Fate, reactivity and environmental impact of using iron nanoparticles for site clean-up

使用铁纳米颗粒进行现场清理的结果、反应性和环境影响

• 批准号: NE/I019006/1
• 负责人: Thomas Scott
• 金额: $ 8.58万
• 依托单位: University of Bristol
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Training Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2012 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FI019006%2F1
• 关键词: Fate; reactivity; environmental; impact; using

Targeted under NERC's Water theme, the proposed project is aimed at determining the fate, reactivity and environmental risk of deploying nanoscale iron particles (INP) for the cleanup of polluted sites and groundwaters around the UK. The project is CASE supported by URS/Scott Wilson with advisory input from DEFRA (Dr Helinor Johnston) and CL:AIRE (Dr John Henstock). The Problem: The increased development and use of engineered nanomaterials has the potential to offer great benefits to society through their exploitation within numerous products developed by diverse industries. Some applications of nanomaterials have the potential to afford environmental benefits and of particular interest is the use of nanoscale particles of zerovalent iron (INPs) for the in situ cleanup of contaminated land and groundwater. Theoretical and practical evidence suggests that these INPs can be used to rapidly remediate contaminated sites at a significantly reduced cost relative to conventional methods. Most significantly they are also applicable for a wide range of hazardous chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); heavy metals and even radionuclides. To date the UK government has adopted a precautionary approach to the deliberate release of nanomaterials into the environment and consequently the use of INP remediation technology is not currently permitted by the UK Environment Agency. In July 2010 DEFRA commissioned a study (CB0440) to evaluate whether the hypothesised or known detrimental effects associated with the intentional release of INPs into the environment, outweigh the benefits that may be realised by using INP for site cleanup. Whilst this study has not yet been completed, a recent detailed review provided by the Bristol group has highlighted that much is still unknown about the true geochemical fate of INP injected into the subsurface, their true efficiency for cleanup of pollutants and the level of impact they may have on the environment. The Solution: By partnering academia with industry, the current project proposes to bridge the gaps in our current understanding and provide valuable site-derived data relating to the lifecycle of INPs in the environment. The project will build upon existing links between the Bristol Interface Analysis Centre (IAC), a group with the strongest UK track record for INPs research, and URS/Scott Wilson, an internationally renowned geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering consultancy. Over the period of the project, the student will perform both laboratory and field-based investigations using INP of different sizes and types (wet-formed, dry-formed, annealed, surfactant coated) to evaluate their relative performance for contaminant remediation in natural waters of complex geochemistry. The project will also seek to better understand specific fundamental lifecycle aspects of INP injected into pore-water systems, specifically the factors that control transport, transformation, contaminant-INP reactivity and microbial impact. Of specific value to the project, URS/Scott Wilson will provide access to contaminated sites within the UK and/or overseas where the student, under supervision of the CASE supervisor, will participate in the planning, deployment and monitoring of a remediation project using INP. In the UK the student will also have access to a specialist 50m3 hydrogeochemical test cell located at URS/Scott Wilson's laboratories in Nottingham, where groundwater remediation systems using INP's will be prototyped and optimised. It is considered that the current studentship, which will be advised by both DEFRA and CL:AIRE, will produce data and practical knowledge that will help to shape future UK legislation and industry best practice for the use of INP in site clean-up.

根据NERC的水主题，拟议的项目旨在确定部署纳米级铁颗粒（INP）用于清理英国周围污染场地和地下水的命运，反应性和环境风险。该项目是由URS/Scott Wilson支持的CASE，DEFRA（Helinor约翰斯顿博士）和CL：AIRE（John Henstock博士）提供咨询意见。问题：工程纳米材料的开发和使用增加，有可能通过在不同行业开发的众多产品中利用这些材料为社会带来巨大利益。纳米材料的一些应用具有提供环境效益的潜力，特别令人感兴趣的是使用纳米级零价铁颗粒（INPs）原位清理受污染的土地和地下水。理论和实践证据表明，这些INPs可用于快速修复污染场地，相对于传统方法，成本大大降低。最重要的是，它们还适用于广泛的危险化学品，包括多氯联苯、重金属甚至放射性核素。迄今为止，英国政府已采取预防措施，防止纳米材料故意释放到环境中，因此，英国环境署目前不允许使用INP补救技术。2010年7月，DEFRA委托进行了一项研究（CB 0440），以评估与故意将INP释放到环境中相关的假设或已知有害影响是否超过使用INP进行现场清理可能实现的好处。虽然这项研究尚未完成，但最近由布里斯托集团提供的详细审查强调，关于注入地下的INP的真实地球化学命运，其清理污染物的真正效率以及可能对环境产生的影响程度，仍有很多未知之处。解决方案：通过学术界与工业界的合作，目前的项目建议弥合我们目前理解的差距，并提供与环境中INPs生命周期相关的有价值的现场数据。该项目将建立在布里斯托界面分析中心（IAC）和URS/Scott Wilson之间的现有联系上，IAC是英国最强的INPs研究记录，URS/Scott Wilson是国际知名的岩土工程和地质环境工程咨询公司。在项目期间，学生将使用不同尺寸和类型（湿成型，干成型，退火，表面活性剂涂层）的INP进行实验室和现场调查，以评估其在复杂地球化学的天然沃茨中污染物修复的相对性能。该项目还将寻求更好地了解注入孔隙水系统的INP的特定基本生命周期方面，特别是控制运输，转化，污染物-INP反应性和微生物影响的因素。具体价值的项目，URS/斯科特·威尔逊将提供英国和/或海外的学生，在案件主管的监督下，将参与规划，部署和使用INP的补救项目的监测污染场地。在英国，学生还可以使用位于诺丁汉的URS/Scott Wilson实验室的专业50 m3水文地球化学测试单元，在那里使用INP的地下水修复系统将进行原型设计和优化。据认为，目前的学生，这将是由DEFRA和CL：AIRE建议，将产生数据和实践知识，这将有助于塑造未来的英国立法和行业最佳实践，在现场清理中使用INP。