Application of nanoscale zerovalent iron particles for the removal and/or "upcycling" of heavy metals from drinking water, wastewater and acid rock drainage
Abstract
In recent years nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) has received much attention as a new technology for the in situ remediation of contaminated land. Such research has focused on the use of nZVI as a nanoscale reducing agent, with the dual ability to disintegrate organic contaminants and/or immobilise heavy metals in the subsurface. In contrast very little research has been applied on the potential utility of nZVI in the selective recovery of economically valuable metals (i.e. as economically valuable products) from different types of aqueous matrices (e.g. wastewater, drinking water and acid rock drainage). This presentation will cover recent results within this new research field. In particular the following topics will be presented: (i) the use of nZVI for the selective recovery of REE (including fractionation of light REEs vs heavy REEs) from different solutions; and (ii) the use of nZVI for the selective formation of discrete Cu nanoparticles from acidic wastewaters. With regard to the former, this represents an interesting new mechanism to fractionate REE as a function of ionic radii, and with regard to the latter, this represents an interesting new avenue of research: the use of nZVI for the selective "upcycling" of economically valuable metal ions into high value nanomaterial products. The presentation will then conclude with a discussion of potential design ideas for the use of nZVI in both conventional and potential future wastewater treatment operations.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018AGUFM.H23B..08C
- Keywords:
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- 1829 Groundwater hydrology;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1831 Groundwater quality;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1832 Groundwater transport;
- HYDROLOGYDE: 1847 Modeling;
- HYDROLOGY