Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
2.6
Journals
Metals
Special Issues
Heavy Metal Determination and Removal
share announcement

Heavy Metal Determination and Removal

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2017) | Viewed by 46932

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Seung-Mok Lee

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Health and Environment, Catholic Kwandong University, Gangneung, South Korea
Interests: adsorption of heavy metal ions in aqueous environment by using various advanced materials; wastewater treatment; green chemistry; environmental engineering; kinetic modeling; equilibrium
Prof. Dr. Jae-Kyu Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul 01897, Republic of Korea
Interests: advanced oxidation processes (AOPs); graphene-like carbon; nanomaterial; micropollutants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Diwakar Tiwari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Mizoram University, Aizawl-796004, India
Interests: heavy metals; removal; wastewater; remediation; speciation; bioremediation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The pollution of heavy metals is a special concern due to their non-biodegradability, persistence and tendency to accumulate in the environment. The presence of even trace amounts of heavy metal results in high volumes of contaminated water which possibly cause adverse effects to human health and other living organisms. Several techniques have been reported for the removal of toxic heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Some of the methods are costly and inefficient in controlling the toxicity levels in wastewater, and all traditional techniques have advantages and disadvantages in terms of their effectiveness, cost, and environmental impact. Alternatively, the traditional methods developed for the determination of heavy metal are expensive instruments, and fail to meet the requirement of being portable for onsite analysis. Therefore, the development of efficient and cost effective material or a new technique for the detection and removal of heavy metal remains a challenging task for environmentalists. This Special Issue aims to present the latest research related to advanced techniques for the determination of heavy metal, and the development of a sustainable system for the removal of toxic metals from contaminated water. Research reports associated with the determination and removal of heavy metal from soil are also welcome.

Prof. Seung-Mok Lee
Prof. Jae-Kyu Yang
Prof. Diwakar Tiwari
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Heavy metal
  • Arsenic
  • Heavy metal ions detection
  • Electrochemical sensor
  • Stripping voltammetry
  • Cyclic voltammetry
  • Bioremediation
  • Chemical precipitation
  • Ion exchange
  • Adsorption
  • Membrane filtration
  • Coagulation and flocculation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

2457 KiB  
Article
Effects of Matte Grade on the Distribution of Minor Elements (Pb, Zn, As, Sb, and Bi) in the Bottom Blown Copper Smelting Process
by Qinmeng Wang, Xueyi Guo, Qinghua Tian, Tao Jiang, Mao Chen and Baojun Zhao
Metals 2017, 7(11), 502; https://doi.org/10.3390/met7110502 - 14 Nov 2017
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 6394
Abstract
With increasing impurity contents in concentrates, the control of the minor elements is an important issue for the oxygen bottom blown copper smelting process (Shuikoushan process or SKS process). In this work, the distribution behaviors of the minor elements (such as Pb, Zn, [...] Read more.
With increasing impurity contents in concentrates, the control of the minor elements is an important issue for the oxygen bottom blown copper smelting process (Shuikoushan process or SKS process). In this work, the distribution behaviors of the minor elements (such as Pb, Zn, As, Sb, and Bi) among the matte, slag, and gas phases as a function of matte grades was investigated by adjusting the ratios of oxygen/ore in the SKS process. With a matte grade around 70%, about 82% As and 70% Bi enters the gas phase, and about 70% Sb and 64% Zn reports to the slag phase, while 55% lead enters the matte phase. The tendency of changes in the distribution of the minor elements in the SKS process is different from that in the Isasmelt process and the Flash smelting process. It may be concluded from this study that the distributions of the minor elements could be optimized to reduce adverse effects in the SKS process by regulating the matte grade. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metal Determination and Removal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

4753 KiB  
Article
Reaction Mechanism and Distribution Behavior of Arsenic in the Bottom Blown Copper Smelting Process
by Qinmeng Wang, Xueyi Guo, Qinghua Tian, Mao Chen and Baojun Zhao
Metals 2017, 7(8), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/met7080302 - 5 Aug 2017
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 8546
Abstract
The control of arsenic, a toxic and carcinogenic element, is an important issue for all copper smelters. In this work, the reaction mechanism and distribution behavior of arsenic in the bottom blown copper smelting process (SKS process) were investigated and compared to the [...] Read more.
The control of arsenic, a toxic and carcinogenic element, is an important issue for all copper smelters. In this work, the reaction mechanism and distribution behavior of arsenic in the bottom blown copper smelting process (SKS process) were investigated and compared to the flash smelting process. There are obvious differences of arsenic distribution in the SKS process and flash process, resulting from the differences of oxygen potentials, volatilizations, smelting temperatures, reaction intensities, and mass transfer processes. Under stable production conditions, the distributions of arsenic among matte, slag, and gas phases are 6%, 12%, and 82%, respectively. Less arsenic is reported in the gas phase with the flash process than with the SKS process. The main arsenic species in gas phase are AsS (g), AsO (g), and As2 (g). Arsenic exists in the slag predominantly as As2O3 (l), and in matte as As (l). High matte grade is harmful to the elimination of arsenic to gas. The changing of Fe/SiO2 has slight effects on the distributions of arsenic. In order to enhance the removal of arsenic from the SKS smelting system to the gas phase, low oxygen concentration, low ratios of oxygen/ore, and low matte grade should be chosen. In the SKS smelting process, no dust is recycled, and almost all dust is collected and further treated to eliminate arsenic and recover valuable metals by other process streams. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metal Determination and Removal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

4328 KiB  
Article
Simultaneous Removal of Hg(II) and Phenol Using Functionalized Activated Carbon Derived from Areca Nut Waste
by Lalhmunsiama, Seung Mok Lee, Suk Soon Choi and Diwakar Tiwari
Metals 2017, 7(7), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/met7070248 - 3 Jul 2017
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 6934
Abstract
Areca nut waste was utilized to obtain high surface area activated carbon (AC), and it was further functionalized with succinic anhydride under microwave irradiation. The surface morphology and surface functional groups of the materials were discussed with the help of scanning electron microscope(SEM) [...] Read more.
Areca nut waste was utilized to obtain high surface area activated carbon (AC), and it was further functionalized with succinic anhydride under microwave irradiation. The surface morphology and surface functional groups of the materials were discussed with the help of scanning electron microscope(SEM) images and fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) analysis. The specific surface area of the AC and functionalized-AC was obtained by the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, and found to be 367.303 and 308.032 m2/g, respectively. Batch experiments showed that higher pH favoured the removal of Hg(II), whereas the phenol removal was slightly affected by the changes in the solution pH. The kinetic data followed pseudo-first order kinetic model, and intra-particle diffusion played a significant role in the removal of both pollutants. The maximum sorption capacity of Hg(II) and phenol were evaluated using Langmuir adsorption isotherms, and found to be 11.23 and 5.37 mg/g, respectively. The removal of Hg(II) was significantly suppressed in the presence of chloride ions due to the formation of a HgCl2 species. The phenol was specifically adsorbed, forming the donor–acceptor complexes or π–π electron interactions at the surface of the solid. Further, a fixed-bed column study was conducted for both Hg(II) and phenol. The loading capacity of the column was estimated using the nonlinear Thomas equation, and found to be 2.49 and 2.70 mg/g, respectively. Therefore, the study showed that functionalized AC obtained from areca nut waste could be employed as a sustainable adsorbent for the simultaneous removal of Hg(II) and phenol from polluted water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metal Determination and Removal)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

1182 KiB  
Article
Separation and Pre-Concentration of Pb and Cd in Water Samples Using 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione (HTT) and Their Determination by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES)
by Nadavala Siva Kumar, Vummiti Dharmendra, Vudagandla Sreenivasulu, Mohammad Asif, Ahmed A. Ibrahim and Vysetti Balaram
Metals 2017, 7(7), 240; https://doi.org/10.3390/met7070240 - 29 Jun 2017
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4557
Abstract
A new method for the separation, pre-concentration and accurate determination of trace amounts of Pb and Cd in water samples using Amberlite XAD-16 resin functionalized with a new chelating ligand, 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione (HTT), Amberlite XAD-16-HTT and inductively coupled plasma atomic [...] Read more.
A new method for the separation, pre-concentration and accurate determination of trace amounts of Pb and Cd in water samples using Amberlite XAD-16 resin functionalized with a new chelating ligand, 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione (HTT), Amberlite XAD-16-HTT and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) is reported in the present study. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to characterize the chelating resin. The effects of analytical parameters such as the pH of the medium, amount of adsorbent, type and volume of eluent, flow rate of the sample solution, volume of the sample solution, and matrix interference on the retention of metal ions were investigated. Also, 1 M HNO3 was used for the elution of the sorbed metals, and ICP-AES was used for the analysis of elutes offline. The results indicate that pH 5 is the optimum pH for the sorption of Pb and Cd ions. The limit of detection was found to be 0.16 and 0.22 μg/L for Pb and Cd, respectively, by applying a pre-concentration factor of 50. The method was validated using the international water reference material (NIST 1643e). The developed enrichment method has a high selectivity, sensitivity, and reproducibility; this method was successfully applied for the determination of Pb and Cd in surface water samples collected in Nellore District, Penner River belt as well as Bay of Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, India. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metal Determination and Removal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

4696 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Adsorption Removal of Pb(II) and Cr(III) by Using Nickel Ferrite-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite
by Lakshmi Prasanna Lingamdinne, Im-Soon Kim, Jeong-Hyub Ha, Yoon-Young Chang, Janardhan Reddy Koduru and Jae-Kyu Yang
Metals 2017, 7(6), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/met7060225 - 19 Jun 2017
Cited by 53 | Viewed by 8487
Abstract
The heavy metals, such as Pb(II) and radioisotope Cr(III), in aqueous solutions are toxic even at trace levels and have caused adverse health impacts on human beings. Hence the removal of these heavy metals from the aqueous environment is of the utmost importance [...] Read more.
The heavy metals, such as Pb(II) and radioisotope Cr(III), in aqueous solutions are toxic even at trace levels and have caused adverse health impacts on human beings. Hence the removal of these heavy metals from the aqueous environment is of the utmost importance to protect biodiversity, hydrosphere ecosystems, and human beings. In this study, the reduced graphene oxide based inverse spinel nickel ferrite (rGONF) nanocomposite has been prepared and was utilized for the removal of Pb(II) and Cr(III) from aqueous solutions. The prepared rGONF has been confirmed by X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The surface characteristics of rGONF were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HR-TEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface analysis. The average particle size of rGONF was found to be 32.0 ± 2.0 nm. The surface site density for the specific surface area (Ns) of rGONF was found to be 0.00238 mol·g−1, which was higher than that of the graphene oxide (GO) and NiFe2O4, which was expected. The prepared rGONF has been successfully applied for the removal of Pb(II) and Cr(III) by batch mode. The batch adsorption studies concluded that the adsorption of Pb(II) and Cr(III) onto rGONF was rapid and the adsorption percentage was more than 99% for both metal ions. The adsorption isotherm results found that the adsorptive removal of both metal ions onto rGONF occurred through monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface of rGONF. The pH-edge adsorption results suggest the adsorption occurs through an inner-sphere surface complex, which is proved by 2-pKa-diffusion model fitting, where the pH-edge adsorption data was well fitted. The adsorption of metal ions increased with increasing temperature. The overall obtained results demonstrated that the rGONF was an effective adsorbent for Pb(II) and Cr(III) removal from wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metal Determination and Removal)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

3064 KiB  
Article
Diatoms and Their Capability for Heavy Metal Removal by Cationic Exchange
by Juan Hernández-Ávila, Eleazar Salinas-Rodríguez, Eduardo Cerecedo-Sáenz, Ma. Isabel Reyes-Valderrama, Alberto Arenas-Flores, Alma Delia Román-Gutiérrez and Ventura Rodríguez-Lugo
Metals 2017, 7(5), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/met7050169 - 12 May 2017
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 6106
Abstract
This work shows the physicochemical behavior of two different diatoms from the country of Mexico (State of Jalisco and Hidalgo) with similar compositions. These were used to eliminate toxic cations from a synthetic solution containing 5.270 mg As3+/L; 4.280 mg Ag [...] Read more.
This work shows the physicochemical behavior of two different diatoms from the country of Mexico (State of Jalisco and Hidalgo) with similar compositions. These were used to eliminate toxic cations from a synthetic solution containing 5.270 mg As3+/L; 4.280 mg Ag+/L; 3.950 mgNi2+/L; 4.090 mg Cr6+/L; and 4.081 mg Pb2+/L. These diatoms were used as filters, and the quantity of cations remaining in the solution after filtering was measured. According to the most important results found, for the recovery of metals, both minerals achieved arsenic, silver, lead, and nickel recoveries up to 95%, and lower than 10% for chromium. This could be due to the absence of an environment to reduce Cr6+ to Cr3+. On the other hand, it was observed that there was no selectivity during the recovery of the other cations present in the solution. According to efficiency of interchange, the mineral from Hidalgo is slightly better than the mineral from Jalisco for the removal of arsenic, lead, and silver. For nickel, and particularly Cr6+, the efficiency is higher for the sample from Jalisco. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metal Determination and Removal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

3793 KiB  
Article
Efficient Use of Porous Hybrid Materials in a Selective Detection of Lead(II) from Aqueous Solutions: An Electrochemical Study
by Zirlianngura, Diwakar Tiwari, Jeong-Hyub Ha and Seung-Mok Lee
Metals 2017, 7(4), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/met7040124 - 20 Apr 2017
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4746
Abstract
Due to health and pollution concerns of aquatic environments related to the presence of heavy metal toxic ions, the necessity of developing devices able to detect and to monitor such kinds of species has recently gained importance. Carbon paste electrodes (CPEs) a starting [...] Read more.
Due to health and pollution concerns of aquatic environments related to the presence of heavy metal toxic ions, the necessity of developing devices able to detect and to monitor such kinds of species has recently gained importance. Carbon paste electrodes (CPEs) a starting approach to obtain new ion-selective devices by supporting materials like bentonite and/or clay; which become sensitive to lead(II) when they are suitably modified by chemical treatments to obtain different hybrid materials. In this work, two natural clays and three different hybrid materials were produced and then were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to assess their physico-chemical properties. After this stage, the electrochemical characterization of the modified CPEs using hybrid materials was performed by cyclic voltammetry, using the standard Fe(CN)64−/Fe(CN)63− redox couple. Subsequently, this study performed electrochemical experiments on lead(II) containing solutions, to test the ability of the examined CPEs to detect this toxic ion present in very low amounts. Lead(II) exhibited a reversible two electron oxidation/reduction behaviour in the cyclic voltammetry analyses and a reasonably good linear behaviour of the current associated with the oxidation peak as a function of its concentration (5.0–40.0 μg/L). The detection limit was found to vary in the range of 3–5 μg/L for the different modified CPEs. The presence of several co-existing ions showed that an interference variation had occurred. These results, therefore, show a restriction of the selectivity of the electrode up to a certain extent in the lead(II) detection. Finally, tap water with spiked lead(II) was analyzed to verify the suitability of the electrodes in the low level detection of lead(II) from real matrix samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Heavy Metal Determination and Removal)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-7
Back to TopTop