Abstract
Heavy metal poisoning is a rare health condition caused by the accumulation of toxic metal ions in the soft tissues of the human body that can be life threatening if left untreated. In the case of severe intoxications, hemodialysis is the most effective method for a rapid clearance of the metal ions from the bloodstream, therefore, the development of hemodialysis membranes with superior metal ions retention ability is of great research interest. In the present study, synthetic polysulfone membranes were modified with reduced graphene oxide functionalized with crown ether, an organic compound with high metal ions complexation capacity. The physico-chemical characteristics of the composite membranes were determined by FT-IR, Raman, XPS and SEM analysis while their efficiency in retaining metal ions was evaluated via ICP-MS analysis. The obtained results showed that the thermal stability of reduced graphene oxide was improved after functionalization with crown ether and that the presence of the carbonaceous filler influenced the membranes morphology in terms of pore dimensions and membrane thickness. Moreover, the ability of Cu2+ ions retention from synthetic feed solution was up to three times higher in the case of the composite membranes compared to the neat ones.
Highlights
Heavy metals are defined as naturally occurring elements, with a relatively high density compared to water, comprising essential (e.g., Cu, Fe, Ni, Zn) and non-essential metals (e.g., Cd, Hg, Pb, As)
(0.1 mg/mL) and creatinine (0.1 mg/mL) synthetic solutions were used for the clearance of these two uremic toxins evaluation (Figure 11)
The rejection for urea increased from 27% for neat polysulfone membrane to 39% for composite polysulfone membrane, while the rejection of creatinine increased from 22% for neat polysulfone membrane to 31% for composite polysulfone membrane, after 4 h of dialysis
Summary
Heavy metals are defined as naturally occurring elements, with a relatively high density compared to water, comprising essential (e.g., Cu, Fe, Ni, Zn) and non-essential metals (e.g., Cd, Hg, Pb, As). They are considered trace elements because they are present in very low concentrations (less than 10 ppm) in the environment and in living organisms [1,2]. Throughout time, heavy metals found applications in industry, agriculture, medicine and technology, this severely altering their geochemical cycles and biochemical balance. These human-related activities, combined with their bio-accumulative potential, lead to raising concerns regarding their potential adverse effects on human health [3]. There are various methods for the removal of heavy metals from the human body, if the renal system is severely affected, hemodialysis is the most recommended one [1]
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