SYNTHESIS OF MAGNETITE NANOPARTICLES AND EVALUATION OF ITS EFFICIENCY FOR ARSENIC REMOVAL FROM SIMULATED INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER

Abstract

In this study the efficiency of magnetic nanoparticles for removal of trivalent arsenic from synthetic industrial wastewater was evaluated. The nanoparticles was prepared by sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray methods including XRD, XRF, and SEM, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results showed that synthesized nanoparticles were in the size range of 40-300 nm, purity of about 90%, and magnetization of nanoparticles was 36.5emu/g. In initial conditions including: pH=7, As(III) concentration of 10 mg/L, nanomagnetite concentration of 1g/L, shaking speed of 250 rpm and 20 minute retention time, 82% of As (III) was removed. Competition from common coexisting ions such as Na+, Ni2+, Cu2+, SO42-, and Cl- was ignorable but for NO3- was significant. The adsorption data of magnetite nanoparticles fit well with Freundlich isotherm equations. The adsorption capacity of the Fe3O4 for As (III) at pH=7 was obtained as 23.8 mg/g. It was concluded that magnetite nanoparticles have considerable potential in removal of As(III) from synthetic industrial wastewaters.