"In-situ synthesized" iron-based bimetal promotes efficient removal of Cr(VI) in by zero-valent iron-loaded hydroxyapatite

Groundwater Cr(VI) contamination and remediation: A review from 1999 to 2022

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) contamination of groundwater has traditionally been an environmental issue of great concern due to its bioaccumulative and highly toxic nature. This paper presents a review and bibliometric analysis of the literature on the interest area "Cr(VI) in groundwater" published in the Web of Science Core Collection from 1999 to 2022. First, information on 203 actual Cr(VI)-contaminated groundwater sites around the world was summarized, and the basic characteristics of the sources and concentrations of contamination were derived. 68.95% of the sites were due to human causes and 56.43% of these sites had Cr(VI) concentrations in the range of 0-10 mg/L. At groundwater sites with high Cr(VI) contamination due to natural causes, 75.00% of the sites had Cr(VI) concentrations less than 0.2 mg/L. A total of 936 papers on "Cr(VI) in groundwater" were retrieved for bibliometric analysis: interest in research on Cr(VI) in groundwater has grown rapidly in recent years; 59.4% of the papers were published in the field of environmental sciences. A systematic review of the progress of studies on the Cr(VI) removal/remediation based on reduction, adsorption and biological processes is presented. Out of 666 papers on Cr(VI) removal/remediation, 512, 274, and 75 papers dealt with the topics of reduction, adsorption, and bioremediation, respectively. In addition, several studies have demonstrated the potential applicability of natural attenuation in the remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated groundwater. This paper will help researchers to understand and investigate methodological strategies to remove Cr(VI) from groundwater in a more targeted and effective manner.

Influence of elevated temperature on the species and mobility of chromium in ferrous sulfate-amended contaminated soil

Ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) combined with acid pretreatment is usually employed to remediate contaminated soils containing Cr(VI). However, the long-term efficiency of this stabilization method is important for its sustainability. In this study, a gradient temperature-elevating exposure test was employed to investigate the stability of Cr in FeSO4-remediated soil when exposed to elevated temperatures (40 °C, 120 °C, and 500 °C), possibly caused by hot weather and/or wildfires. The results of chemical extraction and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) showed that the Cr(VI) in contaminated soil was successfully transformed to Cr(III) after stabilization, resulting in the dramatic decrease of water-leachable Cr(VI). The stabilization efficiency was further improved under 40 °C treatment after 30 days. Subsequently, the 120 °C treatment (7 days) had relatively little effect on the Cr speciation and mobility in soils. However, even one day of 500 °C calcination resulted in the deterioration of stabilization efficiency, and the water-leachable Cr(VI) re-increased and became higher than the Chinese environmental standards (total Cr 15 mg/L, Cr(VI) 5 mg/L) for the classification of hazardous solid wastes. XANES results reflected that heating at 500 °C facilitate the formation of Cr2O3, which was mainly caused by thermal decomposition and dehydration of Cr(OH)3 in the soil. Besides, the transformation of Cr species resulted in the enhanced association of Cr with the most stable residual fraction (88.3%-91.6%) in soil. Based on chemical extraction results, it was suggested that the oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) contributed to the re-increased mobility of Cr(VI) in soil. However, the XANES results showed that almost no significant re-oxidization of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) happened after heating at 500 °C, which was probably caused by XANES linear combination fits (LCF) uncertainties. Moreover, the changes in soil properties, including a rise in pH to a slightly alkaline range and/or the decomposition of organic matter, possibly contributed to the enhanced mobility of Cr(VI) in soil. This study contributes to clarifying the mobility and transformation of Cr in contaminated soils and provides a support for the sustainable management of remediated soils.

In-situ production and activation of H2O2 over hydroxyapatite modified CuFeO2 for self-sufficient heterogeneous photo-Fenton degradation of doxycycline hydrochloride

The self-sufficient heterogeneous photo-Fenton (SH-PF) system was constructed for doxycycline hydrochloride (DOH) degradation with hydroxyapatite (Hap) modified CuFeO2 (Hap/CuFeO2) composites through H2O2 in-situ production. The modification of Hap could improve the specific surface area, visible-light response, light conversion efficiency, photoelectron lifetime and oxygen vacancies (OVs) of CuFeO2, which was conducive to H2O2 production and DOH degradation in SH-PF system. Notably, Hap/CuFeO2 fabricated with 0.5 g Hap (Hap/CuFeO2-0.5) displayed more superior performance for DOH degradation compared to other synthesized catalysts. The Hap/CuFeO2-0.5 load and initial solution pH for DOH degradation in SH-PF system were optimized, and the Hap/CuFeO2-0.5 had good reusability and stability. The •OH was the main active species for DOH degradation, and the facilitation effect of •O2- and photoelectrons on DOH degradation was associated with the H2O2 production in the present work. In addition, the capture of photogenerated holes suppressed the recombination of photogenerated carriers, elevating the production of photoelectrons and thereby enhancing H2O2 production and DOH degradation. The degradation pathways for DOH were proposed and the comprehensive toxicities of DOH were relieved after degradation in SH-PF system.

Recent advances in bimetallic nanoscale zero-valent iron composite for water decontamination: Synthesis, modification and mechanisms

The environmental pollution of water is one of the problems that have plagued human society. The bimetallic nanoscale zero-valent iron (BnZVI) technology has increased wide attention owing to its high performance for water treatment and soil remediation. In recent years, the BnZVI technology based on the development of nZVI has been further developed. The material chemistry, synthesis methods, and immobilization or surface stabilization of bimetals are discussed. Further, the data of BnZVI (Fe/Ni, Fe/Cu, Fe/Pd) articles that have been studied more frequently in the last decade are summarized in terms of the types of contaminants and the number of research literatures on the same contaminants. Five contaminants including trichloroethylene (TCE), Decabromodi-phenyl Ether (BDE209), chromium (Cr(VI)), nitrate and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) were selected for in-depth discussion on their influencing factors and removal or degradation mechanisms. Herein, comprehensive views towards mechanisms of BnZVI applications including adsorption, hydrodehalogenation and reduction are provided. Particularly, some ambiguous concepts about formation of micro progenitor cell, production of hydrogen radicals (H·) and H2 and the electron transfer are highlighted. Besides, in-depth discussion of selectivity for N2 from nitrates and co-precipitation of chromium are emphasized. The difference of BnZVI is also discussed.

Reductive sequestration of Cr (VI) by phosphorylated nanoscale zerovalent iron

The cracked phosphorylated nanoscale zerovalent iron (p-nZVI) has a strong electron selectivity towards the reductive removal of many heavy metal ions in waters. However, the unintended environmental risk after interactions with impurities or wastewater are not involved. Therefore, in this study, the phosphate group was successfully adsorbed into p-nZVI, and the cracked p-nZVI was successfully prepared with an optimal P/Fe ratio of 0.5%. The dosages of p-nZVI and temperatures were positively correlated with the removal rates. The removal process of Cr(VI) was more suitable by the Langmuir isothermal model（R2 > 0.99). The process of Cr (VI) (10, 20 and 40 mg/L) removal more fitted the pseudo first-order reaction model, while the process of Cr (VI) (60, 80 mg/L) removal more fitted the pseudo second-order reaction model. The Cr (VI) removal rates gradually decreased when the pH was increased. Dissolved oxygen slowed nanoiron reaction rates. The order of inhibition on the reactivity towards Cr(VI) was SiO32- > SO42- > PO43- > NO3- > HCO3-.The facilitation followed the order of Cd2+>Cu2+>Mg2+>Mn2+>Ca2+. Ca2+ showed an inhibitory effect, but all other cations showed different degrees of facilitation. The promotion effect is relatively similar in presence of Mn2+ or Mg2+. HA had a significant inhibitory effect. Environmental friendly p-nZVI had a good effect in simulated groundwater, seawater, river water and secondary effluent of the urban sewage treatment plant. The main pathway to remove Cr (VI) was in situ reduction by p-nZVI. The improved adsorption and reduction effect of p-nZVI on heavy metal ions in water was due to the structural change and the phosphate group.

Field application of hydroxyapatite and humic acid for remediation of metal-contaminated alkaline soil

The quality of soil is essential for ensuring the safety and quality of agricultural products. However, soils contaminated with toxic metals pose a significant threat to agricultural production and human health. Therefore, remediation of contaminated soils is an urgent task, and humic acid (HA) with hydroxyapatite (HAP) materials was applied for this study in contaminated alkaline soils to remediate Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn. Physiochemical properties, improved BCR sequential extraction, microbial community composition in soils with superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and chlorophyll content in plants were determined. Among the studied treatments, application of HAP-HA (2:1) (T7) had the most significant impact on reducing the active forms of toxic metals from soil such as Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn decreased by 18.59%, 9.12%, 11.83%, and 3.33%, respectively, but HAP and HA had a minor impact on metal accumulation in Juncao. HAP (T2) had a beneficial impact on reducing the TCleaf/root of Cd, Cu, and Zn, whereas HAP-HA (T5) showed the best performance for reducing Cd and Cu in EFleaf/soil. HAP-HA (T5 and T7) showed higher biomass (57.3%) and chlorophyll (17.9%), whereas HAP (T4) showed better performance in POD (25.8%) than T0 in Juncao. The bacterial diversity in soil was increased after applying amendments of various treatments and enhancing metal remediation. The combined application of HAP and HA effectively reduced active toxic metals in alkaline soil. HAP-HA mixtures notably improved soil health, plant growth, and microbial diversity, advocating for their use in remediating contaminated soils.

Migration of spent grain-modified colloidal ferrihydrite: Implications for the in situ stabilization of arsenic, lead, and cadmium in co-contaminated soil

The increase of metal mining, processing, and smelting activities has precipitated a substantial escalation in the contamination of soil by heavy metals. Ferrihydrite (FH) has been commonly used as an amendment for the immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soil. However, FH suffers from drawbacks such as agglomeration and nonmigratory characteristics, which limit its practical application in soil remediation. Herein, a novel spent grain-modified ferrihydrite (FH-SG) colloidal system was developed, and the FH-SG transport mechanisms in the soil medium were fully studied, focusing in particular on the simultaneous in situ stabilization of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) in co-contaminated soil. The results showed that the stabilization rates of the FH-SG material reached 94.66%, 96.12%, and 95.52% for water-soluble As, Pb, and Cd, respectively, and 72.22%, 49.39%, and 25.30% for bioavailable As, Pb, and Cd, respectively. The FH-SG material demonstrates notable migration properties in porous media. Theoretical calculation results of a single collector show that the migration deposition of FH-SG material in media is primarily governed by its inherent diffusion characteristics with minimal influence by gravitational forces and media interception. It is noteworthy that the maximum migration distance in quartz sand and soil media with different particle sizes can reach 2.07-2.92 m and 0.78-1.08 m, respectively. Altogether, our findings clearly demonstrate that FH-SG exhibits better stabilization and migration than those of FH alone and most proposed FH colloidal systems. The FH-SG colloidal system holds significant promise for the remediation of various kinds of complex polluted soil.

Fe-Ni/MWCNTs Nano-Composites for Hexavalent Chromium Reduction in Aqueous Environment

A novel Cr (VI) removal material was designed and produced comprising multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a support with a high specific surface area and the loaded Fe-Ni bimetallic particles as catalytic reducing agents. Such a design permits the composite particle to perform the adsorption, reduction, and immobilisation of Cr (VI) quickly and efficiently. Due to MWCNTs' physical adsorption, Cr (VI) in solution aggregates in the vicinity of the composite, and Fe rapidly reduces Cr (VI) to Cr (III) catalysed by Ni. The results demonstrated that the Fe-Ni/MWCNTs exhibits an adsorption capacity of 207 mg/g at pH = 6.4 for Cr (VI) and 256 mg/g at pH 4.8, which is about twice those reported for other materials under similar conditions. The formed Cr (III) is solidified to the surface by MWCNTs and remains stable for several months without secondary contamination. The reusability of the composites was proven by retaining at least 90% of the adsorption capacity for five instances of reutilization. Considering the facile synthesis process, low cost of raw material, and reusability of the formed Fe-Ni/MWCNTs, this work shows great potential for industrialisation.

Efficient Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycling mediated by L-cysteine functionalized zero-valent iron for enhancing Cr(VI) removal

Herein, L-cysteine (Cys) was modified on zero-valent iron (C-ZVI^bm) by using a mechanical ball-milling method to improve the surface functionality and the Cr(VI) removal efficiency. Characterization results indicated that Cys was modified on the surface of ZVI by the specific adsorption of Cys on the oxide shell to form a -COO-Fe complex. The Cr(VI) removal efficiency of C-ZVI^bm (99.6%) was much higher than that of ZVI^bm (7.3%) in 30 min. The attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis inferred that Cr(VI) was more likely to be adsorbed on the surface of C-ZVI^bm to form bidentate binuclear inner-sphere complexes. The adsorption process was well-matched to the Freundlich isotherm and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Electrochemical analysis and electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR) spectroscopy revealed that Cys on the C-ZVI^bm lowered the redox potential of Fe(III)/Fe(II), and favored the surface Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycling mediated by the electrons from Fe⁰ core. These electron transfer processes were beneficial to the surface reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). Our findings provide new understandings into the surface modification of ZVI with a low-molecular weight amino acid to promote in-situ Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycling, and have great potential for the construction of efficient systems for Cr(VI) removal.

Sulfurized nano zero-valent iron prepared via different methods: Effect of stability and types of surface corrosion products on removal of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol

Sulfurization improves the stability and activity of nano zero-valent iron (nZVI). The sulfurized nZVI (S-nZVI) were prepared with ball milling, vacuum chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and liquid-phase reduction techniques and the corresponding products were the mixture of FeS₂ and nZVI (nZVI/FeS₂), well-defined core-shell structure (FeS_x@Fe) or seriously oxidized (S-nZVI(aq)), respectively. All these materials were applied to eliminate 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) from water. The removal of TCP was irrelevant with the structure of S-nZVI. Both nZVI/FeS₂ and FeS_x@Fe showed remarkable performance for the degradation of TCP. S-nZVI(aq) possessed poor mineralization efficiency to TCP due to its bad crystallinity degree and severe leaching of Fe ions, which retarded the affinity of TCP. Desorption and quenching experiments suggested that TCP removal by nZVI and S-nZVI was based on surface adsorption and subsequent direct reduction by Fe⁰, oxidation by in-situ produced ROS and polymerization on the surface of these materials. In the reaction process, the corrosion products of these materials transformed into crystalline Fe₃O₄ and α/β-FeOOH, which enhanced the stability of nZVI and S-nZVI materials and was conductive to the electron transferring from Fe⁰ to TCP and strong affinity of TCP onto Fe or FeS_x phases. All these were contributed to high performance of nZVI and sulfurized nZVI in removal and minerazilation of TCP in continuous recycle test.

Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation: Influencing factors, nucleation pathways, and application in waste water remediation

Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) is a technique that uses the metabolic action of microorganisms to produce CO₃^2- which combines with free Ca²⁺ to form CaCO₃ precipitation. It has gained widespread attention in water treatment, aimed with the advantages of simultaneous removal of multiple pollutants, environmental protection, and ecological sustainability. This article reviewed the mechanism of MICP at both intra- and extra-cellular levels. It summarized the parameters affecting the MICP process in terms of bacterial concentration, ambient temperature, etc. The current status of MICP application in practical engineering is discussed. Based on this, the current technical difficulties faced in the use of MICP technology were outlined, and future research directions for MICP technology were highlighted. This review helps to improve the design of existing water treatment facilities for the simultaneous removal of multiple pollutants using the MICP and provides theoretical reference and innovative thinking for related research.

Synergistic Cr(VI) reduction and adsorption of Cu(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) by zerovalent iron-loaded hydroxyapatite

Multi-metal contaminated soil, such as Cr(VI), Cu(II), and Co(II), still challenge the environmental remediation. In this work, zerovalent iron-loaded hydroxyapatite (ZVI/HAP) was first applied to simultaneously adsorb multi-metal in contaminated soil. During the remediation, the co-existing Cu(II), Ni(II), and Co(II) were adsorbed and precipitated onto ZVI/HAP. This "spontaneous deposition" simultaneously achieved the adsorption of the cationic metals and improved the isoelectric point of ZVI/HAP to 4.83 from 1.59, thus significantly alleviating the electronegativity to enhance the capture and reduction efficiency of Cr(VI). The application of ZVI/HAP resulted in the reduction of more than 99% of total Cr(VI) in contaminated soil, and the almost complete adsorption of water-soluble and DTPA-extractable Cu, Ni and Co within 20 d. Based on the sequential extraction and risk reduction assessment, soil Cr, Cu, Ni, and Co speciation was transformed from an unstable state (exchangeable and carbonate-bound fractions) to a relatively stable state, reducing the risk of heavy metals in contaminated soil significantly. This study developed an efficient strategy for the remediation of multi-metal contaminated soil.

Application of bovine bone meal and oyster shell meal to heavy metals polluted soil: Vegetable safety and bacterial community

The development of efficient, environmentally friendly soil amendments is necessary in order to minimize the risk of metal contaminants (Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn) to the soil ecosystem. As soil amendments, bovine bone meal (BM) and oyster shell meal (OS) reduced the mobility and bioavailability of metals primarily by increasing soil pH. Soil geochemical properties (pH, EC, CEC, Ca, P, and K) after amendment supplementation were more likely to affect metal migration than enzyme activity. Furthermore, BM and OS were found to suppress the Cd and Pb uptake by water spinach, keeping them below international standards for safe utilization. The protein and sugar content and peroxidase (POD) activity showed a significant negative correlation with the amount of metal in water spinach, whereas superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) content exhibited a positive correlation with metal content in water spinach. We also found that BM and OS had less perturbation to phylum-level and genus-level bacterial composition during the remediation of heavy metals contaminated soil. Based on the above, we assume that BM and OS are eco-friendly soil amendments, which could improve soil nutrients contents, stabilize heavy metals and regulate bacterial community structure. Our research contributes to resource utilization of waste and holds promise for widespread application in current agricultural systems.

Multifunctional interfaces for multiple uses: Tin(II)-hydroxyapatite for reductive adsorption of Cr(VI) and its upcycling into catalyst for air protection reactions

Evidence collected to date by our group has demonstrated that tin(II)-functionalized hydroxyapatites (Sn/HAP) are a newly discovered class of ecofriendly reductive adsorbents for Cr(VI) removal from wastewaters. In this work an upgraded series of Sn/HAP materials assured a maximum removal capacity of ≈ 20 mgCr/g, doubling the previously reported value for Sn/HAP materials, thanks to higher Sn-dispersion as proved by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Insights on kinetics and thermodynamics of the reductive adsorption process are provided and the influence of pH, dosage, and nature of Cr(VI) precursors on chromium removal performances have been investigated. Pseudo-second-order kinetics described the interfacial reductive adsorption process on Sn/HAP, characterized by low activation energy (21 kJ mol-1), when measured in the 278-318 K range. Tests performed in the 2-6 pH interval showed similar efficiency in terms of Cr(VI) removal. Conventional procedures of recycling and regeneration resulted ineffective in restoring the pristine performances of the samples due to surface presence of both Sn(IV) and Cr(III). To overcome these weaknesses, the used samples (Sn + Cr/HAP) were upcycled into catalysts in a circular economy perspective. Used samples were tested as catalysts in gas-phase catalytic processes for air pollution remediation: selective catalytic reduction of NOx (NH3-SCR), NH3 selective catalytic Oxidation (NH3-SCO), and selective catalytic oxidation of methane to CO2. Catalytic tests enlightened the interesting activity of the upcycled Sn + Cr/HAP samples in catalytic oxidation processes, being able to selectively oxidize methane to CO2 at relatively low temperature.

Iron-doped hydroxyapatite for the simultaneous remediation of lead-, cadmium- and arsenic-co-contaminated soil

Since lead, cadmium and arsenic have completely opposite chemical behaviors, it is very difficult to stabilize all these three heavy metals simultaneously. Herein, a novel iron-doped hydroxyapatite composite (Fe-HAP) was developed via an ultrasonic-assisted microwave hydrothermal method for the simultaneous remediation of lead-, cadmium-, and arsenic-co-contaminated soil in Hunan Province, South China. Using DTPA/sodium bicarbonate extractant to extract bioavailable Pb, Cd and As in soil after Fe-HAP remediation for 60 days, the immobilization efficiencies were 79.77%, 51.3% and 37.5% for Pb, Cd and As, respectively. The soil extractable and exchangeable fractions of Pb, Cd and As decreased significantly. In batch experiments, the adsorption kinetics of Pb, Cd and As on Fe-HAP were well described by pseudo-second-order models, indicating that the adsorption is controlled by chemisorption. In the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacities of Cd²⁺ and As(V) were 476.2 mg g^-1 and 195.69 mg g^-1, respectively, while Pb²⁺ fit the Freundlich model better. The XRD, SEM and XPS analyses indicated that Fe-HAP formed stable minerals of Pb₅(PO₄)₃OH, Cd₃(PO₄)₂·4H₂O, Cd(OH)₂ and Fe₃(AsO₄)₂·6H₂O with Pb, Cd and As. Overall, its facile and efficient immobilization performance indicate that Fe-HAP has potential for practical applications in integrative remediation of Pb-, Cd-, and As- co-contaminated soil.

Unveiling the positive effect of mineral induced natural organic matter (NOM) on catalyst properties and catalytic dechlorination performance: An experiment and DFT study

Herein, we report the significant effects of natural organic matter contained in natural zeolite (Z-NOM) on the physicochemical characteristics of a Ni/Fe@natural zeolite (NF@NZ) catalyst and its decontamination performance toward the dechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE). Z-NOM predominantly consists of humic-like substances and has demonstrable utility in the synthesis of bimetallic catalysts. Compared to NF@NZ_600C (devoid of Z-NOM), NF@NZ had increased dispersibility and mobility and showed significant enhancement in the catalytic dechlorination of TCE owing to the encapsulation of Ni⁰/Fe⁰ nanoparticles by Z-NOM. The results of corrosion experiments, spectroscopic analyses, and H₂ production experiments confirmed that Ni⁰ acted as an efficient cocatalyst with Fe⁰ to enhance the dechlorination of TCE to ethane, and Z-NOM-capped Ni⁰ showed improved adsorption of TCE and atomic hydrogen on their reactive sites and oxidation resistance. The density functional theory (DFT) studies have substantiated the improved adsorption of TCE due to the presence of NOM (especially by COOH structure) and the enhanced charge density at the Ni site in the Ni/Fe bimetal alloy for the stronger adsorption of hydrogen atoms that ultimately enhanced the TCE reduction reaction. These findings illustrate the efficiency of NOM containing natural minerals toward the synthesis of bimetallic catalysts for practical applications.

Performance and mechanisms of microwave-assisted zerovalent iron/pyrite for advance remediation of strongly alkaline high Cr(VI) contaminated soil

Strongly alkaline high Cr(VI) contaminated (SAHCR) soil poses a high risk to the environment and public health, yet lacks rapid and efficient remediation technology. In this study, a novel approach combining microwave irradiation with zerovalent iron/pyrite (FeS₂/ZVI) was developed for the remediation of SAHCR soil. The results indicated that fast and efficient remediation of the SAHCR soil was achieved by microwave irradiation-assisted FeS₂/ZVI, with 99.9% of removal rate of Cr(VI) within 10 min, and Cr(VI) concentration from 3900.8 plummeted to 2.38 mg kg^-1. The data of Cr(VI) reduction kinetics at different temperatures indicated that the activation energies (E_a) for microwave-FeS₂/ZVI system was 27.4 kJ mol^-1, 28.5% lower than that without microwave irradiation, suggesting that in addition to the heating effect of microwave, the accelerated Cr(VI) reduction also comes from the catalytic effect of "hot spots" on FeS₂/ZVI under microwave irradiation. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that microwave irradiation promoted the transformation of reduced Cr(III) into the stable FeCr₂O₄ mineral and the excellent long-term stability of the remediated SAHCR soil. These findings can provide a perspective for advanced remediation of the difficult-to-treat SAHCR soil by the synergism of microwave irradiation with the iron-sulfur based reducing materials.

The significant role of electron donating capacity and carbon structure of biochar to electron transfer of zerovalent iron

Herein, the major biochar properties were correlated with electron transfer of zerovalent iron (ZVI) and contribution of biomass constituents to biochar property was ascertained to optimize electron transfer of ZVI. To this end, five respective stalk-type and wood-type lignocellulosic biomasses were pyrolzed at 600 °C to prepare biochars to harbor ZVI (ZVI/BC). Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated woody biomasses decomposed more intensively at higher temperature relative to stalky biomass. ZVI/BC were characterized with Raman, X-ray diffraction, and electrochemical analyses including electron donating capacity (EDC) and electron accepting capacity (EAC). Pearson correlation and partial least-squares (PLS) analyses confirmed that Cr(VI) reduction capacity was negatively related to Tafel corrosion potential and intensity ratio of I_D/I_G, but significantly positively-related to EDC of BC, in which EDC was a predominant attribute to contribute to reductive capacity toward Cr(VI) reduction. That is, greater EDC and higher graphitic carbon structure of biochar due to cellulose and hemicellulose components favor electron transfer of ZVI toward Cr(VI) reduction.

Recent Progress in the Application of Hydroxyapatite for the Adsorption of Heavy Metals from Water Matrices

Wastewater treatment remains a critical issue globally, despite various technological advancements and breakthroughs. The study of different materials and technologies gained new valences in the last years, in order to obtain cheap and efficient processes, to obtain a cleaner environment for future generations. In this context, the present review paper presents the new achievements in the materials domain with highlights on apatitic materials used for decontamination of water loaded with heavy metals. The main goal of this review is to present the adsorptive removal of heavy metals using hydroxyapatite-based adsorbents, offering a general overview regarding the recent progress in this particular area. Developing the current review, an attempt has been made to give appropriate recognition to the most recent data regarding the synthesis methods and targeted pollutants, including important information regarding the synthesis methods and precursors, morphological characteristics of the adsorbent materials and effectiveness of processes.