Magnetite nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple and ecofriendly method using onion peel (MNp-OP) and corn silk extract (MNp-CS), in order to develop new low-cost adsorbents for arsenic removal from groundwater. As a point of comparison, magnetite nanoparticles were also synthesized with a conventional chemical process (MNp-CO). The antioxidant potential of onion peel and corn silk extracts was determined using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and free radical (DPPH) scavenging assays, including the total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins contents. The synthesized magnetite nanoparticles were characterised using different techniques (Scanning electron microscope/Energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analyzer). The adsorption capacity of MNp-OP and MNp-CS and the arsenic removal mechanism of these novel adsorbents was investigated through kinetic and equilibrium experiments and their corresponding mathematical models. Characterisation of MNp-OP and MNp-CS shows high BET specific surface areas of 243 m2/g and 261 m2/g, respectively. XRD and FTIR analysis confirmed the formation and presence of magnetite nanoparticles. The arsenic adsorption mechanism on MNp-OP, MNp-CS and MNp-CO involves chemisorption, intraparticle and external diffusion. Maximal adsorption capacities of MNp-OP, MNp-CS and MNp-CO were 1.86, 2.79, and 1.30 mg/g respectively. The green synthesis applied using onion peel and corn silk extracts was cost effective and environmentally friendly, and results in adsorbents with a high capacity for arsenic and magnetic properties, making them a very promising alternative approach in the treatment of arsenic contaminated groundwater.
Functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have drawn wide attention in recent years as novel materials for the removal of heavy metals from the aquatic media. This paper investigates the effect that the functionalization (oxidation) process duration time (3 h or 6 h) has on the ability of MWCNTs to treat water contaminated with low levels of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Cr(VI) (initial concentrations 0.5–5 mg L−1) and elucidates the adsorption mechanisms involved. Adsorbent characterization showed that the molar ratio of C and O in these materials was slightly lower for the oxMWCNT6h, due to the higher degree of oxidation, but the specific surface areas and mesopore volumes of these materials were very similar, suggesting that prolonging the functionalization duration had an insignificant effect on the physical characteristics of oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (oxMWCNTs). Increasing the Ph of the solutions from Ph 2 to Ph 8 had a large positive impact on the removal of Cu(II) and Ni(II) by oxMWCNT, but reduced the adsorption of Cr(VI). However, the ionic strength of the solutions had far less pronounced effects. Coupled with the results of fitting the kinetics data to the Elowich and Weber–Morris models, we conclude that adsorption of Cu(II) and Ni(II) is largely driven by electrostatic interactions and surface complexation at the interface of the adsorbate/adsorbent system, whereas the slower adsorption of Cr(VI) on the oxMWCNTs investigated is controlled by an additional chemisorption step where Cr(VI) is reduced to Cr(III). Both oxMWCNT3h and oxMWCNT6h have high adsorption affinities for the heavy metals investigated, with adsorption capacities (expressed by the Freundlich coefficient KF) ranging from 1.24 to 13.2 (mg g−1)/(mg l−1)n, highlighting the great potential such adsorbents have in the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions.
This paper investigates the removal of arsenic from water using an environmentally friendly modified biosorbent, chitosan coated with Fe-Mn binary oxide (Chit-FeMn), simply prepared with an one-pot low-cost procedure by simultaneous oxidation and coprecipitation. The sorbent was characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, BET specific surface area, and point of zero charge (pH pzc) measurements. The kinetic data fitted a pseudo-second order model for both As(III) and As(V), suggesting chemical adsorption on the sorbent surface and that intra-particle diffusion is not the only rate-limiting step during adsorption. The adsorption isotherms were best fit to the Freundlich model, and the non-monolayer adsorption model for arsenic on Chit-FeMn is therefore proposed. Below pH 9, the effect of pH on As(III) and As(V) removal by Chit-FeMn was insignificant, with As removals remaining above 85 %. Cland NO 3 had negligible influences on As(III) and As(V) removal, whereas PO 4 3-, SiO 3 2-, CO 3 2and SO 4 2were observed to compete with arsenic species for adsorption sites. The adsorbent was successfully applied to remove arsenic from real arsenic contaminated groundwater samples to below 10 µg L-1 suggesting that Chit-FeMn is a promising candidate for the low cost removal of both As(V) and As(III) during drinking water treatment.
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