Abstract
In this study, we have taken the concept of water treatment by functionalized magnetic particles one step forward by integrating the technology into a complete proof of concept, which included the preparation of surface modified beads, their use as highly selective absorbents for heavy metals ions (Zinc, Nickel), and their performance in terms of magnetic separation. The separation characteristics were studied both through experiments and by simulations. The data gathered from these experimental works enabled the elaboration of various scenarios for Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). The LCA showed that the environmental impact of the system is highly dependent on the recovery rate of the magnetic particles. The absolute impact on climate change varied significantly among the scenarios studied and the recovery rates. The results support the hypothesis that chelation specificity, magnetic separation and bead recovery should be optimized to specific targets and applications.
Highlights
The global water management situation is alarming and requires urgent and innovative technologies to ensure a proper treatment of raw, process and sewage waters
Water scarcity is predicted to occur globally, even in regions currently considered waterrich. Addressing these problems has triggered a tremendous amount of research to identify robust methods of purifying water at lower cost and with less energy, while at the same time minimizing the total impact on the environment
The project successfully developed a concept showing how functionalized magnetic particles could be utilized for the treatment of water that is contaminated by heavy metals in an industrial setting
Summary
The global water management situation is alarming and requires urgent and innovative technologies to ensure a proper treatment of raw, process and sewage waters. Water scarcity is predicted to occur globally, even in regions currently considered waterrich. Addressing these problems has triggered a tremendous amount of research to identify robust methods of purifying water at lower cost and with less energy, while at the same time minimizing the total impact on the environment. A growing number of contaminants are entering water supplies as a result of human activity. This includes traditional compounds such as heavy metals and emerging micropollutants such as pharmaceutical residues and endocrine disruptors. To protect human health and the environment, regulations often require removing heavy metals from various industrial wastewaters before discharging to the environment
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