LAUSR

Spinel ferrite particles (Fe 3 O 4 , MnFe 2 O 4 , and CoFe 2 O 4 ) were investigated as magnetic nanosorbents for removing arsenic from spiked water samples. The nanosorbents were collected via magnetic separation from aqueous solutions spiked with an arsenic concentration that mimics the amount of this contaminant in real water samples. This research shows that using amounts of CoFe 2 O 4 or MnFe 2 O 4 as low as 40 mg/L, the arsenic content in the contaminated water decreased for levels below the maximum admitted value by the World Health Organization for drinking waters (10 μg/L). Moreover, these magnetic nanosorbents also showed good performance for As(V) sorption, when applied to aqueous matrices with variable ionic strength and in the mixtures of other several hazardous contaminants. The good performance observed for the MnFe 2 O 4 and CoFe 2 O 4 ferrites contrasts with the one observed for Fe 3 O 4 nanosorbent, whose efficiency is lower in the removal of As(V) from water, nevertheless increased with the presence of other elements in solution.