Removal of Nitrate by Bimetallic Copper-nanoscale Zero-valent Iron (Cu-nZVI): Using 2k Full Factorial Design

Abstract

Enhanced nitrate reduction of nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) by Cu prepared by impregnation method was studied in this work. Using a full factorial design, the performance of nZVI with and without Cu on surface in acidic and neutral conditions was investigated. Static batch reactor was selected in this study to investigate the effects of the independent variables such as catalysts (nZVI with and without Cu), initial pH of solutions (3, 7), and reaction times (10, 30 min). The results found that nitrate removal over Cu-nZVI was greater than that of nZVI by about 37% and 36% at pH 3 and pH 7 for 30 min, respectively. Both catalysts were effective in removing nitrate under acidic conditions (pH 3). Thus, this study concludes that nZVI can enhance the performance by Cu in nitrate removal. Moreover, acidic conditions were more effective than neutral conditions in removing nitrate.