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Organic-coated nanoparticulate zero valent iron for remediation of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved metals from tropical landfill leachate

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Abstract

The use of nanoparticulate zero valent iron (NZVI) in the treatment of inorganic contaminants in landfill leachate and polluted plumes has been the subject of many studies, especially in temperate, developed countries. However, NZVI’s potential for reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and treatment of metal ion mixtures has not been explored in detail. We investigated the efficiency of NZVI synthesized in the presence of starch, mercaptoacetic, mercaptosuccinic, or mercaptopropenoic acid for the reduction of COD, nutrients, and metal ions from landfill leachate in tropical Sri Lanka. Synthesized NZVI were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller. Of the samples tested, Starch-NZVI (S-NZVI) and mercaptoacetic-NZVI (MA-NZVI) performed well for treatment both COD and metal mixture. The removal percentages for COD, nitrate-nitrogen, and phosphate from S-NZVI were 50, 88, and 99 %, respectively. Heavy metal removal was higher in S-NZVI (>95 %) than others. MA-NZVI, its oxidation products, and functional groups of its coating showed the maximum removal amounts for both Cu (56.27 mg g−1) and Zn (28.38 mg g−1). All mercapto-NZVI showed well-stabilized nature under FTIR and XRD investigations. Therefore, we suggest mercapto acids as better agents to enhance the air stability for NZVI since chemically bonded thiol and carbonyl groups actively participation for stabilization process.

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Acknowledgement

The authors are most gratefully acknowledged Professor Knud Dideriksen, the Nano-Science Center, University of Copenhagen for sharing his expertise in nanotechnology. The authors are grateful to Professor Susan Stipp and Assistant Professor K.N. Dalby from University of Copenhagen for their support given for the XPS analysis. We would like to thank Fahmida Khurram from University of Copenhagen for XRD analysis. We thank M. Kulathunga and A. Herath, Dr. K. Mahatantila, Anushka, and Lakmal at the Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka for their support given.

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  1. Chemical and Environmental Systems Modeling Research Group, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Hanthana Road, Kandy, 20000, Sri Lanka

    S. S. R. M. D. H. R. Wijesekara & Meththika Vithanage

  2. Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

    B. F. A. Basnayake

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  1. S. S. R. M. D. H. R. Wijesekara
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ESM 1

Figures showing transmission FTIR spectra of a NZVI particulates before air exposure, b after air exposure, or after 48 h in air exposure (c). Goethite indicating ∼870 wavenumber representing Fe–OH in plane and out of plane bending vibrations. Line colors: blue, cyan, purple, and red are for the MP-NZVI, S-NZVI, MA-NZVI, and nonstabilized nanozero valent iron, respectively, for both a and b panels (Online Resource 1), Transmission FTIR spectra of NZVI particulates after 48 h air exposure. Line colors: blue, cyan, purple, and red are for the MP-NZVI, S-NZVI, MA-NZVI, and nonstabilized nanozero valent iron, respectively (Online Resource 2), Transmission FTIR spectra plotted against to difference of nonair-exposed and 48 h air-exposed NZVI particulates. Line colors: blue, cyan, purple, and red are for the MP-NZVI, S-NZVI, MA-NZVI, and nonstabilized nanozero valent iron, respectively. An iron oxide phase, goethite indicating Fe–OH in-plane and out-of-plane bending vibrations at ∼880, ∼785, and ∼630 cm−1 highlighted (Online Resource 3), kinetic experiment results of Cr(VI) removal behaviors for 1 g L−1 solid solutions of bare, starch, MA, MS, and MP NZVI (Online Resource 4), Removal of Cu(II) (a), Pb(II) (b), Ni(II) (c), and Zn(II) (d) at pH 6.0 by starch, mercaptoacetic, mercaptosuccinic, and mercaptopropionic acid coated nanozero valent iron solutions (1 g L−1). Symbols represent experimental results (Online Resource 5) and EDX spectra for the residue from the experiment of mercaptopropionic acid coated nano zero valent iron (1 g L−1 solid solution) after treating with synthetic leachate solution (Online Resource 6). (DOCX 558 kb)

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Wijesekara, S.S.R.M.D.H.R., Basnayake, B.F.A. & Vithanage, M. Organic-coated nanoparticulate zero valent iron for remediation of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved metals from tropical landfill leachate. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 7075–7087 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-2625-1

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