Contaminant Transport

¾ Advection
¾ Hydrodynamic Dispersion
¾ Molecular Diffusion
¾ Mechanical Dispersion
¾ Chemical Reactions
¾ Sorption
¾ 1st-order Radioactive Decay
or Biodegradation
Advection

¾ Refer to the movement of K ∂h

solutes in flowing v=−
groundwater with average θ ∂l
seepage velocities (v)
¾ Usually the dominant process
for migration of solutes in
the subsurface
¾ Hydraulic conductivity (K) of
subsurface media is by far
the most critical controlling
factor REV
Velocity of Advective Transport
and Advective Mass Flux
Velocity of advective transport
(pore water velocity; linear velocity)

q K dh q: specific discharge
v= =− n: porosity
n n dl
Advective mass flux (mass per unit time
per unit bulk area)

mass
= qC
area ⋅ time
Advective Transport Equation
1D

Principle of q1 C1 ∆z
mass conservation q2 C2

MASS IN − MASS OUT ∆y

∆x
= ∆STORAGE
Control Volume
MASS IN = q1 C1 ∆y∆z ∆t
MASS OUT = q2 C2 ∆y∆z ∆t
∆STORAGE = ∆C ∆x∆y∆z n
Advective Transport Equation

q1C1∆y∆z∆t − q2C2 ∆y∆z∆t

= ∆C∆x∆y∆z n

∆C q2C2 − q1C1 ∆ (vC )

=− =−
∆t n∆x ∆x

∂C ∂C
= −v (if v is constant)
∂t ∂x
Particle Tracking Method for
Advective Transport

t=t 1 t=t 2
t=to
C=100

x1 = x o + v∆t x1 x2
x 2 = x1 + v∆t
...
Capture Zone Analysis

Forward Tracking Backward Tracking

Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA)

Capture Zone in 3-D

Plan view

Cross section
Hydrodynamic Dispersion

¾ spreading of solute over a greater region than

would be predicted solely from average
groundwater velocity vectors

t1 t2 t3

¾ Hydrodynamic dispersion refers to the sum of

molecular diffusion and mechanical dispersion
Molecular Diffusion

¾ Spreading of solutes as a
result of concentration
gradient

¾ Fick’s law of diffusion

∂C
F = −D *
∂l
F : diffusion mass flux
D* : diffusion coefficient
Mechanical Dispersion

¾ Spreading of solutes as a result of deviations of

actual velocity from average seepage velocity

Pore Scale Macro-scale

Velocity Variation as Mechanism
of Mechanical Dispersion

Local Scale

(Skibitzke & Robinson, 1963)

Velocity Variation as Mechanism
of Mechanical Dispersion

Regional Scales
Dispersive Transport Equation

Dispersive flux based on analog

with molecular diffusion:
∂C
F = −D
∂l
F : dispersive mass flux
D : dispersion coefficient,
proportional to dispersivity and velocity

Dispersive Transport Equation

∂C ∂ 2C
=D 2 if D is constant
∂t ∂x
Advection-Dispersion
Equation (ADE)
¾ Deterministic advective D ispersion
movement superimposed A dvection
by random dispersive
displacement, whose
magnitude is dependent on
dispersivity and seepage A dvection D
is p
velocity A d v e c ti
er
s io
n
o n + D isp
¾ General governing equation e rs io n

∂C ∂ ∂  ∂ C  N
n =− (qiC ) +  nDij

 + qsCs + ∑ Rk

∂t ∂xi ∂xi  ∂x j  k =1
Advection Dispersion Sinks/ Reactions
Sources
Advective-Dispersive Transport

v∆t2

v∆t1

Longitudinal
v Dispersion
Transverse
Dispersion
= 2 DLt2
= 2 DT t2
Effects of Advection and
Dispersion
“Typical” Values of Longitudinal
Dispersivity

(Gelhar et al., 1992)

Estimation of Dispersivity Hydraulic
Conductivity Distribution

A A'
219.145
218.895
Elevation (m)

218.645
218.395
218.145
217.895
217.645
217.395
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Ln(K)
Longitudinal Distance (m)
-4.0
A A'
-5.0
219.145
218.895
Elevation (m)

218.645 -6.0
218.395
218.145 -7.0
217.895
217.645 -8.0
217.395
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Longitudinal Distance (m)

σ Lnk
2
λL
AL =
γ2
Sorption

¾ Mass transfer (or, partitioning) process between

the contaminants dissolved in groundwater
(solution phase) and the contaminants sorbed
on porous media (solid phase), including
absorption (incorporation into the interior of a
solid); adsorption (attraction to a surface); and
ion exchange
¾ Usually considered to be equilibrium-controlled,
i.e., the mass transfer process is instantaneous
and reversible
Retardation Concept

¾ advancing contaminant plume appears

"retarded" because dissolved
contaminants are sorbed on to porous
materials, leaving less solute for
transport
¾ retreating contaminant plume appears
"retarded" because sorbed contaminants
are de-sorbed into the dissolved phase,
leaving more solute behind.
Linear Sorption Isotherm

Sorbed
Conc.

Dissolved Conc.

C = Kd C
K d : distributi on coeff.
Retardation Factor

Retardatio n factor
ρb
R = 1 + Kd
n

Advection − dispersion equation with sorption

∂C ∂ 2C ∂C
R = D 2 −v
∂t ∂x ∂x
First-Order Decay or
Biodegradation

∂C
1.0 = −λC
∂t
0.8 C (t ) = C0e −λt
0.6 λ=0.05 day-1
λ : reaction rate [T -1 ]
C/Co

0.4

0.2
λ=0.2 day-1
λ=0.1 day-1

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Time (days)
Advective-Dispersive-Reactive
Equation

∂C ∂ C ∂C
2
R = 2 −v − λRC
∂t ∂x ∂x

ln 2 0.693
λ= =
t1 2 t1 2
t1 2 : half - life [seconds, hours, days, years]
Dual-Domain Transport Model

Fr
ac Matrix
tu
re

(a) Fractured flow system

Silt

Sand

Clay

(b) Heterogeneous porous media