Little is known about the impacts of using nano-scale zerovalent iron (nZVI) for groundwater remediation. This study investigated toxicity risks comparing two types of nZV and two iron chloride salts (FeCl2 and FeCl3. The focus was on sensitive organisms known to be indicators of toxicity, specifically marine and freshwater phytoplankton and a freshwater invertebrate. Toxicity studies indicate that nZVI can be toxic at concentrations greater than 0.5 mg/L total Fe. The response of different species of phytoplankton can be similar and show decreasing cell densities with increasing total Fe and less toxicity to Fe2+ and Fe3+.  The response of the D. magna to nZVI suggests that nZVI istoxic even at 0.5 mg/L, with less toxicity to Fe2+ and Fe3+. For groundwater remediation it is important to consider the dilution down gradient and the significance of nZVI toxicity relative to toxicity of the pollutant in groundwater.

Toxicity of nZVI to freshwater and marine organisms

244th National Meeting (2012)

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