title: A mathematical model for the transport and fate of organic chemicals in unsaturated/saturated soils.
abstract: A mathematical model, simulating the transport and fate of nonionizable organic compounds in unsaturated/saturated porous media (soils) in a terrestrial microcosm has been developed. Using the principles of water mass, momentum, heat energy and chemical mass balance, the three fields: moisture, temperature, and liquid phase chemical concentration are solved for simultaneously by coupling the soil slab to an environmentally realistic air-soil interface (a dynamic free boundary) conditions and a prescribed height water table. The environmental conditions at the soil surface-air chamber interface are easily changed, via geometric scaling factors, to simulate either an open agricultural field or a landfill type of situation. Illustrative simulation runs examine the effects of different soil-chemical characteristics on hydrological and chemical concentration profiles.
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008433:Mathematics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011891:Rain; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014867:Water