Chapter 1
Geochemical Principles of Reductive
Remediation Processes
Miroslav Černík and Josef Zeman
Abstract Water is a solvent that is absolutely essential to sustain life. It is one of the
world’s most precious resources. The uniqueness consists in its polarity, high boiling
point, and some other important properties. Several of the water parameters, for
example, alkalinity or redox potential, were discussed in this chapter. The environmental significance of these basic parameters is enormous because they are affecting
the stability and mobility of substances in the ecosystem, and other parameters are
either directly determined or strongly influenced by them. In addition, further
important geochemical aspects, presented, for example, in the graphical form, i.e.,
the pε-pH diagram (Pourbaix diagram) or redox ladder, were thoroughly explained
in this chapter. Subsequently, the in situ chemical reduction (ISCR) techniques were
discussed with the special emphasis on the nano zero-valent iron (nZVI). The nZVI
reactions and thermodynamics behind them were also reviewed here.
Keywords Geochemistry · Redox potential · Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) · In situ
chemical reduction (ISCR)
1.1 Introduction
Water is the carrier of the entire geochemical system of natural exogenous processes.
Water has a number of unique properties that determine the behavior of the rock
matrix and biogenic components. Its basic properties are a high dielectric constant
(Malmberg and Maryott 1956), high surface tension, and high heat capacity. Natural
water contains dissolved substances, some of which have reduction or oxidation
M. Černík (*)
Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation, Technical University of
Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic
AQUATEST a.s., Prague, Czech Republic
e-mail: miroslav.cernik@tul.cz
J. Zeman
Department Geological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University in Brno, Brno, Czech
Republic
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J. Filip et al. (eds.), Advanced Nano-Bio Technologies for Water and Soil Treatment,
Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29840-1_1
3
Geochemical Principles of Reductive
Remediation Processes
Miroslav Černík and Josef Zeman
Abstract Water is a solvent that is absolutely essential to sustain life. It is one of the
world’s most precious resources. The uniqueness consists in its polarity, high boiling
point, and some other important properties. Several of the water parameters, for
example, alkalinity or redox potential, were discussed in this chapter. The environmental significance of these basic parameters is enormous because they are affecting
the stability and mobility of substances in the ecosystem, and other parameters are
either directly determined or strongly influenced by them. In addition, further
important geochemical aspects, presented, for example, in the graphical form, i.e.,
the pε-pH diagram (Pourbaix diagram) or redox ladder, were thoroughly explained
in this chapter. Subsequently, the in situ chemical reduction (ISCR) techniques were
discussed with the special emphasis on the nano zero-valent iron (nZVI). The nZVI
reactions and thermodynamics behind them were also reviewed here.
Keywords Geochemistry · Redox potential · Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) · In situ
chemical reduction (ISCR)
1.1 Introduction
Water is the carrier of the entire geochemical system of natural exogenous processes.
Water has a number of unique properties that determine the behavior of the rock
matrix and biogenic components. Its basic properties are a high dielectric constant
(Malmberg and Maryott 1956), high surface tension, and high heat capacity. Natural
water contains dissolved substances, some of which have reduction or oxidation
M. Černík (*)
Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation, Technical University of
Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic
AQUATEST a.s., Prague, Czech Republic
e-mail: miroslav.cernik@tul.cz
J. Zeman
Department Geological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University in Brno, Brno, Czech
Republic
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J. Filip et al. (eds.), Advanced Nano-Bio Technologies for Water and Soil Treatment,
Applied Environmental Science and Engineering for a Sustainable Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29840-1_1
3