A New and Efficient Method for the Adsorption and Separation of Arsenic Metal Ion from Mining Waste Waters of Zarshouran Gold Mine by Magnetic Solid-Phase Extraction with Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles

Widespread arsenic contamination of mining wastewater of Zarshouran (West Azerbaijan province) has led to a massive epidemic of arsenic poisoning in the whole of surrounding areas. It is estimated that approximately all agriculture fields are being irrigated with the water that its arsenic concentrations elevated above the World Health Organization’s standard of 10 parts per billion. A novel advanced magnetic matter adsorbent using magnetite embedded within nanosized Fe3O4 was prepared and applied for separation of arsenic metal ion from aqueous solution. This adsorbent combines the advantages of magnetic nanoparticles with magnetic separability and high affinity toward arsenic metal ions, which provides distinctive merits including easy preparation, high adsorption capacity, and easy isolation from sample solutions by the application of an external magnetic field. The adsorption behaviors of arsenic from an aqueous medium, using iron magnetite nanoparticles were studied by using equilibrium batch and column flow techniques. The effects of pH, contents of loaded magnetic matter nanoparticles, ionic strength, adsorbent dose, contact time, and temperature on adsorption capacity of the magnetic beads were investigated. All the results suggested that the mentioned nanoparticles could be excellent adsorbents for As(II) and As(III) contaminated water treatment.