Insight into the Mechanism of Arsenic(III/V) Uptake on Mesoporous Zerovalent Iron-Magnetite Nanocomposites: Adsorption and Microscopic Studies

Morphologically controlled synthesis of MgFe-LDH using MgO and succinic acid for enhanced arsenic adsorption: Kinetics, equilibrium, and mechanism studies

In this study, we investigated improving the performance of a layered double hydroxide (LDH) for the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) by controlling the morphology of LDH crystals. The LDH was synthesized via a simple coprecipitation method using barely soluble MgO as a precursor and succinic acid (SA) as a morphological control agent. Doping the LDH crystals with carboxylate ions (RCOO-) derived from SA caused the crystals to develop in a radial direction. This changed the pore characteristics and increased the density of active surface sites. Subsequently, SA/MgFe-LDH showed excellent affinity for As(III) and As(V) with maximum sorption densities of 2.42 and 1.60 mmol/g, respectively. By comparison, the pristine MgFe-LDH had sorption capacities of 1.56 and 1.31 mmol/g for As(III) and As(V), respectively. The LDH was effective over a wide pH range for As(III) adsorption (pH 3-8.5) and As(V) adsorption (pH 3-6.5). Using a combination of spectroscopy and sorption modeling calculations, the main sorption mechanism of As(III) and As(V) on SA/MgFe-LDH was identified as inner-sphere complexation via ligand exchange with hydroxyl group (-OH) and RCOO-. Specifically, bidentate As-Fe complexes were proposed for both As(III) and As(V) uptake, with the magnitude of formation varying with the initial As concentration. Importantly, the As-laden adsorbent had satisfactory stability in simulated real landfill leachate. These findings demonstrate that SA/MgFe-LDH exhibits considerable potential for remediation of As-contaminated water.

Efficient arsenic removal from water using iron-impregnated low-temperature biochar derived from henequen fibers: performance, mechanism, and LCA analysis

The present study aims to investigate the low-energy consumption and high-efficiency removal of arsenic from aqueous solutions. The designed adsorbent Fe/TBC was synthesized by impregnating iron on torrefaction henequen fibers. Isothermal adsorption experiments indicated maximum adsorption capacities of 7.30 mg/g and 8.98 mg/g for arsenic(V) at 25.0 °C and 40.0 °C, respectively. The interference testing showed that elevated levels of pH, HCO3- concentration, and humic acid content in the solution could inhibit the adsorption of arsenic by Fe/TBC. Characterization of the adsorbent before and after adsorption using FTIR and SEM-EDS techniques confirmed arsenic adsorption mechanisms, including pore filling, electrostatic interaction, surface complexation, and H-bond adhesion. Column experiments were conducted to treat arsenic-spiked water and natural groundwater, with effective treatment volumes of 550 mL and 8792 mL, respectively. Lastly, the life cycle assessment (LCA) using OpenLCA 2.0.3 software was performed to treat 1 m3 of natural groundwater as the functional unit. The results indicated relatively significant environmental impacts during the Fe/TBC synthesis stage. The global warming potential resulting from the entire life cycle process was determined to be 0.8 kg CO2-eq. The results from batch and column experiments, regeneration studies, and LCA analysis indicate that Fe/TBC could be a promising adsorbent for arsenic(V).

Fast and efficient As(III) removal from water by bifunctional nZVI@NBC

As a notable toxic substance, metalloid arsenic (As) widely exists in water body and drinking As-contaminated water for an extended period of time can result in serious health concerns. Here, the performance of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) modified N-doped biochar (NBC) composites (nZVI@NBC) activated peroxydisulfate (PDS) for As(III) removal was investigated. The removal efficiencies of As(III) with initial concentration ranging from 50 to 1000 μg/L were above 99% (the residual total arsenic below 10 μg/L, satisfying the contaminant limit for arsenic in drinking water) within 10 min by nZVI@NBC (0.2 g/L)/PDS (100 μM). As(III) removal efficiency influenced by reaction time, PDS dosage, initial concentration, pH, co-existing ions, and natural organic matter in nZVI@NBC/PDS system were investigated. The nZVI@NBC composite is magnetic and could be conveniently collected from aqueous solutions. In practical applications, nZVI@NBC/PDS has more than 99% As(III) removal efficiency in various water bodies (such as deionized water, piped water, river water, and lake water) under optimized operation parameters. Radical quenching and EPR analysis revealed that SO4·- and ·OH play important roles in nZVI@NBC/PDS system, and the possible reaction mechanism was further proposed. These results suggest that nZVI@NBC activated peroxydisulfate may be an efficient and fast approach for the removal of water contaminated with As(III).

Optimization of two-phase synthesis of Fe-hydrochar for arsenic removal from drinking water: Effect of temperature and Fe concentration

Arsenic-contaminated water is a global concern that demands the development of cost-effective treatments to ensure a safe drinking water supply for people worldwide. In this paper, we report the optimization of a two-phase synthesis for producing a hydrochar core from olive pomace to serve as support for the deposition of Fe-hydroxide, which is the active component in As(V) removal. The operating conditions considered were the initial concentration of Fe in solution in the hydrothermal treatment (phase I) and the temperature of Fe precipitation (phase II). The obtained samples were characterized for their elemental composition, solid yield, mineral content (Fe and K), phenol release, As(V) sorption capacity, and sorbent stability. Correlation analysis revealed that higher Fe concentrations (26.8 g/L) ensured better carbonization during hydrothermal treatment, increased arsenic removal, reduced concentrations of phenols in the final liquid, and improved stability of the sorbent composite. On the other hand, the temperature during Fe precipitation (phase II) can be maintained at lower levels (25-80 °C) since higher temperatures yielded lower adsorption capacity. Regression analysis demonstrated the significance of the main effects of the parameters on sorption capacity and provided a model for selecting operating conditions (Fe concentration and phase II temperature) to obtain composite sorbents with tailored sorption properties.

Facile preparation of maghemite based on iron sludge for arsenic removal from water

In this study, we demonstrated the effective acquisition of magnetic iron oxide (MIO) for As(V) adsorption by high-temperature pyrolysis of waste iron sludge from the water treatment plant under a confined environment without adding extra chemical reagents. The operating temperature and time in the pyrolysis process were optimized to improve the yield of MIO and its As(V) adsorption capacity. MIO500-2(500 °C, 2 h) had both relatively high yield and arsenic adsorption efficiency, which was characterized by XRD and XPS as mainly γ-Fe2O3 with small particle size (100-900 nm), significant mesopore (12.43 nm), high specific surface area (65.25 m2/g), and effective saturation magnetization intensity (14.45 emu/g). The maximum adsorption capacity was 14.2 ± 0.4 mg/g, and the removal rate could still reach about 80 % after five times of adsorbent regeneration. Considering this facile preparation route and its high yield, large-scale production of MIO from waste iron sludge is feasible, which is expected to provide a low-cost and efficient adsorbent for the treatment of arsenic-containing water in less economically developed areas.

Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Revealed the Mechanism of Arsenate Removal by the Fe/Mn Oxide-Based Composite under Conditions of Fully Saturated Sorption Sites

Molecular mechanism of arsenate removal by a promising inorganic composite based on Fe/Mn oxides and MnCO3 was studied under the rarely investigated conditions of fully saturated sorption sites (characteristic of dynamic sorption, such as water treatment plants) at the pH of 4/6/7/8 using As K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS)/X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Comparison of arsenic speciation in the initial adsorbate solution (calculated by Visual MINTEQ) and after sorption (determined by As 3d XPS) allowed the interpretation of the initializing forces of the interfacial processes. Contribution of various solid phases of this composite anion exchanger to the removal of arsenate was disclosed by examining the Fe 2p3/2 and Mn 2p3/2 XPS spectra supported by FTIR. As K-edge EXAFS simulation not only proved the chemisorptive binding of aqueous As(V) anions to the Fe/Mn oxide-based adsorbent but also demonstrated the presence of a variety of sorption sites in this complex structured porous material, which became available step-wise upon an increasing pressure on the interface with high arsenate loading during the long-term sorption process. The type of inner-sphere complexation of As(V) on the saturated surface discovered by As K-edge EXAFS modeling was a function of pH. Analysis of EXAFS fitting data resulted in suggestion of a methodological idea on how the EXAFS-derived coordination numbers can be used to distinguish the localization of adsorbed ions (surface versus structure emptiness). This work also provides more insights into the superiority of composite adsorbents (compared to the materials based on individual compounds) in terms of their capability to adapt/change the molecular sorption mechanism in order to inactivate (remove) more toxic aqueous anions.

Repurposing of steel rolling sludge: Solvent-free preparation of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles and its application for As(III/V)-containing wastewater treatment

Steel rolling sludge (SRS) is the by-product of metallurgical industry with abundant iron content, which needs to be utilized for producing high value-added products. Herein, cost-effective and highly adsorbent α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were prepared from SRS via a novel solvent-free method and applied to treat As(III/V)-containing wastewater. The structure of the prepared nanoparticles was observed to be spherical with a small crystal size (12.58 nm) and high specific surface area (145.03 m²/g). The nucleation mechanism of α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles and the effect of crystal water were investigated. More importantly, compared with the traditional methods of preparation cost and yield, this study was found to have excellent economic benefits. The adsorption results indicated that the adsorbent could effectively remove arsenic over a wide pH range, and the optimal performance of nano adsorbent for As(III) and As(V) removal was observed at pH 4.0-9.0 and 2.0-4.0, respectively. The adsorption process was consistent with pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isothermal model. The maximum adsorption capacity (q_m) of adsorbent for As(III) and As(V) was 75.67 mg/g and 56.07 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles exhibited great stability, and q_m remained at 64.43 mg/g and 42.39 mg/g after five cycles. Particularly, the As(III) was removed by forming inner-sphere complexes with the adsorbent, and it partially oxidized to As(V) during this process. In contrast, the As(V) was removed by electrostatic adsorption and reaction with -OH on the adsorbent surface. Overall, resource utilization of SRS and the treatment of As(III)/(V)-containing wastewater in this study are in line with the current developments in the environmental and waste-to-value research.

Sulfurized nano zero-valent iron prepared via different methods: Effect of stability and types of surface corrosion products on removal of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol

Sulfurization improves the stability and activity of nano zero-valent iron (nZVI). The sulfurized nZVI (S-nZVI) were prepared with ball milling, vacuum chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and liquid-phase reduction techniques and the corresponding products were the mixture of FeS₂ and nZVI (nZVI/FeS₂), well-defined core-shell structure (FeS_x@Fe) or seriously oxidized (S-nZVI(aq)), respectively. All these materials were applied to eliminate 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) from water. The removal of TCP was irrelevant with the structure of S-nZVI. Both nZVI/FeS₂ and FeS_x@Fe showed remarkable performance for the degradation of TCP. S-nZVI(aq) possessed poor mineralization efficiency to TCP due to its bad crystallinity degree and severe leaching of Fe ions, which retarded the affinity of TCP. Desorption and quenching experiments suggested that TCP removal by nZVI and S-nZVI was based on surface adsorption and subsequent direct reduction by Fe⁰, oxidation by in-situ produced ROS and polymerization on the surface of these materials. In the reaction process, the corrosion products of these materials transformed into crystalline Fe₃O₄ and α/β-FeOOH, which enhanced the stability of nZVI and S-nZVI materials and was conductive to the electron transferring from Fe⁰ to TCP and strong affinity of TCP onto Fe or FeS_x phases. All these were contributed to high performance of nZVI and sulfurized nZVI in removal and minerazilation of TCP in continuous recycle test.

Iron Oxyhydroxide-Covalent Organic Framework Nanocomposite for Efficient As(III) Removal in Water

The presence of heavy metal ions in water is an environmental issue derived mainly from industrial and mineral contamination. Metal ions such as Cd(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), or As(III) are a significant health concern worldwide because of their high toxicity, mobility, and persistence. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of crystalline organic porous materials that exhibit very interesting properties such as chemical stability, tailored design, and low density. COFs also allow the formation of composites with remarkable features because of the synergistic combination effect of their components. These characteristics make them suitable for various applications, among which water remediation is highly relevant. Herein, we present a novel nanocomposite of iron oxyhydroxide@COF (FeOOH@Tz-COF) in which lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) nanorods are embedded in between the COF nanoparticles favoring As(III) remediation in water. The results show a remarkable 98.4% As(III) uptake capacity in a few minutes and impressive removal efficiency in a wide pH range (pH 5-11). The chemical stability of the material in the working pH range and the capability of capturing other toxic heavy metals such as Pb(II) and Hg(II) without interference confirm the potential of FeOOH@Tz-COF as an effective adsorbent for water remediation even under harsh conditions.

Highly efficient removal of arsenic (III/V) from groundwater using nZVI functionalized cellulose nanocrystals fabricated via a bioinspired strategy

Utilizing nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) to purify groundwater contaminated by arsenic species [As(III/V)] is an efficient technology, but the fast and severe aggregation of nZVI limits its practical applications. Herein, nZVI was anchored onto the mussel-inspired polydopamine-coated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs-PDA-nZVI) as an efficient material for As groundwater remediation. In this set, the introduction of nZVI was expected to significantly enhance the arsenic removal property, while cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) endowed nZVI with ultrahigh dispersibility. The batch results showed that the maximum As adsorption capacities of CNCs-PDA-nZVI (i.e., 333.3 mg g^-1 and 250.0 mg g^-1 for As(III) and As(V), respectively) were ten times higher compared with those of pristine CNCs. The kinetics results revealed that chemical adsorption was dominant for As adsorption. The isotherms indicated that a homogeneous adsorption for As(III) and heterogenous adsorption for As(V) on the surface of CNCs-PDA-nZVI. The removal mechanisms for As by CNCs-PDA-nZVI included adsorption-oxidation, coprecipitation and inner-sphere complexation. Overall, the excellent arsenic removal efficiency makes CNCs-PDA-nZVI a promising material for the remediation of As polluted groundwater, and this in-situ anchoring strategy can be extended to overcome the aggregation bottleneck of other nanoparticles for various applications.

Adsorption and photocatalysis removal of arsenite, arsenate, and hexavalent chromium in water by the carbonized composite of manganese-crosslinked sodium alginate

The preparation of easily synthesized and cheap composite materials for the efficient removal of toxic oxoanions still remains challenging in sewage treatment. Herein, a new carbonized manganese-crosslinked sodium alginate (Mn/SA-C) was fabricated for the removal of arsenite (As(III)), arsenate (As(V)) and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in water. The results indicated that the Mn/SA-C pretreated with MnSO₄ solution (Mn/SA-C-S) exhibited a rapid adsorption toward As(III) and As(V) with the removal efficiency of >98% within 10 min, and had a high adsorption capacity toward As(III), As(V), and Cr(VI) with the maximum value of 189.29, 193.29, and 104.50 mg/g based on the Langmuir model, respectively. The removal efficiency of As(III), As(V), and Cr(VI) could be further significantly enhanced by coupling a photocatalytic process. For example, the time in which >98% of Cr(VI) (10 mg/L) was removed dramatically shortened from 360 min (adsorption) to 45 min (adsorption-photocatalysis), and the removal efficiency of As(III) increased by ∼10% within initial 5 min. This was primarily attributed to the Mn-catalyzed production of the photocatalytic excitons for Cr(VI) reduction, and the superoxide (•O₂^-) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals for As(III) oxidation. The adsorption removal of arsenic (As) was primarily ascribed to surface complexation with MnO and precipitation by MnS₂, and oxidative adsorption because of Mn valence cycle. The removal mechanisms of Cr(VI) mainly contained reduction by MnO and MnS₂, complexation with MnO and carboxyl/hydroxyl groups as well as Cr(OH)₃ precipitation. Our research provides a promising Mn/SA-C-S material for rapid and efficient removal of As(III), As(V), and Cr(VI) in contaminated water through an adsorption-photocatalysis synergistic strategy.

Hierarchical Porous Iron Metal-Organic Gel/Bacterial Cellulose Aerogel: Ultrafast, Scalable, Room-Temperature Aqueous Synthesis, and Efficient Arsenate Removal

Rational design of advanced adsorbed materials with hierarchically porous architecture, high surface area, and macroscopic shapeability is of great significance for boosting their potential in practical applications. Herein, a monolithic iron metal-organic gel/bacterial cellulose (denoted as Fe-MOG/BC) composite has been successfully fabricated based on an ultrafast, scalable, aqueous-based synthetic strategy at room temperature. As expected, the resulting Fe-MOG/BC aerogel possesses a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchically porous microstructure and abundant active sites, being ultralight, water-fast, and mechanically robust. Benefiting from these unique structural characteristics, the resulting Fe-MOG/BC composite exhibits superb saturated sorption capacity (495 mg g^-1) toward arsenate, outperforming other reported nanoadsorbents. Further, the Fe-MOG/BC aerogel enables efficient decontamination of 5 ppm of As(V) to below the permitted threshold in drinking water (10 ppb) within 30 min, accompanied by excellent selectivity and reusability. Significantly, as an efficient filter unit, the Fe-MOG/BC aerogel (0.1 g) can continuously treat 3900 mL wastewater (spiked with 1 ppm As(V)) to the safe level. Such an excellent As(V) decontamination capability of Fe-MOG/BC together with the ease, low cost, and scalable production prefigures its huge prospects for practical wastewater remediation.

Photooxidation/adsorption of arsenic (III) in aqueous solution over bentonite/ chitosan/TiO2 heterostructured catalyst

Arsenic contamination of the environment is a serious health hazard due to its toxicity and carcinogenic effects thus demanding developed and robust removal methodologies. In this study, bentonite/chitosan/titania (BT/CS-TiO₂) was developed to boost photo-oxidation/adsorption efficiency while providing a low-cost and potential heterostructured platform for arsenic removal from aqueous media. Under UV irradiation, BT/CS-TiO₂ heterostructured exhibited the desired capability (97%) of boosting oxidize toxic As^III to minor toxic As^V. Results confirmed that •OH radicals available at TiO₂ sites under UV light played a critical role in the proposed photo-oxidation process of As^III. BT/CS exhibited a high adsorption capacity (160 mg g^-1) for As^V removal due to its electrostatic interaction and surface complexation. Additionally, BT/CS-TiO₂ heterostructured showed satisfactory recyclability with no considerable interferences in the presence of coexisting anions due to the suitability of the valence band position of TiO₂ for the oxidation of As^III as well as the presence of CS into BT layers. Thereby, the findings revealed that impregnation of TiO₂ in BT/CS is a promising approach for arsenic removal.

Calcium Alginate Beads with Entrapped Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles Functionalized with Methionine-A Versatile Adsorbent for Arsenic Removal

A novel beads adsorbent, consisting of calcium alginate entrapped on magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with methionine (MFMNABs), was developed for effective elimination of arsenic from water. The material was characterized by FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopic), XRD (X-ray Diffraction) and TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy). The arsenic removal capacity of the material was studied by altering variables such as pH of the solution, contact time, adsorbent dose and adsorbate concentration. The maximal removal of As(III) was 99.56% under optimal conditions with an equilibrium time of 110 min and pH 7.0–7.5. The adsorption followed a second order kinetics and data best fitted the Langmuir isotherm with a correlation coefficient of R² = 0.9890 and adsorption capacity (q_m) of 6.6533 mg/g. The thermodynamic study showed entropy change (∆S) and enthalpy change (∆H) to be 34.32 J mol⁻¹ K and 5.25 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. This study proved that it was feasible to treat an As(III) solution with MFMNABs. The synthesized adsorbent was cost-effective, environmentally friendly and versatile, compared to other adsorbents. The adsorption study was carried by low cost spectrophotometric method using N- bromosuccinimide and rhodamine-B developed in our laboratory.