Modeling and experimental validation of colloid facilitated cesium transport in porous media /

Groundwater colloids can act as a vector which enhances the

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Noell, Alan Lee, 1967-
Format: Thesis Book
Language:English
Published: [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified] ; 1996.
Subjects:
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Description
Summary:Groundwater colloids can act as a vector which enhances the
migration of contaminants. In this study, an idealized
laboratory set-up was used to examine the influence of
amorphous silica colloids on the transport of cesium.
Synthetic groundwater and -saturated glass bead columns were
used to minimize the presence of natural colloidal material.
The columns were assembled in replicate, some packed with
150-210 um glass beads and others packed with 355-420 Jim
glass beads. The colloids used in these experiments were 100
nm amorphous silica colloids from Nissan Chemical Company.
In independent batch sorption experiments, non-linear
Freundlich isotherms were found to best describe the sorption
of cesium to both silica colloids and glass beads. In the
absence of colloids, the retardation factor for cesium was
8.0 in the 150-210 um glass bead columns and 3.6 in the 355-
420 um glass bead columns. The influence of anthropogenic
colloids was tested by injecting 0.09 pore volume slug of an
equilibrated suspension of cesium and colloids into the
colloid-free columns. Although there was little noticeable
facilitation in the smaller glass bead columns, there was a
slight reduction in the retardation of cesium in the larger
glass bead columns. This was attributed to cesium having
less of a retention time in the larger glass bead columns.
When cesium was injected into columns with a constant flux of
colloids, the retardation of cesium was reduced by 14-32% in
the 150-210 um glass bead columns and by 38-51% in the 355-
420 um glass bead columns. Models based on Coi-apcioglu and
Jiang [1993] were compared with the experimental elution
data. When equilibrium sorption expressions were used and
the flux of colloids through the glass bead columns was
constant , the colloid facilitated transport of cesium was
able to be described using an effective retardation
coefficient. Fully kinetic simulations) however, more
accurately described the colloid facilitated transport of
cesium.
Item Description:Vita.
"Major Subject: Civil Engineering".
Physical Description:xviii, 149 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm.
Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilms Inc.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references: pages 126-129.