Efficient Pb(Ⅱ) removal by polymer-supported hydrated zirconium-iron-yttrium oxide nanocomposite synthesized from zirconium material production wastewater

With the rapid development of industrialization, heavy metal pollution has become a major challenge in aquatic environmental management. In this work, a novel gel-type ion exchanger based composite adsorbent (Zr-Fe-Y-001) was prepared with metal resources in zirconium material production wastewater for removal of Pb(Ⅱ) from aqueous solution. Zr-Fe-Y-001 contained sub-5 nm particles that were uniformly confined within the resin micropores, enhancing its Pb(Ⅱ) adsorption capacity substantially, which surpassed previously reported values. Batch experiments demonstrated that the adsorption capacity of Zr-Fe-Y-001 for Pb(Ⅱ) increased with rising pH within a range of 1–6. This capacity remained stable within the pH range of 1–6, and it maintained high selectivity even in the presence of competing ions, such as Ca(Ⅱ) and Mg(Ⅱ). The kinetic data were well described by the pseudo-first-order model, while the adsorption isotherms were dominated by the Langmuir model, yielding a maximum theoretical capacity of 842.07 mg/g at 313 K. The fixed-bed experiment demonstrated that Zr-Fe-Y-001 effectively reduced Pb(Ⅱ) concentration in wastewater to < 10 μg/L, as recommended by the World Health Organization for drinking water. Remarkably, the adsorbent retained over 90 % of its initial capacity after three regeneration cycles, confirming exceptional stability and recyclability. This study provides an effective and sustainable technical solution for the resource utilization of valuable metals in zirconium material production wastewater and the treatment of heavy metal pollution.