Study on the Removal Performance of Phenol and Lead by Vernadite Synthesized via a New Method

Vernadite has excellent oxidation and adsorption performance, suggesting that it has good application prospects for the removal of phenolic substances and heavy metals from wastewater. In this study, after vernadite was synthesized by two different methods, the removal performance difference between the samples synthesized by the new and traditional methods (Ver-H and Ver-OH, respectively) was explored by sample characterization, phenol degradation, and Pb2+ adsorption experiments. The results show that, compared with Ver-OH, Ver-H has a larger particle size, specific surface areas, and total organic carbon (TOC) degradation capacity; the equilibrium degradation capacity of TOC of Ver-H was increased by 31.3%. The difference in the amount of TOC degradation may be attributed to more Mn(IV) oxygen vacancies in Ver-H, which facilitate the removal of intermediate products formed during phenol degradation. In addition, the larger specific surface areas provide the mineral surface with a larger number of active sites; Ver-H can therefore adsorb more intermediate products to promote their mineralization into CO2. The adsorptions of Pb2+ by Ver-H and Ver-OH are both consistent with Langmuir isothermal adsorption, and the maximum adsorption capacities are 569.79 g/kg and 623.10 g/kg, respectively. The lack of significant difference indicates that both vernadites have strong adsorption capacities for Pb2+.