Natural nanoparticles and colloids in European forested headwater catchments: new insights on spatiotemporal dynamics and potential origin

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Natural nanoparticles (NNP) and soil-born colloids are being increasingly recognized as highly relevant transport form of elements in aqueous phases of ecosystems. The elemental composition of such particles as well as their size ranges has been previously studied, yet important fundamental information is still lacking regarding their temporal dynamics and origin. The aims of this research project are (i) to elucidate the temporal dynamics of NNP and colloids in stream water ecosystems, (ii) to assess the influence of peak flow events on the export of NNP and colloid mediated transport, (iii) to identify the potential origin of stream water NNP and colloids. To obtain an idea on (iv) continental validity of the findings for different ecosystems, the analyses will be performed on samples from well-monitored streams from different catchments in Europe, which provide data on soils, water chemistry and fluxes, and where I could already establish first own scientific collaborations. Samples will be analyzed with hyphenated Field Flow Fractionation (FFF) and, for selected samples, size-resolved and element-specific analysis of NNP and colloids is combined with the analyses of lignin-derived phenol, 13C natural abundance tracing, radiocarbon dating and additional d56Fe analyses. Through the combined data, it should be possible to better understand the occurrence and variability of NNP and colloids as predominant transport form of elements, their origin from different soil horizons as well as to rate the general validity of my findings for different site locations across Europe.