Arsenic removal using iron oxide nanoparticles produced employing a green synthesis approach

Abstract

Several adsorbents were prepared employing co‐precipitation, urea, ascorbic acid, and natural plant extracts and evaluated for the removal of arsenic from groundwater. Several parameters affecting adsorption, namely, initial arsenic concentration, pH, adsorbent dose, and contact time were studied in batch experiments. pH was found to be one of the most important parameters which affected adsorption, and it was most effective in the acidic pH range of 2–6. The optimum adsorbent dose varied from 0.24 g/L to 1.0 g/L for various methods and a contact time of 120 min. Maximum removal efficiency varied from 92% to 98% for various methods. Isotherms and kinetics studies were performed to determine the adsorption capacity and rate of reaction, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities of 79.36 μg/g, 69.44 μg/g, 243.90 μg/g, and 101.01 μg/g could be obtained by the adsorbents produced through co‐precipitation, urea, ascorbic acid and natural plant extracts, respectively. The adsorbents prepared through co‐precipitation, urea and ascorbic acid followed Langmuir isotherm and adsorbents prepared using plant extracts followed Freundlich isotherm. Various characterization techniques, including XRD, BET, and SEM were employed for analysis of the adsorbents.