Editors: | F. Kongoli, M. de Campos, S. Lewis, S. Miller, S. Thomas |
Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
Publication Year: | 2019 |
Pages: | 171 pages |
ISBN: | 978-1-989820-12-4 |
ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
The technological applications for newly developed nanoparticles are continuously increasing. Nevertheless, their reduced size, forming colloidal suspensions, may facilitate the transport and bioaccumulation in the environment. The particular properties of each nanoparticle and their interactions with the dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the living organisms are important issues in this scenario. The landfill waste disposal method is still dominant worldwide. In the landfill, the nanoparticles can undergo phenomena such as leaching, agglomeration, flocculation, complexation, adsorption, dissolution and neoformations. Among the concerns, it is recognized that the nanoparticles behave as carriers for the contaminants in the environment which strongly impacts the water resources. This research is focused on the development of a mathematical model able to predict the transport of TiO2, SiO2, ZnO, and CuO nanoparticles and their mutual interaction within soils commonly used as protective layers of controlled landfill for municipal waste disposal. A combined methodology based on numerical procedures using inverse method principles and controlled column experiments were carried out. Firstly, the model parameters were determined and secondly, the model was validated by confronting numerical and experimental data. The model formulated new ways to address the interactions phenomena of colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles percolating through landfill soils protective layers. It has been found that SiO2 nanoparticles presented the strongest deleterious effect on the efficiency of the soil protective layers while ZnO plays a positive role, promoting flocculation and complexation with soil particles and enhances their effectiveness.