Michel C. Boufadel

A mechanistic study of nonlinear solute transport in a groundwater-surface water system under steady state and transient hydraulic conditions

Two laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of tides and buoyancy on beach hydraulics in the presence of a seaward groundwater flow due to an elevated “regional” water table. In the first experiment, case 1, the difference in concentration between the salt water at sea and the water of the regional aquifer was small, 2.4 g L−1, such that it did not engender density gradients; the salt acts as a tracer in this case. In the second experiment, case 2, the difference was ∼32.0 g L−1, which creates a significant density gradient. This case corresponds to the presence of fresh groundwater in the subsurface of the coasts of the continental United States. The experiments were numerically simulated by the marine unsaturated (MARUN) model, a numerical model for density-and-viscosity-dependent flows in two-dimensional variably saturated media. The long-term experimental and numerical results showed that the seawater plume entered the beach from the sea and occupied most of the intertidal zone. The maximum depth of the seawater plume was near the midsection of the intertidal zone, and it decreased near the low and high tide lines. When viewed in the context of case 2, these results indicate an inverted salinity distribution in beaches subjected to tides with salt water from sea overtopping the freshwater lens. For both cases, water from the regional aquifer moved seaward beneath the seawater in the intertidal zone and pinched out near the low tide mark. We also noted that beach hydraulics are highly two dimensional with water entering the beach at a near-vertical angle and leaving it at a near-horizontal angle, which casts doubts on analyses of beach hydraulics based on the Dupuit assumption. Findings from this work have direct implications within the practice of bioremediation of oil spills on beaches. We found that applying dissolved nutrients on the beach surface at low tide is superior to applying them in a trench landward of the beach. This is because the residence time of the nutrient plume in the bioremediation zone of the beach in the prior situation is longer than that in the latter.

A numerical model for density-and-viscosity-dependent flows in two-dimensional variably saturated porous media

We present a formulation for water flow and solute transport in two-dimensional variably saturated media that accounts for the effects of the solute on water density and viscosity. The governing equations are cast in a dimensionless form that depends on six dimensionless groups of parameters. These equations are discretized in space using the Galerkin finite element formulation and integrated in time using the backward Euler scheme with mass lumping. The modified Picard method is used to linearize the water flow equation. The resulting numerical model, the MARUN model, is verified by comparison to published numerical results. It is then used to investigate beach hydraulics at seawater concentration (about 30 g l−1) in the context of nutrients delivery for bioremediation of oil spills on beaches. Numerical simulations that we conducted in a rectangular section of a hypothetical beach revealed that buoyancy in the unsaturated zone is significant in soils that are fine textured, with low anisotropy ratio, and/or exhibiting low physical dispersion. In such situations, application of dissolved nutrients to a contaminated beach in a freshwater solution is superior to their application in a seawater solution. Concentration-engendered viscosity effects were negligible with respect to concentration-engendered density effects for the cases that we considered.

Evolution of droplets in subsea oil and gas blowouts: development and validation of the numerical model VDROP-J.

The droplet size distribution of dispersed phase (oil and/or gas) in submerged buoyant jets was addressed in this work using a numerical model, VDROP-J. A brief literature review on jets and plumes allows the development of average equations for the change of jet velocity, dilution, and mixing energy as function of distance from the orifice. The model VDROP-J was then calibrated to jets emanating from orifices ranging in diameter, D, from 0.5 mm to 0.12 m, and in cross-section average jet velocity at the orifice ranging from 1.5 m/s to 27 m/s. The d50/D obtained from the model (where d50 is the volume median diameter of droplets) correlated very well with data, with an R(2)=0.99. Finally, the VDROP-J model was used to predict the droplet size distribution from Deepwater Horizon blowouts. The droplet size distribution from the blowout is of great importance to the fate and transport of the spilled oil in marine environment.

Optimal Nitrate Concentration for the Biodegradation of n-Heptadecane in a Variably-Saturated Sand Column

Bioremediation of oil spills on beaches commonly involves the addition of nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) to stimulate the growth of indigenous oil-degrading bacteria. Very little information is available regarding the relationship between nutrient concentration and the rate of oil biodegradation. This information is necessary to design an appropriate nutrient delivery technology. We used continuous-flow beach microcosms containing heptadecane-coated sand (2.0 g per kg of dry sand) to evaluate the effect of nitrate concentration on the hydrocarbon biodegradation rate. Heptadecane biodegradation was determined by monitoring oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production in the microcosms. The maximum biodegradation occurred at 2.5 mg nitrate-N l−1. Nitrogen recycling by the biomass was evidenced by the presence of microbial activity at zero influent nitrate concentration.

On the use of numerical modelling for near-field pollutant dispersion in urban environments − A review

This article deals with the state-of-the-art of experimental and numerical studies carried out regarding air pollutant dispersion in urban environments. Since the simulation of the dispersion field around buildings depends strongly on the correct simulation of the wind-flow structure, the studies performed during the past years on the wind-flow field around buildings are reviewed. This work also identifies errors that can produce poor results when numerically modelling wind flow and dispersion fields around buildings in urban environments. Finally, particular attention is paid to the practical guidelines developed by researchers to establish a common methodology for verification and validation of numerical simulations and/or to assist and support the users for a better implementation of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach.

Intercomparison of oil spill prediction models for accidental blowout scenarios with and without subsea chemical dispersant injection.

We compare oil spill model predictions for a prototype subsea blowout with and without subsea injection of chemical dispersants in deep and shallow water, for high and low gas-oil ratio, and in weak to strong crossflows. Model results are compared for initial oil droplet size distribution, the nearfield plume, and the farfield Lagrangian particle tracking stage of hydrocarbon transport. For the conditions tested (a blowout with oil flow rate of 20,000 bbl/d, about 1/3 of the Deepwater Horizon), the models predict the volume median droplet diameter at the source to range from 0.3 to 6mm without dispersant and 0.01 to 0.8 mm with dispersant. This reduced droplet size owing to reduced interfacial tension results in a one to two order of magnitude increase in the downstream displacement of the initial oil surfacing zone and may lead to a significant fraction of the spilled oil not reaching the sea surface.

Assessment of chemical dispersant effectiveness in a wave tank under regular non-breaking and breaking wave conditions

Current chemical dispersant effectiveness tests for product selection are commonly performed with bench-scale testing apparatus. However, for the assessment of oil dispersant effectiveness under real sea state conditions, test protocols are required to have hydrodynamic conditions closer to the natural environment, including transport and dilution effects. To achieve this goal, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed and constructed a wave tank system to study chemical dispersant effectiveness under controlled mixing energy conditions (regular non-breaking, spilling breaking, and plunging breaking waves). Quantification of oil dispersant effectiveness was based on observed changes in dispersed oil concentrations and oil-droplet size distribution. The study results quantitatively demonstrated that total dispersed oil concentration and breakup kinetics of oil droplets in the water column were strongly dependent on the presence of chemical dispersants and the influence of breaking waves. These data on the effectiveness of dispersants as a function of sea state will have significant implications in the drafting of future operational guidelines for dispersant use at sea.

Nutrient and Oxygen Concentrations within the Sediments of an Alaskan Beach Polluted with the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Measurements of the background concentrations of nutrients, dissolved oxygen (DO), and salinity were obtained from a beach that has oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. Two transects were set across the beach, one passed through an oil patch while the other transect was clean. Three pits were dug in each transect, and they ranged in depth from 0.9 to 1.5 m. The DO was around 1.0 mg L(-1) at oiled pits and larger than 5 mg L(-1) at clean pits. The average nutrient concentrations in the beach were 0.39 mg-N L(-1) and 0.020 mg-P L(-1). Both concentrations are lower than optimal values for oil biodegradation (2 to 10 mg-N L(-1) and 0.40 to 2.0 mg-P L(-1)), which suggests that they are both limiting factors for biodegradation. The lowest nitrate and DO values were found in the oiled pits, leading to the conclusion that microbial oil consumption was probably occurring under anoxic conditions and was associated to denitrification. We present evidence that the oxygen level may be a major factor limiting oil biodegradation in the beaches.

Numerical study of solute transport in shallow beach aquifers subjected to waves and tides

A numerical study was conducted to investigate the fate of solute in a laboratory beach in response to waves and tides. A new temporal upscaling approach labeled “net inflow” was introduced to address impacts of waves on solute transport within beaches. Numerical simulations using a computational fluid dynamic model were used as boundary conditions for the two-dimensional variably saturated flow and solute transport model MARUN. The modeling approach was validated against experimental data of solute transport due to waves and tides. Exchange fluxes across the beach face and subsurface solute transport (e.g., trajectory, movement speed, and residence time) were quantified. Simulation results revealed that waves increased the exchange fluxes, and engendered a wider exchange flux zone along the beach surface. Compared to tide-only forcing, waves superimposed on tide caused the plume to be deeper into the beach, and to migrate more seaward. The infiltration into the beach was found to be directly proportional to the general hydraulic gradient in the beach and inversely proportional to the matrix retention (or capillary) capacity. The simulations showed that a higher inland water table would attenuate wave-caused seawater infiltration, which might impact beach geochemical processes (e.g., nutrient recycle and redox condition), especially at low tide zone. The concept of biochemical residence time maps (BRTM) was introduced to account for the net effect of limiting concentration of chemicals on biochemical reactions. It was found that waves shifted the BRTMs downward and seaward in the beach, and subsequently they engendered different biochemical conditions within the beach.

Numerical study of wave effects on groundwater flow and solute transport in a laboratory beach

A numerical study was undertaken to investigate the effects of waves on groundwater flow and associated inland-released solute transport based on tracer experiments in a laboratory beach. The MARUN model was used to simulate the density-dependent groundwater flow and subsurface solute transport in the saturated and unsaturated regions of the beach subjected to waves. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, Fluent, was used to simulate waves, which were the seaward boundary condition for MARUN. A no-wave case was also simulated for comparison. Simulation results matched the observed water table and concentration at numerous locations. The results revealed that waves generated seawater-groundwater circulations in the swash and surf zones of the beach, which induced a large seawater-groundwater exchange across the beach face. In comparison to the no-wave case, waves significantly increased the residence time and spreading of inland-applied solutes in the beach. Waves also altered solute pathways and shifted the solute discharge zone further seaward. Residence Time Maps (RTM) revealed that the wave-induced residence time of the inland-applied solutes was largest near the solute exit zone to the sea. Sensitivity analyses suggested that the change in the permeability in the beach altered solute transport properties in a nonlinear way. Due to the slow movement of solutes in the unsaturated zone, the mass of the solute in the unsaturated zone, which reached up to 10% of the total mass in some cases, constituted a continuous slow release of solutes to the saturated zone of the beach. This means of control was not addressed in prior studies.