Topic description

Context:

Nanoparticles (NPs), emerging pollutants and tiny particles under nanometres in size, represent a special threat due to the broad and efficient application within modern technologies[1]. They can enter the soil through industrial spills but they can also be used intentionally to clean the soil (e.g. they have been used to remove a range of pollutants from soil[2]). Models suggest that soil is a major receptor of NPs —more so than air or water but NPs can also infiltrate through the vadose zone to the water-table and the groundwater flow.

To improve environmental risk assessment of contaminants, it is recommended to perform experiments in soils. However, this is extremely complex and difficult to be studied in situ but also in the laboratory as soil constituents (minerals, organic matter, microbes …) can interact with contaminants. For instance, organic matter in soils is known for playing a critical role in the transport ...