Diseño de un sistema de filtración avanzada utilizando nanopartículas magnéticas para el tratamiento de aguas contaminadas con metales pesados

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to generate an alternative for the treatment of water contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury (Hg) and copper (Cu) using a cartridge type filtration system designed through the co-precipitation of iron oxide nanoparticles on the biochar generated from treated residual biomass of Musa paradisiaca (common name: banana). To meet the objectives, the magnetic filtering material was obtained, a cartridge type filter was designed as an advanced filtration device, the treated biomass was characterized using instrumental techniques such as: infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The factors involved in the biosorption process and the number of cycles in which the material removes the metals evaluated were also evaluated. Finally, the efficiency of the filter was evaluated considering the removal of the two metals and microbiological parameters (total and fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, mesophilic aerobes, Pseudomonas sp, Salmonella sp, filamentous fungi, Giardia lamblia and helminth eggs). The efficiency obtained in the elimination of metals in synthetic water samples was 75.6% for mercury and 70.2% for copper. With these removal percentages and based on resolution 631 of 2015, a relation was made of the efficiency that the prototype could have in real conditions. Likewise, the microbiological results were compared with the maximum permissible limits of resolutions 2115 of 2007 and 1256 of 2021 with the purpose of demonstrating its possible use and projection.