Removal Of Contaminants In Water Research Articles

Polypyrrole-based copper oxide-nickel oxide nanocomposites in wastewater treatment, bacterial control and agricultural usage

Polymer matrix nanocomposites are in high demand and have attracted great interest in the expansion of new functional materials owing to their potential in environmental remediation applications. In this context, Polypyrrole-Based Copper oxide-Nickel oxide Nanocomposite (PPCN) was successfully fabricated by combining chemical co-precipitation and in-situ polymerization methods. The chemical co-precipitation technique was used to synthesize Copper oxide-Nickel oxide Nanocomposite using citric acid as a capping agent and in-situ polymerization method was applied to produce Polypyrrole (PPY). The photocatalytic process is a green technology that is developing as a viable option, for removing a variety of toxic pollutants, and antibacterial activity in surface water irrigation is beneficial for the protection of the edible crops from the microbial and dye pollutants in wastewater. The synthesized PPCN is investigated for its photocatalytic properties and for antibacterial activities and is safe for the environment making them a promising material for wide-ranging applications including wastewater treatment, bacterial control, and agricultural purposes. The photocatalytic behavior of the PPCN was studied for the removal of dyes under UV irradiation and showed that these polymer-based nanocomposites could remove and destroy the dye contaminants in high worth. Moreover, the PPCN acts as an excellent catalyst and observed a remarkable dye degradation efficiency of 86% in Alizarin Red (AR) and 80% in Toluidine Blue (TB) dyes within 5hrs. The results show that the PPCN could be used as a well-performing catalyst for water contamination removal. In addition, the antibacterial results indicate that the maximum antibacterial action is against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Bacillus cereus (B. cereus), and Escherichia coli (E. coli).

An Ionic-Liquid-Imprinted Nanocomposite Adsorbent: Simulation, Kinetics and Thermodynamic Studies of Triclosan Endocrine Disturbing Water Contaminant Removal.

The presence of triclosan in water is toxic to human beings, hazardous to the environment and creates side effects and problems because this is an endocrine-disturbing water pollutant. Therefore, there is a great need for the separation of this notorious water pollutant at an effective, economic and eco-friendly level. The interface sorption was achieved on synthesized ionic liquid-based nanocomposites. An N-methyl butyl imidazolium bromide ionic liquid copper oxide nanocomposite was prepared using green methods and characterized by using proper spectroscopic methods. The nanocomposite was used to remove triclosan in water with the best conditions of time 30 min, concentration 100 µg/L, pH 8.0, dose 1.0 g/L and temperature 25 °C, with 90.2 µg/g removal capacity. The results obeyed Langmuir, Temkin and D-Rs isotherms with a first-order kinetic and liquid-film-diffusion kinetic model. The positive entropy value was 0.47 kJ/mol K, while the negative value of enthalpy was −0.11 kJ/mol. The negative values of free energy were −53.18, −74.17 and −76.14 kJ/mol at 20, 25 and 30 °C. These values confirmed exothermic and spontaneous sorption of triclosan. The combined effects of 3D parameters were also discussed. The supramolecular model was developed by simulation and chemical studies and suggested electrovalent bonding between triclosan and N-methyl butyl imidazolium bromide ionic liquid. Finally, this method is assumed as valuable for the elimination of triclosan in water.

Rapid and Efficient Removal of Diverse Anionic Water Contaminants Using a Guanidium-Based Ionic Covalent Organic Network (iCON)

Rapid and Efficient Removal of Diverse Anionic Water Contaminants Using a Guanidium-Based Ionic Covalent Organic Network (iCON)

Three staged integrated community-based water filter system for potable water by effective removal of contaminants from ground water

Potable water scarcity is a dire problem faced worldwide due to contaminated ground water. Microbial contaminants, heavy metals chromium (Cr) and metalloid such as arsenic (As) are some of the major pollutants of ground water and pose serious health hazards. The present work is focused to design a multifunctional three compartment integrated water filtration system for community use and its validation at both lab and pilot scale. The top compartment is mainly for removal of flocculating contamination with improvement of taste and odor of drinking water. The second compartment consists of functionalized sand layers for removal of metal and microbial contaminants and the third compartment comprises of nanoparticle embedded ceramic candles to further eliminate any remaining contaminants. The developed integrated water filter containing various types of materials were characterized through flow rate, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) before and after filtration. Moreover, the analysis of various physiological parameters such as pH, turbidity, total dissolved solids and hardness pre and post filtration elucidated stable and improved results. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis of baked ceramic candle showed substantial increased porosity of ~83.11 ± 2.17 % in comparison to unbaked candle (26.09 ± 1.33 %). The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis demonstrated significant reduction of As and Cr levels before and after filtration, which was further confirmed by EDS mapping. Microbial testing showed hierarchal decrease in microbial load after each stage at lab scale. This low-cost, multistage, gravity-based filtration system proved effective in removal of heavy metal and microbial contaminants in water and provides the potable filtrate for daily use. Thus, the integrated system with simple design without requiring major infrastructure and promising results may lead to its potential real-time application for supplying potable water to large populations, particularly in rural populations who cannot afford sophisticated water purification system.

Metagenomic survey of agricultural water using long read sequencing: Considerations for a successful analysis

Leafy greens are responsible for nearly half of the produce-related Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) outbreaks in the United States and recent investigations have implicated agricultural water as a potential source. Current FDA detection protocols require extensive analysis time. We aimed to use Oxford Nanopore rapid sequencing kits for an in-field determination of agricultural water microbiome and possible detection and characterization of STECs strain(s) in these samples. We tested the performance of the nanopore rapid sequencing kit (RAD004) for fast microbiome determination using the well characterized ZymoBIOMICS mock microbial community and the number of reads for each identified species was present in the expected proportion. Rapid sequencing kit (LRK001 and RAD004) library preparation of DNA extracted from agricultural water resulted in poor nanopore sequencing reactions, with low output (0.3–1.7 M reads), a high proportion of failed reads (50–60%), and highly sheared DNA before and after a magnetic bead clean up. To improve performance, we prepared a DNA library with the ligation kit (LSK109), which includes multiple cleaning steps, reducing inherent inhibitors and producing a better outcome (2.2 M reads, 15% failed reads). No definitive presence of STEC could be confirmed in any of the sites. Approximately 100 reads from each site (0.02% of total reads) were identified as Escherichia coli, but the specific strain or their virulence genes could not be detected. Sites 9, 10, and 12 were found to be positive for STEC presence by microbiological techniques after enrichment. The rapid sequencing kits can be appropriate for genus or species level microbial identification, but we recommend the use of the ligation kit for increased sequencing depth and removal of contaminants in agricultural water. However, we were not able to identify any STEC strains in these nanopore microbiome samples, due to low initial concentrations. The results from this pilot study provide preliminary evidence that MinION sequencing of agricultural water using the ligation kit has the potential to be used for rapid microbiome determination in the field with optimal results for water quality surveillance.

Recent Advances in Adsorptive Nanocomposite Membranes for Heavy Metals Ion Removal from Contaminated Water: A Comprehensive Review.

Water contamination is one of the most urgent concerns confronting the world today. Heavy metal poisoning of aquatic systems has piqued the interest of various researchers due to the high toxicity and carcinogenic consequences it has on living organisms. Due to their exceptional attributes such as strong reactivity, huge surface area, and outstanding mechanical properties, nanomaterials are being produced and employed in water treatment. In this review, recent advances in the use of nanomaterials in nanoadsorptive membrane systems for wastewater treatment and heavy metal removal are extensively discussed. These materials include carbon-based nanostructures, metal nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, nanocomposites, and layered double hydroxide-based compounds. Furthermore, the relevant properties of the nanostructures and the implications on their performance for water treatment and contamination removal are highlighted. The hydrophilicity, pore size, skin thickness, porosity, and surface roughness of these nanostructures can help the water permeability of the nanoadsorptive membrane. Other properties such as surface charge modification and mechanical strength can improve the metal adsorption effectiveness of nanoadsorptive membranes during wastewater treatment. Various nanocomposite membrane fabrication techniques are also reviewed. This study is important because it gives important information on the roles of nanomaterials and nanostructures in heavy metal removal and wastewater treatment.

Development of Adsorptive Membranes for Selective Removal of Contaminants in Water.

The presence of arsenic and ammonia in ground and surface waters has resulted in severe adverse effects to human health and the environment. Removal technologies for these contaminants include adsorption and membrane processes. However, materials with high selectivity and pressure stability still need to be developed. In this work, adsorbents and adsorptive membranes were prepared using nanostructured graphitic carbon nitride decorated with molecularly imprinted acrylate polymers templated for arsenate and ammonia. The developed adsorbent removed arsenate at a capacity and selectivity similar to commercial ion-exchange resins. Ammonia was removed at higher capacity than commercial ion exchange resins, but the adsorbent showed lower selectivity. Additionally, the prepared membranes removed more arsenate and ammonia than non-imprinted controls, even in competition with abundant ions in water. Further optimization is required to improve pressure stability and selectivity.

Vanadium trioxide mediated peroxymonosulfate for fast metronidazole oxidation: Stepwise oxidation of vanadium for donating electrons

In this study, vanadium trioxide (V2O3) was adopted to activate PMS via a Fenton-like reaction to degrade metronidazole (MNZ). The V2O3-PMS system can almost completely degrade MNZ at 30 min with 42.4% TOC removal. Comparative tests reveal that V2O3 stands out among a variety of heterogeneous catalysts, including metallic oxides and carbon materials. Sulfate radicals (SO4•−) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) derived from PMS decomposition are major reactive oxygen species, based on quenching tests, electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis, the steady-state concentrations of radicals ([SO4•−]ss = 5.1 × 10-13 M and [•OH]ss = 4.0 × 10-14 M), and kinetics model. The process of stepwise electron transfer from vanadium species to PMS to produce reactive radicals was proved by small-molecule simulation experiments and pickling experiments of vanadium oxides. Possible pathways of MNZ degradation were proposed based on the results of LC-MS and Fukui function, including two stages of the hydroxylation and bond cleavage of nitro and the subsequent ring-opening. This study reveals the high reusability and practicability of the V2O3-PMS system over a relatively wide pH range, which puts forward a new vision on V2O3 induced Fenton-like reactions and a new reference method for the removal of medical organic contaminants in water.

Chitosan-modified geopolymer sub-microparticles reinforced multifunctional membrane for enhanced removal of multiple contaminants in water

Nanoparticle-reinforced membranes have received widespread interest in water purification; however, their application is limited due to high cost, harsh conditions, and strong tendency of nanoparticles agglomeration and leaching. Herein, a multifunctional membrane was newly created by filling the pores of a glass fiber microfiltration membrane (GF) with chitosan-modified geopolymer sub-microparticles (CS-GMs) and crosslinking with polydopamine. Characterizations revealed that the introduction of CS-GMs was successful in regulating the porous structure of the membrane and suppressing membrane thickness growth and particle agglomeration. With an optimal dose of CS-GMs (0.45 g), the screening pore size of the membrane was regulated to 58 nm, thus showing a high rejection rate for microplastics (89.37%). In addition, the membrane was super-hydrophilic/underwater super-oleophobic and superior to the documented nanoparticle-reinforced membranes in decontaminating different oil-in-water emulsions (>99.5%) and co-existing pollutants (n-hexadecane: 99.62%, crystal violet: 94.51%, and lead ions: 99.62%) due to the effects of sieving and adsorption. Moreover, it possessed good reusability, rational environmental tolerance, long-term operational stability and point-of-use functions. Overall, this study paves the way for the feasible creation of low-cost, eco-friendly, and multifunctional sub-microparticle-reinforced membranes for the effective elimination of multiple contaminants in wastewater.

Enhanced photo-Fenton degradation of fluoroquinolones in water assisted by a 3D composite sponge complexed with a S-scheme MoS2/Bi2S3/BiVO4 ternary photocatalyst

A constructed MoS2/Bi2S3/BiVO4 ternary photocatalyst(MBB) mainly with a S-scheme heterostructure was loaded on a 3D lignosulfonate modified poly(vinyl formal) sponge to obtain a novel composite sponge(PLS-MBB) with an enhanced performance in synergistic adsorption and photo-Fenton degradation of various fluoroquinolones(FQs) in water. The synergistic adsorption and photocatalysis of PLS-MBB notably improved the applicable pH from 2.0 to 9.0 and reduced the dosage of Fe2+ to 0.014 mmol/L in Fenton reaction, which could achieve the degradation efficiency of 92.8 % for FQs within 60.0 min at pH 6.0. The photo-generated electrons by MBB and the redox transformation of Mo(IV)/Mo(VI) and Bi(III)/Bi(V) accelerated the conversion of Fe3+ to Fe2+; besides, the efficient adsorption of FQs on the sponge carrier promoted the surface degradation in solution, thereby causing an enhanced photo-Fenton reaction. This work provided a novel strategy to improve photo-Fenton reaction and accordingly fabricated a talented material for effective removal of organic contaminants in water.

Few-layered Bi4O5I2 nanosheets enclosed by {1 0−1} facets with oxygen vacancies for highly-efficient removal of water contaminants

Few-layered Bi4O5I2 nanosheets (FL-Bi4O5I2) were synthesized by intergrowth with Bi2O2CO3 under room temperature. The photoactivity of FL-Bi4O5I2 was 2.5 and 9.5 times higher than that of Bi4O5I2 nanoflakes (NF-Bi4O5I2, about 30 nm thickness) and standard visible-light-driven N-TiO2, respectively. Moreover, FL-Bi4O5I2 exhibited a wide pH application range (3.0 – 10.0) and excellent photostability. The characterization results showed FL-Bi4O5I2 was consisted of 5 – 8 layers with thickness of 4 – 7 nm and enclosed by {1 0 − 1} facets. The ultrathin characteristics could accelerate the charge transfer to the surface due to the shortened transport distance. Compared to NF-Bi4O5I2, surface oxygen vacancies and the more negative CB potential were formed on FL-Bi4O5I2. The photogenerated electrons were confirmed to be captured by surface oxygen vacancies to effectively reduce surface adsorbed O2 into HO2•/O2•–, leaving more h+ to oxidize organic pollutants. This process was further facilitated by the more negative CB potential of FL-Bi4O5I2, resulting in the highly efficient removal of pollutants.

Promise of nonthermal plasmas in addressing emerging environmental and health problems: Present and future

Nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasmas transform input electrical energy efficiently into reactive species, charged particles, and photons. This “activated gas” is being investigated as solutions for a range of environmental and health problems facing society today. In this Perspective, we take a cursory look at a few of these societal problems and the reflected role that plasmas may play in charting the pathway to a solution buoyed by supporting research. Here, we survey the plasma-based opportunities in the removal of trace contaminants in water supporting methodologies such as water reuse, which addresses scarcity and pollution, the opportunity posed by plasmas-based chemical depolymerization for plastics recycling, and the application of plasmas for food security, which includes sterilization of foodstuffs and the improvement of crop yield. Finally, we also included a short review on how plasmas may help control disease spread. In each case, the scope of the problem is presented along with the potential plasma-based solution.

Novel data-driven energy management of a hybrid photovoltaic-reverse osmosis desalination system using deep reinforcement learning

This paper proposes a novel deep reinforcement learning-accelerated energy management system for a hybrid grid-connected photovoltaic-reverse osmosis-pressure retarded osmosis desalination plant. The energy management problem is formulated as a partially observable Markov decision process by using historical photovoltaic (PV) power data in order to cope with uncertainties related to the generation of solar power and provide more information regarding the true state of the system. The soft actor-critic (SAC) algorithm is employed as the core of the energy management system to maximize water production rate and contaminant removal efficiency while minimizing the supplied power from the external grid. We introduce 1-dimensional convolutional neural networks (1-D CNNs) to the actor, critic, and value function networks of the SAC algorithm to address the partial observability dilemma involved in PV-powered energy systems, extract essential features from the PV power time series, and achieve immensely improved performance ultimately. Furthermore, it is assumed that the proposed CNN-SAC algorithm does not have access to the current output power data of the PV system. The development of more practical energy management systems necessitates this assumption, and we demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of forecasting the current PV power data. The superiority of the CNN-SAC model is verified by comparing its learning performance and simulation results with those of four state-of-the-art deep reinforcement learning algorithms: Deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG), proximal policy optimization (PPO), twin delayed DDPG (TD3), and vanilla SAC. The results show that the CNN-SAC model outperforms the benchmark methods in terms of effective solar energy exploitation and power scheduling, manifesting the necessity of exploiting historical PV power data and 1-D CNNs. Moreover, the CNN-SAC algorithm is benchmarked against a powerful energy management system we developed in our previous investigation by studying three scenarios, and it is demonstrated that considerable improvement in energy efficiency can be obtained without using any solar power generation forecasting algorithm. By conducting ablation studies, the critical contribution of the introduced 1-D CNN is demonstrated, and we highlight the significance of providing historical PV power data for substantial performance enhancement. The average and standard deviation of evaluation scores obtained during the last stages of training reveal that the 1-D CNN significantly improves the final performance and stability of the SAC algorithm. These results demonstrate that the modifications we detail in our investigation render deep reinforcement learning algorithms extremely powerful for the energy management of PV-powered microgrids, including PV-driven reverse osmosis desalination plants.

Constructing benzene ring modified graphitic carbon nitride with narrowed bandgap and enhanced molecular oxygen activation for efficient photocatalytic degradation of oxytetracycline

Popular graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalyst always faces the problems of weak visible light absorption and fast recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Herein, a novel benzene ring modified g-C3N4 nanosheet (BCNNS) was synthesized by a simple calcination method. The degradation rate of oxytetracycline by BCNNS under visible light can reach 72% (within 60 min), significantly higher than that of the unmodified g-C3N4 nanosheet (50%). And the degradation rate constant of BCNNS is 0.025 min−1, which is 2.1 times higher than that of g-C3N4 (0.012 min−1). The improvement in the photocatalytic degradation performance can be attributed to the introduction of benzene ring, which can significantly broaden the light absorption range and intensify. In addition, the introduction of benzene ring can adjust the original electronic structure, thereby effectively suppressing the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the introduction of benzene ring can significantly promote the surface adsorption of molecular oxygen and promote the transfer of electrons to molecular oxygen. This demonstrates that the embedded benzene ring can effectually advance the activation of molecular oxygen, which also well confirms that O2− and 1O2 are the main active species in the system of BCNNS photocatalytic degradation of oxytetracycline. This study reveals that benzene ring modified g-C3N4 has great potential in environmental purification, and provides a promising strategy for the removal of stubborn water contaminants.

TiO2–SnO2 Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Environmental Remediation under UV-Light

The photocatalytic removal of water contaminants for ecological systems has become essential in the past few decades. Consequently, for commercialization, cost-efficient, earth-abundant and easy to synthesize photocatalysts for dye degradation are of urgent need. We have demonstrated a simple and feasible approach for fabricating TiO2–SnO2 nanocomposite photocatalysts via urea-assisted-thermal-decomposition with different mass ratios. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by different physicochemical techniques. The phase formation and crystallite size were calculated by using XRD. The STEM, UV-Vis, DRS, HR-TEM and EDS revealed the effective formation of the heterojunction between TiO2 and SnO2, and enrichment in the UV-absorption spectrum. All synthesized materials were used for the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) under UV light. The optimized results of the TiO2–SnO2 nanocomposite showed excellent photostability and photocatalytic activity over a number of degradation-reaction cycles of methyl-orange (MO) dye under the illumination of ultraviolet light. In addition, the recent method has great potential to be applied as a proficient method for mixed-metal-oxide-nanocomposite synthesis.

Electrospun Cellulose-Acetate/Chitosan Fibers for Humic-Acid Removal: Improved Efficiency and Robustness with a Core-Sheath Design.

Recycling biomass waste into functional materials has attracted much attention, and a rational structural design can make more effective use of each component. In our previous work, the fabrication of electrospun cellulose-acetate (CA)/chitosan (CS) adsorbents for humic-acid (HA) removal guided by the intermolecular interaction mechanism was demonstrated. Herein, a core-sheath structure was designed via one-step co-axial electrospinning, where a mixture of CS and CA was employed as the sheath layer to efficiently adsorb HA, and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) derived from waste cotton fabrics were incorporated into the CA core as load-bearing components. Compared to the non-layered electrospun CS/CA fibers, all the CS/CA–CNC fibers with a core-sheath structure exhibited smaller diameters, greater homogeneity, and significantly improved mechanical strength. Meanwhile, their maximum adsorption capacities towards HA had no significant differences. Even after the complete hydrolysis of CA into cellulose, the electrospun fibers maintained the fibrous structures and showed a higher tensile strength while exhibiting an acceptable adsorption capacity towards HA. Therefore, this work demonstrates the importance of rational design in the efficient preparation of functional materials and the feasibility of using electrospun core-sheath fibers derived from biomass wastes for the removal of water contaminants.

ROLE OF POLYMERIC MEMBRANE FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Hazardous water contamination is a rising concern for the provision of usable and drinkable water to the world. Innovative, economic, and renewable technologies are the need of the hour for wastewater treatment. Several technologies have been reported to encourage wastewater treatment, such as ion exchange, co-precipitation, adsorption, membrane separation, oxidation, biochemical processes, etc. Among them, membrane separation technology has been considered a promising approach due to its short route and viable economics. Polymeric membrane-based technology comes with ease of functionalization, high sustainability, excellent adsorption, economic advantage, and environmental friendliness. That’s why, membrane processes were further developed to different separation mechanisms such as microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO). Herein, we report a mini review of polymeric membrane-based separation technology for wastewater treatment. The short communication includes the need for water purification and their purification by membrane technology, especially polymeric derived membranes. Besides, the state-of-art membrane and its utilization for the removal of various water contaminants were discussed. The proposed review would be helpful to provide a single platform to study about the role of polymeric membrane.

Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Activation of Persulfate for the Removal of Organic Contaminants in Water: A Critical Review

Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Activation of Persulfate for the Removal of Organic Contaminants in Water: A Critical Review

Photodegradation and in‐Situ SERS Monitoring Properties of Ag@AgCl Anchored on Sea Urchin‐shaped Fe3O4@C/1D PANI Nanoparticles**

AbstractHere, sea urchin‐shaped nanoparticles were first fabricated by growing one dimensional polyaniline (1D PANI) nanowire array on carbon layer encapsulated Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and then Ag@AgCl photocatalyst were tightly anchored on the surface of PANI nanowire to form Fe3O4@C/1D PANI/Ag@AgCl bifunctional material as recyclable adsorption‐photocatalysts and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate to monitor photocatalytic degradation of dye molecules. Compared with Fe3O4@C/1D PANI, Ag@AgCl and Fe3O4@C/PANI/Ag@AgCl catalysts, the fast electron transfer characteristics of conductive 1D PANI nanowire array and the synergistic effect between the surface plasmon resonance of Ag and the photosensitive characteristic of AgCl, enabled the prepared Fe3O4@C/1D PANI/Ag@AgCl excellent adsorption‐photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of RhB under visible‐light irradiation. PL spectra and a series of photoelectrochemical measurements were carried out to investigate the reasons for such enhanced photocatalytic activity and the possible improved photocatalytic degradation mechanism was proposed. Meanwhile, the detection of the presence of RhB and its degradation process were achieved with real‐time SERS technology employing the prepared Fe3O4@C/1D PANI/Ag@AgCl photocatalyst itself as the substrate. All the results made it great promise for simultaneously monitoring and removal of organic contaminants in water.

Chitosan immobilised granular FeOOH-MnxOy bimetal-oxides nanocomposite for the adsorptive removal of lead from water

Mixed metal-oxides are an important class of materials studied for the adsorptive removal of contaminants in water. However, the lack of affordable and versatile immobilisation techniques limits its large-scale deployment in water purification. The present work describes the use of protonated chitosan as a template and reinforcing agent to fabricate FeOOH-MnxOy bimetal-oxide granules formed via complexation of metal-oxides with hydroxyl and amine groups in chitosan. The synthesis procedure also enables the modulation of nanocomposite into granules of different shapes and sizes. XRD and XPS analyses confirm the existence of MnO, Mn2O3, MnO2, and FeOOH phases in the composite. The granules showed excellent affinity to scavenge the model pollutant, Pb2+, through inner-sphere complexation with an estimated Sips isotherm capacity of 108.12 mg/g. The chemical stability analysis of the composite showed that the leaching of Fe and Mn from the composite is pH, contact time, and temperature dependent. The background ions can also affect the chemical stability of the composite. However, Fe and Mn leaching were well within the permissible limit under typical groundwater pH and temperature. There is no significant effect on Pb2+ intake by competing ions such as Cl-, NO3-, HCO3-, Ca2+, Fe2+, and Mn2+. In short, the improved adsorption capacity, the ability to form hydraulically stable granules, and ease of synthesis make the composite a practical adsorbent for removing heavy metal ions in water.