Long-term effect of magnesium and iron nanoparticles on solute transport in saturated condition

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of magnesium and iron nanoparticles on solute transport and its parameters, which has not been investigated to date. Different concentrations of two types of nanoparticle metal oxides, MgO and Fe₃O₄, were mixed with a loamy soil and their effects on solute transport and its parameters after three years were investigated. Nanoparticles improved soil structure through increased macro pores compared to the control, by 2.3% in the 3% concentration of MgO to 15.3% in the 3% concentration of Fe₃O₄. Immobile water content of the soil decreased from 0.42 in the control to 0.05–0.24 cm³ cm⁻³ in the treatments. The mass transfer coefficient was decreased from 0.48 in the control to 0.005–0.37 in the nanoparticle treatments. Moreover, nanoparticles increased the breakthrough curve peak concentration and decreased discharge time of chloride in the extract from 0.41 and 88.8 min in the control to 0.62–0.76 and 24.7–87.9 min in the treatments, respectively. The results of this study showed that the nanoparticles affected the solute transport and its parameters in the soil. Therefore, nanoparticles could be used to simplify the nutrients transport and leaching of salt and contaminants.

KEYWORDS:

• Dispersivity
• iron oxide nanoparticles
• magnesium oxide nanoparticles
• mass transfer coefficient
• saturated column

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran. ASG was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK) Institute Strategic Programme (ISP) grant “Soils to Nutrition” (BBS/E/C/000I0310). The authors are deeply grateful to anonymous reviewers and the editor for their helpful comments on the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Bu-Ali Sina University [1397].