ABSTRACT
Environmental applications often require usage of considerable quantities of treatment reagents and/or amendments for the remediation of huge volumes of contaminated water and soil. The nanoparticles discussed in the contribution are zero-valent iron (ZVI) particles and exhibit a typical core-shell structure as illustrated. The iron nanoparticles are colloidal in nature and exhibit a strong tendency to aggregate as well as adhere to the surfaces of natural materials such soil and sediment. The transport, distribution and fate of nanoparticles in the environment also depend on the surface properties. However, it is often not practical to define an average or typical iron nanoparticle because ZVI nanoparticles produced with different methods may exhibit widely varying properties. A substantial portion of the peer-reviewed nZVI literature has been limited to the degradation of various organic contaminants such as chlorinated organic solvents, organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organic dyes.
