Quartz Sand Columns Research Articles

The transport of graphitic carbon nitride in saturated porous media: Effect of hydrodynamic and solution chemistry

Understanding transport behavior of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) in porous media plays an important role in preventing its possible causing the underground environmental problems. The transport behavior of g-C3N4 in porous media were investigated by packed column experiments at different flow rates, ionic strengths (ISs), pHs and multivalent cations. The experimental results showed that the transport ability of g-C3N4 decreased with the IS increasing, and most of the g-C3N4 was retained in the sand column for the IS greater than 0.0001 M. The flow rate had little effect on the transport behavior of g-C3N4, and the recovery of g-C3N4 increased slightly with increasing flow rate. In addition, the migration ability of g-C3N4 under acidic conditions was drastically reduced compared with neutral alkaline conditions. Moreover, it was found that 1.51%, 30.33%, 34.91%, and 60.54% of g-C3N4 was retained in the column when g-C3N4 was leached through the quartz sand column at Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+, which was consistent with the Schulze-Hardy rule. Finally, FTIR spectrum showed that the infrared absorption peak of the g-C3N4 mixed quartz sand were shifted to certain degrees under different conditions, which confirmed that hydrogen bond was formed in the transport of carbon nitride with the quartz sand surface. This study provides a new perspective on the role of hydrogen bond in the transport and fate of nanomaterials.

Characteristic of adsorption, desorption, and co-transport of vanadium on humic acid colloid.

Understanding the interactions between humic acid colloid (HAC) and vanadium (V) in soils is of great importance in forecasting the behaviors and fates of V in the soil and groundwater systems. This study investigated the characteristics and factors that affect V adsorption-desorption by the HAC; meanwhile, we also explored the co-transport of the HAC and V in a saturated porous media. Scanning Electronic Microscopy micrographs showed the variation of morphological features on the surface of the HAC before and after V adsorption. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra revealed that the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl, carbon-carbon double bond, amino, and aromatic ring on the HAC participated in V adsorption. The adsorption isotherms were well described by the Langmuir model, and the adsorption kinetics of the HAC was better described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic models. The adsorption-desorption was strongly dependent on the initial V concentration, solution pH, and temperature. The maximum adsorption amount was 861.17mgg-1 by 200mgL-1 HAC at the initial V concentration of 500mgL-1, and the corresponding desorption amount was 15.13mgg-1. These results showed that the HAC had high fixation capacity of V in soil. In addition, the HAC sped up the mobility of V; however, it decreased mass of migration of V in the saturated quartz sand column. These results are expected to provide insight into the potential impact of HAC on geochemical behaviours of V in vulnerable ecosystems.

Surface-Adsorbed Contaminants Mediate the Importance of Chemotaxis and Haptotaxis for Bacterial Transport Through Soils.

Chemotaxis and haptotaxis are important biological mechanisms that influence microbial movement toward concentrated chemoattractants in mobile liquids and along immobile surfaces, respectively. This study investigated their coupled effect, as induced by naphthalene (10 mg L−1), on the transport and retention of two pollutant-degrading bacteria, Pseudomonas fluorescens 5RL (Pf5RL) and Pseudomonas stutzeri DQ1 (PsDQ1), in quartz sand and natural soil. The results demonstrated that PsDQ1 was not chemotactic, whereas Pf5RL was chemotactic at 25°C but not at 4°C due to the restricted movement. In a quartz sand column, haptotaxis did not play a role in increasing the transport of Pf5RL as compared with chemotaxis. Compared with a naphthalene-free soil column, Pf5RL broke through naphthalene-presaturated soil columns to reach a stable effluent concentration 0.5 pore volumes earlier due to advective chemotaxis occurring behind the plume front in the bulk solution. Pf5RL also demonstrated greater retention (e.g., a doubled rate of attachment and a one-third smaller breakthrough percentage) due to along-surface haptotaxis and near-surface chemotaxis occurring in less mobile water near the soil surface. However, both chemotaxis and haptotaxis were weakened when Pf5RL co-transported with naphthalene due to reduced adsorption of naphthalene on the soil. This study suggests that surface adsorption of naphthalene can mediate the relative importance of advective chemotaxis (facilitating initial breakthrough), near-surface chemotaxis (increasing bacterial collision), and haptotaxis (increasing bacterial residence time).

Transport of arsenic loaded by ferric humate colloid in saturated porous media

The transport behavior of arsenic (As(V)) loaded by ferric humate (HA-Fe) colloid, denoted as HA-Fe/As(V), moving in a saturated quartz sand column, was tested in the laboratory under varying pH values, ionic strengths, and HA and Fe(III) content. The time-fractional advection-dispersion equation (fADE) model was then employed to analyze the observed migration of HA-Fe/As(V). Results showed that the stability of the HA-Fe colloid exhibited an upward trend with an increasing pH and HA content. An increasing HA content led to a decrease in the particle size of the HA-Fe colloid. However, the effect of Fe(III) concentration on colloidal particle size exhibited the opposite phenomenon. The ability of the HA-Fe colloid to load As(V) gradually increased with the increase of the Fe(III) concentration. During the co-transport of the HA-Fe/As(V) colloid, transport of As(V) was promoted with increasing pH, increasing HA and Fe(III) content, and decreasing ionic strength in the saturated porous medium. The transport behavior of As(V) can be well fitted by the fADE model. The model analysis revealed that sub-diffusion of As(V) was weakened in the HA-Fe/As(V) colloid with high HA content. Sub-diffusion of As(V) in the low pH colloid was stronger than that of the high-pH colloid, and the molecular diffusion and mechanical dispersion were more weakened in the high-pH colloid than that of the low-pH colloid. When observing varying ionic strengths, As(V) exhibited stronger sub-diffusion in the HA-Fe/As(V) colloid with a higher ionic strength. As for the Fe(III) content, transport of As(V) was mainly affected by sub-diffusion in the HA-Fe/As(V) colloid with a low Fe(III) content. These findings provided direct and necessary insights into the effects of the HA-Fe colloid on the migration of As(V) throughout saturated porous media under different hydrochemical conditions found in natural environments.

Insight into the Crucial Role of Secondary Mineral Phases in the Transfer of Gold Nanoparticles through a Sand Column Using Online ICP-MS/spICP-MS Monitoring

Investigating the transport of engineered nanoparticles through representative soils is an important issue in assessing their mobility and fate in the environment. In this study, successive injections of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were performed in a quartz sand column with an eluent composed of 10-2 M NaCl at a pH of 7.5. After this series of injections, remobilization of the AuNPs was examined by raising the eluent pH to 10. 197Au and the conservative ionic tracer 79Br were monitored simultaneously by online inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and the particulate nature of gold eluting from the column was confirmed by setting the ICP-MS in the "single particle" mode. The extent of AuNP attachment was greater than predicted by DLVO theory considering quartz as the sole collector, decreased with the number of injections and with particle size. In contrast with the repulsive interaction energy between the particles and the quartz surface, kaolinite, a secondary mineral of the sand, provided favorable conditions for particle attachment. The superimposed signals of 197Au and 27Al in the column effluent after pH increase suggest that gold nanoparticles were essentially remobilized as heteroaggregates with the kaolinite colloids they were attached to when favorable conditions for clay detachment from the sand grains were encountered.

Nanoscale titanium dioxide (nTiO2) aggregation and transport in the co-presence of dissolved phosphate, illite colloid, and Fe oxyhydroxide coating

Many studies have been conducted to understand the fate and transport of nanoscale titanium dioxide (nTiO2) in subsurface environments. However, most of these studies are under simplified conditions which do not represent the complex physicochemical conditions in the natural environment, where nTiO2 simultaneously encounter various groundwater/aquifer components. To better understand the mechanisms that control the transport of this emerging contaminant in groundwater, column experiments were conducted under low ionic strength conditions at pH 5 and 9 to clarify the influence of co-present dissolved component, suspended natural particle, and medium geochemical heterogeneity on nTiO2 transport through water-saturated porous media. Results showed that when using nTiO2 as influent at pH 5, Fe oxyhydroxide coating increased the nTiO2 mobility owing to the repulsive forces between positively charged nTiO2 and the Fe oxyhydroxide coating. Conversely, illite inhibited nTiO2 transport due to illite straining and nTiO2 entrapment. Phosphate served as a bridge between nTiO2 particles at pH 5, resulting in large aggregates and consequent straining, and therefore inhibited transport. At pH 9, the mobility of nTiO2 was high in quartz sand columns, regardless of the presence of phosphate/illite colloids, due to the repulsive forces between negatively charged nTiO2, phosphate, illite colloids, and quartz surface. However, Fe oxyhydroxide coating reduced nTiO2 mobility, attributable to pH buffering, which resulted in attractive electrostatic forces between the Fe oxyhydroxide coating and the negatively charged nTiO2. Findings from this study showed that under complex physicochemical conditions nTiO2 transport is controlled by the interactions between nTiO2 and common groundwater/aquifer components, as well as the interactions between these components.

Insights into the role of clays in low salinity water flooding in sand columns

Clays in sandstone are thought to be a key factor in low salinity (LS) water flooding. This study investigates the effects of quartz, kaolinite and illite in LS water flooding in synthetic sand columns as a function of temperature. Four chromatography columns containing different amounts of pure quartz sand, illite, and kaolinite (100% quartz sand; 95/5% sand/illite; 95/5 sand/kaolinite; and 95/2.5/2.5% sand/illite/kaolinite). The use of these synthetic columns gives full control over mineralogy. These columns were saturated with high salinity (HS) formation water with 0.01 M (M) sodium acetate and aged for a week at 70 °C. They were then flooded with waters (yes, the use of water to displace water) with various salinities at four different temperatures (25, 70, 90 and 120 °C). Effluent concentrations of Ca2+ and acetate (CH3COO−) and pH were measured. This is a novel experimental design, where formation water containing sodium acetate is flooded with waters of varying salinity to gain insight into LS flood performance and possible recovery mechanisms. The hypothesis pursued here is that the behavior of the acetate ion (attached to matrix minerals during the aging process and then released due to ionic exchange) in an LS flood would provide a valuable analog that would simulate the bonding of carboxylic acids in crude oils with reservoir matrix minerals (and subsequent desorption during LS flooding). Key results include the following: (a) Our hypothesis was correct—the use of Na acetate behaved analogously to carboxylic acid, giving useful insights; (b) The quartz-only column showed strong evidence (elevated pH, presence of Ca2+ and acetate in effluent) of ionic exchange due to LS flooding, showing that pure quartz is responsive to LS flooding and that clays are not absolutely needed; (c) Quartz plus kaolinite plus illite gave a slightly higher response than pure quartz so clays can play a role. Oil displacement results were also done for a pure quartz sand column, and this showed a strong response to the LS flood, confirming that clays are not absolutely needed.

Simultaneous Adsorption of Heavy Metals from Roadway Stormwater Runoff Using Different Filter Media in Column Studies

Stormwater runoff from roadways often contains a variety of contaminants such as heavy metals, which can adversely impact receiving waters. The filter media in stormwater filtration/infiltration systems play a significant role in the simultaneous removal of multiple pollutants. In this study, the capacity of five filter media—natural quartz sand (QS), sandy soil (SS) and three mineral-based technical filter media (TF-I, TF-II and TF-III)—to adsorb heavy metals (Cu, Pb and Zn) frequently detected in stormwater, as well as remobilization due to de-icing salt (NaCl), were evaluated in column experiments. The column breakthrough data were used to predict lifespan of the filter media. Column experiment operated under high hydraulic load showed that all technical filters and sandy soil achieved >97%, 94% and >80% of Pb, Cu and Zn load removals, respectively, while natural quartz sand (QS) showed very poor performance. Furthermore, treatment of synthetic stormwater by the soil and technical filter media met the requirements of the Austrian regulation regarding maximum effluent concentrations and minimum removal efficiencies for groundwater protection. The results showed that application of NaCl had only a minor impact on the remobilization of heavy metals from the soil and technical filter media, while the largest release of metals was observed from the QS column. Breakthrough analysis indicated that load removal efficiencies at column exhaustion (SS, TF-I, TF-II and TF-III) were >95% for Cu and Pb and 80–97% for Zn. Based on the adsorption capacities, filtration systems could be sized to 0.4 to 1% (TF-I, TF-II and TF-III) and 3.5% (SS) of their impervious catchment area and predicated lifespan of each filter media was at least 35, 36, 41 and 29 years for SS, TF-I, TF-II and TF-III, respectively. The findings of this study demonstrate that soil—based and technical filter media are effective in removing heavy metals and can be utilized in full-stormwater filtration systems.

Microbial Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) Using Pig Urine as an Alternative to Industrial Urea

Biocalcification by microbial induced CaCO3 precipitation (MICP) (catalyzes by microbial enzyme urease) is a promising field of research in recent decades due to its versatile application in industry. Besides, the animal waste disposal has attracted much attention owing to increasing awareness of environmental protection and resource substitution. Though, the biotechnical application of Pig urine which causes of environmental pollution due to existence of high amount of urea or pig urea (PU), not study yet. Present study, PU was used instead of industrial urea, first time, as the enzymatic substance to produced CaCO3 by four sets of experimental quartz-sand column (Control, A (4 h), B (6 h) and C (12 h)) with different injection time intervals (4 h, 6 h and 12 h), bacterial (Sporosarcina pasteurii, DSM 33) amount, pig urine and with 1.1 (M) CaCl2. The results revealed the precipitation of CaCO3 from PU and CaCl2 in presence of S. pasteurii. The porosity and permeability of the quartz-sand column was noted to decrease with the application of pig urine. The mechanical properties (anti-permeability) of the quartz-sand columns were noticed better, while time interval between (4 h) the application of pig urine and bacterial solution was shorter (CaCO3 formation increase by 43%, compare to control). The XRD and SEM results displayed the CaCO3 formation, which confirmed the feasibility of PU as carbonate source. The findings implied a cost reduction of MICP technology by using pig urine as urea, animal waste mitigation for environmental pollution and resource substitution.

Mobility and retention of phenolic acids through a goethite-coated quartz sand column

In the present work, a natural mineral, such as quartz sand (NQS), was modified with a small amount of goethite to yield a goethite-coated quartz sand (GCQS) adsorbent that was used for depolluting water contaminated with a series of phenolic acids that have various numbers and positions of hydroxyl groups in the benzene ring. Thus, the transport and retention of gallic acid and its derivatives from water onto GCQS column were carried out at ambient temperature. Prior to the column adsorption experiments, the GCQS adsorbent was characterized with various methods such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with X-ray microanalysis and zeta potential. The amount of adsorbed phenolic acid at the GCQS-water interface was found to be controlled by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, and it was tuned by varying parameters such as the aqueous phase pH, the ionic strength and the nature of inorganic ions. In addition, the effect of the number and the positions of hydroxyl groups (OH) on the benzoic acid mobility was also examined. The data indicate that adding no more than 2.5 wt% of goethite to NQS shifts the solid Isoelectrical Point from 2.5 for pure NQS to 5.7 for GCQS and leads to a 16-fold increase in the maximum adsorbed amount of gallic acid. Moreover, the adsorbed amount of gallic acid was also found to decrease in the presence of inorganic anions in the order Cl− > NO3− > SO42− > H2PO4−, and to decrease as the ionic strength of the aqueous phase increases. This study brings new insight to the role of colloid and interface science for mineral processing and the environment.

Oxytetracycline increases the mobility of carbon nanotubes in porous media

The effect of engineered nanoparticles on the mobility of co-existing contaminants has been increasingly studied, while the reverse effect receives little attention. This study provides results from investigating the effect of oxytetracycline (OTC) on the mobility of oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (O-MWCNTs) in quartz sand (QS) columns at various solution ionic strengths (ISs) and pHs. The mobility of O-MWCNTs in QS columns was significantly enhanced by the presence of OTC under all of the tested solution conditions (IS: 0.1, 1.0, and 10mM; pH: 3.0, 5.5, and 8.5), with an increase of 8.6–50.9%. Such enhancement was nonlinear over OTC concentration, which firstly increased (0 to 2.5mgL−1 OTC) and then decreased (2.5 to 20mgL−1OTC) at pH5.5. The major contributor to the OTC-enhanced O-MWCNTs mobility was competition of the two analytes for adsorption sites on the QS surface. Batch attachment results show that the adsorption of O-MWCNTs in the presence of OTC onto QS was also nonlinear with OTC concentration (firstly decreased and then increased with increasing OTC) at pH5.5, which gave the plausible explanation for the nonlinear enhancement of O-MWCNTs transport in QS columns by the presence of OTC. In turn, both the carrier and competition actions of O-MWCNTs determined the mobility of OTC in QS columns and the carrier action was stronger when more OTC was associated with O-MWCNTs in the influent. These results imply that the mobility of O-MWCNTs in OTC polluted water and soil can be significantly stronger than that in non-polluted area. CapsuleOTC can increase the migration of O-MWCNTs mainly through the competition for adsorption sites on collectors.

Co-transport and remobilization of Cu and Pb in quartz column by carbon dots

Carbon nanoparticles such graphene, carbon nanotubes, and carbon dots offer the potential to improve environmental treatment technologies due to their unique properties such as low toxicity and high metal sorption capacity. However, there are no studies on facilitated transport and remobilization of pre-sorbed metals by carbon dot (CD) nanoparticles in quartz sand columns. Here, we investigate the effects of solution ionic strength (IS; 1, 100 and 200 mM NaCl) and pH (Chen et al., 2017; Chen et al., 2010; Cornell and Schwertmann, 2006), initial CD concentration (200, 400, 600 and 800 mg L−1), and clay content (10, 20 and 30%w kaolinite) in quartz sand columns on the transport, retention and remobilization of Cu and Pb in saturated (upward flow) quartz porous media. Batch sorption experiments were employed to underpin the findings of the column transport experiments. Both CD and quartz adsorbed Cu and Pb from water, but adsorption was higher on CD than quartz.Co-transport experiment demonstrated the CD-facilitated transport of Cu and Pb. Sequential transport experiments (first three phases) demonstrated the retention of Cu and Pb in the quartz column, with higher retention of Pb compared to Cu. The Cu and Pb retention was attributed to their sorption on the quartz grains and precipitation under the experimental conditions investigated in this study. Cu retention increased with the increase in ionic strength, pH and clay content. Pb was nearly totally retained in the quartz column at all experimental conditions. The subsequent injection of CD resulted in Cu and Pb remobilization to different extents, except in the presence of high kaolinite concentration. CD is most efficient in remobilizing Cu and Pb at 400 mg L−1 CD concentration and under low ionic strength (ca. 1–100 mM), low pH (ca. 6) and in the absence of clays. Deviation from these conditions results in reduced remobilization of Cu and Pb.

Nanoscale Titanium Dioxide (nTiO2) Transport in Natural Sediments: Importance of Soil Organic Matter and Fe/Al Oxyhydroxides.

Many engineered nanoparticle (ENP) transport experiments use quartz sand as the transport media; however, sediments are complex in nature, with heterogeneous compositions that may influence transport. Nanoscale titanium dioxide (nTiO2) transport in water-saturated columns of quartz sand and variations of a natural sediment was studied, with the objective of understanding the influence of soil organic matter (SOM) and Fe/Al-oxyhydroxides and identifying the underlying mechanisms. Results indicated nTiO2 transport was strongly influenced by pH and sediment composition. When influent pH was 5, nTiO2 transport was low because positively charged nTiO2 was attracted to negatively charged minerals and SOM. nTiO2 transport was slightly enhanced in sediments with sufficient SOM concentrations due to leached dissolved organic matter (DOM), which adsorbed onto the nTiO2 surface, reversing the zeta potential to negative. When influent pH was 9, nTiO2 transport was generally high because negatively charged medium repelled negatively charged nTiO2. However, in sediments with SOM or amorphous Fe/Al oxyhydroxides depleted, transport was low due to pH buffering by the sediments, causing attraction between nTiO2 and crystalline Fe oxyhydroxides. This was counteracted by DOM adsorbing to nTiO2, stabilizing it in suspension. Our research demonstrates the importance of SOM and Fe/Al oxyhydroxides in governing ENP transport in natural sediments.

Transport and long-term release behavior of polymer-coated silver nanoparticles in saturated quartz sand: The impacts of input concentration, grain size and flow rate

This study investigated the transport and long-term release of stabilized poly vinylpyrrolidone-coated silver nanoparticles (PVP-AgNPs) in a quartz sand column with various sand grain sizes (0.3–0.5 μm, 0.5–1.0 μm, 1.0–2.0 μm), input concentrations of PVP-AgNP solution (1, 5, 15, 25 mg/L), and flow rates corresponding to a filter velocities (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 mL/min–0.14, 0.21, 0.28, 0.35 cm/min) by determining breakthrough curves, retention profiles, and long-term release curves. Breakthrough curves and retention profiles were simulated by a mathematical model based on the advection dispersion equation coupled with second-order kinetics. The increased transport of PVP-AgNPs in quartz sand occurred with increased grain sizes and reduced input concentrations, and the transport can be predicted by the colloid filtration theory and DLVO theory.The long-term (one week) release amounts of retained PVP-AgNPs were 42.78%, 31.45%, and 10.95% in the fine, medium, and coarse sand columns, respectively, and were 34.70%, 40.79%, 47.24%, and 57.32% at flow rates of 0.0363, 0.0436, 0.0545, and 0.0726 mL/min, respectively. The released quantity of retained PVP-AgNPs decreased as the sand grain size increased. This phenomenon is opposite with the trend of increased transport of PVP-AgNPs with increased grain size in the transport test, which most likely because colloidal filtration regulates the transport process and adsorption (and desorption) dominates the release process. Increasing the flow rate increased the shear force on the particles, which improved the release of PVP-AgNPs. The results of the release tests further verified our previous published studies showing that the long-term release of retained PVP-AgNPs in the quartz sand was mostly in the form of released nanoparticles rather than ions. The results of this study indicated that sand grain size, input concentration, and flow rate have a prominent influence on the transport and long-term release behavior of PVP-AgNPs in saturated quartz sand.

Transport of multi-walled carbon nanotubes stabilized by carboxymethyl cellulose and starch in saturated porous media: Influences of electrolyte, clay and humic acid

This study investigated the transport behaviors of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and starch stabilized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) through a saturated quartz sand column in the presence of electrolytes, model clays, and natural organic matter (humic acid) through column breakthrough experiments and model simulations. Both stabilizers, CMC and starch, greatly enhanced the breakthrough of MWNTs, with a full breakthrough plateau (C/C0) ranging from 0.69 to 0.90 at ionic strength from 0.3 to 10mM. Between the two stabilizers, CMC was more effective in resisting particle deposition, and thus CMC-stabilized MWNTs were more transportable through the medium. While non-stabilized MWNTs were much less transportable and were vulnerable to electrolyte effects (especially Ca2+), the stabilized counterparts were much more resistant to the coagulation effects of electrolytes. The presence of colloidal clay particles showed contrasting effects on the transport of bare and stabilized MWNTs. The full breakthrough C/C0 of bare MWNTs was suppressed by kaolinite and montmorillonite particles from 0.33 to <0.15 with 5mg/L clay, indicating that the presence of both clays enhanced the aggregation and deposition of MWNTs. However, kaolinite particles facilitated the transport of stabilized-MWNTs, while montmorillonite weakened the breakthrough of stabilized MWNTs. Humic acid had less effect on the mobility of stabilized-MWNTs than that of bare MWNTs. The advection-dispersion transport model incorporated with the filtration theory was able to simulate the breakthrough curves and quantitatively interpret the particle deposition. The results can facilitate our understanding of fate and transport of stabilized carbon nanotubes in the environment.

Transport of antibiotic resistance plasmids in porous media and the influence of surfactants

Transport of engineered antibiotic resistance plasmids in porous media has been reported to potentially cause significant spreading of antibiotic resistance in the environment. In this work, transport of an indigenous resistance plasmid pK5 in porous media was investigated through packed column experiments. At identical ionic strengths in CaCl2 solutions, the breakthroughs of pK5 from soil columns were very close to those from quartz sand columns, indicating that transport of pK5 in quartz sand and soil was similar. A similarity in transport behavior was also found between pK5 and an engineered plasmid pBR322 that has approximately the same number of base pairs as pK5. The influence of surfactants, a major group of constituents in soil solutions, was examined using an engineered plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)/myc-His A. The impact of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was negligible at concentrations up to 200 mg·L–1. Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant, was found to significantly enhance plasmid adsorption at high concentrations. However, at environmentally relevant concentrations (<1 mg·L–1), the effect of this surfactant was also minimal. The negligible impact of surfactants and the similarity between the transport of engineered and indigenous plasmids indicate that under environmentally relevant conditions, indigenous plasmids in soil also have the potential to transport over long distances and lead to the spreading of antibiotic resistance.

Effects of flow interruption on transport and retention of iron oxide colloids in quartz sand

Due to the complexity of flow conditions as well as solid matrix and colloid surface properties, solid knowledge about the transport of iron oxide colloids in soils remains scarce. In order to analyze the influence of flow conditions on iron oxide colloid transport and retention, breakthrough behavior of negatively charged, organic matter-coated goethite (OMCG) colloids in saturated quartz sand columns was investigated under continuous and stagnant flow conditions. Classic DLVO and extended DLVO (XDLVO) interaction energies including Lewis acid/base parameters were evaluated using measurements of sessile drop contact angles and zeta potentials of OMCG colloids and quartz. Results elucidated that under continuous flow conditions, OMCG colloids were highly mobile, which was in agreement with calculated unfavorable attachment conditions revealed by predictions of both DLVO approaches. In contrast, during intervals of flow interruption, significant amounts of OMCG colloids were retained in the solid matrix and could not be remobilized via re-establishment of flow. The magnitude of colloid retention increased with the duration of flow interruption; OMCG colloids were almost completely immobilized after 112h. Further experiments were conducted in order to determine possible colloid retention mechanisms. Results indicated that the major cause for retention during flow stagnation was OMCG colloid capture at locations with attractive DLVO/XDLVO interactions, promoted by fast gravitational settling of colloids onto the solid matrix. We compared breakthrough curves to model predictions, where we demonstrated that an attachment term with a stagnant fluid switch was required in the mass balance in order to reproduce the measurements. We conclude that high mobility of OMCG colloids and prediction of that transport behavior with the applied DLVO approaches were only valid under continuous flow conditions. Under more discontinuous hydraulic conditions relevant in natural soils, such as flow interruption, OMCG colloid transport behavior was modified significantly.

Treatment of groundwater containing Mn(II), Fe(II), As(III) and Sb(III) by bioaugmented quartz-sand filters

High concentrations of iron (Fe(II)) and manganese (Mn(II)) often occur simultaneously in groundwater. Previously, we demonstrated that Fe(II) and Mn(II) could be oxidized to biogenic Fe-Mn oxides (BFMO) via aeration and microbial oxidation, and the formed BFMO could further oxidize and adsorb other pollutants (e.g., arsenic (As(III)) and antimony (Sb(III))). To apply this finding to groundwater remediation, we established four quartz-sand columns for treating groundwater containing Fe(II), Mn(II), As(III), and Sb(III). A Mn-oxidizing bacterium (Pseudomonas sp. QJX-1) was inoculated into two parallel bioaugmented columns. Long-term treatment (120 d) showed that bioaugmentation accelerated the formation of Fe-Mn oxides, resulting in an increase in As and Sb removal. The bioaugmented columns also exhibited higher overall treatment effect and anti-shock load capacity than that of the non-bioaugmented columns. To clarify the causal relationship between the microbial community and treatment effect, we compared the biomass of active bacteria (reverse-transcribed real-time PCR), bacterial community composition (Miseq 16S rRNA sequencing) and community function (metagenomic sequencing) between the bioaugmented and non-bioaugmented columns. Results indicated that the QJX1 strain grew steadily and attached onto the filter material surface in the bioaugmented columns. In general, the inoculated strain did not significantly alter the composition of the indigenous bacterial community, but did improve the relative abundances of xenobiotic metabolism genes and Mn oxidation gene. Thus, bioaugmentation intensified microbial degradation/utilization for the direct removal of pollutants and increased the formation of Fe-Mn oxides for the indirect removal of pollutants. Our study provides an alternative method for the treatment of groundwater containing high Fe(II), Mn(II) and As/Sb.

Sepia ink as a surrogate for colloid transport tests in porous media

We examined the suitability of the ink of Sepia officinalis as a surrogate for transport studies of microorganisms and microparticles in porous media. Sepia ink is an organic pigment consisted on a suspension of eumelanin, and that has several advantages for its use as a promising material for introducing the frugal-innovation in the fields of public health and environmental research: very low cost, non-toxic, spherical shape, moderate polydispersivity, size near large viruses, non-anomalous electrokinetic behavior, low retention in the soil, and high stability.Electrokinetic determinations and transport experiments in quartz sand columns and soil columns were done with purified suspensions of sepia ink. Influence of ionic strength on the electrophoretic mobility of ink particles showed the typical behavior of polystyrene latex spheres. Breakthrough curve (BTC) and retention profile (RP) in quartz sand columns showed a depth dependent and blocking adsorption model with an increase in adsorption rates with the ionic strength. Partially saturated transport through undisturbed soil showed less retention than in quartz sand, and matrix exclusion was also observed. Quantification of ink in leachate fractions by light absorbance is direct, but quantification in the soil profile with moderate to high organic matter content was rather cumbersome.We concluded that sepia ink is a suitable cheap surrogate for exploring transport of pathogenic viruses, bacteria and particulate contaminants in groundwater, and could be used for developing frugal-innovation related with the assessment of soil and aquifer filtration function, and monitoring of water filtration systems in low-income regions.

In situ treatment of arsenic contaminated groundwater by aquifer iron coating: Experimental study

In situ arsenic removal from groundwater by an aquifer iron coating method has great potential to be a cost effective and simple groundwater remediation technology, especially in rural and remote areas where groundwater is used as the main water source for drinking. The in situ arsenic removal technology was first optimized by simulating arsenic removal in various quartz sand columns under anoxic conditions. The effectiveness was then evaluated in an actual high-arsenic groundwater environment. The arsenic removal mechanism by the coated iron oxide/hydroxide was investigated under different conditions using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/X-ray absorption spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy.Aquifer iron coating method was developed via a 4-step alternating injection of oxidant, iron salt and oxygen-free water. A continuous injection of 5.0mmol/L FeSO4 and 2.5mmol/L NaClO for 96h can form a uniform goethite coating on the surface of quartz sand without causing clogging. At a flow rate of 7.2mL/min of the injection reagents, arsenic (as Na2HAsO4) and tracer fluorescein sodium to pass through the iron-coated quartz sand column were approximately at 126 and 7 column pore volumes, respectively. The retardation factor of arsenic was 23.0, and the adsorption capacity was 0.11mol As per mol Fe. In situ arsenic removal from groundwater in an aquifer was achieved by simultaneous injections of As(V) and Fe(II) reagents. Arsenic fixation resulted from a process of adsorption/co-precipitation with fine goethite particles by way of bidentate binuclear complexes. Therefore, the study results indicate that the high arsenic removal efficiency of the in situ aquifer iron coating technology likely resulted from the expanded specific surface area of the small goethite particles, which enhanced arsenic sorption capability and/or from co-precipitation of arsenic on the surface of goethite particles.