Review of key factors controlling engineered nanoparticle transport in porous media

Abstract

Nanotechnology, an emerging technology, has witnessed rapid development in production and application. Engineered nanomaterials revolutionize the industry due to their unique structure and superior performance. The release of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) into the environment, however, may pose risks to the environment and public health. To advance current understanding of environmental behaviors of ENPs, this work provides an introductory overview of ENP fate and transport in porous media. It systematically reviews the key factors controlling their fate and transport in porous media. It first provides a brief overview of common ENPs in the environment and their sources. The key factors that govern ENP transport in porous media are then categorized into three groups: (1) nature of ENPs affecting their transport in porous media, (2) nature of porous media affecting ENP transport, and (3) nature of flow affecting ENP transport in porous media. In each group, findings in recent literature on the specific governing factors of ENP transport in porous media are discussed in details. Finally, this work concludes with remarks on the importance of ENP transport in porous media and directions for future research.

The Gas‐Absorption/Chemical‐Reaction Method for Measuring Air‐Water Interfacial Area in Natural Porous Media

“…For example, fluid‐fluid interfacial area is a fundamental variable necessary to describe and quantify pore‐scale fluid configuration and flow in multiphase systems (e.g., Brusseau et al, ; Dalla et al, ; Gray & Hassanizadeh, ; Hassanizadeh & Gray, ; Joekar‐Niasar & Hassanizadeh, ; Reeves & Celia, ). In addition, adsorption at the air‐water interface can have a major impact on the retention of chemical contaminants and colloids for contaminant transport, water treatment, and subsurface remediation applications (e.g., Costanza & Brusseau, ; Fang et al, ; Wang et al, ; Zevi et al, ). The fluid‐fluid interface is also critical for mass and energy transfers, such as evaporation, volatilization, gas exchange, and heat flow.…”

Study of agglomeration and magnetic sedimentation of Glutathione@Fe3O4 nanoparticles in water medium

“…), concentration is tabulated 5 to 30 mg/L) of electrolyte at the intersection of the reaction-limited stability curve (extrapolated from the linear section of the real stability curve) and the diffusionlimited stability curve (constant α value) and Thus finding the critical concentration of CCC coagulation [22][23][24].…”

Use of Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron for Remediation of Clayey Soil Contaminated with Hexavalent Chromium: Batch and Column Tests

“…Among the several types of nanoparticles, the most used for remediation of chromium-contaminated soils was nanoscale zero-valent iron, nZVI [8,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Moreover, nZVI has the advantage of low toxicity and lower production costs compared to other types of metallic nanoparticles [20][21][22][23][24].…”