Abstract
A novel nanocomposite based on magnetic multiwalled carbon nanotubes coated with SiO2 and functionalized with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-MPTMS) was prepared for the efficient extraction and quantification of lead ions from water samples. The adsorption capacity of this adsorbent could reach 1.995 mg g-1 Pb2+ in an equilibrium time of 30 min. Under optimized conditions derived using the 25-1 fractional factorial design, a 45 mL aliquot of the sample was preconcentrated onto 90 mg of nanocomposite during 4 min. The lead ions adsorbed on the nanocomposite were eluted using 2 mol L-1 HNO3. The proposed method provided a preconcentration factor of 15.25 times, yielding limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 0.56 and 1.86 µg L-1, respectively, and a linear range between 1.86 and 100.00 µg L-1. The relative standard deviations (RSD, n = 10), determined using solutions of Pb2+ at 10 and 120 µg L-1, were 2.3 and 2.1%, respectively. A high tolerance toward potentially foreign ions was observed. The proposed method was successfully applied to the rapid extraction of Pb2+ ions from different water samples, confirming good recovery values (90.33-109.53%); the accuracy of the method was evaluated through graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS) as a reference technique.
Highlights
Lead is among the three most toxic metals in the world
The results revealed that there is no significant effect on the adsorption efficiency of Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions even in the presence of large amounts of interference species commonly present in water
The nanocomposite was separated from the solution by using an external magnetic field and the Pb2+ ions adsorbed onto the magnetic multiwalled carbon nanotube (m-MWCNT)@Si-SH nanoparticles were eluted using 2.0 mL of 1.0 mol L-1 HNO3 under vortex stirring for 1 min and measured by FAAS
Summary
Lead is among the three most toxic metals in the world. The introduction of potentially toxic elements into the environment occurs through natural and anthropogenic sources, and is extremely dangerous, as the metals are not metabolized by the body and accumulate in various tissues of the human body, causing physiological, blood, and brain disorders, besides damage to the bones, kidneys, liver, and immune system.[1,2,3,4] Lead is typically present in products widely used in our daily life, such as batteries, cosmetics, gasoline, and electroplating products.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have