Indraratna, B, Medawela, SK, Athuraliya, S et al. (2 more authors) (2022) Chemical clogging of granular media under acidic groundwater conditions. Environmental Geotechnics, 9 (7). pp. 450-462.
Abstract
Generation of acidic groundwater attributed to pyrite oxidation in low-lying acid sulfate soil has caused substantial damage to the soil-water environment and civil infrastructure in coastal Australia. The installation of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) is a frontier technology in the field of acid neutralisation and removal of toxic heavy metal cations – for example, soluble iron (Fe) and aluminium (Al). This study aims to assess the potential of limestone (calcite) aggregates as the PRB’s main reactive material in low-lying pyritic land. During long-term laboratory column experiments, a significant capacity of limestone for removing contaminant chemical species was observed. Nevertheless, the formation of secondary mineral precipitates upon geochemical reactivity within the granular media in the PRB caused armouring and chemical clogging, which diminished the rate of reactivity – that is, the treatment capacity of calcite aggregates – mainly at the entrance zone of the porous media. Flow properties were altered due to blockage of pores; for instance, hydraulic conductivity was reduced by 25% at the inlet zone. Non-homogeneous clogging towards the outlet was analysed, and the time-dependent effect on the longevity of a limestone column was studied and quantified.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. This is an author produced version of an article published in Environmental Geotechnics. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | geochemistry; geohydrology; groundwater |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Civil Engineering (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 27 Feb 2020 16:03 |
Last Modified: | 06 Jan 2023 14:34 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | ICE Publishing Ltd. |
Identification Number: | 10.1680/jenge.18.00143 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:157717 |