Assessment and Treatment of Some Heavy Elements of Groundwater Wells in Karbala Province / Iraq

Abstract

This study focused on purifying well water from heavy metals, specifically targeting eleven samples collected from various locations within the holy city of Karbala. Concentrations of key heavy elements such as zinc, chromium, aluminum, copper, lead, and cadmium were measured using atomic absorption devices. Of note, the highest concentrations of lead, cadmium, and aluminum were found in the selected well water samples. CaFe2O4 nanoparticles were combined with graphene oxide (GO), and their distinctiveness was established through diagnostic methods including FTIR, TEM, XRD, and FESEM. These techniques confirmed the successful synthesis of CaFe2O4 graphene oxide nanoparticles, which exhibited remarkable efficacy in adsorbing heavy elements. The outcomes revealed that cadmium exhibited the highest adsorption rate when utilizing 5 mg of the prepared nanomaterial at a temperature of 20 °C, achieving an adsorption rate of 81.27. In the case of aluminum, the use of 5 mg of the nanomaterial at a temperature of 25 °C demonstrated an exceptional adsorption rate of 99.09Likewise, for lead, the highest adsorption rate was achieved by employing 4 mg of the nanomaterial at a temperature of 25 °C, yielding an adsorption rate of 88.50. Utilizing a sample size of 3 ml resulted in an adsorption rate of 91.09, while a reaction time of 1 hour demonstrated the highest rate of 91.65, illustrating the most effective adsorption conditions for lead. The GO/CaFe2O4 nanoparticle exhibited remarkable adsorption efficiency under various conditions, showing its potential in heavy metal removal from well water. This study highlights the successful utilization of graphene oxide nanomaterial for the purification of water.