Magnetic nano- and microparticles for metal removal and environmental applications: a review

Besides the numerous applications of magnetic particles in the fields of medicine, diagnostics, molecular biology and bioinorganic chemistry, a high potential exists for these particles in environmental sciences. Several methods have been proposed these last years for the separation of metals from wastewater using either micro- or nano-magnetic particles. We describe here the synthesis of such particles, compare their magnetic properties, and discuss the possibility of selectivity for metals ions, namely radionuclides. (c) 2005 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.