Magnetic nanotechnological devices as efficient tools to improve the quality of water: analysis on a real case

HORST, MARIA FERNANDA; PIZZANO, ALDANA; SPETTER, CARLA; LASSALLE, VERÓNICA

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG

Lugar: HEIDELBERG; Año: 2018

0944-1344

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), based on iron oxide (magnetite) and ferrogel of gelatin and MNPs, were employed as efficienttools for the removal of heavy metals and nutrients from water samples from Bahia Blanca estuarine (BBE). An exhaustiveadsorption performance of Cu, NO3−,andNO2−was conducted in batch using model solutions aiming to adjust the adsorptionconditions. Adsorption studies using water simulating the real samples were also performed. Both kinds of nanomaterialsdemonstrated an efficiency between 60 and 80%, and 85% for the removal of heavy metals and NO3−and NO2−,respectively.Similar adsorption assays were performed using BBE water samples, employing the experimental conditions explored withmodel and simulated water. The reached efficiency was 30 and 45% for heavy metal and nutrient removal, respectively, usingnanoparticles; meanwhile, ferrogels displayed a removal capacity around 50?60%. The nanoparticles showed structural instability by the leaching of iron to the medium after the adsorption processes. Ferrogels remained almost inalterable in terms of theirintegrity during the adsorption time. These materials showed satisfactory perspectives regarding their reuse possibilities. Theywere used for almost five repeated cycles of adsorption without losing efficiency on the adsorption. The results of this studysuggest that MNPs and FGs appear as versatile and promising materials that may be considered as valid alternatives to the actualtools for the remediation of real water samples