Efficient treatment of ammonia-nitrogen contaminated waters by nano zero-valent iron/zeolite composite

Osama Eljamal; Ramadan Eljamal; Ibrahim Maamoun; Ahmed M E Khalil; Tamer Shubair; Omar Falyouna; Yuji Sugihara

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131990

Efficient treatment of ammonia-nitrogen contaminated waters by nano zero-valent iron/zeolite composite

Chemosphere. 2022 Jan;287(Pt 1):131990. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131990. Epub 2021 Aug 24.

Authors

Osama Eljamal¹, Ramadan Eljamal², Ibrahim Maamoun², Ahmed M E Khalil³, Tamer Shubair², Omar Falyouna², Yuji Sugihara⁴

Affiliations

¹ Water and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Advanced Environmental Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-Koen Kasuga, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan. Electronic address: osama-eljamal@kyudai.jp.
² Water and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Advanced Environmental Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-Koen Kasuga, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan.
³ College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QF, UK; Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt.
⁴ Environmental Fluid Science Laboratory, Department of Advanced Environmental Science and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-Koen Kasuga, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan.

PMID: 34454218
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131990

Abstract

The aim of the present study is developing a magnetic nanoscale zero-valent iron/zeolite (nZVI/Z) composite towards the efficient removal of ammonia-nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) from aqueous solutions. Series of batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of different factors on the removal efficiency, including pH effect, aerobic/anaerobic, NH₄⁺-N initial concentration, and temperature. The mixing mass ratio of nZVI/Z was optimized to reach the optimal ratio (0.25 g nZVI: 0.75 g zeolite), corresponding to the best removal efficiency of 85.7% after 120 min of reaction. Results revealed that nZVI/Z is efficient for NH₄⁺-N removal from water at a wide pH range (3.0-10.0), with superiority to the neutral conditions. Moreover, aerobic ambient and normal temperature of 25 °C were the optimal conditions for the removal process of NH₄⁺-N. Removal mechanisms involved electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, and adsorption. Generally, nZVI/Z has great potential towards the practical applications of NH₄⁺-N removal from water.

Keywords: Ammonia-nitrogen (NH(4)(+)-N); Isotherms; Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI); Removal efficiency; Zeolite (Z).

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Ammonia
Iron
Nitrogen
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Zeolites*

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Zeolites
Ammonia
Iron
Nitrogen