Abstract
In recent years, more focus has been placed on integrated metal removal processes. Electrokinetic (EK) treatment is superior to other technologies because it can be applied to a variety of mediums. Green nanoparticles, on the other hand, have the potential to significantly reduce pollutant concentrations in a short period of time. In this study, we investigated the possibility of combining green zero-valent iron (nZVI) with EK on Cd and Zn-contaminated sediment. For green synthesis, extracts of dry leaves of mulberry (ML-nZVI) and oak (OL-nZVI) were used, both abundantly present in the Republic of Serbia. The results show that, despite the fact that their availability was greatly reduced, the metals were concentrated and stabilized to a significant extent in the middle of the EK cell (z/L 0.5) after all treatments. When the results were compared, OL-nZVI proved to be a more effective nanomaterial even with smaller doses of OL-nZVI, which is important in terms of achieving better economic benefits. This study identified green nano zero-valent iron as a powerful tool for metal removal when combined with electrokinetic (EK) treatment, which improves green nZVI longevity and migration. This study of the combined green nZVI—EK remediation treatment, in particular, will have an impact on future research in this field, given the achieved efficiency.
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Acknowledgements
The research was financed by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, #7753609, BEuSED. We are also grateful to Srđan Rakić from Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia for X-ray diffraction analysis.
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Duduković, N., Slijepčević, N., Tomašević Pilipović, D. et al. Integrated application of green zero-valent iron and electrokinetic remediation of metal-polluted sediment. Environ Geochem Health 45, 5943–5960 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01609-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01609-5