A parametric transfer function methodology for analyzing reactive transport in nonuniform flow

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 2005 · Journal of Contaminant Hydrology

OSTI ID:989666

Jardine, Philip M ^[1]; Cirpka, Olaf ^[1]; Fienen, Michael ^[1]; Wu, Weimin ^[1]; Mehlhorn, Tonia L ^[1]; Carley, Jack M ^[1]; Criddle, Craig ^[1]; Kitanidis, Peter K ^[1]

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1. ORNL

We analyze reactive transport during in-situ bioremediation in a nonuniform flow field, involving multiple extraction and injection wells, by the method of transfer functions. Gamma distributions are used as parametric models of the transfer functions. Apparent parameters of classical transport models may be estimated from those of the gamma distributions by matching temporal moments. We demonstrate the method by application to measured data taken at a field experiment on bioremediation conducted in a multiple-well system in Oak Ridge, TN. Breakthrough curves (BTCs) of a conservative tracer (bromide) and a reactive compound (ethanol) are measured at multi-level sampling (MLS) wells and in extraction wells. The BTCs of both compounds are jointly analyzed to estimate the first-order degradation rate of ethanol. To quantify the tracer loss, we compare the approaches of using a scaling factor and a first-order decay term. Results show that by including a scaling factor both gamma distributions and inverse-Gaussian distributions (transfer functions according to the advection-dispersion equation) are suitable to approximate the transfer functions and estimate the reactive rate coefficients for both MLS and extraction wells. However, using a first-order decay term for tracer loss fails to describe the BTCs at the extraction well, which is affected by the nonuniform distribution of travel paths.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 989666
• Journal Information: Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, Journal Name: Journal of Contaminant Hydrology Journal Issue: 1-2 Vol. 83; ISSN JCOHE6; ISSN 0169-7722
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
BIOREMEDIATION
DECAY
DISTRIBUTION
ETHANOL
INJECTION WELLS
SAMPLING
TRANSFER FUNCTIONS
TRANSPORT