The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a covalently functionalized coated magnetic nanoparticle and to said particles and uses thereof. The preparation method includes forming a shell of a hydrophilic polymer coating layer on top of a magnetic metal core coated with a carbon coating. In the method a particle comprising a magnetic metal core coated with a carbon coating is provided. The surface of the particle is subjected to covalent functionalization by generating amino reactive groups via diazonium chemistry and subsequently an irreversible attachment of an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator is carried out on said surface. A hydrophilic polymer layer is formed) by a surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) reaction with a monomer comprising N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM).

A benchtop device flow setup for determining the effectiveness of magnetic treatment of feed water for reducing mineral scaling includes two similar branches, both equipped with a reverse osmosis membrane and a pump that operate in the transient regime at the same flow rate and transmembrane pressure. The flow setup is further fed with a solution at the same level of supersaturation measured in a stirred reactor, however, only one branch exposes the feed to a magnetic field.

A water conditioning apparatus for separating organic compounds and dissolved solids from water. A membrane separates organic compounds from a liquid feed comprising water, organic compounds, and dissolved solids. A fluid passageway receives from the membrane, liquid from which the membrane has separated organic compounds, and allows the liquid to flow through the passageway. Magnets are disposed and oriented such that liquid flowing through the passageway passes through a magnetic field effect produced by the magnets. A precipitator receives fluid that has flowed through the magnetic field effect and collects particles that the magnetic field effect has caused to precipitate from the fluid.

A water conditioning apparatus for separating organic compounds and dissolved solids from water. A membrane separates organic compounds from a liquid feed comprising water, organic compounds, and dissolved solids. A fluid passageway receives from the membrane, liquid from which the membrane has separated organic compounds, and allows the liquid to flow through the passageway. Magnets are disposed and oriented such that liquid flowing through the passageway passes through a magnetic field effect produced by the magnets. A precipitator receives fluid that has flowed through the magnetic field effect and collects particles that the magnetic field effect has caused to precipitate from the fluid.

A water treatment system for removing contaminant from a feed solution is provided. The system includes a hollow fiber membrane chemical reactor (HF-MCR) and a magnetic field generator; or a magnetic confinement-enabled column reactor (MCCR) comprising one or more column filters and a magnetic field generator. The magnetic field generator is arranged to produce a magnetic field for realizing a magnetically confined zone that results in a formation of a plurality of microwires comprising the zerovalent iron (ZVI) nanoparticles or a plurality of ZVI wires comprising ZVI microparticles. The plurality of microwires can be a magnetic catalyst to enable catalytic degradation and chemical immobilization of the contaminant. The plurality of ZVI wires can reduce aqueous As (As.sub.aq) concentration in the feed solution after the feed solution is pumped through the one or more column filters.