The latest study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production focuses on the effective utilization of magnetic nanoparticles for the primary purpose of water treatment to remove toxic wastes such as organic substances, hazardous metal ions, radioisotopes, and other hazardous substances.
Why is the Development of Effective Treatment Solutions Necessary?
The availability of safe freshwater is essential for a sustainable ecosystem and all the species residing in it. Industrial and domestic anthropogenic activities are the primary causes of the discharge of pollutants such as microorganisms, toxic metals, and organic pigments.
All such factors jeopardize the likelihood of availability of pure water and may cause long-term permanent damage as well as the genetic alteration in living species, leading to mortality via long-term overdose of toxins. As a result, the sustainable deployment of efficient, dependable, and relatively inexpensive wastewater treatment technologies is critical.
What are Magnetic Nanoparticles?
Magnetic nanoparticles constitute several metals, including Fe (Iron) and Cobalt (Co) which impart advantageous magnetic properties that can be altered by varying an external magnetic field.
These substances are nontoxic, and their extensive size distribution (comprising of a few nanometers to a few micrometers) allows them to be specifically used in a variety of biochemical functions.
Advantages of Magnetic Nanoparticles
MNPs have been frequently used for pollutants removal due to their numerous benefits, including substantial upscale manufacturing, adjustable characteristics, simple crosslinking, eco-friendliness, reusability, and chemical stability.
Owing to their diverse concentrations and structures, they can absorb pollutants from water bodies. They have been specially created for a multitude of ecological applications founded mainly on the separation process and adsorptive properties.
Additionally, their exterior qualities can be altered to increase the interaction with the contaminants that need to be isolated. MNPs are very inexpensive and have good recycling properties following dye adsorption. These are the primary causative factors for the inclusion of magnetic absorbent compounds in several experiments to be viable options for removing a wide range of water pollutants.
Utilization In Removal of Heavy Metal Ions
Harmful metallic substances enter water systems primarily via mining, textiles, insecticides, pigments, and chemical waste metallurgical processes, leading to metallic carcinogens that are hazardous to all animals. Such ions can accumulate in biological systems and their organs, such as the nervous system, liver, and renal organs. After prolonged exposure, they can inflict long-term injury to the body.
Since such ions are non-biodegradable, conventional techniques such as sedimentation processing, centrifugation, membrane filtration, and cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) have been applied for their removal. These newly produced MNPs are distinguished by the presence of carboxylic and hydroxyl functionalities, which exhibit outstanding magnetization and aqueous miscibility, making them perfect for the abatement of Arsenic and Vanadium ions.
Additionally, a magnetized chitin bio-absorbent with graphene nanoparticles and chitosan has been developed for recovering Lead ions from aquatic wastes.
Are MNPs Effective for Adsorption of Organic Waste?
Organic chemical contamination of ecological resources via a range of commercial origins due to rising industrialization is a great challenge worldwide. Numerous organic substances (preservatives, polyphenols, herbicides, and so forth) have been discovered in quantities exceeding the acceptable amount in drinking water, inducing mutagenicity and neurotoxicity in humans.
MNPs have sparked great enthusiasm in water treatment as sorbent materials owing primarily due to their rapid segregation and complexation with an applied magnetic field. Non-coated and methyl acrylic acid (MAA)-coated MNPs were used to remove phenolic substances from water solution, with phenol extraction efficacy of 550 mg g-1 for uncovered MNPs and 950 mg g-1 for coated MNPs.
Furthermore, integrating magnetized and carbon-based substances has added the advantages of rapid removal with elevated recyclability efficacy.
Utilization in Dye Absorption and Radioactive Substances
Many novel platforms, such as graphite, silicon, quartz, and CNTs, are made from metal oxides and utilized to extract dyes, notably bromothymol blue. Because of the increased use of nuclear energy, radioisotopes and toxic nuclear materials are discharged into the drinking water.
A magnetized chitosan nanocomposite has been created to eliminate extra radioactive particles from contaminated water. The findings indicated that the produced magnetic nanoparticles effectively absorbed radioactive elements such as Thorium.
Future Perspective
Considerable work has been done in the past few years, notably with the shift from pure MNPs that employ the physical adsorption method to polymerized MNPs that have exhibited significant improvements in sorption.
Quantitative quantum modeling should be used to study the morphology, properties, and physical adsorption of MNPs. This would result in an enhanced comprehension of such nanoparticles leading to improved separation properties and increased commercialization.
News
Gold Nanoclusters Could Supercharge Quantum Computers
Researchers found that gold “super atoms” can behave like the atoms in top-tier quantum systems—only far easier to scale. These tiny clusters can be customized at the molecular level, offering a powerful, tunable foundation [...]
A single shot of HPV vaccine may be enough to fight cervical cancer, study finds
WASHINGTON -- A single HPV vaccination appears just as effective as two doses at preventing the viral infection that causes cervical cancer, researchers reported Wednesday. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is very common and spread [...]
New technique overcomes technological barrier in 3D brain imaging
Scientists at the Swiss Light Source SLS have succeeded in mapping a piece of brain tissue in 3D at unprecedented resolution using X-rays, non-destructively. The breakthrough overcomes a long-standing technological barrier that had limited [...]
Scientists Uncover Hidden Blood Pattern in Long COVID
Researchers found persistent microclot and NET structures in Long COVID blood that may explain long-lasting symptoms. Researchers examining Long COVID have identified a structural connection between circulating microclots and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). The [...]
This Cellular Trick Helps Cancer Spread, but Could Also Stop It
Groups of normal cbiells can sense far into their surroundings, helping explain cancer cell migration. Understanding this ability could lead to new ways to limit tumor spread. The tale of the princess and the [...]
New mRNA therapy targets drug-resistant pneumonia
Bacteria that multiply on surfaces are a major headache in health care when they gain a foothold on, for example, implants or in catheters. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have found [...]
Current Heart Health Guidelines Are Failing To Catch a Deadly Genetic Killer
New research reveals that standard screening misses most people with a common inherited cholesterol disorder. A Mayo Clinic study reports that current genetic screening guidelines overlook most people who have familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited disorder that [...]
Scientists Identify the Evolutionary “Purpose” of Consciousness
Summary: Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum explore why consciousness evolved and why different species developed it in distinct ways. By comparing humans with birds, they show that complex awareness may arise through different neural architectures yet [...]
Novel mRNA therapy curbs antibiotic-resistant infections in preclinical lung models
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and collaborators have reported early success with a novel mRNA-based therapy designed to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The findings, published in Nature Biotechnology, show that in [...]
New skin-permeable polymer delivers insulin without needles
A breakthrough zwitterionic polymer slips through the skin’s toughest barriers, carrying insulin deep into tissue and normalizing blood sugar, offering patients a painless alternative to daily injections. A recent study published in the journal Nature examines [...]
Multifunctional Nanogels: A Breakthrough in Antibacterial Strategies
Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern - from human health to crop survival. A new study successfully uses nanogels to target and almost entirely inhibit the bacteria P. Aeruginosa. Recently published in Angewandte Chemie, the study [...]
Nanoflowers rejuvenate old and damaged human cells by replacing their mitochondria
Biomedical researchers at Texas A&M University may have discovered a way to stop or even reverse the decline of cellular energy production—a finding that could have revolutionary effects across medicine. Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar [...]
The Stunning New Push to Protect the Invisible 99% of Life
Scientists worldwide have joined forces to build the first-ever roadmap for conserving Earth’s vast invisible majority—microbes. Their new IUCN Specialist Group reframes conservation by elevating microbial life to the same urgency as plants and [...]
Scientists Find a Way to Help the Brain Clear Alzheimer’s Plaques Naturally
Scientists have discovered that the brain may have a built-in way to fight Alzheimer’s. By activating a protein called Sox9, researchers were able to switch on star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes and turn them into [...]
Vision can be rebooted in adults with amblyopia, study suggests
Temporarily anesthetizing the retina briefly reverts the activity of the visual system to that observed in early development and enables growth of responses to the amblyopic eye, new research shows. In the common vision [...]
Ultrasound-activated Nanoparticles Kill Liver Cancer and Activate Immune System
A new ultrasound-guided nanotherapy wipes out liver tumors while training the immune system to keep them from coming back. The study, published in Nano Today, introduces a biodegradable nanoparticle system that combines sonodynamic therapy and cell [...]
