Retention of Axially Input Arsenic Contaminants in a Heterogeneous Groundwater System under Sorption Isotherm Models
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11615/cujnlfm.02104-6Keywords:
Arsenic transport, Sorption isotherm, Heterogeneous groundwater system, Sorbed-phase concentration, Soil retentionAbstract
The presence of arsenic contaminants in groundwater poses a risk to the surrounding ecosystem. The retention of contaminants in the soil medium leads to soil degradation and affects vegetation, with the risk of desorption. This research focuses on the retention strength of arsenic contaminant onto the soil medium under different sorption models (Henry, Freundlich,
Langmuir and Tóth). It presents a two-dimensional numerical model for contaminant transport in groundwater, governed by the advection-dispersion equation (ADE). A concentration-dependent retardation factor is considered for the sorption models to introduce nonlinearity into the system. An Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) scheme, combined with the Thomas algorithm, is employed to ensure numerical stability and computational efficiency for long-term simulations. The
numerical results demonstrate that nonlinear sorption significantly attenuates contaminant migration and modifies arsenic plume evolution compared to non-sorbing cases. The spatial concentration maps of arsenic contaminants, compared with unit retardation, reveal substantial accumulation within the soil matrix. This highlights the significance of accounting for nonlinear sorption effects in the realistic transport and fate of groundwater contamination. A study on a soil medium revealed that the amount of arsenic retained in the medium is directly proportional to the soil’s Al/Fe content, offering insights for environmental studies and understanding the harmful effects of arsenic retention. The research is aligned with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).
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