MESOPOROUS SILICA PARTICLES FOR REMOVAL OF TOXIC, HEAVY METAL CATIONS FROM THE WATER SAMPLES

Abstract

Pollution of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems with toxic and heavy metals is a major environmental concern with serious public health implications. In this study, we investigated the size effects of synthesized mesoporous silica particles (~ 50 nm, ~ 200 nm, ~ 500 nm) on the removal rate of toxic and heavy metals in tap and river water. Chemical analysis before and after adsorption experiments revealed that mesoporous silica particles can effectively remove the As, Se, V, Sn, Sr, Al, and Fe elements from water. In particular, ~200 nm SiO2 particles (surface area ~ 748.46 m2/g) showed the highest As (91.4%), Al (98.5%), Fe (72.5%) and Sr (61.9%) removal rates after 30 min. Other factors, such as water pH and contact time, were investigated as well. The results showed that fabricated mesoporous silica particles can be used for the effective removal of some toxic and heavy metals from water.