Nano-Earth sciences: Understanding environmental processes at the nano-scale

纳米地球科学：了解纳米尺度的环境过程

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-04678
• 负责人: Schindler, Michael
• 金额: $ 2.62万
• 依托单位: University of Manitoba
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=751201
• 关键词: Nano; Earth; sciences; Understanding; environmental

Canada's economy depends strongly on natural resources including mineral deposits. Mining of mineral deposits has led to the construction of tailings impoundments, particulate matter emissions from smelters, and generation of dust during mining activities. The proposed studies will provide fundamental knowledge on the fate of metals and metal(loids) in contaminated soils and sediments, abandoned tailings and tailings reclaimed using organic-rich soils. The proposed study will specifically examine Earth and Environmental processes at the nano scale (1-100 nm). Processes at this scale commonly control the fate of metal- and metalloid-bearing contaminants in soils, tailings, sediments and water. Environmentally relevant processes at the nano-scale are for example adsorption of contaminants on mineral surfaces, organic matter and nanoparticles, the transport of contaminant-bearing nanoparticles within soils, sediments and tailings and the formation, agglomeration, attachment and release of contaminant-bearing nanoparticles. An important aspect of these nano-scale processes is the interaction of surfaces of minerals and organic matter with contaminants dissolved in solution or attached or incorporated into nanoparticles. Although previous models of the interaction of contaminants with surfaces of minerals and organic matter assumed that the surfaces of both constituents are relatively homogeneous in composition and that the environmental conditions on and within these materials are relatively constant; recent studies show that this is not the case: mineral surfaces and organic matter have been chemically altered and the environmental conditions in these altered entities vary on the nano-scale. Hence, mineral surfaces and organic matter are far more complex than previously assumed. The proposed study will explore the interaction of contaminants within altered mineral surfaces and organic matter such as roots, bacteria and litter from plants and trees. This study uses instruments in specialized laboratories in Canada and the USA that allow the visualization of chemical processes on the nano-scale.

加拿大的经济非常依赖自然资源，包括矿藏。开采矿藏导致修建尾矿库、冶炼厂排放颗粒物以及在采矿活动中产生粉尘。拟议的研究将提供关于金属和金属（类金属）在受污染土壤和沉积物、废弃尾矿和利用富含有机物的土壤回收的尾矿中的归宿的基本知识。拟议的研究将专门研究纳米尺度（1-100 nm）的地球和环境过程。这种规模的工艺通常控制着土壤、尾矿、沉积物和水中含金属和类金属污染物的命运。与环境有关的纳米级过程例如是污染物在矿物表面、有机物和纳米颗粒上的吸附，含有污染物的纳米颗粒在土壤、沉积物和尾矿中的迁移，以及含有污染物的纳米颗粒的形成、凝聚、附着和释放。这些纳米级过程的一个重要方面是矿物和有机物质的表面与溶解在溶液中或附着或并入纳米颗粒中的污染物的相互作用。虽然以前关于污染物与矿物和有机物表面相互作用的模型假设这两种成分的表面成分相对均匀，而且这些物质上和内部的环境条件相对恒定，但最近的研究表明情况并非如此：矿物表面和有机物质已发生化学变化，这些变化的实体中的环境条件在纳米尺度上变化。因此，矿物表面和有机质远比以前假设的复杂。拟议的研究将探讨改变矿物表面内的污染物与植物和树木的根、细菌和垃圾等有机物之间的相互作用。这项研究使用了加拿大和美国专门实验室的仪器，可以在纳米尺度上可视化化学过程。