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Dr. Tiziana Tosco
Politecnico di Torino, DIATI - Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering

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Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Remediation of contaminated sites
0 Groundwater engineering
0 Flow and transport modelling in porous media
0 Colloid transport
0 Nanoparticles for groundwater remediation

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Flow and transport modelling in porous media
Colloid transport
Remediation of contaminated sites
Groundwater engineering
Nanoparticles for groundwater remediation

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Journal article
Published: 22 December 2020 in Sustainability
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Abandoned industrial sites are generally characterized by soil and subsoil contamination. The paradigm currently employed for their remediation is “tabula rasa”, i.e., remediation of the entire site before its repurpose. However, this method is not economically, socially, or technologically sustainable: it delays the reuse of large areas, often well-connected to infrastructures, whose reuse may prevent further soil consumption. A possible solution to this problem is the application of adaptive reuse principles. This study, conducted at FULL (Future Urban Legacy Lab) in Politecnico di Torino, presents an interdisciplinary approach to spatialize, visualize, and manage interactions between reclamation and urban design for the transformation of contaminated urban areas. The core is based on a decision support parametric toolkit, named AdRem, developed to compare available remediation techniques and schematic urban design solutions. AdRem uses a 3D modeling interface and VPL scripting. Required input data are a geometric description of the site, data on the contamination status, viable remediation techniques, and associated features, and schematic urban design recommendations. A filtering process selects the techniques compatible with the site use foreseen. The output is an optimized remediation and reuse plan that can support an interdisciplinary discussion on possible site regeneration options.

ACS Style

Valerio Palma; Federico Accorsi; Alessandro Casasso; Carlo Bianco; Sarah Cutrì; Matteo Robiglio; Tiziana Tosco. AdRem: An Integrated Approach for Adaptive Remediation. Sustainability 2020, 13, 28 .

AMA Style

Valerio Palma, Federico Accorsi, Alessandro Casasso, Carlo Bianco, Sarah Cutrì, Matteo Robiglio, Tiziana Tosco. AdRem: An Integrated Approach for Adaptive Remediation. Sustainability. 2020; 13 (1):28.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valerio Palma; Federico Accorsi; Alessandro Casasso; Carlo Bianco; Sarah Cutrì; Matteo Robiglio; Tiziana Tosco. 2020. "AdRem: An Integrated Approach for Adaptive Remediation." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 28.

Journal article
Published: 28 November 2020 in Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
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Remediation of heavy metal-contaminated aquifers is a challenging process because they cannot be degraded by microorganisms. Together with the usually limited effectiveness of technologies applied today for treatment of heavy metal contaminated groundwater, this creates a need for new remediation technologies. We therefore developed a new treatment, in which permeable adsorption barriers are established in situ in aquifers by the injection of colloidal iron oxides. These adsorption barriers aim at the immobilization of heavy metals in aquifers groundwater, which was assessed in a large-scale field study in a brownfield site. Colloidal iron oxide (goethite) nanoparticles were used to install an in situ adsorption barrier in a very heterogeneous, contaminated aquifer of a brownfield in Asturias, Spain. The groundwater contained high concentrations of heavy metals with up to 25 mg/L zinc, 1.3 mg/L lead, 40 mg/L copper, 0.1 mg/L nickel and other minor heavy metal pollutants below 1 mg/L. High amounts of zinc (>900 mg/kg), lead (>2000 mg/kg), nickel (>190 mg/kg) were also present in the sediment. Ca. 1500 kg of goethite nanoparticles of 461 ± 266 nm diameter were injected at low pressure (< 0.6 bar) into the aquifer through nine screened injection wells. For each injection well, a radius of influence of at least 2.5 m was achieved within 8 h, creating an in situ barrier of 22 × 3 × 9 m. Despite the extremely high heavy metal contamination and the strong heterogeneity of the aquifer, successful immobilization of contaminants was observed in the tested area. The contaminant concentrations were strongly reduced immediately after the injection and the abatement of the heavy metals continued for a total post-injection monitoring period of 189 days. The iron oxide particles were found to adsorb heavy metals even at pH-values between 4 and 6, where low adsorption would have been expected. The study demonstrated the applicability of iron oxide nanoparticles for installing adsorption barriers for containment of heavy metals in contaminated groundwater under real conditions.

ACS Style

Sadjad Mohammadian; Beate Krok; Andreas Fritzsche; Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Ekain Cagigal; Bruno Mata; Veronica Gonzalez; Maria Diez-Ortiz; Vanesa Ramos; Daniela Montalvo; Erik Smolders; Rajandrea Sethi; Rainer U. Meckenstock. Field-scale demonstration of in situ immobilization of heavy metals by injecting iron oxide nanoparticle adsorption barriers in groundwater. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2020, 237, 103741 .

AMA Style

Sadjad Mohammadian, Beate Krok, Andreas Fritzsche, Carlo Bianco, Tiziana Tosco, Ekain Cagigal, Bruno Mata, Veronica Gonzalez, Maria Diez-Ortiz, Vanesa Ramos, Daniela Montalvo, Erik Smolders, Rajandrea Sethi, Rainer U. Meckenstock. Field-scale demonstration of in situ immobilization of heavy metals by injecting iron oxide nanoparticle adsorption barriers in groundwater. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. 2020; 237 ():103741.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sadjad Mohammadian; Beate Krok; Andreas Fritzsche; Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Ekain Cagigal; Bruno Mata; Veronica Gonzalez; Maria Diez-Ortiz; Vanesa Ramos; Daniela Montalvo; Erik Smolders; Rajandrea Sethi; Rainer U. Meckenstock. 2020. "Field-scale demonstration of in situ immobilization of heavy metals by injecting iron oxide nanoparticle adsorption barriers in groundwater." Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 237, no. : 103741.

Journal article
Published: 02 June 2020 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles have excellent capacity for in situ remediation of groundwater resources contaminated by a range of organic and inorganic contaminants. Chlorinated solvents are by far the most treated compounds. Studies at column, pilot, and field scales have reported successful decrease in contaminant concentration upon injection of nZVI suspensions in the contaminated zones. However, the field application is far from optimized, particularly for treatments at—or close to—the source, in the presence of residual nonaqueous liquid (NAPL). The knowledge gaps surrounding the processes that occur within the pores of the sediments hosting those contaminants at microscale limit our ability to design nanoremediation processes that are optimized at larger scales. This contribution provides a pore-scale picture of the nanoremediation process. Our results reveal how the distribution of the trapped contaminant evolves as a result of contaminant degradation and generation of gaseous products. We have used state-of-the-art four-dimensional (4D) imaging (time-resolved three-dimensional [3D]) experiments to understand the details of this degradation reaction at the micrometer scale. This contribution shows that the gas released (from the reduction reaction) remobilizes the trapped contaminant by overcoming the capillary forces. Our results show that the secondary sources of NAPL contaminations can be effectively treated by nZVI, not only by in situ degradation, but also through pore-scale remobilization (induced by the evolved gas phase). The produced gas reduces the water relative permeability to less than 1% and, therefore, significantly limits the extent of plume migration in the short term.

ACS Style

Tannaz Pak; Luiz Fernando De Lima Luz Jr; Tiziana Tosco; Gabriel Schubert Ruiz Costa; Paola Rodrigues Rangel Rosa; Nathaly Lopes Archilha. Pore-scale investigation of the use of reactive nanoparticles for in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater source. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2020, 117, 13366 -13373.

AMA Style

Tannaz Pak, Luiz Fernando De Lima Luz Jr, Tiziana Tosco, Gabriel Schubert Ruiz Costa, Paola Rodrigues Rangel Rosa, Nathaly Lopes Archilha. Pore-scale investigation of the use of reactive nanoparticles for in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater source. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2020; 117 (24):13366-13373.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tannaz Pak; Luiz Fernando De Lima Luz Jr; Tiziana Tosco; Gabriel Schubert Ruiz Costa; Paola Rodrigues Rangel Rosa; Nathaly Lopes Archilha. 2020. "Pore-scale investigation of the use of reactive nanoparticles for in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater source." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 24: 13366-13373.

Journal article
Published: 24 April 2020 in Water
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Humic acid-coated goethite nanoparticles (HA-GoeNPs) have been recently proposed as an effective reagent for the in situ nanoremediation of contaminated aquifers. However, the effective dosage of these particles has been studied only at laboratory scale to date. This study investigates the possibility of using HA-GoeNPs in remediation of real field sites by mimicking the injection and transport of HA-GoeNPs under realistic conditions. To this purpose, a three-dimensional (3D) transport experiment was conducted in a large-scale container representing a heterogeneous unconfined aquifer. Monitoring data, including particle size distribution, total iron (Fetot) content and turbidity measurements, revealed a good subsurface mobility of the HA-GoeNP suspension, especially within the higher permeability zones. A radius of influence of 2 m was achieved, proving that HA-GoeNPs delivery is feasible for aquifer restoration. A flow and transport model of the container was built using the numerical code Micro and Nanoparticle transport Model in 3D geometries (MNM3D) to predict the particle behavior during the experiment. The agreement between modeling and experimental results validated the capability of the model to reproduce the HA-GoeNP transport in a 3D heterogeneous aquifer. Such result confirms MNM3D as a valuable tool to support the design of field-scale applications of goethite-based nanoremediation.

ACS Style

Milica Velimirovic; Carlo Bianco; Natalia Ferrantello; Tiziana Tosco; Alessandro Casasso; Rajandrea Sethi; Doris Schmid; Stephan Wagner; Kumiko Miyajima; Norbert Klaas; Rainer U. Meckenstock; Frank Von Der Kammer; Thilo Hofmann. A Large-Scale 3D Study on Transport of Humic Acid-Coated Goethite Nanoparticles for Aquifer Remediation. Water 2020, 12, 1207 .

AMA Style

Milica Velimirovic, Carlo Bianco, Natalia Ferrantello, Tiziana Tosco, Alessandro Casasso, Rajandrea Sethi, Doris Schmid, Stephan Wagner, Kumiko Miyajima, Norbert Klaas, Rainer U. Meckenstock, Frank Von Der Kammer, Thilo Hofmann. A Large-Scale 3D Study on Transport of Humic Acid-Coated Goethite Nanoparticles for Aquifer Remediation. Water. 2020; 12 (4):1207.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Milica Velimirovic; Carlo Bianco; Natalia Ferrantello; Tiziana Tosco; Alessandro Casasso; Rajandrea Sethi; Doris Schmid; Stephan Wagner; Kumiko Miyajima; Norbert Klaas; Rainer U. Meckenstock; Frank Von Der Kammer; Thilo Hofmann. 2020. "A Large-Scale 3D Study on Transport of Humic Acid-Coated Goethite Nanoparticles for Aquifer Remediation." Water 12, no. 4: 1207.

Preprint content
Published: 23 March 2020
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The use of pesticides in agriculture has numerous advantages but also significant environmental drawbacks; The uncontrolled or excessive use of agrochemicals has progressively contributed to the contamination of environmental matrices, and in particular of soils and groundwater. To contribute solving these issues, an eco-compatible nano-formulation was recently developed by the authors to help controlling the environmental dispersion of Dicamba, a herbicide widely used to control broadleaf weeds; Dicamba is highly soluble and moderately volatile, but is less toxic and persistent compared to other competing herbicides. The proposed nano-formulation was developed using eco-compatible, low-cost materials, including natural clays an biopolymers, with the aim to reduce Dicamba volatilization (thus reducing dispersion in air, and consequently potential impacts on both workers and neighboring crops) and solubility (thus reducing infiltration during and after application, and consequently uncontrolled dispersion in the subsoil).  In this work, the results of laboratory and greenhouse tests are discussed, comparing the efficacy of the nano-formulation against the pure herbicide compound and a commercial Dicamba-based product, in terms of volatilization, mobility in porous media (both saturated and unsaturated) and efficacy in weed control. The column tests results are modeled using colloid transport software (namely MNMs and Hydrus) and used for the development of a preliminary field-scale model of herbicide application and dispersion in the subsoil. The work was developed in the framework of the project Nanograss, co-funded by Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation.

ACS Style

Tiziana Tosco; Monica Granetto; Lucia Re; Aurora Audino; Luca Serpella; Silvia Fogliatto; Francesco Vidotto. A novel nano-formulation to reduce the environmental dispersion of herbicides. 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Tiziana Tosco, Monica Granetto, Lucia Re, Aurora Audino, Luca Serpella, Silvia Fogliatto, Francesco Vidotto. A novel nano-formulation to reduce the environmental dispersion of herbicides. . 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tiziana Tosco; Monica Granetto; Lucia Re; Aurora Audino; Luca Serpella; Silvia Fogliatto; Francesco Vidotto. 2020. "A novel nano-formulation to reduce the environmental dispersion of herbicides." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 15 March 2020 in Water
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One of the main technical problems faced during field-scale injections of iron microparticles (mZVI) for groundwater nanoremediation is related to their poor colloidal stability and mobility in porous media. In this study, a shear-thinning gel, composed of a mixture of two environmentally friendly biopolymers, i.e., guar gum and xanthan gum, was employed to overcome these limitations. The slurry rheology and particle mobility were characterized by column transport tests. Then, a radial transport experiment was performed to mimic the particle delivery in more realistic conditions. The gel, even at a low polymeric content (1.75 g/L), proved effective in enhancing the mobility of high concentrated mZVI suspensions (20 g/L) in field-like conditions. The high radius of influence (73 cm) and homogeneous iron distribution were achieved by maintaining a low injection overpressure (

ACS Style

Federico Mondino; Amelia Piscitello; Carlo Bianco; Andrea Gallo; Alessandra De Folly D’Auris; Tiziana Tosco; Marco Tagliabue; Rajandrea Sethi. Injection of Zerovalent Iron Gels for Aquifer Nanoremediation: Lab Experiments and Modeling. Water 2020, 12, 826 .

AMA Style

Federico Mondino, Amelia Piscitello, Carlo Bianco, Andrea Gallo, Alessandra De Folly D’Auris, Tiziana Tosco, Marco Tagliabue, Rajandrea Sethi. Injection of Zerovalent Iron Gels for Aquifer Nanoremediation: Lab Experiments and Modeling. Water. 2020; 12 (3):826.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Federico Mondino; Amelia Piscitello; Carlo Bianco; Andrea Gallo; Alessandra De Folly D’Auris; Tiziana Tosco; Marco Tagliabue; Rajandrea Sethi. 2020. "Injection of Zerovalent Iron Gels for Aquifer Nanoremediation: Lab Experiments and Modeling." Water 12, no. 3: 826.

Journal article
Published: 23 December 2019 in Water
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Pump and treat (P&T) systems are still widely employed for the hydraulic containment of contaminated groundwater despite the fact that their usage is decreasing due to their high operational costs. A way to partially mitigate such costs, both in monetary and environmental terms, is to perform heat exchange (directly or with a heat pump) on the groundwater extracted by these systems, thus providing low-carbon and low-cost heating and/or cooling to buildings or industrial processes. This opportunity should be carefully evaluated in view of preserving (or even improving) the removal efficiency of the remediation process. Therefore, the heat exchange should be placed upstream or downstream of all treatments, or in an intermediate position, depending on the effect of water temperature change on the removal efficiency of each treatment step. This article provides an overview of such effects and is meant to serve as a starting reference for a case-by-case evaluation. Finally, the potentiality of geothermal use of P&T systems is assessed in the Italian contaminated Sites of National Interest (SIN), i.e., the 41 priority contaminated sites in Italy. At least 29 of these sites use pumping wells as hydraulic barriers or P&T systems. The total discharge rate treated by these plants exceeds 7000 m3/h and can potentially provide about 33 MW of heating and/or cooling power.

ACS Style

Alessandro Casasso; Tiziana Tosco; Carlo Bianco; Arianna Bucci; Rajandrea Sethi. How Can We Make Pump and Treat Systems More Energetically Sustainable? Water 2019, 12, 67 .

AMA Style

Alessandro Casasso, Tiziana Tosco, Carlo Bianco, Arianna Bucci, Rajandrea Sethi. How Can We Make Pump and Treat Systems More Energetically Sustainable? Water. 2019; 12 (1):67.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandro Casasso; Tiziana Tosco; Carlo Bianco; Arianna Bucci; Rajandrea Sethi. 2019. "How Can We Make Pump and Treat Systems More Energetically Sustainable?" Water 12, no. 1: 67.

Journal article
Published: 02 September 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
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This study focuses on the transport in porous media of graphene oxide nanoparticles (GONP) under conditions similar to those applied in the generation of in-situ reactive zones for groundwater remediation (i.e. GO concentration of few tens of mg/l, stable suspension in alkaline solution). The experimental tests evaluated the influence on GO transport of three key factors, namely particle size (300–1200 nm), concentration (10–50 mg/L), and sand size (coarse to fine). Three sources of GONP were considered (two commercial and one synthesized in the laboratory). Particles were stably dispersed in water at pH 8.5 and showed a good mobility in the porous medium under all experimental conditions: after injection of 5 pore volumes and flushing, the highest recovery was around 90%, the lowest around 30% (only for largest particles in fine sand). The particle size was by far the most impacting parameter, with increasing mobility with decreasing size, even if sand size and particle concentration were also relevant. The source of GONP showed a minor impact on the mobility. The transport test data were successfully modeled using the advection-dispersion-deposition equations typically applied for spherical colloids. Experimental and modeling results suggested that GONP, under the explored conditions, are retained due to both blocking and straining, the latter being relevant only for large particles and/or fine sand. The findings of this study play a key role in the development of an in-situ groundwater remediation technology based on the injection of GONP for contaminant degradation or sorption. Despite their peculiar shape, GONP behavior in porous media is comparable with spherical colloids, which have been more studied by far. In particular, the possibility of modeling GONP transport using existing models ensures that they can be applied also for the design of field-scale injections of GONP, similarly to other particles already used in nanoremediation.

ACS Style

Ali Beryani; Mohammad Reza Alavi Moghaddam; Tiziana Tosco; Carlo Bianco; Seiyed Mossa Hosseini; Elaheh Kowsari; Rajandrea Sethi. Key factors affecting graphene oxide transport in saturated porous media. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 698, 134224 .

AMA Style

Ali Beryani, Mohammad Reza Alavi Moghaddam, Tiziana Tosco, Carlo Bianco, Seiyed Mossa Hosseini, Elaheh Kowsari, Rajandrea Sethi. Key factors affecting graphene oxide transport in saturated porous media. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 698 ():134224.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Beryani; Mohammad Reza Alavi Moghaddam; Tiziana Tosco; Carlo Bianco; Seiyed Mossa Hosseini; Elaheh Kowsari; Rajandrea Sethi. 2019. "Key factors affecting graphene oxide transport in saturated porous media." Science of The Total Environment 698, no. : 134224.

Conference paper
Published: 01 January 2019 in Materials Today: Proceedings
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ACS Style

Andrea Gallo; Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. Characterization and reactivity of novel silver/iron nanoparticles. Materials Today: Proceedings 2019, 19, 15 -23.

AMA Style

Andrea Gallo, Carlo Bianco, Tiziana Tosco, Rajandrea Sethi. Characterization and reactivity of novel silver/iron nanoparticles. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2019; 19 ():15-23.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Gallo; Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. 2019. "Characterization and reactivity of novel silver/iron nanoparticles." Materials Today: Proceedings 19, no. : 15-23.

Journal article
Published: 26 November 2018 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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In the last decade, zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) have been applied for groundwater remediation and they proved to be effective towards a wide range of contaminants, both organic and inorganic. One of the critical aspects related to the synthesis of this material concerns the use of borohydride, which increases the cost of the final product and generates toxic borates. In this paper, a new synthesis method of bimetallic nanoscale zero-valent silver/iron (nZVSI), its properties and its reactivity towards a model compound are presented. The novel synthesis protocol employs benign hydrosulfite as reducing agent and it is of easy implementation and scalability. The resulting nanoparticles have narrow size distribution and show appropriate colloidal stability. They consist of a core of zerovalent iron and a thin shell of iron oxide, while silver is homogeneously distributed within the material. The nanoparticles showed effective reactivity, able to degrade bromophenol blue with suitable kinetics and using a low amount of material. Additionally, the bimetallic nanomaterial significantly outperformed nanometric zero-valent silver (nZVS) and nZVI obtained with the same protocol. The proposed synthesis would allow to significantly reduce the environmental and health impact of the stage prior to product application via injection in the subsoil. Also, the simplicity and the safety of the proposed synthesis procedure would allow the production of the bimetallic reactant directly on-site, thus streamlining the remediation process and maximizing its efficiency.

ACS Style

Andrea Gallo; Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Alberto Tiraferri; Rajandrea Sethi. Synthesis of eco-compatible bimetallic silver/iron nanoparticles for water remediation and reactivity assessment on bromophenol blue. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 211, 1367 -1374.

AMA Style

Andrea Gallo, Carlo Bianco, Tiziana Tosco, Alberto Tiraferri, Rajandrea Sethi. Synthesis of eco-compatible bimetallic silver/iron nanoparticles for water remediation and reactivity assessment on bromophenol blue. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 211 ():1367-1374.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Gallo; Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Alberto Tiraferri; Rajandrea Sethi. 2018. "Synthesis of eco-compatible bimetallic silver/iron nanoparticles for water remediation and reactivity assessment on bromophenol blue." Journal of Cleaner Production 211, no. : 1367-1374.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2018 in Environmental Pollution
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Nanosized particles (NPs), such as TiO, Silver, graphene NPs, nanoscale zero-valent iron, carbon nanotubes, etc., are increasingly used in industrial processes, and releases at production plants and from landfills are likely scenarios for the next years. As a consequence, appropriate procedures and tools to quantify the risks for human health associated to these releases are needed. The tiered approach of the standard ASTM procedure (ASTM-E2081-00) is today the most applied for human health risk assessment at sites contaminated by chemical substances, but it cannot be directly applied to nanoparticles: NP transport along migration pathways follows mechanisms significantly different from those of chemicals; moreover, also toxicity indicators (namely, reference dose and slope factor) are NP-specific. In this work a risk assessment approach modified for NPs is proposed, with a specific application at Tier 2 to migration in groundwater. The standard ASTM equations are modified to include NP-specific transport mechanisms. NPs in natural environments are typically characterized by a heterogeneous set of NPs having different size, shape, coating, etc. (all properties having a significant impact on both mobility and toxicity). To take into account this heterogeneity, the proposed approach divides the NP population into classes, each having specific transport and toxicity properties, and simulates them as independent species. The approach is finally applied to a test case simulating the release of heterogeneous Silver NPs from a landfill. The results show that taking into account the size-dependent mobility of the particles provides a more accurate result compared to the direct application of the standard ASTM procedure. In particular, the latter tends to underestimate the overall toxic risk associated to the nP release.

ACS Style

Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. Human health risk assessment for nanoparticle-contaminated aquifer systems. Environmental Pollution 2018, 239, 242 -252.

AMA Style

Tiziana Tosco, Rajandrea Sethi. Human health risk assessment for nanoparticle-contaminated aquifer systems. Environmental Pollution. 2018; 239 ():242-252.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. 2018. "Human health risk assessment for nanoparticle-contaminated aquifer systems." Environmental Pollution 239, no. : 242-252.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2018 in Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
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Non-pumping reactive wells (NPRWs) filled by zero-valent iron (ZVI) can be utilized for the remediation of groundwater contamination of deep aquifers. The efficiency of NPRWs mainly depends on the hydraulic contact time (HCT) of the pollutant with the reactive materials, the extent of the well capture zone (Wcz), and the relative hydraulic conductivity of aquifer and reactive material (Kr). We investigated nitrate removal from groundwater using NPRWs filled by ZVI (in nano and micro scales) and examined the effect of NPRWs orientations (i.e. vertical, slanted, and horizontal) on HCT and Wcz. The dependence of HCT on Wcz for different Kr values was derived theoretically for a homogeneous and isotropic aquifer, and verified using particle tracking simulations performed using the semi-analytical particle tracking and pathlines model (PMPATH). Nine batch experiments were then performed to investigate the impact of mixed nano-ZVI, NZVI (0 to 2 g l−1) and micro-ZVI, MZVI (0 to 4 g l−1) on the nitrate removal rate (with initial NO3−NO3−=132 mg l−1). The NPRWs system was tested in a bench-scale sand medium (60 cm length × 40 cm width × 25 cm height) for three orientations of NPRWs (vertical, horizontal, and slanted with inclination angle of 45°). A mixture of nano/micro ZVI, was used, applying constant conditions of pore water velocity (0.024 mm s−1) and initial nitrate concentration (128 mg l−1) for five pore volumes. The results of the batch tests showed that mixing nano and micro Fe0 outperforms these individual materials in nitrate removal rates. The final products of nitrate degradation in both batch and bench-scale experiments were NO2−NO2−, NH4+NH4+, and N2(gas). The results of sand-box experiments indicated that the slanted NPRWs have a higher nitrate reduction rate (57%) in comparison with vertical (38%) and horizontal (41%) configurations. The results also demonstrated that three factors have pivotal roles in expected HCT and Wcz, namely the contrast between the hydraulic conductivity of aquifer and reactive materials within the wells, the mass of Fe0 in the NPRWs, and the orientation of NPRWs adopted. A trade-off between these factors should be considered to increase the efficiency of remediation using the NPRWs system.

ACS Style

Seiyed Mossa Hosseini; Tiziana Tosco; Behzad Ataie-Ashtiani; Craig T. Simmons. Non-pumping reactive wells filled with mixing nano and micro zero-valent iron for nitrate removal from groundwater: Vertical, horizontal, and slanted wells. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2018, 210, 50 -64.

AMA Style

Seiyed Mossa Hosseini, Tiziana Tosco, Behzad Ataie-Ashtiani, Craig T. Simmons. Non-pumping reactive wells filled with mixing nano and micro zero-valent iron for nitrate removal from groundwater: Vertical, horizontal, and slanted wells. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. 2018; 210 ():50-64.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Seiyed Mossa Hosseini; Tiziana Tosco; Behzad Ataie-Ashtiani; Craig T. Simmons. 2018. "Non-pumping reactive wells filled with mixing nano and micro zero-valent iron for nitrate removal from groundwater: Vertical, horizontal, and slanted wells." Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 210, no. : 50-64.

Journal article
Published: 11 October 2017 in Scientific Reports
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In this study, a model assisted strategy is developed to control the distribution of colloids in porous media in the framework of nanoremediation, an innovative environmental nanotechnology aimed at reclaiming contaminated aquifers. This approach is exemplified by the delivery of humic acid-stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles (FeOx), a typical reagent for in situ immobilization of heavy metals. By tuned sequential injections of FeOx suspensions and of solutions containing a destabilizing agent (i.e. calcium or magnesium), the two fronts, which advance at different rates, overlap at the target location (i.e., the central portion) of the porous systems. Here, the particles deposit and accumulate irreversibly, creating a reactive zone. An analytical expression predicting the position of the clustering zone in 1D systems is derived from first principles of advective-dispersive transport. Through this equation, the sequence and duration of the injection of the different solutions in the medium is assessed. The model robustness is demonstrated by its successful application to various systems, comprising the use of different sands or immobilizing cations, both in 1D and 2D geometries. The method represents an advancement in the control of nanomaterial fate in the environment, and could enhance nanoremediation making it an effective alternative to more conventional techniques.

ACS Style

Carlo Bianco; Janis Eneida Patiño Higuita; Tiziana Tosco; Alberto Tiraferri; Rajandrea Sethi. Controlled Deposition of Particles in Porous Media for Effective Aquifer Nanoremediation. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 12992 .

AMA Style

Carlo Bianco, Janis Eneida Patiño Higuita, Tiziana Tosco, Alberto Tiraferri, Rajandrea Sethi. Controlled Deposition of Particles in Porous Media for Effective Aquifer Nanoremediation. Scientific Reports. 2017; 7 (1):12992.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carlo Bianco; Janis Eneida Patiño Higuita; Tiziana Tosco; Alberto Tiraferri; Rajandrea Sethi. 2017. "Controlled Deposition of Particles in Porous Media for Effective Aquifer Nanoremediation." Scientific Reports 7, no. 1: 12992.

Research paper
Published: 11 March 2017 in Journal of Nanoparticle Research
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Nanosized colloids of iron oxide adsorb heavy metals, enhance the biodegradation of contaminants, and represent a promising technology to clean up contaminated aquifers. Goethite particles for aquifer reclamation were recently synthesized with a coating of humic acids to reduce aggregation. This study investigates the stability and the mobility in porous media of this material as a function of aqueous chemistry, and it identifies the best practices to maximize the efficacy of the related remediation. Humic acid-coated nanogoethite (hydrodynamic diameter ∼90 nm) displays high stability in solutions of NaCl, consistent with effective electrosteric stabilization. However, particle aggregation is fast when calcium is present and, to a lesser extent, also in the presence of magnesium. This result is rationalized with complexation phenomena related to the interaction of divalent cations with humic acid, inducing rapid flocculation and sedimentation of the suspensions. The calcium dose, i.e., the amount of calcium ions with respect to solids in the dispersion, is the parameter governing stability. Therefore, more concentrated slurries may be more stable and mobile in the subsurface than dispersions of low particle concentration. Particle concentration during field injection should be thus chosen based on concentration and proportion of divalent cations in groundwater.

ACS Style

Alberto Tiraferri; Laura Andrea Saldarriaga Hernandez; Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. Colloidal behavior of goethite nanoparticles modified with humic acid and implications for aquifer reclamation. Journal of Nanoparticle Research 2017, 19, 107 .

AMA Style

Alberto Tiraferri, Laura Andrea Saldarriaga Hernandez, Carlo Bianco, Tiziana Tosco, Rajandrea Sethi. Colloidal behavior of goethite nanoparticles modified with humic acid and implications for aquifer reclamation. Journal of Nanoparticle Research. 2017; 19 (3):107.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alberto Tiraferri; Laura Andrea Saldarriaga Hernandez; Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. 2017. "Colloidal behavior of goethite nanoparticles modified with humic acid and implications for aquifer reclamation." Journal of Nanoparticle Research 19, no. 3: 107.

Article
Published: 23 November 2016 in Physical Review E
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In this work, the influence of pore space geometry on solute transport in porous media is investigated performing computational fluid dynamics pore-scale simulations of fluid flow and solute transport. The three-dimensional periodic domains are obtained from three different pore structure configurations, namely, face-centered-cubic (fcc), body-centered-cubic (bcc), and sphere-in-cube (sic) arrangements of spherical grains. Although transport simulations are performed with media having the same grain size and the same porosity (in fcc and bcc configurations), the resulting breakthrough curves present noteworthy differences, such as enhanced tailing. The cause of such differences is ascribed to the presence of recirculation zones, even at low Reynolds numbers. Various methods to readily identify recirculation zones and quantify their magnitude using pore-scale data are proposed. The information gained from this analysis is then used to define macroscale models able to provide an appropriate description of the observed anomalous transport. A mass transfer model is applied to estimate relevant macroscale parameters (hydrodynamic dispersion above all) and their spatial variation in the medium; a functional relation describing the spatial variation of such macroscale parameters is then proposed.

ACS Style

Eleonora Crevacore; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi; Gianluca Boccardo; Daniele L. Marchisio. Recirculation zones induce non-Fickian transport in three-dimensional periodic porous media. Physical Review E 2016, 94, 053118 .

AMA Style

Eleonora Crevacore, Tiziana Tosco, Rajandrea Sethi, Gianluca Boccardo, Daniele L. Marchisio. Recirculation zones induce non-Fickian transport in three-dimensional periodic porous media. Physical Review E. 2016; 94 (5):053118.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eleonora Crevacore; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi; Gianluca Boccardo; Daniele L. Marchisio. 2016. "Recirculation zones induce non-Fickian transport in three-dimensional periodic porous media." Physical Review E 94, no. 5: 053118.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2016 in Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
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Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) in the environment can act both as contaminants, when they are unintentionally released, and as remediation agents when injected on purpose at contaminated sites. In this work two carbon-based NPs are considered, namely CARBO-IRON®, a new material developed for contaminated site remediation, and single layer graphene oxide (SLGO), a potential contaminant of the next future. Understanding and modeling the transport and deposition of such NPs in aquifer systems is a key aspect in both cases, and numerical models capable to simulate NP transport in groundwater in complex 3D scenarios are necessary. To this aim, this work proposes a modeling approach based on modified advection-dispersion-deposition equations accounting for the coupled influence of flow velocity and ionic strength on particle transport. A new modeling tool (MNM3D - Micro and Nanoparticle transport Model in 3D geometries) is presented for the simulation of NPs injection and transport in 3D scenarios. MNM3D is the result of the integration of the numerical code MNMs (Micro and Nanoparticle transport, filtration and clogging Model - Suite) in the well-known transport model RT3D (Clement et al., 1998). The injection in field-like conditions of CARBO-IRON® (20g/l) amended by CMC (4g/l) in a 2D vertical tank (0.7×1.0×0.12m) was simulated using MNM3D, and compared to experimental results under the same conditions. Column transport tests of SLGO at a concentration (10mg/l) representative of a possible spill of SLGO-containing waste water were performed at different values of ionic strength (0.1 to 35mM), evidencing a strong dependence of SLGO transport on IS, and a reversible blocking deposition. The experimental data were fitted using the numerical code MNMs and the ionic strength-dependent transport was up-scaled for a full scale 3D simulation of SLGO release and long-term transport in a heterogeneous aquifer. MNM3D showed to potentially represent a valid tool for the prediction of the long-term behavior of engineered nanoparticles released in the environment (e.g. from landfills), and the preliminary design of in situ aquifer remediation through injection of suspensions of reactive NPs.

ACS Style

Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. A 3-dimensional micro- and nanoparticle transport and filtration model (MNM3D) applied to the migration of carbon-based nanomaterials in porous media. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2016, 193, 10 -20.

AMA Style

Carlo Bianco, Tiziana Tosco, Rajandrea Sethi. A 3-dimensional micro- and nanoparticle transport and filtration model (MNM3D) applied to the migration of carbon-based nanomaterials in porous media. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. 2016; 193 ():10-20.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carlo Bianco; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. 2016. "A 3-dimensional micro- and nanoparticle transport and filtration model (MNM3D) applied to the migration of carbon-based nanomaterials in porous media." Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 193, no. : 10-20.

Journal article
Published: 22 July 2016 in Water Resources Research
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Defining the removal efficiency of a filter is a key aspect for colloid transport in porous media. Several efforts were devoted to derive accurate correlations for the single collector removal efficiency, but its up-scaling to the entire porous medium is still a challenging topic. A common approach involves the assumption of deposition being independent of the history of transport, that is, the collector efficiency is uniform along the porous medium. However, this approach was shown inadequate under unfavorable deposition conditions. In this work, the authors demonstrate that it is not adequate even in the simplest case of favorable deposition. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were run in a vertical array of 50 identical spherical collectors. Particle transport was numerically solved by analyzing a broad range of parameters. The results evidenced that, when particle deposition is not controlled by Brownian diffusion, non-exponential concentration profiles are retrieved, in contrast with the assumption of uniform efficiency. If sedimentation and interception dominate, the efficiency of the first sphere is significantly higher compared to the others, and then declines along the array down to an asymptotic value. Finally, a correlation for the up-scaled removal efficiency of the entire array was derived. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

ACS Style

Francesca Messina; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. On the failure of upscaling the single-collector efficiency to the transport of colloids in an array of collectors. Water Resources Research 2016, 52, 5492 -5505.

AMA Style

Francesca Messina, Tiziana Tosco, Rajandrea Sethi. On the failure of upscaling the single-collector efficiency to the transport of colloids in an array of collectors. Water Resources Research. 2016; 52 (7):5492-5505.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francesca Messina; Tiziana Tosco; Rajandrea Sethi. 2016. "On the failure of upscaling the single-collector efficiency to the transport of colloids in an array of collectors." Water Resources Research 52, no. 7: 5492-5505.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2015 in Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
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The work explores the efficacy of a biochemical remediation of a nitrate-contaminated aquifer by a combination of nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) and bacteria supported by carbon substrates. Nitrate removal was first assessed in batch tests, and then in a laboratory bench-scale aquifer model (60cm length×40cm width×50cm height), in which a background flow was maintained. Water and natural sandy material of a stratified aquifer were used in the tests to enhance the reliability of the results. An array of non-pumping-reactive wells (NPRWs) filled with NZVI (d50=50nm, and SSA=22.5m(2)/g) mixed with carbon substrates (beech sawdust and maize cobs) was installed in the bench-scale aquifer model to intercept the flow and remove nitrate (NO3(-) conc.=105mg/l). The NPRW array was preferred to a continuous permeable reactive barrier (PRB) since wells can be drilled at greater depths compared to PRBs. The optimal well diameter, spacing among the NPRWs and number of wells in the bench-scale model were designed based on flow simulations using the semi-analytical particle tracking (advection) model, PMPATH. An optimal configuration of four wells, 35mm diameter, and capture width of 1.8 times the well diameter was obtained for a hydraulic conductivity contrast between reactive materials in the wells and aquifer media (KPM/Kaq=16.5). To avoid excessive proximity between wells, the system was designed so that the capture of the contaminated water was not complete, and several sequential arrays of wells were preferred. To simulate the performance of the array, the water that passed through the bench-scale NPRW system was re-circulated to the aquifer inlet, and a nitrate degradation below the limit target concentration (10mg/l) was obtained after 13days (corresponding to 13 arrays of wells in the field). The results of this study demonstrated that using the NZVI-mixed-carbon substrates in the NPRW system has a great potential for in-situ nitrate reduction in contaminated groundwater. This NPRW system can be considered a promising and viable technology in deep aquifer

ACS Style

Seiyed Mossa Hosseini; Tiziana Tosco. Integrating NZVI and carbon substrates in a non-pumping reactive wells array for the remediation of a nitrate contaminated aquifer. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 2015, 179, 182 -195.

AMA Style

Seiyed Mossa Hosseini, Tiziana Tosco. Integrating NZVI and carbon substrates in a non-pumping reactive wells array for the remediation of a nitrate contaminated aquifer. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology. 2015; 179 ():182-195.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Seiyed Mossa Hosseini; Tiziana Tosco. 2015. "Integrating NZVI and carbon substrates in a non-pumping reactive wells array for the remediation of a nitrate contaminated aquifer." Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 179, no. : 182-195.

Journal article
Published: 15 April 2015 in Environmental Science & Technology
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The injection of microscale zerovalent iron (mZVI) particles for groundwater remediation has received much interest in recent years. However, to date, monitoring of mZVI particle injection is based on chemical analysis of groundwater and soil samples and thus might be limited in its spatiotemporal resolution. To overcome this deficiency, in this study, we investigate the application of complex electrical conductivity imaging, a geophysical method, to monitor the high-pressure injection of mZVI in a field-scale application. The resulting electrical images revealed an increase in the induced electrical polarization (∼20%), upon delivery of ZVI into the targeted area, due to the accumulation of metallic surfaces at which the polarization takes place. Furthermore, larger changes (>50%) occurred in shallow sediments, a few meters away from the injection, suggesting the migration of particles through preferential flowpaths. Correlation of the electrical response and geochemical data, in particular the analysis of recovered cores from drilling after the injection, confirmed the migration of particles (and stabilizing solution) to shallow areas through fractures formed during the injection. Hence, our results demonstrate the suitability of the complex conductivity imaging method to monitor the transport of mZVI during subsurface amendment in quasi real-time.

ACS Style

Adrián Flores Orozco; Milica Velimirovic; Tiziana Tosco; Andreas Kemna; Hans Sapion; Norbert Klaas; Rajandrea Sethi; Leen Bastiaens. Monitoring the Injection of Microscale Zerovalent Iron Particles for Groundwater Remediation by Means of Complex Electrical Conductivity Imaging. Environmental Science & Technology 2015, 49, 5593 -5600.

AMA Style

Adrián Flores Orozco, Milica Velimirovic, Tiziana Tosco, Andreas Kemna, Hans Sapion, Norbert Klaas, Rajandrea Sethi, Leen Bastiaens. Monitoring the Injection of Microscale Zerovalent Iron Particles for Groundwater Remediation by Means of Complex Electrical Conductivity Imaging. Environmental Science & Technology. 2015; 49 (9):5593-5600.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adrián Flores Orozco; Milica Velimirovic; Tiziana Tosco; Andreas Kemna; Hans Sapion; Norbert Klaas; Rajandrea Sethi; Leen Bastiaens. 2015. "Monitoring the Injection of Microscale Zerovalent Iron Particles for Groundwater Remediation by Means of Complex Electrical Conductivity Imaging." Environmental Science & Technology 49, no. 9: 5593-5600.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2015 in Journal of Environmental Engineering
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ACS Style

Tiziana Tosco; Seiyed Mossa Hosseini. Comparative Assessment of Injection Strategies for Highly Concentrated Nano Fe/Cu Particles into Sand Columns. Journal of Environmental Engineering 2015, 141, 04014077 .

AMA Style

Tiziana Tosco, Seiyed Mossa Hosseini. Comparative Assessment of Injection Strategies for Highly Concentrated Nano Fe/Cu Particles into Sand Columns. Journal of Environmental Engineering. 2015; 141 (4):04014077.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tiziana Tosco; Seiyed Mossa Hosseini. 2015. "Comparative Assessment of Injection Strategies for Highly Concentrated Nano Fe/Cu Particles into Sand Columns." Journal of Environmental Engineering 141, no. 4: 04014077.