Degradation of nitrobenzene-containing wastewater by sequential nanoscale zero valent iron-persulfate process

As nitrobenzene(NB)is structurally stable and difficult to degrade due to the presence of an electron withdrawing group(nitro group).The sequential nanoscale zero valent iron-persulfate(NZVI-Na_(2)S_(2)O_(8))process was proposed in this study for the degradation NB-containing wastewater.The results showed that the NB degradation efficiency and the total organic carbon removal efficiency in the sequential NZVINa_(2)S_(2)O_(8)process were 100%and 49.25%,respectively,at a NB concentration of 200 mg L^(-1),a NZVI concentration of 0.75 g L^(-1),a Na_(2)S_(2)O_(8)concentration of 26.8 mmol L^(-1),an initial pH of 5,and a reaction time of 30 min,which were higher than those(88.53%and 35.24%,respectively)obtained in the NZVI/Na_(2)S_(2)O_(8)process.Sulfate radicals(SO_(4)·-)and hydroxyl radicals(·OH)generated in the reaction were identified directly by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and indirectly by radical capture experiments,and it was shown that both SO_(4)^(·-)and·OH played a major role in the sequential NZVI-Na_(2)S_(2)O_(8)process.The possible pathways involved in the reduction of NB to aniline(AN)and the further oxidative degradation of AN were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Application of Iron Nanoparticles Synthesized by Green Tea for the Removal of Hexavalent Chromium in Column Tests

Nano zero valent iron particles (nZVI) are popular the last few years because of the numerous applications in remediation of a wide range of pollutants in contaminated soils and aquifers. The nZVI particles can be 10 - 1000 times more reactive than granular or micro-scale ZVI particles due to the small particle size, large specific surface area and high reactivity. An alternative green synthesis procedure was used for the production of nano zero valent iron particles (nZVI) using green tea (GT) extract, which is characterized by its high antioxidant content. Polyphenols in green tea extract possess double role in the synthesis of nZVI, because they not only reduce ferric cations, but also protect nZVI from oxidation and agglomeration as capping agents. The objective of current study was to simulate ata laboratory scale the attachment of GT-nZVI particles on soil material and study the effectiveness of attached nanoparticles for removing hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from contaminated groundwater flowing through the porous soil bed. Column tests were carried out with various flowrates in order to examine the effect of contact time between the attached on porous medium nZVI and the flow-through solution on Cr(VI) reduction. After the completion of column tests the soil material in each column was split in 5 vertical sections, which were further subjected to chemical analyses and leaching tests. According to the results of the study increasing the contact time favors the reduction and removal of Cr(VI) from the aqueous phase. The reductive precipitation of Cr can be described as a reaction that follows a pseudo-first order kinetic law, with rate constant equal to k = 0.0243 ± 0.0011 min-1. Leaching tests indicated that precipitated chromium is not soluble. In the examined soil material, the total amount of precipitated Cr was found to range between 280 and 890 mg/(kg soil), while soluble Cr was less than 1.4 mg/kg and most probably it was due to the presence of residual Cr(VI) solution in the porosity of soil.

Nanoencapsulation of arsenate with nanoscale zero-valent iron(nZVI):A 3D perspective

The principal forces driving the efficient enrichment and encapsulation of arsenic(As) into nanoscale zero-valent iron(nZVI) are the disordered arrangement of the atoms and the gradient chemical potentials within the core-shell interface. The chemical compositions and the fine structure of nZVI are characterized with a combination of spherical aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy(Cs-STEM), X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy(XEDS), electron energy loss spectroscopy(EELS), and high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(HR-XPS). Atomically resolved EELS at the oxygen K-edge unfolds that the Fe species in nZVI are well stratified from Fe(Ⅲ) oxides in the outermost periphery to a mixed Fe(Ⅲ)/Fe(Ⅱ) interlayer, then Fe(Ⅱ) oxide and the pure Fe(0) phase. Reactions between As(Ⅴ)and nZVI suggest that a well-structured local redox gradient exists within the shell layer, which serves as a thermodynamically favorable conduit for electron transfer from the iron core to the surface-bound As(Ⅴ). HR-XPS with ion sputtering shows that arsenic species shift from As(Ⅴ), As(Ⅲ)/As(Ⅴ) to As(Ⅴ)/As(Ⅲ)/As(0) from the iron oxide shell–water interface to the Fe(0) core. Results reinforce previous work on the efficacy of nZVI for removing and remediating arsenic while the analytical TEM methods are also applicable to the study of environmental interfaces and surface chemistry.

The colorful chemistry of nanoscale zero-valent iron(nZVI)

Nanoscale zero-valent iron （nZVI） possesses unique chemistry and capability for the separation and transformation of a growing number of environmental contaminants. A nZVI particle consists of two nanoscale components, an iron （oxyhydr）oxides shell and a metallic iron core. This classical ＂core-shell＂ structure offers nZVI with unique and multifaceted reactivity of sorption, complexation, reduction and precipita- tion due to its strong small particle size for engineering deployment, large surface area, abundant reactive sites and electron-donating capacity for enhanced chemical activity. For over two decades, research has been steadily expanding our understanding on the reaction mechanisms and engineering performance of nZVI for soil and groundwater remediation, and more recently for wastewater treatment.

Graphene-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron:Removal of phosphorus from aqueous solution and mechanistic study

Excess phosphorus from non-point pollution sources is one of the key factors causing eutrophication in many lakes in China,so finding a cost-effective method to remove phosphorus from non-point pollution sources is very important for the health of the aqueous environment. Graphene was selected to support nanoscale zero-valent iron（nZVI）for phosphorus removal from synthetic rainwater runoff in this article. Compared with nZVI supported on other porous materials,graphene-supported nZVI（G-nZVI） could remove phosphorus more efficiently. The amount of nZVI in G-nZVI was an important factor in the removal of phosphorus by G-nZVI,and G-nZVI with 20 wt.% nZVI（20% G-nZVI）could remove phosphorus most efficiently. The nZVI was very stable and could disperse very well on graphene,as characterized by transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）,Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR） and Raman spectroscopy were used to elucidate the reaction process,and the results indicated that Fe-O-P was formed after phosphorus was adsorbed by G-nZVI. The results obtained from X-ray diffraction（XRD） indicated that the reaction product between nZVI supported on graphene and phosphorus was Fe3（PO4）2·8H2O（Vivianite）. It was confirmed that the specific reaction mechanism for the removal of phosphorus with nZVI or G-nZVI was mainly due to chemical reaction between nZVI and phosphorus.

A porous biochar supported nanoscale zero-valent iron material highly efficient for the simultaneous remediation of cadmium and lead contaminated soil

Risk associated with heavy metals in soil has been received widespread attention.In this study,a porous biochar supported nanoscale zero-valent iron(BC-nZVI)was applied to immobilize cadmium(Cd)and lead(Pb)in clayey soil.Experiment results indicated that the immobilization of Cd or Pb by BC-nZVI process was better than that of BC or nZVI process,and about 80%of heavy metals immobilization was obtained in BC-nZVI process.Addition of BC-nZVI could increase soil pH and organic matter(SOM).Cd or Pb immobilization was inhibited with coexisting organic compound 2,4-dichlorophenol(2,4-DCP),but 2,4-DCP could be removed in a simultaneous manner with Cd or Pb immobilization at low concentration levels.Simultaneous immobilization of Cd and Pb was achieved in BC-nZVI process,and both Cd and Pb availability significantly decreased.Stable Cd species inculding Cd(OH)_(2),CdCO_(3)and CdO were formed,whereas stable Pb species such as PbCO_(3),PbO and Pb(OH)_(2)were produced with BC-nZVI treatment.Simultaneous immobilization mechanism of Cd and Pb in soil by BC-nZVI was thereby proposed.This study well demonstrates that BC-nZVI has been emerged as a potential technology for the remediation of multiple heavy metals in soil.

Performance of bimetallic nanoscale zero-valent iron particles for removal of oxytetracycline

In this study, bimetallic nanoscale zero-valent iron particles（nZVI）, including copper/nanoscale zero-valent iron particles（Cu/nZVI） and nickel/nanoscale zero-valent iron particles（Ni/nZVI）, were synthesized by one-step liquid-phase reduction and applied for oxytetracycline（OTC） removal. The effects of contact time and initial p H on the removal efficiency were studied. The as-prepared nanoscale particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）. Finally, the degradation mechanisms of OTC utilizing the as-prepared nanoparticles were investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS） and mass spectrometry（MS）. Cu/n ZVI presented remarkable ability for OTC degradation and removed71.44% of OTC（100 mg/L） in 4 hr, while only 62.34% and 31.05% of OTC was degraded by Ni/nZVI and nZVI respectively. XPS and MS analysis suggested that OTC was broken down to form small molecules by ·OH radicals generated from the corrosion of Fe0. Cu/nZVI and Ni/n ZVI have been proved to have potential as materials for application in OTC removal because of their significant degradation ability toward OTC.

Decolorization of Methyl Orange by a new clay-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron:Synergetic effect,efficiency optimization and mechanism

In this study, a novel nanoscale zero-valent iron（n ZVI） composite material was successfully synthesized using a low-cost natural clay, ＂Hangjin 2~#clay＂（HJ clay） as the support and tested for the decolorization of the azo dye Methyl Orange（MO） in aqueous solution by n ZVI particles. According to the characterization and MO decolorization experiments, the sample with 5：1 HJ clay-supported n ZVI（HJ/n ZVI） mass ratio（HJ-n ZVI5） showed the best dispersion and reactivity and the highest MO decolorization efficiency. With the same equivalent Fe0 dosage, the HJ-n ZVI1 and HJ-n ZVI5 samples demonstrated a synergetic effect for the decolorization of MO： their decolorization efficiencies were much higher than that achieved by physical mixing of HJ clay and n ZVIs, or the sum of HJ clay and n ZVIs alone. The synergetic effect was primarily due to the improved dispersion and more effective utilization of the n ZVI particles on/in the composite materials. Higher decolorization efficiency of MO was obtained at larger HJ-n ZVI dosage, higher temperature and under N2 atmosphere, while the MO initial concentration and p H were negatively correlated to the efficiency. HJ clay not only works as a carrier for n ZVI nanoparticles, but also contributes to the decolorization through an ＂adsorption-enhanced reduction＂ mechanism. The high efficiency of HJ-n ZVI for decontamination gives it great potential for use in a variety of remediation applications.

Superior trichloroethylene removal from water by sulfide-modified nanoscale zero-valent iron/graphene aerogel composite

Sulfide-modified nanoscale zero-valent iron(S-nZVI) is a promising material for removal of organic pollutants from water, but S-nZVI nanoparticles(NPs) easily agglomerate and have poor contact with organic contaminants.Herein, we propose a new S-nZVI/graphene aerogel(S-nZVI/GA) composite which exhibits superior removal capability for trichloroethylene(TCE) from water.Three-dimensional porous graphene aerogel(GA) can improve the efficiency of electron transport, enhance the adsorption of organic pollutants and restrain the agglomeration of the core-shell S-nZVI NPs.The TCE removal rates of Fe S, nZVI, GA and S-nZVI were 27.8%, 42%, 63% and 75% in 2 hr, respectively.Furthermore, TCE was completely removed within 50 min by S-nZVI/GA.The TCE removal rate increased with increasing p H and temperature, and TCE removal followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model.The results demonstrate the great potential of S-nZVI/GA composite as a low-cost,easily separated and superior monolithic adsorbent for removal of organic pollutants.

Nanoencapsulation of hexavalent chromium with nanoscale zero-valent iron:High resolution chemical mapping of the passivation layer

Solid phase reactions of Cr（Ⅵ） with Fe（0） were investigated with spherical-aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy（Cs-STEM） integrated with X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy（XEDS）. Near-atomic resolution elemental mappings of Cr（Ⅵ）–Fe（0） reactions were acquired. Experimental results show that rate and extent of Cr（Ⅵ） encapsulation are strongly dependent on the initial concentration of Cr（Ⅵ） in solution. Low Cr loading in nZⅥ（〈1.0 wt%） promotes the electrochemical oxidation and continuous corrosion of n ZⅥ while high Cr loading（〉1.0 wt%） can quickly shut down the Cr uptake. With the progress of iron oxidation and dissolution, elements of Cr and O counter-diffuse into the nanoparticles and accumulate in the core region at low levels of Cr（Ⅵ）（e.g., 〈 10 mg/L）. Whereas the reacted n ZⅥ is quickly coated with a newly-formed layer of 2–4 nm in the presence of concentrated Cr（Ⅵ）（e.g., 〉 100 mg/L）. The passivation structure is stable over a wide range of pH unless pH is low enough to dissolve the passivation layer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS） depth profiling reconfirms that the composition of the newly-formed surface layer consists of Fe（Ⅲ）–Cr（Ⅲ）（oxy）hydroxides with Cr（Ⅵ） adsorbed on the outside surface. The insoluble and insulating Fe（Ⅲ）–Cr（Ⅲ）（oxy）hydroxide layer can completely cover the n ZⅥ surface above the critical Cr loading and shield the electron transfer. Thus, the fast passivation of nZⅥ in high Cr（Ⅵ） solution is detrimental to the performance of nZⅥ for Cr（Ⅵ） treatment and remediation.

Humic acid and metal ions accelerating the dechlorination of 4-chlorobiphenyl by nanoscale zero-valent iron

Transformation of polychlorinated biphenyls （PCBs） by zero-valent iron represents one of the latest innovative technologies for environmental remediation. The dechlorination of 4-chlorobiphenyl （4-C1BP） by nanoscale zero-valent iron （NZVI） in the presence of humic acid or metal ions was investigated. The results showed that the dechlorination of 4-C1BP by NZVI increased with decreased solution pH. When the initial pH value was 4.0, 5.5, 6.8, and 9.0, the de.chlorination efficiencies of 4-CIBP after 48 hr were 53.8%, 47.8%, 35.7%, and 35.6%, respectively. The presence of humic acid inhibited the reduction of 4-CIBP in the first 4 hi＇, and then significantly accelerated the dechlorination by reaching 86.3% in 48 hr. Divalent metal ions, Co2＋, Cu2＋, and Ni2＋, were reduced and formed bimetals with NZVI, thereby enhanced the dechlorination of 4-CIBP. The dechlorination percentages of 4-CIBP in the presence of 0.1 mmol/L Co2~, Cuz~ and Niz~ were 66.1%, 66.0% and 64.6% in 48 hr, and then increased to 67.9%, 71.3% and 73.5%, after 96 hr respectively. The dechlorination kinetics of 4-C1BP by the NZVI in all cases followed pseudo-first order model. The results provide a basis for better understanding of the dechlorination mechanisms of PCBs in real environment.

Stabilization of nanoscale zero-valent iron in water with mesoporous carbon(n ZVI@MC)

Two challenges persist in the applications of nanoscale zero-valent iron(nZVI) for environmental remediation and waste treatment: limited mobility due to rapid aggregation and short lifespan in water due to quick oxidation. Herein, we report the nZVI incorporated into mesoporous carbon(MC) to enhance stability in aqueous solution and mobility in porous media. Meanwhile, the reactivity of nZVI is preserved thanks to high temperature treatment and confinement of carbon framework. Small-sized(～16 nm) nZVI nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed in the whole carbon frameworks. Importantly, the nanoparticles are partially trapped across the carbon walls with a portion exposed to the mesopore channels. This unique structure not only is conductive to hold the nZVI tightly to avoid aggregation during mobility but also provides accessible active sites for reactivity. This new type of nanomaterial contains ～10 wt% of iron. The nZVI@MC possesses a high surface area(～ 500 m^2/g) and uniform mesopores(～ 4.2 nm) for efficient pollutant diffusion and reactions. Also, high porosity of nZVI@MC contributes to the stability and mobility of nZVI. Laboratory column experiments further demonstrate that nZVI@MC suspension(～4 g Fe/L) can pass through sand columns much more efficiently than bare nZVI while the high reactivity of nZVI@MC is confirmed from reactions with Ni(II). It exhibits remarkably better performance in nickel(20 mg/L) extraction than mesoporous carbon, with 88.0% and 33.0%uptake in 5 min, respectively.

Cation exchange resin supported nanoscale zero-valent iron for removal of phosphorus in rainwater runoff

Self-made cation exchange resin supported nanoscale zero-valent iron （R-nZVI） was used to remove phosphorus in rainwater runoff. 80% of phosphorus in rainwater runoff from grassland was removed with an initial concentration of 0.72 mg. L-1 phosphorus when the dosage of R-nZVl is 8 g per liter rainwater, while only 26% of phosphorus was removed when using cation exchange resin without supported nanoscale zero-valent iron under the same condition. The adsorption capacity of R-nZVI increased up to 185 times of that of the cation exchange resin at a saturated equilibrium phosphorous concentration of 0.42 mg. L-1. Various techniques were implemented to characterize the R-nZVI and explore the mechanism of its removal of phosphate. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） indicated that new crystal had been formed on the surface of R-nZVI. The result from inductive coupled plasma （ICP） indicated that 2.1% of nZVI was loaded on the support material. The specific surface area was increased after the load of nanoscale zero-valent iron （nZVI）, according to the measurement of BET-N2 method. The result of specific surface area analysis also proved that phosphorus was removed mainly through chemical adsorption process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） analysis showed that the new product obtained from chemical reaction between phosphate and iron was ferrous phosphate.

Interaction between Cu^(2+) and different types of surface-modified nanoscale zero-valent iron during their transport in porous media

This study investigated the interaction between Cu^2＋and nano zero-valent iron（NZVI）coated with three types of stabilizers（i.e., polyacrylic acid [PAA], Tween-20 and starch） by examining the Cu^2＋ uptake, colloidal stability and mobility of surface-modified NZVI（SM-NZVI） in the presence of Cu^2＋. The uptake of Cu^2＋ by SM-NZVI and the colloidal stability of the Cu-bearing SM-NZVI were examined in batch tests. The results showed that NZVI coated with different modifiers exhibited different affinities for Cu^2＋, which resulted in varying colloidal stability of different SM-NZVI in the presence of Cu^2＋. The presence of Cu^2＋ exerted a slight influence on the aggregation and settling of NZVI modified with PAA or Tween-20. However, the presence of Cu^2＋caused significant aggregation and sedimentation of starch-modified NZVI, which is due to Cu^2＋complexation with the starch molecules coated on the surface of the particles. Column experiments were conducted to investigate the co-transport of Cu^2＋ in association with SM-NZVI in water-saturated quartz sand. It was presumed that a physical straining mechanism accounted for the retention of Cu-bearing SM-NZVI in the porous media. Moreover, the enhanced aggregation of SM-NZVI in the presence of Cu^2＋ may be contributing to this straining effect.

Debromination of decabromodiphenyl ether by organo-montmorillonitesupported nanoscale zero-valent iron: Preparation, characterization and influence factors

An organo-montmorillonite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron material （M-NZVI） was synthesized to degrade decabromodiphenyl ether （BDE-209）. The results showed that nanoscale zero-valent iron had good dispersion on organo-montmoriUonite and was present as a core-shell structure with a particle size range of nanoscale iron between 30-90 nm, characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XRF, ICP-AES, and XPS. The results of the degradation of BDE-209 by M-NZVI showed that the efficiency of M-NZVI in removing BDE-209 was much higher than that of NZVI. The efficiency of M-NZVI in removing BDE-209 decreased as the pH and the initial dissolved oxygen content of the reaction solution increased, but increased as the proportion of water in the reaction solution increased.

nZVI/PANI/ATP纳米纤维复合材料制备及对Cr(VI)的去除性能

采用原位聚合法合成了硝酸掺杂的纳米零价铁/聚苯胺/凹凸棒黏土(nZVI/PANI/ATP)纳米纤维复合材料,用于去除废水中的Cr(VI)。考察了投料质量、吸附时间和p H值对其吸附性能的影响,对吸附过程进行了动力学和热力学分析。结果表明,PANI/ATP表面负载纳米零价铁(nZVI),解决了nZVI颗粒的团聚及在处理Cr(Ⅵ)时容易被腐蚀和钝化的问题。复合材料制备过程中Fe、An和ATP的质量比为0.74∶1∶4时,所制备的材料吸附容量达到87.95 mg/g,nZVI/PANI/ATP复合材料对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附符合准二级动力学模型,吸附为化学吸附。

负载型纳米零价铁(nZVI)强化垂直流人工湿地反硝化作用研究

通过在垂直流人工湿地缺氧反硝化区添加负载型纳米零价铁(n ZVI),分析不同负载型n ZVI投加量对反硝化的影响,研究不同进水C/N条件下负载型nZVI参与反硝化的效果。结果表明:投加负载型nZVI 4 g的人工湿地装置对硝氮去除效果最佳,当C/N为6、HRT=1 d、进水NO_3^--N为50 mg·L^(-1)时,其NO_3^--N去除率比未添加负载型n ZVI的人工湿地装置提高15%;随负载型n ZVI投加量的增加,人工湿地装置出水pH值和NH_4^+-N、NO_2^--N的浓度增加;在进水C/N为0、2、4、6的人工湿地装置中,其对NO_3^--N的去除率随C/N升高而升高;统计分析表明,进水C/N与负载型n ZVI投加量对人工湿地反硝化都具有显著影响,且两者具有协同作用,碳源的存在可以促进负载型nZVI参与人工湿地反硝化。

nZVI强化活性污泥对偶氮染料脱色及对微生物产物的影响

为研究纳米零价铁(nano-scale zero-valent iron,nZVI)对活性污泥强化偶氮染料脱色及对活性污泥微生物产物的影响,采用间歇试验考察投加nZVI对厌氧/好氧处理偶氮染料活性艳红K-2BP的活性污泥系统中,污染物去除效果及微生物胞外聚合物(EPS)和溶解性微生物产物(SMP)的影响。结果表明,在投加nZVI的活性污泥系统中(R2),活性艳红K-2BP在12h内的脱色率达到97%,远高于未投加的活性污泥系统(28%)(R1)。nZVI的投加降低了R2厌氧段化学需氧量(COD)的降解速率,而在好氧段COD降解速率几乎不受影响。nZVI腐蚀生成的Fe2+降低了R2中EPS的提取量,同时nZVI投加和K-2BP降解中间产物刺激了SMP的产生,R2中厌氧末和好氧末SMP含量分别是R1的1.2和1.5倍。

nZVI和PMS对臭氧去除渗滤液MBR出水的影响研究

研究了纳米零价铁(nZVI)和过一硫酸盐(PMS)对臭氧(O3)去除垃圾渗滤液MBR出水污染物效果的影响,设置O3、O3+nZVI、O3+PMS、O3+nZVI+PMS等实验组并分析了其对MBR出水中污染物的去除情况.结果表明:不同处理条件下COD去除率高低依次为O3+nZVI+PMS体系>O3+PMS体系>O3+nZVI体系>O3体系,在O3投加量为10 g/h时,TOC的去除率仅为13.31%;当体系中分别添加nZVI、PMS以及同时添加nZVI和PMS时,TOC去除率提高至19.00%、27.08%和30.30%,色度去除率为72.34%、81.04%、92.34%和96.77%.实验结果还表明,O3+nZVI+PMS体系对MBR出水中有机污染物有较好的去除效果.