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Nanoparticle transport in water-unsaturated porous media: effects of solution ionic strength and flow rate

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Abstract

This paper presents the influence of ionic strength and flow on nanoparticle (NP) retention rate in an unsaturated calcareous medium, originating from a heterogeneous glaciofluvial deposit of the region of Lyon (France). Laboratory columns 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm in length were used. Silica nanoparticles (Au-SiO2-FluoNPs), with hydrodynamic diameter ranging from 50 to 60 nm and labeled with fluorescein derivatives, were used to simulate particle transport, and bromide was used to characterize flow. Three flow rates and five different ionic strengths were tested. The transfer model based on fractionation of water into mobile and immobile fractions was coupled with the attachment/detachment model to fit NPs breakthrough curves. The results show that increasing flow velocity induces a decrease in nanoparticle retention, probably as the result of several physical but also geochemical factors. The results show that NPs retention increases with ionic strength. However, an inversion of retention occurs for ionic strength >5.10−2 M, which has been scarcely observed in previous studies. The measure of zeta potential and DLVO calculations show that NPs may sorb on both solid-water and air-water interfaces. NPs size distribution shows the potential for nanoparticle agglomeration mostly at low pH, leading to entrapment in the soil pores. These mechanisms are highly sensitive to both hydrodynamic and geochemical conditions, which explains their high sensitivity to flow rates and ionic strength.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the OTHU, Greater Lyon and the ANR-GESSOL program (FAFF project: Filtration Function of an Urban Structure—Consequence on the Formation of an Anthroposol) for their logistic and financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Lyon, Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, LEHNA, UMR 5023 CNRS, ENTPE, UCB-Lyon-1, Rue Maurice Audin, 69518, Vaulx-en-Velin, France

    Dieuseul Prédélus, Laurent Lassabatere, Thierry Winiarski & Rafael Angulo-Jaramillo

  2. Nano-H S.A.S., 2 place de l’Europe, Bâtiment A, Parc d’activité VALAD, 38070, Saint Quentin Fallavier 3- UFPE, France

    Cédric Louis & Hélène Gehan

  3. Institut Lumière Matière, UMR 5306 CNRS, Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    Thomas Brichart

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  1. Dieuseul Prédélus
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  2. Laurent Lassabatere
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Correspondence to Laurent Lassabatere.

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Prédélus, D., Lassabatere, L., Louis, C. et al. Nanoparticle transport in water-unsaturated porous media: effects of solution ionic strength and flow rate. J Nanopart Res 19, 104 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-017-3755-4

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