Metal

Environmental pollution

Adsorption

Engineering

Magnetite

Oxide

Nanoparticle

Ecology

Biology

Metallurgy

Materials science

Ferric

Iron oxide

Environmental remediation

Inorganic chemistry

Chemical engineering

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Environmental chemistry

Contamination

Iron oxide nanoparticles

Environmental science

Heavy metals

Nanomaterials

Environmental protection

Zerovalent iron

Chemistry

Maghemite

Ferrous

Hematite

Journal of Water Process Engineering

With increasing trend in industrialization, heavy metals possess a great threat to the environment due to their discharge in water and wastewater above permissible limits. Heavy metals have toxic effects on human and environment. However, advancement in newly budding and fangled nanotechnology offers better treatment techniques. Development of novel and cost-effective 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D nanomaterials for environmental remediation, pollution detection and other applications has attracted considerable attention. Zero valent iron and iron oxide nanoparticles are found to be the best candidates for heavy metal adsorption and removal. Various mechanical, optical and electrical properties of nanoparticles play important role in nanoparticle formation and interaction. Forms of iron oxide such as hematite (α Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles of varied morphology and size (10 nm, 20 nm, 50 nm etc.) were synthesized by various methods like sol-gel, precipitation, hydrothermal processes and magnetic nano-composites with different iron precursors (iron acetate, iron nitrate, ferric chloride, ferrous sulphate etc.). Iron oxide nanoparticles (in a variety of chemical and structural forms) have already exhibited its diversity and potential in many frontiers of environmental area. Present review is focused on the application of iron and iron oxide nanoparticles towards heavy metal removal.

A review on nanotechnological application of magnetic iron oxides for heavy metal removal