Aided Transport of Nano-Iron in Clay Soils Using Direct Electric Field

Abstract

The influence of direct current electric fields on the possible electrokinetic delivery of nano-iron slurry in clay for the purpose of fast and effective remediation of soil contaminants has been tested. Nano-iron can be introduced to soil hydraulically in slurry form, but in tight clay soil, delivery of a uniform distribution of the slurry may be difficult to achieve for effective remediation. Additionally, the limited life of the nano-iron particles, previously shown in field studies of being on the order of 4-8 weeks, further emphasizes the need for the nano-iron particles to reach the contaminated site efficiently before the particles oxidize and become ineffective. This study demonstrates that by integrating electrokinetics with nanotechnology, the transport of nano-particles can be electrokinetically enhanced for subsurface remediation of tight clay soils where transport time and process efficiency may be an issue.