Pristine graphene oxide treatment of wastewater from a typical sub-tropical mine in Chegutu, Zimbabwe

Abstract Mining activities in sub-tropical regions are one of the major contributors to environmental contamination and therefore require monitoring and mitigation methodologies. The study investigated the composition of the real-world wastewater from mine explosions and explored the potential of graphene oxide as an adsorbent. Heavy metals, namely, Fe (12.10 ppm), Cu (40.70 ppm), Cr (148 ppm) and Pb (0.03 ppm) were present. The optimal pH, adsorbent dose, temperature, and contact time for heavy metal removal were 12.08, 0.5 g, 25 °C and 0.5 h, respectively. The basic conditions were favourable for efficient removal through the adsorption method. Kinetic modelling indicated adsorption via pseudo-second-order kinetics, insinuating the influence of oxygen moieties of graphene oxide. Furthermore, the Langmuir isotherm revealed favourable removal of Fe, Cu, and Cr. The study indicated potential hazards of current mining activities, especially unmonitored illegal mines in sub-tropical regions. These findings highlight the prospects of graphene oxide as a practical and effective adsorbent for water resource recovery facilities. Therefore, the study demonstrated the capability to adopt pristine graphene oxide in a simple protocol using simple setups for wastewater recovery in the sub-tropical regions in a natural matrix.