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Silver nanoparticle removal from drinking water: Flocculation/sedimentation or filtration?
All Engineering Faculty Research
  • Desmond F. Lawler
  • Anne M. Mikelonis
  • Ijung Kim
  • Boris L.T. Lau
  • Sungmin Youn, Marshall University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2013
Disciplines
Abstract

Silver nanoparticles are used in a wide variety of consumer products and are therefore rapidly becoming ubiquitous in the natural environment; they can be expected to be found in the natural waters used as drinking water supplies. This research investigated whether such particles could be expected to be removed in conventional water treatment plants such as flocculation and filtration. Both flocculation and granular media filtration experiments with citrate-capped silver nanoparticles were performed at different ionic strengths and in the presence and absence of natural organic matter. The results were generally consistent with theories of particle destabilization that have been developed for larger particles (greater than 1 mm), suggesting that silver nanoparticles are likely to be removed in conventional treatment processes.

Comments

This is the authors’ peer-reviewed final submission to the publisher. The published version of record is available from the publisher at http://ws.iwaponline.com/content/13/5/1181. Copyright © IWA Publishing 2013. All rights reserved.

Citation Information
Lawler, D. F., Mikelonis, A. M., Kim, I., Lau, B. L., & Youn, S. (2013). Silver nanoparticle removal from drinking water: Flocculation/sedimentation or filtration?. Water Science & Technology: Water Supply, 13(5), 1181-1187. doi: 10.2166/ws.2013.125