NanoActive¿ Materials: Unique Sorbents for Perchlorte Removal from Water

Perchlorate (ClO4) contamination of ground and surface waters has placed drinking water supplies at risk in communities through out the U.S. Perchlorte is a human health concern at high doses due to its capability to interfere with iodine uptake and the ability of the thyroid to requlate hormone production and metabolism. Health risks at lower doses are not well understood and EPA studies are continuing to determine safe levels in drinking water. Due to perchlorate anion's fundamental physical and chemical nature, the contamination is difficult to treat. The objective of this proposal 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 perchlorte anions can be considerably improved by employ8ing unique NanoActive¿ materials as sorbents. In order to meet the stated objective, NanoScale proposed to investigate NanoActive¿ TiO2 and its derivatives as adsorbents for removal of perhlorate from contaminated water. NanoActive¿ materials should provide a substantial advantage over other conventional adsorbents since they possess the desired adsorbent characteristics such as high surface area, larfe pore size volume, as well as numerous defect sites, which lead to unique surface properties that can enhance their adsorptive capabilities. The proposed work 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 adsorption capabilities of modified NanoActive¿ materials; (4) Preliminary column adsorption experiments with promising materails; and (5) Preliminary economic and production scale-up studies to estimate overfall cost for utilization of nanoparticle-based perchlortae adsorbent. Phase II research will be tested under "real life" conditions by introducing competing ions, typical temperature ranges and realistic flow rates. NanoScale's goal is to develop novel, highly effective adsorbent materials for POU/POE filters.