Thermal Enhanced Electrokinetic Bacterial Transport in Porous Media

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c07954
• Publication Date: 2025-01-15T17:08:51Z
• Authors: Yongping Shan; Huijuan Hao; Jinyao He; Naiwen Hu; Ping Liu; Mingxiu Zhan; Wentao Jiao; Yongguang Yin

Soil bacterial communities are crucial to various ecosystem services, with significant implications for environmental processes and human health. Delivering functional strains target locations enhances the preferred ecological features. However, delivery process is often constrained by limited transport through low-permeability soil. Although electrokinetics breaks bottleneck of in thin porous media, its efficiency remains limited. Here, we tested hypothesis that thermal effects enhance electrokinetic shifting net force acting on bacterium. We found heating significantly increased 2.75-fold at 1 V cm–1 media. Thermal enhancement mechanisms were interpreted shift integrating matrix attractive forces verified Quartz Crystal Microbalance Dissipation Monitoring (QCMD) observed adhesion rigidity shift. Thermal-dependent parameters liquid viscosity dielectric constant primary contributors Their variations reduce augment forces, resulting lower enhanced transport. A mechanism-based approach interlinking electric field strength, effect, collision was established facilitate application thermally These findings provide new prospects improving transport, hence optimizing soil functions.