Pollution migration study in subsurface environment

ABSTRACT

The sources of groundwater pollution such as, industrial effluents, sewage and extensive farming have lead to agrochemical pollution. Mathematical modeling helps to analyze the existing situation, allows forecasting, and to evaluate the effects of changes in the surrounding water quality. The present research has been focused mainly towards understanding the various processes affecting the transport of chemicals in soils. Dispersion coefficient for the sandy loam soil was found to be 0.247 m[2]/d, 0.150 m[2]/d and 0.01 m[2]/d for nitrates, phosphates and chlorpyriphos through column, and 0.337 m[2]/d, 0.217 m[2]/d and 0.077 m[2]/d for nitrates, phosphates and Chlorpyriphos through channel studies, respectively. For similar analysis of the breakthrough curves, dispersion coefficient for the clay soil was found to be 0.0835 m[2]/d, 0.0632 m[2]/d and 0.008 m[2]/d for nitrates, phosphates and Chlorpyriphos through column and 0.147 m[2]/d, 0.0848 m[2]/d and 0.022 m[2]/d for nitrates, phosphates and Chlorpyriphos through channel studies, respectively. The one-dimensional analytical model has been used and validated with the experimental data obtained from column and channel studies in sandy loam and clay soils and compared with model output [in which total elimination rate "K" is considered as zero. From this a variation of about 40-60 percent in the leaching characteristics of pollutants was being observed [nitrates, phosphates and chlorpyriphos]