Integrated efficiency of using nanocellulose-nano zero valent iron composite in water treatment

Abstract

Water treatment using nano-materials can have a significant impact due to its surface properties. Coagulation techniques were studied by using 3 mL/L of 0.5% of different coagulants (polyacrylamide, poly aluminum chloride (PAC), ferric chloride, aluminum sulfate, and nanocellulose). Results indicated that the turbidity removal efficiency were 91.6%, 93.04%, 95.2%, 95.4%, and 99.4%, respectively. Treatment of water samples collected from the Ismailia Canal, the Damietta branch of the Nile Delta, and a wastewater treatment plant located in Cairo (Egypt) using nanocellulose fibers was studied. For the Ismailia Canal sample, the removal of turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and phosphorous were 96%, 83.3%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. For the Damietta branch sample, the removal of turbidity, COD, BOD, and phosphorous were 87.5%, 81.3%, 88.9%, and 99.1%, respectively. For the wastewater treatment plant sample, the removal of turbidity, COD, BOD, and phosphorous were 86.4%, 91.96%, 92.86%, and 91.74%, respectively. Nanocellulose-nano zero-valent iron composite (NC-nZVI) was investigated for phosphorous removal at different operating conditions. Results showed phosphorous removal efficiencies of 91 and 100% for initial phosphate concentrations of 10 and 1 mg PO43– P/L, respectively. Different isothermal analyses were performed for monolayer and multilayer adsorption processes.