Transport Study and Efficiency of Stabilized Nanoscale Zerovalent Iron Particles for Hexavalent Chromium Removal from Sand Column

Nowadays pollution of sand columns and water resources with hexavalent chromium is enhancing due to the increase of industrial and agricultural activities. In recent years nanoscale zerovalent iron particles (nZVIP) have been used according to special properties comprising of high surface area, high reaction sites, non-toxic, non-expensive and high potential for removal of pollutants such as hexavalent chromium from sand columns and water. The size range of Zerovalent iron nanoparticles is less than 100 nm. So they could potentially be transported into the subsurface and finally be mixed with the target pollutants. Chromium is one of the steely-grey, lustrous and toxic heavy metals with high toxicity potential. Upon chromium (VI) toxicity this element is classified as a primary contaminant. Chromium (III) compounds is not toxic and hazardous and are grouped as one of the beneficial elements for human and other animals, while the toxicity and carcinogenic properties of hexavalent chromium have been realized for a long time in all over the world. Application of polymers as nZVIP stabilizers diminishes flocculation and sedimentation of nanoparticles. So usage of such polymers may lead to decreasing of particle size, enhancing reactivity and increasing particle transport in column and continuous medium studies. The objectives of this study were: (1) synthesis and characterization of different surface modified nZVIP with some polymers including Polyacrylamide (PAM) and Guar gum (GG), (2) the removal of hexavalent chromium ions from sand columns by application of different stabilized nZVIP, (3) investigation the impacts of different experimental situations on hexavalent chromium removal from sand columns including primary nZVIP dosages and primary hexavalent chromium dosages, and (4) evaluation nZVIP transportation in sand columns. In this research, nZVIP were synthesized using chemical reduction of ferrous sulfate by sodium borohydride. Guar gum (GG) as a green and environmentally friendly coating and polyacrylamide (PAM) as an anionic and biodegradable polymer were applied for stabilizing of nanoparticles. Zeta potential values were determined by a ZetaPlus zeta-potential analyzer from Brookhaven Instruments Corporation and the measured values were gathered from a suspension containing 5 mg zero valent iron nanoparticles in 100 mL of 1 mM NaCl solution, at room temperature. The hydrodynamic diameter of nanoparticles was determined using a ZetaPlus zeta potential analyzer and the Brownian movement of particles was related to nanoscale zerovalent iron particles hydrodynamic diameter. The morphology of zerovalent iron nanoparticles was determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Furthermore, the size of the synthesized nanoparticles was considered using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) via image measuring software. The results showed by increasing of nanoparticle and hexavalent chromium dosage the removal efficiency of chromium increased and decreased from sand columns, respectively. Increasing of hexavalent chromium dosage from 40 to 80 mg/L in sand columns lead to more excessive chromium ions at sand columns and diminishing of hexavalent chromium removal efficient from sand particles. When the dosage of nanoscale zerovalent iron particles raised from 1 to 3 g/L and while the concentration of Cr (VI) was on a constant value of 100 mg/L, the effective reaction sites for hexavalent chromium removal would increase and so the removal performance would enhance according to the nanoparticle dosages. The findings of the current study also revealed when ionic strength and nZVIP dosage enhanced, the transportation of nZVIP decreased in sand columns. By enhancing the concentration of nZVIP, the surface reaction sites of nZVIP increased and hence the efficiency of chromium removal raised from sand columns.Zeta potential is a good parameter for evaluating the colloidal stability. This parameter is an index of stability that reflects the electrostatic repulsion forces between charged particles. By shifting the zeta potential values to the higher records (more negative) the magnitude of repulsion forces among the particles will increase and the stability of them will enhance as a result. In this research the achieved zeta potential records for synthesized nZVIP showed that PAM-stabilized nZVIP and non-stabilized nZVIP had the most and the least stability values respectively. The final results of this study revealed that increasing dosages of synthesized zerovalent iron nanoparticles enhanced the removal efficiency of nitrate and hexavalent chromium from sand columns. When dosages of Cr (VI) increased the removal efficiency of current pollutants decreased. TEM results showed the order of particle sizes were upon to the following trend: PAM-nZVIP < GG- nZVIP < Bare- nZVIP. So PAM stabilized zerovalent iron nanoparticles and the bare nanoparticles were the smallest and largest sizes of all. The efficiency of hexavalent chromium removal and nanoparticle transormation were according to the following trend:  polyacrylamide (PAM)- nZVIP> Guar gum (GG)- nZVIP> Bare- nZVIP