:
Reviewer #3:
- Main comment:
What about the interference caused by the presence of other metal ions in the sample? It is possible that the UV-Vis. measurements could be distorted by the presence of other metals commonly appearing in industrial wastewater. Have the authors tried to evaluate this issue?
In my opinion, the authors should comment on that in the main text of the paper..
Response: We have considered the interference factors of other metal ions and UV-Vis reagents. Firstly, for the UV-Vis reagents, we use the blank solution as the reference when testing the sample solution, which can offset the reagent background interference and instrument noise interference. Secondly, through the different absorption of the complex formed by the reaction of the polymetallic ions and the chromogenic system, the concentration of polymetallic ions can be detected. Because of the careful study of the chromogenic system in this experiment. The chromogenic reagent can react with zinc, cobalt, and nickel metal ions with high sensitivity, but does not react with other interfering metal ions or has low sensitivity. Therefore, the interference caused by the presence of other metal ions or UV-Vis will not affect the detection concentration of zinc, cobalt and nickel metal ions in industrial wastewater.
We appreciate for Editors/Reviewers’ warm work earnestly, and hope that the correction will meet with approval.
Once again, thank you very much for your comments and suggestions.
Sincerely yours,
Prof. Dr. Changgeng Li, [email protected]
Dr. Fengbo Zhou, [email protected]
July 12, 2021
