Facile fabrication of novel magnetic chitosan-alginate @ pomegranate peel extract nanocomposite for the adsorptive removal of naphthalene from aqueous solutions Ali Akbar Mohammadi a,b , Nilufar Marufi c , Najmaldin Ezaldin Hassan d , Saeid Fallahizadeh e,f , Amin Tafreshi g , Vahide Oskoei h , Mohammad Ghanbari-Ghozikali i ,j , Alieh Rezagholizade-Shirvan k,* a Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran b Workplace health research center, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran c Student Research Committee, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran d Department of Civil and Environment Engineering, University of Zakho, Kurdistan Region, Iraq e Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of public health, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran f Social Determinants of Health Research Center,Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran g Department of Environmental planning,management and education, Tehran university, Tehran, Iran h School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia i Department of Environmental Health Engineering Health Engineering Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran j Health and Environment Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran k Department of Food Science and Technology, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Alginate Chitosan Naphthalene Nanocomposite Pomegranate peel extract ABSTRACT The prevalent presence of naphthalene contamination in aquatic ecosystems is a significant concern due to its carcinogenic and priority pollutant properties. This study focuses on the synthesis of magnetized chitosan/ alginate/pomegranate peel extract nanocomposites (Fe 3 O 4 /PPE/Cs-Alg), was characterized by Zeta potential, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The results predicted that the successfully synthesis of Fe3O4/PPE/Cs-Alg. The study evaluates the efficacy of the nanocomposite in naphthalene removal, considering operational parameters like pH, varied initial naphthalene concentrations, nanocomposite doses and contact time . The maximum adsorption capacities of naphthalene optimal conditions were 88.12 mg/g for 50 ppm initial naphthalene concentration. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Sips isotherms were applied to analyze the experimental equilibrium data. The Sips isotherm was identified as the most suitable model, as evidenced by the highest (R 2 = 0.97), Also, the adsorption data con- formed well to the pseudo-second-order kinetics model (R 2 = 0.99). The thermodynamic study showed positive values for ΔH ◦ and ΔS ◦ throughout the adsorption process respectively, implying an endothermic behavior. Therefore, we found that it can significantly remove naphthalene in aqueous environments and hence could be useful for cleaning up the environment from Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbon. 1. Introduction Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute a class of pollutants that are widespread throughout the environment. They originate from various sources, encompassing both natural events such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions, and anthropogenic activities like incomplete fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes. Recognized for their persistence, PAHs, present substantial risks to human health and the environment [1–4]. Specifically, the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels like oil, diesel, and coal emerges as a notable contributor to the * Corresponding author. E-mail address: alie.gholizade@gmail.com (A. Rezagholizade-Shirvan). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Biological Macromolecules journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijbiomac https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.138541 Received 19 June 2024; Received in revised form 23 November 2024; Accepted 6 December 2024 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 287 (2025) 138541 Available online 7 December 2024 0141-8130/© 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.