Enhanced transport of CeO2 nanoparticles in porous media by macropores

This is the first study to investigate the effect of macropores on the transport of CeO2 nanoparticles (nCeO2) in quartz sand and soil. The artificial macropore types are the vertical continuous macropore (O-O), and the vertical discontinuous macropore (O-C). The results indicated that the mobility of nCeO2 was significantly enhanced by the macropore in both quartz sand and soil, and the enhancement was greater in the continuous macropore than in the discontinuous macropore. Compared with the homogeneous column, both the O-O and O-C macropores in quartz sand favored an earlier breakthrough and a larger initial effluent recovery rate of nCeO2. However, there was little influence on the plateau concentration and the total effluent recovery rate. In soil, both types of macropores significantly shortened nCeO2 breakthrough time, and favored a higher plateau concentration, and a larger initial and total effluent recovery rate. The O-O macropore which accounted for only 1% of the total pore volume had doubly increased the total mobility of nCeO2 in soil; even the mobility was increased by 30% with the O-C macropore. It was found that the effect of preferential flow on nCeO2 transport was greater in soil than it was in quartz sand.