TARGETED ELIMINATION OF HEAVY METALS FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER: SYNERGISTIC EFFECT OF NANO METAL OXIDES

Abstract

Background: Unprocessed solutions containing hazardous heavy metals, even in trace amounts, exert a detrimental impact on human health and pose a threat to biodiversity, hydrosphere ecosystems, and communities. Liquid waste containing heavy metals has been found to pose a notable threat to the environment. Method: In this study, nano NiO, MnO, and NiMnO3 were synthesized and characterized systematically. The nano metal oxides were used as an adsorbent for the elimination of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. Significant Findings: In view of this, the efficacy of synthesized metal oxides as potential sorbents is investigated to chelate Pb (II) ions which are present as one of the major contaminants of industrial effluents. Three adsorption systems viz., Pb(II) – NiO, Pb(II) - MnO, and Pb(II) – NiMnO3 mixture were experimentally verified by Batch equilibration and fixed bed column methods. Pre and post-run sorbent materials are characterized using SEM and EDAX analyses to examine the appropriate changes. A trial fixed bed column was run for the effluent sample, wherein 98% Pb (II) removal was registered against 96 % as observed in Batch mode. This emphasizes the potential of the synthesized metal oxides as efficient sorbents for addressing heavy metal contamination in industrial wastewater.