Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron Dispersed by Sodium Alginate Enables Highly Efficient Removal of Lead (Pb) from Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Nanozero-valent iron (NZVI) shows great potential in the remediation of water pollution, but its application is limited by its instability and tendency to aggregate. To enhance the dispersibility and antioxidant properties of NZVI, we prepared composites (SN) by wrapping NZVI with sodium alginate (SA) for the removal of Pb(II) from water. Various characterization methods such as SEM-EDS, BET, XPS, and FT-IR were used to study the structure of the materials, and the adsorption properties of Pb(II) in the materials were analyzed using adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm experiments. The results showed that SN had a specific surface area of 47.05 m2/g, which was significantly higher than the 7.56 m2/g of NZVI, and the surface passivation was reduced. The maximum adsorption amount of SN on Pb(II) was obtained by fitting the adsorption isotherm model at 70.92 mg/g. After five cycles of adsorption, SN exhibited a removal rate of 95.11% for Pb(II). The mechanism of Pb(II) removal by SN involved the synergistic effect of electrostatic adsorption, redox reaction, ion exchange, and coprecipitation. Notably, even after 90 days of aging, the removal rate of Pb(II) by SN remained high at 95.39%, demonstrating good reactivity. These results indicated that SN is an effective adsorbent to remove Pb(II) contamination.