CHAPTER 4: Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles for Heavy Metals Removal from Aqueous Solutions Check Access

Worldwide contamination of aqueous environments is a severe problem. Heavy metals and metalloids such as mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, cobalt, zinc, manganese and arsenic are among the ubiquitous trace contaminants of aquatic ecosystem. These contaminations raise concerns, as small amounts of the heavy metals have been shown to be carcinogenic to humans and animals and can pose a risk to the aquatic biota. Hence, there is an urgent need to treat the wastewater containing heavy metals before they are discharged into the water bodies. Several wastewater treatment techniques such as ion exchange, precipitation, coagulation, membrane filtration, catalytic reduction and adsorption are available for the removal of heavy metals. All of these have their own advantages and limitations. The high operating costs, technical constraints and tedious design necessitate cost-effective and environmentally sound techniques for the treatment of wastewater containing heavy metals. Magnetic nanoparticles have received tremendous attention because of their small size, high surface area to volume ratio, surface modifiability, excellent magnetic properties, low-cost synthesis and great biocompatibility. Magnetic nanoparticles offer a new vista of separation and purification technology for heavy metals. The multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles have been successfully applied for the reduction of toxic metal ions up to the ppb level in waste treated water. This chapter highlights the potential application of magnetic nanoparticles for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions.