The effect of selenium nanoparticles in removing heavy metals from some types of water

Given the critical need to remove heavy metals from contaminated water due to their toxic effect even when at low concentrations on both living organisms and humans, Alginate encapsulated SeNPs and commercial SeNPs were employed for the removal of these pollutants. The treatment process involved adding the nanoparticles to the contaminated water at a concentration of 100 µg/cm³ and allowing them to interact for 24 hours, The removal efficiency was assessed using an atomic absorption spectroscopy to quantify the extent of heavy metals removal, specifically targeting copper, lead, chromium, and nickel. The results demonstrated that Alginate encapsulated SeNPs were more effective than commercial SeNPs in removing three metals: copper, lead, and chromium. While the Commercial SeNPs showed superior performance in removing nickel. these finding highlight the potential of alginate encapsulated SeNPs as a promising material for heavy metal removal with efficiency comparable to or even surpassing that of commercial SeNPs. Alginate serves as a support material for the nanoparticles, enhancing their capacity to absorb heavy metals due to its high affinity for these metals and its intrinsic non-toxic nature.