Transport and retention of fullerene (C60) nanoparticles in natural soils
Abstract
Although several column studies have investigated the transport and deposition of fullerene (C60) nanoparticles in ideal porous media, such as washed quartz sands and glass beads, far less attention has been directed toward natural soils. To address this issue, a series of column experiments was performed to quantify the transport and retention of C60 nanoparticles in a borosilicate glass column (10 cm length x 2.5 cm dia.) packed with either Appling soil or Webster soil. Introduction of a C60 suspension containing 1 mM calcium chloride as background electrolyte for up to 65 pore volumes resulted in 100 percent retention of injected mass. Retained C60 nanoparticles were concentrated within 6 cm of the column from inlet, with solid phase concentrations approaching 130 μg/g. The presence of Suwannee River humic acid (20 mg/L) in the C60 suspension slightly enhanced mobility of nC60, although effluent breakthrough was not observed. However, when mixed with 1,000 mg/L polyethoxylate (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80), C60 nanoparticles were readily transported through Appling soil, with less than 40 percent of injected mass retained. Retentions profiles of nC60 exhibited gradual ascent and descent, but not symmetrically, with distance from inlet. A mathematic transport model incorporating classical filtration theory, non-linear sorption process, and straining was utilized to capture C60 effluent breakthrough curves and retention profiles observed in the column experiments. These findings indicate that Appling soil and Webster soil exhibit large retention capacity for C60 nanoparticle, and that transport of C60 is greatly enhanced in the presence of stabilizing agents.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008AGUFM.H43E1059W
- Keywords:
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- 1832 Groundwater transport