Synthesis of magnetic manganese-based adsorbent for rapid adsorption of selenium ions from water

Selenium (Se) is one of the natural elements, and it is widely studied because of its complex behavior, especially in its involvement in the metabolism of organisms. In addition, Se contamination at high concentrations has been reported to affect human health. In this study, an adsorbent material based on manganese-magnetic (Mn-Fe₃O₄) has been developed, which was prepared by impregnation methods. The developed material was characterized by spectroscopy, microscopy, magnetometry, and N₂ gas adsorption to investigate its surface and paramagnetic properties. A batch adsorption test was used to investigate the removing Se ions in an aqueous medium. The experimental result showed that the Se equilibrium adsorption onto Mn-Fe₃O₄ material could be reached within 120 min at pH 7.0 with a maximum adsorption capacity (q_e) of 12.50 mg g⁻¹ and %removal of Se at 99 % at room temperature conditions. In addition, the material is easy to regenerate under alkaline conditions. This study provides strategies for fabricating magnetic materials to separate rare earth metals efficiently and rapidly.