Column experiments were conducted to explore the transport behavior of AgNPs through Ottawa sand porous media for different solution ionic strengths (0, 10 and 50 mM) and sand mean particle diameters (0.18, 0.34 and 0.55 mm). Commercial Ag-NPs with a mean particle diameter of 45nm were used in all experiments. Ag-NP retention in the column increased with solution ionic strength and reductions in mean sand particle diameter, with the influence from ionic strength having the most significant effect on Ag-NP retention. Effluent AgsNPs concentrations over time were able to be simulated using the advection-dispersion equation. In almost all cases, significant amounts of Ag-NPs exited the columns, suggesting that Ag-NPs can be relatively mobile in sand porous media. At ionic strengths typical of natural groundwater (e.g., 10 mM), only 30-50% of the Ag-NPs were retained.

Silver nanoparticle transport through saturated sand porous media

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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