Effects of Heterogeneity on Transport of Graphene Oxide in Saturated and Unsaturated Porous Media

Abstract:

Graphene oxide (GO) has received increasing attention in many fields with its wide applications and rapid growth in production. Therefore, it is expected that GO nanoparticles will inevitably be released into the subsurface and cause the environmental risk subsequently. In view of this, knowledge of the fate for GO in the vadose zone and groundwater systems is indispensable. So far most research has focused on the deposition and transport of GO nanoparticles in one-dimensional homogenous porous media; nonetheless, the complex heterogeneous system is extensively distributed in natural subsurface environment and may not be well represented by the homogeneous packed columns. However, little investigations have been directed toward understanding the transport of GO in heterogeneous porous media.

The overarching objective of this study is to advance current understanding of GO transport in structured heterogeneous porous media. The saturated and unsaturated columns packed with different sand combinations and solution ionic strength, were used to examine the breakthrough behavior of GO in heterogeneous porous media. A two-domain model considering GO exchange between zones was developed to describe GO transport in structured, heterogeneous porous media. The experimental data indicate that volumetric moisture content and water flow are the critical factors that control GO transport in heterogeneous porous media. And higher ionic strength decrease the mobility of GO particles in both saturated and unsaturated heterogeneous pore media. Simulations of this two-domain nanoparticle transport model matched experimental breakthrough data well for all the experimental conditions. Experimental and model results show that under saturated conditions, both fast-flow and slow-flow domains affect colloid transport in heterogeneous media. Under unsaturated conditions, however, our results indicate that flows in the fast flow domain dominate the colloid transport and retention processes.