Iron Oxide Nanomaterials for the Removal of Cr(VI) and Pb(II) from Contaminated River After Mariana Mining Disaster

If not properly treated, water contaminated with chromium (Cr(VI)) and lead (Pb(II)) can cause severe damage to health due to the accumulation of those toxic metals in the human body. Therefore, in this work, three iron oxides, i.e., δ-FeOOH, cystine-functionalized δ-FeOOH (Cys-δ-FeOOH), and Fe₃O₄, were synthesized and used as adsorbents for Cr(VI) and Pb(II) in water. The results indicated that the Cr(VI) is best adsorbed on cys-δ-FeOOH followed by δ-FeOOH and Fe₃O₄. It was because of the enhanced interaction between Cr(VI) and the cysteine functional groups on the δ-FeOOH surface. The Cr(VI) adsorption capacity of cys-δ-FeOOH, δ-FeOOH, and Fe₃O₄ was 217, 14, and 8 mg g^-1, respectively. On the other hand, Pb(II) was preferentially adsorbed directly on δ-FeOOH achieving a maximum Pb(II) adsorption capacity of 174 mg g^-1. The Pb(II) adsorption capacity of cys-δ-FeOOH and Fe₃O₄ was 97 and 74 mg g^-1, respectively. The Cr(VI) adsorption on cys-δ-FeOOH was best described by the Langmuir-Freundlich model, whereas Pb(II) adsorption on δ-FeOOH followed the Langmuir model. Both Cr(VI) and Pb(II) adsorption on the adsorbents was well-fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetics. The Cr(VI) was more quickly adsorbed by cys-δ-FeOOH (h₀ = 0.10 mg g^-1 min^-1) while the initial adsorption rate of Pb(II) onto δ-FeOOH was significantly faster (h₀ = 16.34 mg g^-1 min^-1). Finally, the synthesized adsorbents were efficient to remove Cr(VI) and Pb(II) from water samples of the Doce river after the environmental disaster of Mariana city, Brazil, thus showing its applicability to remediate real water samples.