Selective Separation of Heavy Metals from Water/Soil

A special issue of Separations (ISSN 2297-8739). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Separations".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 1610

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
National Engineering Research Center of Coal Preparation and Purification, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: separation of heavy metals; recovery of scattered metals

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Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: removal of contaminants; carbon materials; nanomaterials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Heavy metal pollution of natural water and soil is one of the most important environmental problems throughout the world, especially for the industrialized nations. A large amount of metal-contaminated wastewater or exhaust gas bearing hazardous heavy metals (e.g., Hg2+, Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+) produced from mining, metallurgy, and pesticide synthesis processes are discharged into the environment. These heavy metals can accumulate in the vital organs of humans through the food chain, further causing serious diseases and disorders. The selective removal of heavy metals from water or soil can greatly improve the efficiency of remediation.

The aim of this Special Issue is to report recent promising research on current practices, advances, and new perspectives on the effective or selective removal of heavy metals from contaminated water and soil, considering (i) physical-chemistry technologies; (ii) bioremediation technologies; (iii) electrochemical technologies; and (iv) membrane separation technologies. In addition to environmental decontamination, the design of advanced functional material used for the selective recovery of heavy metals will also be discussed, including metal-organic frameworks, biomass, hydrogel, nanomaterials, and natural macromolecular substances.

Dr. Keji Wan
Dr. Shuwen Xue
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • removal and recovery of heavy metals
  • adsorption technologies
  • physical-chemistry technologies
  • electrochemical technologies
  • bioremediation technologies
  • kinetic, equilibrium, and mechanism studies
  • advanced functional material

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

21 pages, 1150 KiB  
Review
Exploring Humic Acid as an Efficient and Selective Adsorbent for Lead Removal in Multi-Metal Coexistence Systems: A Review
by Shuwen Xue, Yunhu Hu, Keji Wan and Zhenyong Miao
Separations 2024, 11(3), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations11030080 - 4 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1420
Abstract
Water pollution poses a global threat to human health, particularly in terms of ensuring a safe supply of drinking water. The accumulation of heavy metals from various water sources is increasing, driving the search for effective and environmentally friendly approaches and materials for [...] Read more.
Water pollution poses a global threat to human health, particularly in terms of ensuring a safe supply of drinking water. The accumulation of heavy metals from various water sources is increasing, driving the search for effective and environmentally friendly approaches and materials for metal removal. This review investigates the selective adsorption of Pb2+ by humic acid (HA) in a multi-metal coexistence solution. The focus is on discussing approaches to the structural identification of HA, highlighting that separation techniques are an effective method to reduce its heterogeneity. Starting from the key structural units of HA, the study reveals the interaction between HA and heavy metals. Approaches to enhance Pb2+ selective adsorption are explored, proposing that introducing activating groups, Ca ion exchange, and optimizing pore structures are effective approaches for improving lead ion selective adsorption. Ca2+ activation is suggested as a future research direction for lead-selective adsorption. Additionally, attaining lead selective adsorption through pH regulation’s significance is emphasized. This research contributes to a fundamental understanding of HA’s role as a selective lead adsorbent while offering practical implications for developing environmentally friendly adsorbent materials. The results aim to advance knowledge in environmental science and water treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selective Separation of Heavy Metals from Water/Soil)
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