Abstract
Transport and retention behavior of Graphene Oxide (GO) is influenced by
the physical and chemical properties of porous media under subsurface
environmental conditions. Fixed-bed column studies using quartz sand and
biochar (BC) in different configurations were conducted as a function of
ionic strength and flowrate. Colloid filtration theory (CFT) was
employed to develop mathematical models based on the one-dimensional
convection-dispersion equation using experimental GO breakthrough curves
(BTCs) and retention profiles (RPs) obtained from the experimental data.
GO transport and retention behavior was modeled using BC and BC-nZVI (BC
surface modified with nanoscale zero-valent iron) as filter media to
understand the effect of media properties. It was demonstrated that the
model can describe measured BTCs and RPs of GO in the sand, BC, and
BC-nZVI. The inverse modeling approach was implemented to determine the
attachment coefficient (Ka) and maximum solid-phase retention capacity
(Smax) using GO BTCs for different experimental conditions. Higher Ka in
BC at 10 mM IS indicated the influence of straining which agrees with
the depth-dependent retention kinetics. Furthermore, pronounced GO
aggregation at higher IS supports the higher Ka values at 10 mM compared
to 0.1 mM. In contrast, higher Ka values were predicted in BC-nZVI at
lower ionic strength (0.1 mM) primarily due to the attachment of GO onto
nZVI where nZVI in BC pores was also favorable for the straining
process. This study revealed that CFT including the attachment,
straining, and blocking process can effectively describe the GO
transport in BC and surface-modified BC-nZVI under subsurface
environmental conditions.