Groundwater can be found most anywhere underground, moving
slowly though geologic formations of called aquifers. Some areas are dependent upon aquifers for
drinking water but the largest use for them is to irrigate crops. Groundwater can be polluted by landfills,
septic tanks, leaky underground gas tanks and from the overuse of fertilizers
and pesticides, thus making it unsuitable to drink. Originally, a type of ex situ treatment that
was essentially a slow, expensive pump and treat method was used to remediate
groundwater. A new method, nanoscale zero
valent iron particles (NZVI), is emerging as a new option for cleaning
contaminated soil and groundwater. This method
targets chlorinated organic contaminants, such as those found in pesticides and
solvents, and inorganic anions or metals.
This method also has the ability to migrate below ground to actively
remediate the source of contamination and its surrounding area. As of yet, there have been no adverse impacts
on the environment reported and studies and field applications show promising
results with respect to field contamination.
Reference:
Mueller, N. C., Braun, J., Bruns, J., Cernik, M., Rissing, P., Rickerby, D., and Nowack, B. (2012). Application of nanoscale zero valent iron (NZVI) for groundwater remediation in Europe. Environ Sci Pollut Res, 19, 550-558.
September 25, 2014
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