Mercury (II) removal from aqueous solutions by iron nanoparticles synthesized from extract of Eucalyptus grandis

Abstract

Artisanal mining is the main source of mercury emissions in South America, which generates a serious environmental impact due to this toxic metal, recent research is directed to minimize the impact, therefore this study focuses on the green synthesis of nanoparticles for the absorption of mercury in water. For the synthesis of iron nanoparticles, an extract of Eucalyptus grandis was used with iron chloride salts using water as solvent. The synthesized nanoparticles showed a specific surface area of 131.90 m2/g, determined by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm (BET). Nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (MET). The behavior of nanoparticles synthesized during Hg (II) retention was evaluated measuring pH, temperature, nanoparticle dosing, presence of other ions and comparing with other adsorbents. All analyses measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy by the cold vapor technique (CVAAS), presenting a retention percentage for Hg (II) between 75.05 and 79.59% with pH between 4 and 7. The adsorption isothermal was adjusted to the Freundlich model and the percentage of retention of Hg by the synthesized nanoparticle was 79.26%. This work shows a method for obtaining an environmentally friendly mercury adsorbent from iron and E. grandis with a mercury retention capacity comparable to commercial adsorbents.