Transport of nanoscale zero-valent iron in the presence of rhamnolipid

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles have gained widespread use for in-situ treatment of various chlorinated hydrocarbons. Their non-toxic nature, affordability, and minimal maintenance requirements have made them a favored material for nanoremediation. The treatment typically involves the injection of nZVI particles into contaminated sites using direct-push well injection systems. However, their small size leads to high surface energy, causing aggregation that alters their physiochemical properties, reactivity, and transport behavior. To counteract aggregation, nZVI suspension can be stabilized with different surfactants, reducing the surface energy during subsurface soil transport. This study investigates the impact of rhamnolipid, a biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa during the late growth phase, on the aggregation and mobility of nZVI particles. The retardation factor of nZVI in the model media of zeolite, ZK406H, decreased from 1.66 in the absence of rhamnolipid to 1.03, 0.98, 0.93, and 0.87, corresponding to the presence of rhamnolipid at concentrations of 20, 50, 80, and 100 mg/L. The deposition coefficient also decreased from 2.39 in the absence of rhamnolipid to 0.459, 0.279, 0.217, and 0.0966, corresponding to the presence of rhamnolipid at concentrations of 20, 50, 80, and 100 mg/L. The transport parameters of nZVI in ZK406H were linked to the interactions of nZVI particles with ZK406H by the DLVO theory.