Predicting Copper Transport in an Undisturbed Calumpang Clay Soil Column using a Two-Region Contaminant Transport Model
Nathaniel R. Alibuyog1 and Victor B. Ella2
ABSTRACT
The transport behavior of copper in an undisturbed Calumpang clay soil column was characterized and modeled using the two-region contaminant transport model.
Results showed that copper ions are strongly adsorbed in the soil (4255 mg kg-1), implying that heavy metals such as copper may not be easily leached to groundwater but may be retained in the soil. The adsorptive capacity of the soil, however, is not infinite and thus the risk of groundwater contamination should not be overlooked.
Compared to the classical advection-dispersion-retardation model, the two-region transport (TRT) model showed adequate capability to simulate the transport of copper in the soil. Simulated breakthrough curves using this fitted well with the measured breakthrough curves and exhibited high coefficient of model efficiency ranging from 90 to 98 percent.
Keywords: advection-dispersion, copper, dispersivity, miscible displacement experiment, sorption isotherms, two-region transport model, transport modeling
1Assistant Professor IV, Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Agriculture and Forestry, Mariano Marcos State University, 2906 Batac City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines; 2Associate Professor, Land and Water Resources Division, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, College of Engineering and Agro-industrial Technology, University of the Philippines Los Baños, 4031 College, Laguna, Philippines.