Magnetic sodium titanate nanotubes for simultaneous recovery of multiple low-level heavy and radioactive metal ions

[Display omitted] •Magnetic sodium titanate nanotubes (Fe3O4\NaTNTs) were prepared.•Simultaneous removal of multiple heavy and radioactive metal ions.•Fe3O4\NaTNTs efficiently remove > 80 % of Pb2+ and Co2+.•Metal ions sorption occur by chelation ion-exchange mechanism. Heavy and radioactive metal ions pollutants in water are a serious environmental problem and cause various health issues which lead to fetal human diseases. Herein, magnetic sodium titanate nanotubes (Fe3O4/NaTNTs) as magnetically separable nanostructure composite material were synthesized and used as adsorbent for simultaneous removal of multiple metal ions contaminants. HRTEM, SEM, FTIR, EDX, XRF, XRD, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and zeta potential analysis were used for Fe3O4/NaTNT characterization. Thirteen metal cations including Th4+ and U4+, have been tested for competitive and simultaneous sorption on Fe3O4/NaTNTs nanostructure. In the mixed metal ions system, the removal efficiency of Co2+ and Pb2+ is the highest (Co2+; 95.9 %, Pb2+; 94.2 %). The relative selectivity for the removal of Cs+ ions (32 %) is more than that of Sr2+ ions (25 %). Thus, the data indicates the potential of Fe3O4/NaTNTs to be used in wastewater treatment, especially to simultaneously remove multiple heavy metal ions. Fe3O4/NaTNTs sorbent can be used for the rapid removal of heavy elements to mitigate large quantities of water pollution in emergencies, such as nuclear accidents and leaks.