Nanostructured surfaces

Heavy metals removal using nanostructured carbon-based composites in the presence of various organic compounds
Wiśniewska M.1, Medykowska M.1, Szewczuk-Karpisz K.2, Galaburda M.3
1Department of Radiochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, M. Curie-Sklodowska Sq. 3, 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
E-mail: wisniewska@hektor.umcs.lublin.pl
2Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Doświadczalna 4, 20-290 Lublin, Poland.
3Oxide Nanocomposites Laboratory, Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry of NAS of Ukraine, 17 General Naumov Str, Kiev, 03164, Ukraine.

Due to intense development of civilization and human activity, there is a continuous increase of the heavy metals concentration in the environment. This phenomenon is particularly visible in inland surface waters, marine coastal waters, soil waters as well as shallow groundwater. Heavy metals are impurities that pose a particular threat to organisms. In plants, they may reduce nutrient uptake, which contributes to growth inhibition, chlorosis and necrosis. In animals, heavy metals may damage kidneys and liver, disrupt nervous and cardiovascular systems, lead to infertility and tumor growth [1,2]. Taking these facts into account it can be stated that effective removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions is highly important.
Innovative composites, synthesized in the Chuiko Institute of Surface Chemistry NASU in Kiev, can be the solution to the above problem. These sorbents are composed of the core made of one or two heavy metals, and the shell consisted of carbon and silica. Some of them have magnetic properties, thanks to which the used solid covered with adsorbed impurities can be easily separated from the solution. The research on their sorption capacity for heavy metal ions in the presence of other environmental pollutants (e.g. synthetic polymers, pesticides) is currently conducted. This issue has not been sufficiently explored so far.

1.	Rout G., Das P. Effect of metal toxicity on plant growth and metabolism// Agronomie-2003.-23.-P. 3-11. 
2.	Jaishankar M., Tseten T., Anbalagan N., Mathew B.B., Beeregowda K.N. Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals// Interdiscip. Toxicol.-2014.-7(2).-P. 60-72.