article · The Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research
Water purification using ultrafiltration membranes often faces limitations linked to chemical toxicity and fouling. To develop safer alternatives, researchers produced zinc oxide nanoparticles using the blue-green alga Arthrospira platensis and embedded them into cellulose acetate membranes via phase inversion. The study assessed different nanoparticle concentrations to determine their effect on membrane structure, water flux, and heavy metal extraction. The formulation incorporating three weight percent of zinc oxide nanoparticles achieved the strongest results, removing 94.77 percent of toxic hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions. This optimal membrane also displayed significantly improved surface hydrophilicity and yielded a 53 percent increase in water flux compared to plain cellulose acetate membranes. Adsorption analysis indicated compliance with pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model, presenting a biologically derived approach for treating contaminated water.
Hexavalent chromium is a dangerous water pollutant, but conventional synthetic treatment membranes can carry ecological risks and suffer from poor flow rates. Using algae to create nanoparticle-enhanced membranes provides a greener, non-toxic manufacturing alternative. This method improves water throughput while effectively capturing hazardous industrial pollutants, helping protect aquatic ecosystems and public water supplies.
The technology addresses wastewater management and industrial water treatment facilities seeking non-toxic filtration media for heavy metal removal. Potential users include environmental remediation operators and water utilities. Because the work demonstrates successful laboratory preparation, characterisation, and batch testing, it represents early-stage to applied research that still requires pilot testing under operational industrial conditions before market deployment.
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Nano-membranes are gaining significant attention for various applications, including water treatment, ion concentration control, desalination, and a range of biomedical uses. However, this advanced technology faces challenges such as toxicity and fouling from contaminants, which raises safety concerns regarding the synthesis of green and sustainable membranes. In this study, green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) derived from blue-green algae Arthrospira platensis were combined with cellulose acetate (CA) to fabricate ultrafiltration (UF) nanocomposite membranes designed for the removal of Chromium (VI) from aqueous solutions. This ensures that our material is environmentally friendly and poses no risk of ecotoxicity, unlike conventional synthetic materials that may have harmful environmental impacts. The membranes were synthesized using the phase inversion technique and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and water contact angle (WCA) assess their chemical composition and morphological structure. The performance of the membranes was evaluated by measuring water flux and Cr(VI) removal. The concentration of ZnO NPs influenced the membranes’ morphology, performance, surface hydrophilicity, and Cr(VI) removal efficiency. Various concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 wt%) were added to the CA membrane. The findings revealed that the membrane containing 3 wt% ZnO NPs achieved a Cr(VI) removal efficiency of 94.77 %, an adsorption capacity ( q e ) of 11.28 µg/cm 2 , and exhibited excellent hydrophilicity with a contact angle of 34.7°. Additionally, the water flux of the CA/ZnO NPs nanocomposite membrane was 53 % higher than that of the neat CA membrane. The kinetic data suggested that the adsorption of Cr(VI) onto the membrane followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Among the isotherm models applied, the Langmuir adsorption isotherm provided the best fit for the experimental data. In summary, our study not only introduces an environmentally sustainable and economically viable method for producing ZnO NPs, but it also highlights the superior performance of the nanocomposite membranes in treating polluted water. This makes our approach a valuable contribution to the development of green technology for environmental applications, offering promising potential for industrial and ecological implementation.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.ejar.2024.10.004
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