Hanna Research Group

A single freeze–thaw cycle permanently reorganizes ferrihydrite nanoparticles, redirecting their long-term transformation from goethite toward hematite. By showing that freezing actively reshapes mineral interfaces through confinement and interfacial bonding, this work establishes ice as a geochemical reactor with important implications for iron cycling, contaminant fate, and paleoclimate reconstruction.

Climate change intensifies groundwater contamination via multiple pathways, calling for urgent, coordinated adaptation. Our article highlights the growing climate pressures on drinking water systems and outlines pathways toward climate-resilient solutions.

Ice can play a critical role in enhancing soluble iron production in frozen environments. This research elucidates the effects of freezing temperature, salinity, organic loadings, and freeze-thaw cycling on the dissolution of an important nanomineral of the iron oxide family. It provides kinetic and mechanistic insights into ice-driven dissolution reactions in acidic ice, and it identifies conditions under which ice solubilizes more iron than in liquid water.

Tao Chen successfully defended his PhD thesis on “Environmental Ice-Driven Reactions of Mn and Fe Species” on November 26, 2024. The thesis was jointly supervised by K. Hanna (ISCR, Rennes University) and J.F. Boily (Umeå University, Sweden).

With the University of Umeå and the Rennes Institute of Chemical Sciences (ISCR), our lab organized the second workshop of the IRP- CHEMICY. It was held on November 27, 2024 at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes (ENSCR), 11 allée de Beaulieu in Rennes (France).

The purpose of this workshop was to stimulate the communication between researchers from both sides and facilitate the exchange of opinions and common interests. It was open to all scientists interested in impacts of freeze-thaw cycles and environmental implications.
Details are provided at this link:
https://iscr.univ-rennes.fr/international-research-project-chemicy-workshop-2

This work demonstrates how metal cations and organic matter influence PFAS binding to mineral surfaces and affect their mobility in environmental systems.

M. Usman and K. Hanna’s recent correspondence published in Nature urges industrial cooperation in tackling PFAS contamination and emphasizes the critical need to address PFAS hotspots in the EU through proper treatment.

M. Usman delivered a talk at PFAS-2024 in Paris on the remediation of PFAS contaminated soils through integrated remediation involving soil washing and subsequent treatment of PFAS-laden soil washing effluent/water.

New IRP (CNRS) CHEMICY, with Umeå University to tackle an unexplored area in frozen environments with the aim to understand ice-hosted reactions under real-world conditions.

This work shows how goethite may overcome the drawbacks of Mn-oxides to be used as a geomedia-filter for environmental remediation

This work shows how diffusion-limited processes resulting from reactive nanoparticle aggregation alter binding dynamics and reactive transport in porous media.

Muqeet Iqbal presented his PhD research progress on reactive transport of rare earth elements in porous media at the last summer school of the ITN PANORAMA project hosted by SCK CEN (Belgian Nuclear Research Centre) in Antwerp, Belgium. Muqeet contributed to the collective knowledge in the field of reactive transport modelling and engaged in stimulating discussions which can be followed at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBqFTpjn_Wc

Muqeet Iqbal gave a platform presentation at SETAC Europe 33rd Annual Meeting held in Dublin during April 30 – May 4, 2023 (https://europe2023.setac.org/). During this event, he shared his research on rare earth elements’ binding mechanisms with mineral surfaces, as part of the ITN Panorama project. In total, there were 3 platform presentations and 5 posters from the PANORAMA project.