Fabrication of Mixed Matrix Membrane utilizing Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Arsenic Removal from Wastewater

Abstract

Water poisoning with arsenic is getting worse all across the world because of its serious health hazards and carcinogenic nature. With the growing population of Pakistan, Its concentration level is increasing. In order to meet the WHO standards for safe drinking water, a productive method is required for removing arsenic from water sources. In this study, iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles with Cellulose Acetate (CA) as a polymer and Tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a solvent have been utilized in mixed matrix membrane (MMM) for efficient removal of arsenic from water. CA/Fe3O4 based MMMs are fabricated by utilizing the phase inversion method. Concentration of Fe3O4 nanoparticles in membranes ranges from 0-2 wt. %. Several instrumentation techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transfrom Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed to characterize Fe3O4 nanoparticles and fabricated membranes. Membrane perfromance is analyzed using water content, contact angle and porosity measurements. Both the pristine membrane and the fabricated Fe3O4 incorporated mixed matrix membranes exhibited prominent improvement in pure water flux and hydrophilicity with an addition in nanoparticles up to 2 wt. % loading. For removal of arsenic, dead end filtration experiment perfromed and obtained water samples got tested using Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) for the determination of arsenic concentration in it. It was found that maximum 85 % of arsenic removal efficiency was obtained with 2 wt % of Fe3O4 in CA membranes. The nanoparticles contained membranes show greater removal efficiency and water flux than pristine CA membrane.