Groundwater remediation through nanoparticle addition to a filtration system and subsequent groundwater treatment through electrolysis

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Groundwater penetration in subterranean sections of a building can lead to problems such as mould generation, which represents a potential health hazard, and flooding (through the accumulation of the solid material carried by the groundwater at drains and resultant impedance of the flow of groundwater), which can represent a safety hazard and render the flooded space unusable. With construction and subsequent building occupancy being significant economic drivers, eliminating potential building-operation issues is important. Our industrial partner, Lisgar Construction, has identified, developed and implemented a technical solution based on deep bed filtration to deal with groundwater penetration, upon which they wish to improve. One means of improvement that is to be explored in this proposal is the addition of nanoparticulate material to the filter bed matrix. The inclusion of nanoparticles may help in capturing additional, finer-sized solids carried by the groundwater without hindering fluid flow due to surface effects. Furthermore, treatment of the groundwater may be required prior to directing it through the municipal sewer system. To this end, we also propose the addition of an electrochemical cell to remove pollutants that may be present in the groundwater to municipally-approved levels. In order to study such improvements, experimental studies of the overall performances of the filtration system and the electrochemical cell are to be undertaken. Numerical modelling will also be performed in parallel with the experiments, in order to provide greater insight to the performance and behaviour of the filtration system and also to develop a design tool by which filtration systems may be applied.