Synthesis of Dispersed Magnetic Fe3O4 Nanohydrogel Based on Gelatine by Gamma Irradiation for Toxic Heavy Metals Removal

Abstract

Heavy metals are among the problematic groups of contaminants. They are discharged from various industries. The wastewater disposed by heavy metals is causing major hazards to the environment. Different hydrogels based on Gelatin (gelt/AAm/EDTA) and nano- (Fe₃O₄/gelt/AAm/EDTA) were prepared by gamma radiation at 60 KGy and employed for heavy metals elimination. The structure and surface morphology of the manufactured hydrogels were confirmed with FTIR, X-ray, surface area, and SEM. The prepared hydrogels were characterized in terms of their gel content. The swelling properties were studied as a function of time. This research aims to investigate the adsorption properties of diverse hydrogels concerning heavy metal ions, specifically copper, cobalt, and nickel. The impact of key experimental factors, including initial metal concentration, temperature, time, and pH, was inspected via batch adsorption experiments utilizing atomic absorption spectroscopy. It was found that the adsorption of Cu⁺²‏, Co^+2‏ and Ni⁺²‏ ions is pH-dependent, and the optimal pH for adsorption of Cu⁺² is pH 4‏, Co⁺² ‏is 5, and Ni⁺²‏ is 4. The highest metals removal was copper, nickel, and cobalt ions by nano (Fe₃O₄/gelt/AAm/EDTA) hydrogel with removal percent 98.5% for Cu⁺², 96.8%for Ni⁺², and 93.9%for Co⁺².

Graphical Abstract