This study investigated the influences of pH, bicarbonate, and calcium on U(VI) removal and reduction by synthetic nanoscale zerovalent iron (nanoFe(0)) particles under anoxic conditions. The results showed that the rates of U(VI) removal and reduction by nanoFe(0) varied significantly with pH and concentrations of bicarbonate and/or calcium. For instance, at pH 6.92 the pseudo-first-order rate constants of U(VI) removal decreased by 78.5% and 81.3%, and U(VI) reduction decreased by 90.3% and 89.3%, when bicarbonate and calcium concentrations were increased from 0 to 1 mM, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the formation of UO(2) and iron (hydr)oxides as a result of the redox interactions between U(VI) and nanoFe(0). The study demonstrated the potential of using nanoFe(0) for U(VI)-contaminated site remediation and highlighted the impacts of pH, bicarbonate, and calcium on the U(VI) removal and reduction processes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.