Foam, a promising vehicle to deliver nanoparticles for vadose zone remediation

Shen, Xueju; Zhao, Lin; Ding, Yuanzhao; Liu, Bo; Zeng, Hui; Zhong, Lirong; Li, Xiqing

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2010.12.071

Cited by 54 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(45 reference statements)

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“…A more recent application, which motivates the present study, is the remediation of vadose zone environments, and particularly of soils [ Chowdiah et al ., ; Jeong et al ., ; Wang and Mulligan , ; Zhong et al ., ; Shen et al ., ; Zhong et al ., ]. In this context, the foam is used as carrier fluid for chemical amendments rather than as displacing fluid.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this context, the foam is used as carrier fluid for chemical amendments rather than as displacing fluid. In this respect, foams offer several advantages: they can be injected while maintaining a low water content in the treated zones, which is cheaper and particularly useful for remediation of the vadose zone [ Zhong et al ., ]; their capacity to transport soil/colloidal particles [ Shen et al ., ] and bacteria [ Wan et al ., ] at air‐water interfaces is high; transport of air along with the aqueous solution may enhance the efficiency of biodegradation [ Rothmel et al ., ; Jenkins et al ., ]; in the case of in situ stabilization (of heavy metals, for example), a foam does not displace the target chemicals as much as a solution [ Zhong et al ., ]; they present a better sweeping efficiency than aqueous solutions due to a moderate sensitivity to gravity [ Zhong et al ., ]. In column experiments, a breaking of the foam front and consequent propagation of a wetting front ahead of the foam, which may help to optimally deliver the amendments in case of a heterogeneous reaction, has also been reported [ Zhong et al ., ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The flow of a foam in a two‐dimensional porous medium

Baudouin

Jones

Cantat

et al. 2016

Water Resources Research

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International audienceFoams have been used for decades as displacing fluids for enhanced oil recovery and aquifer remediation, and more recently, for remediation of the vadose zone, in which case foams carry chemical amendments. Foams are better injection fluids than aqueous solutions due to their low sensitivity to gravity and because they are less sensitive to permeability heterogeneities, thus allowing a more uniform sweep. The latter aspect results from their peculiar rheology, whose understanding motivates the present study. We investigate foam flow through a two-dimensional porous medium consisting of circular obstacles positioned randomly in a horizontal transparent Hele-Shaw cell. The local foam structure is recorded in situ, which provides a measure of the spatial distribution of bubble velocities and sizes at regular time intervals. The flow exhibits a rich phenomenology including preferential flow paths and local flow nonstationarity (intermittency) despite the imposed permanent global flow rate. Moreover, the medium selects the bubble size distribution through lamella division-triggered bubble fragmentation. Varying the mean bubble size of the injected foam, its water content, and mean velocity, we characterize those processes systematically. In particular, we measure the spatial evolution of the distribution of bubble areas, and infer the efficiency of bubble fragmentation depending on the various control parameters. We furthermore show that the distributions of bubble sizes and velocities are correlated. This study sheds new light on the local rheology of foams in porous media and opens the way toward quantitative characterization of the relationship between medium geometry and foam flow properties. It also suggests that large-scale models of foam flows in the subsurface should account for the correlation between bubble sizes and velocities

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The flow of a foam in a two‐dimensional porous medium

Baudouin

Jones

Cantat

et al. 2016

Water Resources Research

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“…Although many types of nanoparticles can be used for soil decontamination, almost all researchers only consider the use of nanoparticles of zero-valent iron for practical field application; it is also interesting to note that most studies refer to decontaminating primarily saturated soils. Only a few studies have addressed the remediation of contaminated -not saturated -soils [135]. The different existing publications in 2016 refer to different experimental parameters and of synthesis of nanoparticles, which makes it difficult to make a comparison between the efficiencies of different used nanomaterials, since they vary in their structure, composition, and morphology, and all this affects adsorptive capacity opposite to similar contaminants, and knowledge of their ability to degrade different types of pollutants is still scarce.…”

Section: Nanotechnologies To Remediate Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remediating Polluted Soils Using Nanotechnologies: Environmental Benefits and Risks

Medina‐Pérez¹,

Fernández-Luqueño²,

Vázquez-Núñez³

et al. 2019

Pol. J. Environ. Stud.

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Since engineering nanoparticles (ENP) have been developed for using in industry and human commodities, is common to find their wastes and by-products from industrial chemical reactions, and it is also possible to find incidental nanoparticles in the environment. Currently, the remediation of polluted soils using nanotechnologies has become an emerging area with a huge potential to improve the performance of traditional remediation technologies. However, environmental concerns have also emerged regarding human and environmental health when nanotechnologies are released to ecosystems. The goal of this manuscript is to highlight the environmental benefits and risks that arise when nanotechnologies are used to remediate polluted soils. We searched Web of Science and Scopus in order to get latest updated information and patents pertaining to developments in the field of nanotechnologies for decontaminating soils. It has been determined that soil nanoremediation has some advantages, but it also has some disadvantages related to the final disposal of nanoparticles, nanomaterials, or nanodevices. Will some nanotechnologies be our pitfall? Nanoparticle toxicity has to be assessed and the standardization of techniques should be set by scientists and decision-makers worldwide. Cutting-edge knowledge regarding the use of nanoparticles to decontaminate soils has to move forward, but environmental quality, human health, and social welfare should also be ensured.

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“…[20,21] Zhong et al [22] found that mobilized Cr (VI) is reduced to 10% of the total Cr (VI) in sediment when the reductant calcium polysulfide is delivered by foam, whereas more than 75% of Cr (VI) in the sediment is mobilized when the reductant is delivered in solution form. Shen et al [23] used foam to deliver nanoparticles and effectively overcame the intrinsic challenges of vertical transport and preferential flow associated with the solution-based delivery of reactants to the vadose zone. Thus, foam was found to be a promising vehicle for delivering nZVI particles to the target area.…”

Section: Transport Characteristics Of Nanoscale Zero-valent Iron Carrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport characteristics of nanoscale zero-valent iron carried by three different “vehicles” in porous media

Zhao

et al. 2014

Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A

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This study investigated the transport properties of nanoscale zero-valent iron (Fe(0)) (nZVI) carried by three vehicles: water, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution, and SDS foam. Batch experiments were conducted to assess the sedimentation capability of nZVI particles in these three vehicles. Column experiments were conducted to investigate the transport properties of nZVI in porous media formed with different sizes of sand (0.25 mm to 0.5 mm, 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm, and 0.9 mm to 1.4 mm). Three main results were obtained. First, the batch experiments revealed that the stabilities of nZVI particles in SDS solution and SDS foam were improved, compared with that of nZVI particles in water. Moreover, the sedimentation of nZVI in foam was closely associated with the foam drainage volume. The nZVI content in foam was similar to that in the original foaming suspension, and the nZVI particle distribution in foam became significantly more uniform at a stirring speed of 3000 r/min. Second, the transport of nZVI was enhanced by foam compared with water and SDS solution for 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm diameter sand. For sand with diameters of 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm and 0.9 mm to 1.4 mm, the mobility of nZVI carried by SDS solution was optimal, followed by that of nZVI carried by foam and water. Thus, the mobility of nZVI in finer sand was significantly enhanced by foam, compared with that in coarse sand. In contrast, compared with the bare nZVI suspension and nZVI-laden foam, the spatial distribution of nZVI particles carried by SDS solution was significantly uniform along the column length. Third, the SDS concentration significantly influenced the migration of nZVI in porous media. The enhancement in the migration of nZVI carried by SDS solution was greater at an SDS dose of 0.25% compared with that at the other three doses (0.2%, 0.5%, and 1%) for sand with a 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm diameter. Increased SDS concentrations positively affected the transport of nZVI by foam for sand with a 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm diameter, and the SDS concentrations for enhancing the mobility of nZVI carried by SDS foam satisfied the following order: 1% > 0.5% > 0.25% > 0.2%. Thus, SDS solution and SDS foam were better vehicles than water for delivering nZVI particles to porous media for contamination remediation.

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Foam, a promising vehicle to deliver nanoparticles for vadose zone remediation

Cited by 54 publications

References 37 publications

The flow of a foam in a two‐dimensional porous medium

The flow of a foam in a two‐dimensional porous medium

Remediating Polluted Soils Using Nanotechnologies: Environmental Benefits and Risks

Transport characteristics of nanoscale zero-valent iron carried by three different “vehicles” in porous media

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