Effects of phosphate on the dispersion stability and coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation removal efficiency of anatase nanoparticles

Fangyuan Liu; Chunpeng Zhang; Tianrui Zhao; Yilin Zu; Xuan Wu; Bowen Li; Xin Xing; Jia Niu; Xiaochen Chen; Chuanyu Qin

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.02.162

Effects of phosphate on the dispersion stability and coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation removal efficiency of anatase nanoparticles

Chemosphere. 2019 Jun:224:580-587. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.02.162. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Authors

Fangyuan Liu¹, Chunpeng Zhang², Tianrui Zhao³, Yilin Zu⁴, Xuan Wu⁵, Bowen Li¹, Xin Xing⁶, Jia Niu⁷, Xiaochen Chen⁸, Chuanyu Qin¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
² Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China. Electronic address: zhang_cp@jlu.edu.cn.
³ Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
⁴ Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
⁵ Fujian Provincial Engineering Research Center for High-value Utilization Technology of Plant Resources, College of Environment and Resources, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China.
⁶ State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
⁷ Center of Safe and Energy-saving Engineering Technology for Urban Water Supply and Drainage System, School of Ecological Environment and Urban Construction, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou, 350118, China.
⁸ Fujian Provincial Engineering Research Center for High-value Utilization Technology of Plant Resources, College of Environment and Resources, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, China. Electronic address: chenxiaochen@fzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 30844589
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.02.162

Abstract

This study investigates the behavior and fate of TiO₂ NPs in conventional water treatment (coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation) under the influence of waterborne phosphate, focusing on the phosphate uptake rate, surface interactions, and dispersion stability and removal efficiency of TiO₂ NPs. The adsorption of HPO₄^2- ions on TiO₂ NPs (i.e., surface complexation in solution) causes displacement of carbonate species. Moreover, adsorption experiments indicates that complexation of inorganic anions on the surfaces of TiO₂ NPs can occur rapidly, within a 5 min time frame. This study confirmed that phosphate would affect the surface charge of the TiO₂ NPs; thus, the bridging effect during coagulation may also be hindered by phosphate becoming attached to TiO₂ NP surfaces. This information will contribute to nanotechnology-related water safety and water treatment technology.

Keywords: Coagulation; Phosphate; Removal of nanoparticles; Water safety.

MeSH terms

Flocculation
Nanoparticles / chemistry*
Phosphates / chemistry*
Titanium / chemistry*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification*
Water Purification / methods*

Substances

Phosphates
Water Pollutants, Chemical
titanium dioxide
Titanium