Water and solute distributions in the soil/saprolite continuum under on-site wastewater disposal systems

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6087485

Surbrugg, J E

The expansion of housing developments in rural areas of North Carolina has created an increasing need to identify suitable soil and saprolite for on-site wastewater disposal. Physical, chemical, and hydraulic characteristics of soil and saprolite were assessed at three operating on-site wastewater disposal systems in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The distribution patterns of selected inorganic wastewater chemicals, soil pH, and soil electrical conductivity (EC) were determined within the drainfields at all three sites. Chemical concentrations of NH[sub 4]-N, NO[sub 3]-N, NO[sub 3]-N, Ca, Mg, Na, K, and Cl in the drainfield soils were compared to background concentrations in similar soils outside each drainfield. The hydraulic performance was evaluated. Soil particle size was an important soil physical property influencing water movement, especially in the deeper C (saprolite) horizon. Specific surface area appeared to be related to CEC and inferred the possibility for limited attenuation of wastewater pollutants in coarse-textured saprolite. Lower concentrations of some inorganic chemicals in the drainfield soils were related to leaching of cations and anions by the wastewater and the low soil CEC. Significantly higher concentrations of some chemicals were found in one drainfield, presumably because of a low hydraulic conductivity in the clayey textured Bt and BC horizons, reduced nitrification rates, and higher wastewater chemical concentrations. On-site wastewater disposal systems installed in soils that are shallow to saprolite appear to function properly in treating wastewater when the soil and saprolite horizons have suitable soil textures, CEC's, and hydraulic conductivities.

• Research Organization: North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6087485
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
BULK DENSITY
CHEMISTRY
DENSITY
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MECHANICS
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH CAROLINA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SIZE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTANTS
RURAL AREAS
SIZE
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOIL MECHANICS
SOILS
SPECIFIC SURFACE AREA
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE WATER
WASTES
WATER