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Green-synthesized nanosize Mont-supported Fe0 via tea extract for enhanced transport and in situ remediation of Pb(II) in soil

  • Soils, Sec 2 • Global Change, Environ Risk Assess, Sustainable Land Use • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

Lead (Pb(II)) can be accumulated in soil and transferred to humans via the food chain. Therefore, it is essential to improve Pb(II) immobilization during soil remediation.

Materials and methods

Nanosized zero-valent iron (nZVI) from green tea extract (tea polyphenols, TPs) was successfully synthesized as an additive reductant. Further, the nZVI was supported on montmorillonite (Mont), resulting in a GT-nZVI@Mont composite characterized by multiple techniques, including Zeta potential, SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS. Moreover, the transport experiments and the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) were conducted to identify the optimum conditions (i.e., GT-nZVI@Mont dosage, Pb(II) concentration, and pH) for the remediation.

Results and discussion

The experimental results showed that the enhanced transportability of GT-nZVI@Mont was about 40% more than that of GT-nZVI. Meanwhile, Pb(II) immobilization was increased at various pH values (especially under anoxic conditions). The Pb(II) immobilization capacity of GT-nZVI@Mont was 900.8 mg∙g-1 (per unit of Fe content), which was significantly higher than 530.1 mg∙g-1 per unit of Fe content in GT-nZVI. Such enhancement could be ascribed to the synergistic effects of the wrapped TP around the Fe0 core and the Mont interlayer support, capable of protecting the Fe0 surface from further oxidation. When GT-nZVI@Mont reacted with the Pb(II) in soil, TPs’ unwrapped coverage increased the reaction sites of Fe0 cores for Pb(II) reduction and adsorption.

Conclusions

GT-nZVI@Mont with sufficient transportability provided efficient in situ remediation of Pb(II) in contaminated soil at a wide pH range.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to appreciate the project financially funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21777110), and Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material for Water Treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China

    Han Yang, Zhi Ye, Nan Xu, Jing Yang & Zihan Yao

  2. School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China

    Han Yang, Zhi Ye, Fang Feng, Jing Yang, Zihan Yao & Zuling Li

  3. School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China

    Jianping Chen

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  1. Han Yang
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  2. Zhi Ye
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  3. Fang Feng
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  4. Nan Xu
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  5. Jing Yang
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  6. Zihan Yao
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  7. Zuling Li
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Correspondence to Nan Xu or Jianping Chen.

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Yang, H., Ye, Z., Feng, F. et al. Green-synthesized nanosize Mont-supported Fe0 via tea extract for enhanced transport and in situ remediation of Pb(II) in soil. J Soils Sediments 21, 2540–2550 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-021-02950-x

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