The effects of biofilm on the transport of stabilized zerovalent iron nanoparticles in saturated porous media

 

 

 

Robert N. Lerner^a, Qingye Lu^a,b, Hongbo Zeng^b, Yang liu^a,*

 

 

 

^a Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2W2

 

^b Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2V4

 

 

 

The study of transport properties of colloidal and nanoparticles through porous media has attracted the attention of researchers in the recent years because these studies are related to environmental remediation. In this report, the transport properties of colloidal and nanoparticles through porous media has been reviewed. The study of nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI) for environmental remediation was first carried out by Gillham and Ohannesin.

 

In the study of pnZVI transport studied by Lerner and Lu et al., the nanoparticles were prepared and characterized in the laboratory. Experiments of uncoated and coated biofilm columns and their characterization were carried out in the laboratory. Iron transport experiments were also performed. T-E model for calculation of single collector contact efficiency and DLVO model to calculate interaction energies were used. In the study of zinc oxide nanoparticles transport study, zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared in the laboratory.

 

In the study carried out by Lerner and Lu et al., it was found that the presence of biofilm strongly interfered with the deposition of nanoparticles through porous media. Colloidal filtration theory (CFT) with DLVO theory could not predict the transport of pnZVI through porous media when the biofilm was present. The steric model with DLVO model was found suitable to describe the behavior of transport of nanoparticles.

 

Aamir Alaud Din

 

aamiralauddin@gist.ac.kr