MODIFIED NANOSCALE ZERO VALENT IRON AND ITS APPLICATION IN BROMATE REMOVAL

A series of modified nano-Fe-0 and nano-Fe-0/Cu were synthesized by the liquid phase reduction method and used to remove bromate from water. The results show that the PVP or ethanol added in the synthesis of NZVI could reduce nanoparticle aggregation, and then enhance its reactivity for bromate removal. The characterizations of BET and TEM show that the nano-Fe-0 and nano-Fe-0/Cu particles with 25% ethanol addition during synthesis have smaller diameter and higher surface areas of 64 m(2)/g and 92 m(2)/g, respectively, increasing significantly compared with that without modification. Furthermore, the introduction of Cu plays a catalytic role in the process of bromate reduction, which can enhance bromate removal efficiency. About 60% bromate removal efficiency was achieved using nano-Fe-0/Cu even under the DO value of 6.5 mg/L, which was higher than that of using NZVI without ethanol addition during synthesis. Additionally, the influence of the presence of anions on bromate removal efficiency followed the order of PO43->SO42- >NO3- >ClO3- >NO2-. However, bromate could completely be removed with a greater amount of nano-Fe-0/Cu under the presence of anions. This study shows that nano-Fe-0/Cu is a potentially efficient material for the bromate removal.