Anthracene Removal from Aqueous Media using Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles with Poly (amidoamine) Dendrimer

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are hazardous contaminants in aquatic environments due to their mutagenic, cancer-causing properties which are a threat for people in the community. Therefore, it is essential to remove them from water sources to protect public health and the environment. The purpose of this study was to remove anthracene from contaminated water by magnetic dendrimer nanoparticles.Methods and Materials: In this study, magnetic nanoparticles were fabricated by dendrimer-functionalized PAMAM polymers and modified with benzaldehyde ligand on the surface. The adsorbent properties were characterized by SEM, XRD, and FTIR. Then, in a batch study, the effect of operative parameters on the adsorbent and reusability of the sorbent was studied, and residual anthracene concentration in aqueous solution was determined by spectrophotometer. The obtained data were fitted to different isotherm models and kinetic models. Ethical considerations in this study were adhered based on the Helsinki guidelines.

The results showed that anthracene removal efficiency increased with contact time up to 20 minutes and adsorbent content up to 0.6 g / L at pH 7 in the solutions. It was also found that the adsorption process follows the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The highest adsorption capacity of the adsorbent with qmax=105 mg / g indicates a high adsorption capacity of the synthesized magnetite dendrimer. The reusability of the adsorbent also showed that the nanostructure could be recovered by maintaining anthracene uptake efficiency for up to 7 cycles.

Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the synthesized nanopolymer can be used as an efficient adsorbent with high adsorption potential and capacity for anthracene removal from aqueous media.