Investigation of Furfural Removal From Aqueous Solutions Using Modified Nanoclay With Nzvi Nanoparticles by the Green Synthesize: Isotherm, Kinetics and Recovery Study Publisher



Salimifard A ; Dastjerdi N ; Bahrami Asl FB ; Nazari SB ; Poureshgh Y ; Rashtbari Y ; Danandeh Z ; Rahmani MR
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research Published:2025

Abstract

Furfural is one of the industrial pollutants, and uncontrolled discharge of it into the receiving water bodies of industrial wastewater can cause various problems for the ecosystems downstream of these receiving streams. At present, nanoscale metals are mainly synthesized by chemical methods with unintended effects such as environmental pollution, large energy consumption, and potential health problems. Green synthesis is more beneficial than traditional chemical synthesis because it costs less, reduces pollution, and enhances environmental and human health safety. This research was conducted to remove furfural from aqueous solutions using modified nanoclay (nC) with zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) in a batch reactor. Additionally, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis were performed to identify the properties of the nanoparticles. The adsorption of furfural was measured with a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 278 nm. The efficiency of furfural removal has a direct and inverse relationship with the adsorbent dose and furfural concentration, respectively. The obtained results showed a better fit with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9885). The nC/nZVI adsorbent was effectively regenerated and reused for several cycles. Under ideal conditions, 46.1% of the used adsorbent was recovered after five cycles. These results demonstrate that locally modified nanoclay with nZVI nanoparticles is a promising and effective adsorbent for eliminating furfural. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.