Oxyanion pollutants are reluctant to be removed from water. Some of the most widespread waterborne oxyanion contaminants include arsenate, chromate, and phosphate. Conventional metal oxide adsorbents (e.g., iron oxide, manganese oxide, and aluminum oxide) have been used for oxyanion removal, while the adsorption performance is strongly pH dependent and the adsorption capacity decreases significantly in neutral or slightly basic conditions that are most relevant to water treatment and purification. Here, we report the design of a class of bicomponent metal oxide adsorbents for oxyanion removal via incorporating rare earth element into conventional iron oxides. The material shows high adsorption capacity to various oxyanion pollutants in a wide range of pH conditions. In addition, the bicomponent metal oxide adsorbents exhibit enhanced chemical stability and significantly reduce the leaching of rare earth metal ions in various water matrices. We will use hexavalent chromium (i.e., Cr(VI), or chromate), a highly concerning metal oxyanion contaminant that has been listed in the third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR 3) by US EPA, as a model contaminant for illustrating the adsorption performance of this new material.

Removal of oxyanion pollutants from water by bicomponent metal oxide adsorbents

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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