Fabrication of Fe3O4 based cellulose acetate mixed matrix membranes for As(iii) removal from wastewater

Water poisoning due to arsenic is getting worse worldwide because of its serious health hazards and carcinogenic nature. A productive method is required to remove it from water to protect the environment and human life. In this direction, iron oxide (Fe₃O₄)/cellulose acetate (CA)-based mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated by varying the concentration of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles from 0–2 wt% using the phase inversion method for efficient As(III) removal. The impact of Fe₃O₄ on the membranes' surface morphology and mechanical properties was analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed for chemical functionalities and phase structure analysis. Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) is used to detect the As(III) concentration in water samples. The As(III) adsorption experiments were performed at different concentrations with varying time intervals, and the coefficient of determination and sum of square error function were used to conduct the analysis. The results were best fitted into the Langmuir isotherm model (R² > 0.99) with a maximum adsorption capacity of 90.3 mg g⁻¹. The pseudo-second-order and Weber-Morris models were used to examine intra-particle diffusion as a rate-limiting step. According to membrane performance tests, the nanoparticles' addition increased the hydrophilicity and water flux, improving the membranes' permeability, wettability, and porosity. It was found that a 2 wt% loading of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in the MMM achieved a maximum percentage As(III) removal efficiency of 93%. This study shows that these membranes can efficiently remove As(III) from contaminated water because of their adsorption and filtration properties.