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Co-transport of negatively charged nanoparticles in saturated porous media: Impacts of hydrophobicity and surface O-functional groups
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Researchers studied how graphene oxide (GO) and polystyrene nanoplastics co-transport through saturated soil, finding that in sodium-rich conditions GO can carry nanoplastics through the medium, while calcium ions suppress movement of both by bridging particles to sand grains — with more abundant surface oxygen groups on GO amplifying this effect.
Graphene oxide (GO) and polystyrene nanoplastic (PSNP) are typical carbonaceous nanomaterials which likely co-exist in soil and sediment. Here, we describe the transport of GO, irradiation reduced GO (RGO) and PSNP in saturated quartz sand both in single and binary systems. In the single transport system, the materials exhibited mobility in the order of GO > RGO > PSNP, due to increased hydrophobicity and decreased negative surface charges. Nevertheless, the co-transport of (R)GO and PSNP in the binary transport system was much more intricate. In Na saturated porous media, PSNP preferred to interact with (R)GO relative to the highly negatively charged quartz sand, thus (R)GO carried PSNP to break through the sand column. However, in Ca saturated porous media, the transport of both (R)GO and PSNP was depressed, attributed to the particle-collector and particle-particle bridging effects between Ca and the metal-complexing moieties of the nanoparticles and sand grains. Moreover, GO influenced the co-transport of PSNP to a larger extent than RGO, especially at relatively high ionic strength, because of the more abundant surface O-functional groups on GO providing more complexion sites with Ca. These results demonstrated that the transport of negatively charged nanomaterials was greatly related to the hydrophobicity and surface O-functional groups.
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Transport of polystyrene microplastics in bare and iron oxide-coated quartz sand: Effects of ionic strength, humic acid, and co-existing graphene oxide
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Researchers investigated how graphene oxide nanoparticles and humic acid influence the transport of polystyrene microplastics through sand columns, comparing bare quartz sand with iron oxide-coated sand. They found that iron oxide-coated sand strongly retained microplastics regardless of other factors, while graphene oxide significantly promoted microplastic transport by increasing surface charge and creating steric barriers. The study suggests that the co-presence of nanomaterials and organic matter in the environment can significantly alter how microplastics move through soil and groundwater systems.
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Researchers showed that the co-transport of polystyrene microplastics and soil colloids through saturated sand is governed by cation valence and concentration: calcium enables bridging that locks both particles in place, while switching from calcium to sodium electrolytes releases large quantities of both, with soil colloids responding more sensitively than microplastics.
Mechanism of coupled phosphate‑calcium modulation of nanoplastic transport in porous media: Role of solution chemistry and surface interactions
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Scientists used laboratory experiments and molecular simulations to study how phosphate and calcium ions in soil water affect whether polystyrene nanoplastics move freely through the ground or get trapped in soil particles. They found that pH was a key factor: at lower pH levels, phosphate helped nanoplastics travel farther while calcium restricted movement, with both effects linked to how these ions change the surface charge of both the particles and the soil. Understanding nanoplastic mobility in soil is essential for predicting contamination of groundwater and crops.
Co-transport of polystyrene nanoplastics and soil colloids in saturated porous media: influence of pH and ionic strength
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Researchers examined the co-transport of polystyrene nanoplastics and soil colloids in saturated porous media, finding that solution pH and ionic strength significantly influenced their combined transport behavior through mechanisms explained by DLVO theory and adsorption tests.
Transport of functional group modified polystyrene nanoplastics in binary metal oxide saturated porous media
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Researchers found that the surface functional groups of polystyrene nanoplastics significantly influenced their transport behavior through binary metal oxide porous media, with solution chemistry and the specific combination of metal oxides playing key roles in determining nanoplastic mobility in soil environments.
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