Electrokinetically enhanced removal and degradation of nitrate in the subsurface using nanosized Pd/Fe slurry.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of transporting the slurry of Pd/Fe bimetallic nanoparticles under an electric field in the subsurface for in situ removal and degradation of nitrate. To mimic the subsurface environment, a bench-scale horizontal column packed with nitrate-contaminated soil was treated by electrokinetic (EK) remediation coupled with the injection of nanosized Pd/Fe slurry. The estimated transport distance of Pd/Fe nanoparticles in soil based on the calculated sticking coefficient was about 9 meters by the enhancement of electrokinetics, primarily by electroosmotic (EO) flow.