REPONANO · Retention of toxic pollutants by nanomagnetite aggregates
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-03-01 → 2023-02-28
- EU contribution
- €196,708
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Retention of toxic pollutants by nanomagnetite aggregates
REPONANO addresses the fundamental scientific issue of the decontamination of drinking and waste water, focusing on the role of nanomagnetite in the immobilisation of contaminants that have started gaining a worldwide attention (i.e. As, Sb and U). Controlled experimental systems mimicking in-situ conditions are necessary to study the geochemical processes controlling Fe transformation and subsequent retention or release of contaminants. While the immobilisation of toxic elements by various Fe (hydr)oxides (e.g. ferrihydrite, hematite) has been widely studied, retention by magnetite is far less documented. The aim of the project is to study the combined interactions of physical and geochemical processes regulating the fate of most redox sensitive elements (focusing on As, Sb and U), in a controlled but complex setting, representative of natural systems, and to investigate the spatial distribution of the phases produced by nanomagnetite reduction. Apart from the conventional batch sorption experiments, a novel approach will be applied, using a new kind of submicron synthetic aggregate (i.e. PEGDA/nanomagnetite) in a microfluidic set-up. Alternative input solutions will be used, introducing for the first time a mixture of important contaminants to study their competitive behaviour, in addition to acidic, phosphate-rich waste leachates that pollute many coastal areas worldwide. Providing fundamental knowledge on the abiotic reduction mechanisms of trace elements, is crucial not only for setting new remediation strategies, but also for the human health, such as the development of therapeutic agents (e.g. Se nanoparticles tested to treat cancer cell spheroids, shown to behave amazing similarities to soil aggregates), contributing to the enhancement of the European competitiveness and excellence.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Iron (hydr)oxides are widely considered as important factors for the immobilisation of many contaminants, while their nano-scale counterparts offer greater retention capacity. Successful immobilisation of contaminants is documented, for instance, via nanomagnetite, although this solid is far less studied compared to other Fe oxides. Soil aggregates are natural systems ideal for the study of the (bio)geochemical reactions that control the mobility of the redox sensitive elements due to their small size and their spatial heterogeneity. The reduction of contaminants by Fe (hydr)oxides using artificial aggregate systems has been studied via experimental set ups that mimic the field conditions, showing the great retention potential of important toxic pollutants. These systems have been originally developed in a macro-scale via flow-through reactors using constructed aggregates coated with ferryhydrite and indicated the successful retention of Se and As. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to use those systems in a micro-scale edition via the use of microfluidics and PEG aggregates in order to study the nanomagnetite immobilisation potential of various contaminated systems (i.e. Se, As, Cr, Sb, U). We aim to obtain Break Through Curves (BTC) of the contaminants of interest to investigate the spatial distribution of the phases produced by nanomagnetite reduction and to assess all the driving geochemical and physical processes. Micro X-Ray Tomography (SR-CT) and µXAS will be applied for the first time to such experimental systems, offering a 3D description of the various species present in these aggregates. A numerical (3D) reactive transport model will be, also, used to interpretate the time-resolved data obtained in such a natural system and to set up new water treatments based on such macroscopic devices. We aim to provide innovative insights and set the basis for alternative remediation techniques with respect to drinking and waste water contamination worldwide.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITE GRENOBLE ALPES · GrenobleCoordinatorFrance
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/892570
- https://www.isterre.fr/french/recherche-observation/equipes/geochimie/themes-de-recherche/article/biogeochimie-des-contaminants-metalliques.html
Data: CORDIS, © European Union