Extraction of Nanoparticles from Argosols and Ferrosols

Soil nanoparticles are ubiquitous and play an important role in migration and transformation of pollutants in nature. The present study was aimed to obtain soil nanoparticles from Argosols and Ferrosols, which are two typically zonal soils distributing in the north and south China, respectively. Ultrasonic-centrifugal method was used to disperse the soil and extract soil nanoparticles. The nitrogen adsorption-desorption method was employed to determine the specific surface area of soil nanoparticles. More soil nanoparticles were obtained from Argosols than from Ferrosols. The soil nanoparticles from Argosols could not, however, keep stable in water even at 4 °C. To preserve in solid, it should be freezing dried immediately. Furthermore, the nanoparticles from the two soils were different in the physical characteristics including fractions and morphology. After ultrasonic extraction, the specific surface area of two soils had increased nearly four times.