Magnetic magnesium oxide composites for rapid removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cadmium ions from water

Environmental context Remediation of wastewater containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals is essential to limit adverse effects on the environment and human health. Using a simple precipitation method, we prepared porous magnetic MgO hybrids for use as a material for removing pollutants from wastewater. The material showed excellent removal performance for 12 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cadmium ions, and thus has potential applications in wastewater treatment. Abstract Hierarchical porous magnetic MgO hybrids (Fe3O4/MgO) are controllably synthesised based on a facile precipitation process. The resulting material displays a three-dimensional architecture with nest-like morphology, large surface area (135.2 m2 g−1) and uniform mesochannels (5–35 nm). The adsorption equilibrium data of target polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on Fe3O4/MgO sorbents are described by the Langmuir isotherm model. The composites show a strong tendency for the removal of PAHs owing to their porous structure that possesses an excellent affinity for PAHs. Under the optimal conditions, a removal of more than 70 % is achieved for 12 PAHs. The materials also exhibit a good removal ability of cadmium (Cd2+) from water with fast adsorption (<5 min) and high removal percentage (>80 %). Moreover, the composites possess sufficient magnetism for separation. To demonstrate the performance of the sorbents, Fe3O4/MgO is exposed to aqueous samples spiked with low concentrations of PAHs and Cd2+. In almost all cases, the composites are superior to the commercially available sorbents as well as un-functionalised Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Therefore, this work provides a promising approach for the simultaneous removal of PAHs and Cd2+ from water using multifunctional MgO microspheres.