Geoenvironmental Engineering

Kaniraj Shenbaga
University Malaysia Sarawak

Course Learning Objective 2

By the end of this course, students should be

able to apply the processes affecting migration
and fate of contaminants and evaluate the rate
of contaminant transport in ground water
using analytical solutions.

Migration and Fate of

Contaminant

Processes Affecting Contaminants

1. Transport processes, which cause migration of

the contaminants from one point to another.
2. Chemical and mass transfer processes, which
affect the ultimate chemical form and
concentration of the contaminants.
3. Biological processes which cause the
biodegradation of the contaminants.

Transport of Contaminants
(Nonreactive)

Transport Processes

1. Advection
Also called as convection or advective transport

2. Diffusion
Also called as molecular diffusion

3. Dispersion
Also called as mechanical dispersion or
hydrodynamic dispersion

Transport of Contaminants
Advection

Advection

Advection is the movement of

contaminant by groundwater flow.
The contaminant is transported at the
same velocity of groundwater flow.

Apparent Velocity of Flow, v

Apparent velocity of flow is given by Darcys Law. It is the

velocity of flow through the soil cross-section including the
area of solids also.

=
= apparent velocity; = coefficient of permeability

=
= hydraulic gradient

Darcys Law for Apparent Velocity

Cross-sectional area A
with both solids and voids

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/plan_protect_sustain/groundwater/gwbc/C02_origin.html

Seepage Velocity, vs

Seepage velocity of flow is the velocity of flow through

the soil pores excluding the area of solids.

= seepage velocity
= apparent velocity
= porosity of soil

Contaminant Mass Flux, Fv

Under steady-state one-dimensional flow conditions,
contaminant mass flux due to advection Fv is:
Fv = vs C
vs = seepage velocity (length per unit time)
C = contaminant concentration (mass per unit volume)
Fv is expressed in mass per unit area per unit time.

Mass of contaminant transported through area A in

time t = Fv x A x t

Exercise 7

Chloride dissolved in water at concentration of 650 ppm is

being transported vertically down from a land fill through a
sandy silt vadose zone into the groundwater. Coefficient of
permeability = 2.7 x 108 cm/s, soil porosity = 0.16, and
hydraulic gradient of flow = 0.08. Determine the flux of
chloride into the ground water due to advection and the
amount of chloride (in grams) transported into
groundwater per day through a flow area of 320 m2.

Exercise 7 Answer

GL

Landfill
Sandy silt
k = 2.7 x 10-8 cm/s
n = 0.16
i = 0.08

Flow

Area = 320 m2

GWL

Calculate v
Calculate vs
Calculate Fv
Calculate Fv x A x t

Exercise 7 Answer

GL

Landfill
Flow

Area = 320 m2

Sandy silt
k = 2.7 x 10-8 cm/s
n = 0.16
i = - 0.08

GWL

C = 650 ppm = 650 mg/l

vs = - [2.7 x 108 x ( 0.08)]/0.16 = 1.35 x 108 cm/s
Fv = vs x C = 8.75 x 109 mg/cm2/s
Chloride transported through 320 m2/day = Fv x A x t = 2.42 g

Advective Transport Equation

Advective transport (variation of concentration with time

and distance) under uniform one-directional flow conditions
is expressed as:

= concentration

= time
= direction of flow

Advective Transport Equation

Groundwater flow will transport a

contaminant by advection.
In time t, a contaminant of concentration Co
will be transported by distance x.
x = v st

Exercise 8

A non-reactive chemical spill contaminates the water in

well A. Wells B and C are located respectively at 1 km
and 1.7 km in opposite directions from A. The RLs of
water level in wells A, B and C are 151.7 m, 153.6 m and
148.4 m, respectively. The aquifer is silty sand. The
coefficient of permeability and porosity are 3.1x104 m/s
and 0.21, respectively. How many years will it take for
the contaminant plume to reach wells B and C?

Exercise 8 Answer

GWL

1.7 km

1 km

GL

RL 153.6 m

RL 151.7 m

RL 148.4 m

Well B

Sandy silt
k = 3.1 x 10-4 m/s
n = 0.21

Calculate v
Calculate vs
Calculate time for travel = distance/vs

Well A

Well C

Exercise 8 Answer

i = (148.4 157.7)/1700 = - 0.00194

vs = - [3.1 x 10-4 x (-0.00194)]/0.21 = 2.865 x 10-6 m/s
Distance of travel by the contaminant from well A to
well C = 1,700 m
Time for contaminant plume to reach well C
= 1700/(2.865 x 10-6) seconds = 6,866 days = 18.81 years

The contaminant will not reach well B as it is

upstream of well A.