Scientists Present Simple Method to Eliminate Nitrate, Nitrite from Water, Soil

TEHRAN (INIC)- Iranian researchers from Islamic Azad University in association with a researcher from Finland produced a magnetic nanosorbent that adsorbs 60-100% of nitrate and nitrite existing in the sample.

In addition to high efficiency, the nanosorbent has low production cost and can be separated from the sample easily by using external magnetic field after the purification process.

Nitrate contamination is considered as a dangerous problem for humans and animals. Therefore, the measurement of nitrate in drinking water is one of the most common activities carried out in commercial and governmental supervising laboratories, including the Health Organization. It will be invaluable to use a simple, fast and efficient method to eliminate the contaminants, specially from drinking water.

In this research, a magnetic nanosorbent was synthesized from iron oxide nanoparticles with hydroxyapatite coating, and it has been used in the elimination of nitrate and nitrite ions from the samples.

Iron oxide nanoparticles have magnetic properties while hydroxyapatite has high potential to adsorb contaminants. In case these two compounds are used at the same time, the performance of the sorbent increases and the nanoparticles are separated from the sample by imposing external magnetic field after the sorption process. Therefore, there is no need for filtration and the related problems.

According to the researchers, a few samples of well water, drinking water, river water and agricultural soil were purified by using the nanosorbent. Based on the results, the sorbent has succeeded in the elimination of about 100% of nitrate and nitrite contaminants in the samples. Therefore, the synthesized magnetic nanosorbent can be used as a simple, efficient and cost-efficient sorbent for the quick and cheap elimination of nitrate and nitrite ions from water and soil samples.

Results of the research have been published in Journal of Separation Science, vol. 38, issue 1, 2015, pp. 164-169.