Bench-scale injection of magnesium hydroxide encapsulated iron nanoparticles (nFe0@Mg(OH)2) into porous media for Cr(VI) removal from groundwater

• Published in: Chemical Engineering Journal
• Main Author: Maamoun I.; Falyouna O.; Eljamal R.; Idham M.F.; Tanaka K.; Eljamal O.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V. 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85137086325&doi=10.1016%2fj.cej.2022.138718&partnerID=40&md5=b53093cc7c6a0ff29a4043a491a6f3fc

Chromium (VI) contamination in groundwater represents a significant threat to the current and future groundwater resources. Thus, in this work detailed investigation was conducted on the injection of magnesium hydroxide encapsulated iron nanoparticles (nFe0@Mg(OH)2) into a 3-D bench-scale groundwater treatment system for Cr(VI) removal. Cr(VI) and total iron concentration profiles were determined for the injection of both nFe0 and nFe0@Mg(OH)2 into porous media. The results indicated the expected poor mobility of nFe0, which caused the accumulation of the injected mass within the injection zone and the low spreading range along the length of the aquifer. The injection of nFe0@Mg(OH)2 into the groundwater treatment system for 80 consecutive cycles resulted in a clear enhancement in preventing the rapid corrosion of the iron core and around 20% improvement in the final Cr(VI) removal efficiency compared with that of nFe0. The injected nFe0@Mg(OH)2 maintained the 100% Cr(VI) removal efficiency for 30 post-injection cycles. Such a promising potential of the nFe0@Mg(OH)2, proposed it as one of the perfect candidates for in-situ water treatment applications, as a reactive nanomaterial with enhanced features, in terms of the prolonged reactive performance and the widespread of the injection zone to cover a larger contaminated area within the porous media. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.