Zhang Wei, Zhang Baogang, Luo Xinzhao, Tan Cong, Tang Yang, Yang Yiyun
MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China.
MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution, School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences Beijing, Beijing 100083, PR China.
J Hazard Mater. 2025 May 5;488:137293. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137293. Epub 2025 Jan 20.
Vanadium oxides nanoparticles (VO-NPs) as emerging functional materials are widely applied in high-technology industries. However, their environmental behaviors remain largely known. In this study, the migration of three common VO-NPs (VO VO, and VO) in saturated porous media has been investigated. VO NPs showed the highest migration ability under all conditions, compared to other VO-NPs. Increasing ionic strength and decreasing pH hindered their migration, while the presence of Ca was more effective than Na in depositing VO-NPs. The combined results from multiple analyses (DLVO theory, MMS equations, Traj-Hap module of Parti-Suite and HYDRUS-1D simulation) suggested that high ionic strength and low pH reduced the energy barrier between the VO-NPs and quartz sand, and increased the particulate sizes, making VO-NPs more difficult to migrate. Changes in VO-NPs size effected the contribution of gravity in retention fate. Small VO-NPs (< 400 nm) delivered to both the upstream and downstream of the quartz sand surface, while large ones (> 900 nm) remained downstream. This study provides the insight into the geochemical fates of VO-NPs, which is helpful to develop regulating strategies to reduce/eliminate their potential environmental risks.
