Events

Dr. Christophe Darnault, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Clemson University, will give a talk entitled "Metal-Based Nanoparticles Transport in Unsaturated and Saturated Porous Media" as part of the Claude R. Hocott Graduate Seminar Series.

Bio:
Christophe Darnault is an Assistant Professor in Biosystems Engineering at the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at Clemson University. He has research and teaching experience at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and University of Illinois. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from Cornell University (2000), and his combined M.S. & B.S. degree (Diplôme d’Ingénieur) in Agricultural, Environmental, and Biological Engineering from the Institut Supérieur d'Agriculture, Lille, France (1995). His consulting experience encompassed working as water resources group leader at Environmental Engineering and Technology, Inc. and as project engineer in the water resources and environmental group at Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. (now the Water Division of ARCADIS). Dr. Darnault’s teaching and research interests are in the fields of biological and environmental engineering, agricultural engineering, hydrological sciences, and water resources engineering.

Abstract:
The release of emerging contaminants, such as engineered nanomaterials, into the environment are inevitable. Understanding the behavior of these nanoparticles (e.g., quantum dot and titanium dioxide nanoparticles) in the environment is critical for the protection of the environment and public health. To characterize the transport and retention processes of these particles in porous media, we have investigated their mobility under different hydrodynamic and chemical conditions found in the natural environment. We have demonstrated that preferential flow and surfactant may facilitate and enhance the transport of nanoparticles, while gas-water interfaces and deposition processes may induce the retention of nanoparticles and limit their transport. We have also established the role of flow and transport processes in saturated porous media on the behavior of these nanoparticles. To quantify and visualize these particles, as well as to elucidate the individual contribution of the mechanisms and environmental parameters affecting their transport and retention, we have developed monitoring methods and tools using physical, chemical, and non-intrusive technologies. The results of our research will contribute to the development and validation of fate and transport models of contaminants from pore scale to watershed scale for sustainable water resources management, environmental nanotechnology, risk assessment, and life-cycle analysis.