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
AI Is Overheating. This New Technology Could Be the Fix
Engineers have developed a passive evaporative cooling membrane that dramatically improves heat removal for electronics and data centers Engineers at the University of California San Diego have created an innovative cooling system designed to greatly enhance [...]
New nanomedicine wipes out leukemia in animal study
In a promising advance for cancer treatment, Northwestern University scientists have re-engineered the molecular structure of a common chemotherapy drug, making it dramatically more soluble and effective and less toxic. In the new study, [...]
Mystery Solved: Scientists Find Cause for Unexplained, Deadly Diseases
A study reveals that a protein called RPA is essential for maintaining chromosome stability by stimulating telomerase. New findings from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggest that problems with a key protein that helps preserve chromosome stability [...]
Nanotech Blocks Infection and Speed Up Chronic Wound Recovery
A new nanotech-based formulation using quercetin and omega-3 fatty acids shows promise in halting bacterial biofilms and boosting skin cell repair. Scientists have developed a nanotechnology-based treatment to fight bacterial biofilms in wound infections. The [...]
Researchers propose five key questions for effective adoption of AI in clinical practice
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool that physicians can use to help diagnose their patients and has great potential to improve accuracy, efficiency and patient safety, it has its drawbacks. It [...]
Advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment
A comprehensive review in "Biofunct. Mater." meticulously details the most recent advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment. This paper presents an exhaustive overview of subtype-specific nanostrategies, the clinical benefits [...]
It’s Not “All in Your Head”: Scientists Develop Revolutionary Blood Test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A 96% accurate blood test for ME/CFS could transform diagnosis and pave the way for future long COVID detection. Researchers from the University of East Anglia and Oxford Biodynamics have created a highly accurate [...]
How Far Can the Body Go? Scientists Find the Ultimate Limit of Human Endurance
Even the most elite endurance athletes can’t outrun biology. A new study finds that humans hit a metabolic ceiling at about 2.5 times their resting energy burn. When ultra-runners take on races that last [...]
World’s Rivers “Overdosing” on Human Antibiotics, Study Finds
Researchers estimate that approximately 8,500 tons of antibiotics enter river systems each year after passing through the human body and wastewater treatment processes. Rivers spanning millions of kilometers across the globe are contaminated with [...]
Yale Scientists Solve a Century-Old Brain Wave Mystery
Yale scientists traced gamma brain waves to thalamus-cortex interactions. The discovery could reveal how brain rhythms shape perception and disease. For more than a century, scientists have observed rhythmic waves of synchronized neuronal activity [...]
Can introducing peanuts early prevent allergies? Real-world data confirms it helps
New evidence from a large U.S. primary care network shows that early peanut introduction, endorsed in 2015 and 2017 guidelines, was followed by a marked decline in clinician-diagnosed peanut and overall food allergies among [...]
Nanoparticle blueprints reveal path to smarter medicines
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the delivery vehicles of modern medicine, carrying cancer drugs, gene therapies and vaccines into cells. Until recently, many scientists assumed that all LNPs followed more or less the same blueprint, [...]
How nanomedicine and AI are teaming up to tackle neurodegenerative diseases
When I first realized the scale of the challenge posed by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), I felt simultaneously humbled and motivated. These disorders are not caused [...]
Self-Organizing Light Could Transform Computing and Communications
USC engineers have demonstrated a new kind of optical device that lets light organize its own route using the principles of thermodynamics. Instead of relying on switches or digital control, the light finds its own [...]
Groundbreaking New Way of Measuring Blood Pressure Could Save Thousands of Lives
A new method that improves the accuracy of interpreting blood pressure measurements taken at the ankle could be vital for individuals who are unable to have their blood pressure measured on the arm. A newly developed [...]
Scientist tackles key roadblock for AI in drug discovery
The drug development pipeline is a costly and lengthy process. Identifying high-quality "hit" compounds—those with high potency, selectivity, and favorable metabolic properties—at the earliest stages is important for reducing cost and accelerating the path [...]
