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. .