المستخلص
In the current study, a Green Synthesis method was employed to produce hematite nanoparticles (α-Fe2O3 NPs), zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), and zinc ferrite nanoparticles (ZnFe2O4). Pomegranate peel extract was used in conjunction with ferric nitrate nonahydrate (Fe(NO3)3.9H2O) to synthesize α-Fe2O3 NPs and with zinc nitrate hexahydrate (Zn(NO3)2·6H2O) to synthesize ZnO NPs. Additionally, pomegranate peel extract, aqueous ferric nitrate, and aqueous zinc nitrate were used to synthesize ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles.
The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Field-emission Scanning Electron Microscope(FESEM). The results indicated that the average particle diameters were calculated by Debye-scherer equation26.08 nm for α-Fe2O3 NPs, 26.7 nm for ZnO NPs, and 15.94 nm for ZnFe2O4 NPs.
ZnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were applied to treat soil contaminated with crude oil from the Diyala Fields section (Naft Khana Field) to explore their efficiency in removing oil and heavy metals. Two different methods were utilized: the burial method (solid-state method) and the batch method.
In the burial method, the removal efficiency of oil, lead, and zinc was assessed at different temperatures and with varying numbers of polypropylene (PP) membranes filled with ZnFe₂O₄ nanomaterial. The impact of burial duration was also examined. The optimal temperature for removing oil and heavy metals was found to be 50°C. Increasing the number of PP membranes enhanced the removal efficiency. The best results were obtained by leaving the membranes filled with ZnFe₂O₄ for a 30 days, achieving removal efficiencies of 55% for lead, 56.43% for zinc, and 51.97% for oil.
The batch method involved directly mixing ZnFe₂O₄ with sandy soil in the presence of 70% ethanol. The optimal conditions for removing lead and zinc from petroleum-contaminated soil were determined to be at (t = 180 min, Mass = 1 g, pH = 9, T = 50°C). Under these conditions, the removal efficiency was perfect, demonstrating that the ZnFe₂O₄ NPs catalyst effectively removed oil pollutants and heavy metals from the soil.
