NanoActive Materials: Unique Sorbents for Perchlorate Removal from Water

Perchlorate contamination of ground and surface waters has placed drinking water supplies at risk in communities throughout the United States. Perchlorate is a human health concern at high doses because of its capability to interfere with iodide uptake and the ability of the thyroid to regulate hormone production and metabolism. Health risks at lower doses are not well understood. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studies are continuing to determine safe levels in drinking water. As a result of perchlorate anion’s fundamental physical and chemical nature, the contamination is difficult to treat. The goal of this research project is to develop sorbents based on NanoActive™ materials for destructive adsorptive removal of perchlorate ions from contaminated water. It is anticipated that the low capacity and/or slow kinetics of conventional sorbents towards perchlorate anions can be considerably improved by employing unique NanoActive™ materials as sorbents. To meet this goal, NanoScale Materials, Inc., proposes to investigate NanoActive™ TiO2 and its derivatives as adsorbents for removal of perchlorate from contaminated water. NanoActive™ materials should provide a substantial advantage over other conventional adsorbents because they possess desired adsorbent characteristics such as high surface areas, large pore size and pore volume, and numerous defect sites, which lead to unique surface properties that can enhance their adsorptive capabilities. The project is divided into five tasks: (1) investigation of NanoActive™ TiO2 for removal of perchlorate from contaminated water; (2) preparation and characterization of Fe(II) incorporated NanoActive™ TiO2; (3) investigation of the adsorption capabilities of modified NanoActive™ materials; (4) preliminary column adsorption experiments with promising materials; and (5) preliminary economic and production scale-up studies to estimate the overall cost of using a nanoparticle-based perchlorate adsorbent. Phase II will focus on determining the application process for the down-selected adsorbent(s). These formulations will be tested under “real life” conditions by introducing competing ions, typical temperature ranges, and realistic flow rates. NanoScale Materials’ aim is to develop novel, highly effective adsorbent materials for point-of-use/point-of-entry filters.