Development of Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles for the Removal of Some Toxic Metals from Pharmaceutical Wastewater

Abstract

Among the most significant sources of environmental contamination are pharmaceutical wastewaters, which are often contaminated  with heavy metals that pose significant threats to ecosystems as well as public health. The nanoparticles was characterized using XRD,  HRSEM/EDX and FTIR. The XRD analysis of the nanoparticles identified 2θ (theta), of 30.2º, 36.3º, 44.2º, 54.3º, 58.2º, 63.5º, and 74.6º which  correspond to the crystal lattice planes of (220), (311), (400), (422), (511), (440), and (533), respectively. The diffraction peaks associated  with Fe3O4 at 2θ of 18.02º, 29.4º, and 43.3º, related to the crystal planes of (111), (220), and (400), respectively of the Fe₃O₄ phase. The  HRSEM image of the nanoparticles exhibited spherical-shaped structures of Fe3O4, and some irregular shapes. The effects of the dosage;  consequently, the impact of the quantity of adsorbent used, ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 g, has been investigated. The results  indicate that as the amount of adsorbent is increased from 0.1 to 0.3 g, the effectiveness of adsorption improves, while temperature, the  efficiency improved from 50.03% to 78.01% for Pb ions, from 52.15% to 82.43% for Cd ions, and from 56.41% to 88.71% for Cu ions and  contact time; the removal efficiency for Pb ions rises from 25.49% to 68.43%, for Cd ions from 29.30% to 75.71%, and for Cu ions from  31.08% to 78.31%, respectively, on the removal percentage of toxic metal ions were studied.. This research offers a sustainable and eco- friendly solution to mitigate toxic metal contamination in pharmaceutical effluents, protecting the environment and human well-being  while advancing the field of wastewater treatment.