Effect of natural organic matter (NOM) on the removal efficiency of Hg(ii) by MoS2: dependence on the Hg/MoS2 ratio and NOM properties

Mercury (Hg) contamination in groundwater poses significant environmental and health risks, necessitating effective remediation strategies. Recently, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets have emerged as a promising nanomaterial for the remediation of Hg-associated contaminated groundwater. However...

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Published inEnvironmental science. Nano Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 1129 - 1141
Main Authors Wang, Mengxia, Zhang, Meng, Han, Qi, Shu, Yufei, Liu, Xun, Chen, Beizhao, Chen, Yuchao, Liu, Bei, Wang, Zhongying
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 14.03.2024
Subjects
Contamination
Functional groups
Groundwater
Groundwater pollution
Health risks
Mercury
Molecular weight
Molybdenum
Molybdenum disulfide
Nanomaterials
Organic matter
Remediation
Removal
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Summary:Mercury (Hg) contamination in groundwater poses significant environmental and health risks, necessitating effective remediation strategies. Recently, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets have emerged as a promising nanomaterial for the remediation of Hg-associated contaminated groundwater. However, the complex interactions between ubiquitous natural organic matter (NOM) and MoS2 may play a significant role in controlling the removal of Hg from groundwater. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the role of NOM in Hg(ii) removal by MoS2. Our findings demonstrated that NOM inhibited the Hg(ii) removal by MoS2 from groundwater at a high molar ratio of Hg/MoS2. However, at a low molar ratio of Hg/MoS2, NOM hardly affected the removal performance of MoS2 on Hg(ii) because NOM was unable to compete with sufficient MoS2 to complex with Hg(ii). The inhibitory effect of NOM on Hg(ii) removal was found to be determined by both the molecular weight (MW) and functional groups of NOM: the NOM fraction with higher MW exhibited a higher degree of inhibition, and the –SH groups displayed preferential binding of Hg(ii) rather than the –COOH group. It was concluded that the reduction of MoS2 to Hg(ii) gradually decreased with increasing addition of NOM, attributed to NOM complexation with Hg(ii). Overall, this study provides insights into the significance of NOM characteristics in controlling the removal of Hg(ii) from groundwater.
ISSN:2051-8153
2051-8161
DOI:10.1039/d3en00730h