Competitive sorption and diffusion of chromate and sulphate in a flow system with goethite in gel beads.
Column experiments and model simulations were employed to evaluate the processes involved in multicomponent solute transport in a system with heterogeneous flow. Column experiments were performed with goethite embedded in polyacrylamide gel beads. The gel forms an immobile water region that can be accessed by diffusion. A two-region transport model with diffusion into spheres was combined with a surface complexation model to predict reactive transport in the goethite-gel bead system. Chromate and sulphate breakthrough curves were measured in a set of transport experiments, along with corresponding changes in the pH of the effluent. Sorption and transport of sulphate and chromate in separate columns were predicted from independently measured sorption parameters. The model overestimated the pH changes in the effluent, possibly because of proton buffering by the polyacrylamide gel. The effect of competitive sorption on transport was examined in experiments with both anions present. The model predicted the effect of competition very well in a system initially equilibrated with sulphate, followed by infiltration with chromate. However, when sulphate was infiltrated after equilibration with chromate, chromate desorption and sulphate adsorption were clearly overestimated by the transport model. The exchange between the more strongly bound chromate and the sulphate added subsequently may be too slow to cause a substantial chromate peak in the effluent. This suggests that the local equilibrium assumption was not applicable in this case.
van Beinum
Wendy
W
Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom. w.vanbeinum@csl.gov.uk
Meeussen
Johannes C L
JC
van Riemsdijk
Willem H
WH
D000327:Adsorption; D002840:Chromates / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D008903:Minerals; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012987:Soil; D013431:Sulfates / Q000737:chemistry*; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
D002840:Chromates; D005782:Gels; D058085:Iron Compounds; D008903:Minerals; D012987:Soil; D013431:Sulfates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C094886:goethite