Modelling of passive contaminant transport in river sediments
Contaminant transport from riverine sediments was investigated via physical and mathematical models. This dissertation focused on evaluation of potential abiotic transport processes which affect the movement of contaminants across the sediment-water interface. Only non-dispersive transport of passive contaminants was considered allowing the research to focus on the movement of the sediment pore water which carries the contaminants. The abiotic processes studied include the advection by flow of sediment pore water and the movement and turnover of sediment through erosion by the overlying river flow. Pore water flow driven by a mean hydraulic gradient between the river and its associated ground-water aquifier and driven by the local pressure variations associated with the uneven surface of the river sediments was considered. Mathematical models of the transport mechanisms considered are presented and used to compare the importance of each. The preliminary results indicate the potential importance of a heretofore largely unexamined mechanism, advective transport by the local pressure variations over the uneven bed sediment.
- Research Organization:
- Louisiana State Univ. and Agricultural and Mechanical Coll., Baton Rouge, LA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6749830
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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