Abstract
The main objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of Montmorillonite nanoclay (Mt), readily and inexpensively available, for the simultaneous adsorption (and removal) of two classes of pollutants: metal ions and dyes. The attention was focused on two “model” pollutants: Ce(III) and crystal violet (CV). The choice is due to the fact that they are widespread in wastewaters of various origins. These characteristics, together with their effect on human health, make them ideal for studies on water remediation. Moreover, when separated from wastewater, they can be recycled individually in industrial production with no or simple treatment. Clay/pollutant hybrids were prepared under different pH conditions and characterized through the construction of the adsorption isotherms and powder X-ray diffraction. The adsorption behavior of the two contaminants was revealed to be significantly different: the Langmuir model reproduces the adsorption isotherm of Ce(III) better, thus indicating that the clay offers a unique adsorption site to the metal ions, while the Freundlich model proved to be the most reliable for the uptake of CV which implies heterogeneity of adsorption sites. Moreover, metal ions do not adsorb at all under acidic conditions, whereas the dye is able to adsorb under all the investigated conditions. The possibility to modulate the adsorption features by simply changing the pH conditions was successfully employed to develop an efficient protocol for the removal and separation of the different components from aqueous solutions mimicking wastewaters.
Highlights
The disposal of wastewaters from various origins represents a serious environmental issue due to the simultaneous presence of different types of pollutants [1–4]
The main objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of Montmorillonite nanoclay (Mt), readily and inexpensively available, for the simultaneous adsorption of two classes of pollutants: metal ions and dyes
Since clay surface is negatively charged at all pH values [78], Mt surface is ideal for the uptake of cations
Summary
The disposal of wastewaters from various origins represents a serious environmental issue due to the simultaneous presence of different types of pollutants [1–4]. Dyes and metals are widely used and often jointly released in large quantities from industrial activities such as dye manufacturing, the textile and leather tannery industries, pulp and paper processing, battery production [5–11]. Owing to their toxic potential and their recalcitrant capacity, discharge of metal ions and dyes effluents can cause potential hazards to environment and human health [12–24]. Adsorption was revealed as one of the most effective methods due to its simple operation, versatility, high-treatment efficiency and low cost, and it is widely applied for the treatment of wastewaters [37–48]. There has been growing interest in clay minerals which are green, inexpensive and effective adsorption substrates [5,59–65]
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