ENVIRONMENTAL NANOTECHNOLOGY

ZERO VALENT IRON

Zerovalent iron (ZVI) is the most commonly used zerovalent metal (ZVM) for
environmental remediation. ZVI is typically applied as a reductant and is capable of
transforming (degrading) or sequestering a variety of contaminants found in groundwater and
soil.

Many forms of ZVI are currently used in remediation applications. These include:

 Granular ZVI :Granular ZVI is used in remediation applications and is

typically construction- or industrial-grade material. Sources of granular ZVI include

scrap iron (e.g., from the manufacture of automotive parts), which is milled down and
sorted to specific grain sizes, as well as direct production of granular material from
molten iron.

 Nano-scale ZVI (nZVI). Nano-scale ZVI is typically defined as ZVI particles

with a diameter of 1 to 100 nanometers. nZVI typically has a greater reactivity than
granular ZVI per mass of material. This is attributed to larger overall surface area of the
nZVI particles.
 Bimetallic nZVI. ZVI-based bimetallic particles are composed of ZVI with a

second zerovalent metal deposited on the particle surface. Bimetallic particles of ZVI
doped with palladium, platinum, nickel, silver, or copper have increased reactivity toward
a number of contaminants when compared to ZVI alone.

 Combination products. ZVI and nZVI are often combined with other

amendments to capitalize on other remediation processes such as in situ bioremediation

and sorption. For combined ZVI treatment and in situ bioremediation, biostimulants
(carbon sources) are often combined with ZVI. ZVI has also been combined with
granular activated carbon with the intention of promoting reduction of sorbed
contaminants

APPLICATIONS
ZVI is applied in a number of remediation applications such as:

 Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs).

 In situ soil mixing
 Injection-based treatments, including establishment of reactive treatment zones and
source zone targeted injection

Application of nZVI in Catalysis

Iron-based catalysts attract much attention recently as potential greener alternatives of heavy
metals, as well as due to their non-toxic nature and easy recyclability using an external
magnetic field. The application of bare nZVI in a catalytic system, however, is challenging
due to its poor chemical stability. nZVI is easily passivated on its surface in air or an aqueous
environment and prone to aggregation, where both appear as the main drawbacks for catalytic
applications.
Removal of Toxic Pollutants from Water, Wastewater, Ground Water, or
Soil/Sediments

nZVI in an aqueous environment consists mainly of metallic iron core and a thin surface
oxide layer and the core–shell structure provides combinational adsorption and reduction
functions for contaminant removal and transformation. Organic and inorganic capping
materials or supports of nZVI modify its properties. It is always a critical issue to find a
balance between reduced reactivity and improved properties, such as mobility, adsorption
capacity, and stability, due to capping/supporting. nZVI has a strong reducing power.

 Removal of Organic Compounds from Water

 Removal of Organic Compounds from Spiked SoiL
 Organic Dye Discolouration/Decomposition in Water
 Degradation of Halogenated Organic Compounds
 Removal of Halogenated Compounds from Water and Wastewater
 Removal of Halogenated Compounds from Groundwater and Soil
 Heavy Metal and Metalloid Ion Removal

Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles for Soil and Groundwater Remediation

Zero-valent iron has been used as a successful remediation agent for environmental issues,
being extensively used in soil and groundwater remediation. The use of zero-valent
nanoparticles have been arisen as a highly effective method due to the high specific surface
area of zero-valent nanoparticles. Then, the development of nanosized materials and the
improvement of the properties of the nano-iron in particular, has facilitated their application
in remediation technologies. As the result, highly efficient and versatile nanomaterials have
been obtained. Among the possible nanoparticle systems, the reactivity and availability of
zero-valent iron nanoparticles (NZVI) have achieved very interesting and promising results
make them particularly attractive for the remediation of subsurface contaminants.

SRUTHI FRANCIS
AJCCHEE010