Noam Weisbrod

Greywater reuse for irrigation: Effect on soil properties

A controlled study of the effect of greywater (GW) irrigation on soil properties was conducted. Containers of sand, loam and loess soils were planted with lettuce, and irrigated with fresh water, raw artificial GW or treated artificial GW. Greywater was treated using a recirculating vertical-flow constructed wetland. Soil samples were collected every 10 days for the 40-day duration of the study, and plant growth was measured. Soils were analysed for physicochemical and biological parameters to determine changes caused by the different treatments. It was demonstrated that raw artificial GW significantly increased the development of hydrophobicity in the sand and loam soils, as determined by water droplet penetration time. No significant changes were observed for the loess soil under all treatments. Observed hydrophobicity was correlated with increased oil and grease and surfactant concentrations in the soil. Zeta (zeta) potential of the soils was measured to determine changes in the soil particle surface properties as a result of GW irrigation. A significant change in zeta-potential (less negative) was observed in the raw artificial GW-irrigated sand, whereas no difference was observed in the loam or loess. Soils irrigated with fresh water or treated GW exhibited no increase in hydrophobicity. Fecal coliform bacteria were absent or <10 CFU g(-1) in soils irrigated with fresh water or treated GW, but at least 1 order of magnitude higher in raw artificial GW irrigated soils. Only in the last sampling event and only for the loess soil was plant growth significantly higher for fresh water irrigated vs. raw or treated GW irrigated soils. This study demonstrates that treated GW can be effectively irrigated without detrimental effects on soil or plant growth; however, raw GW may significantly change soil properties that can impact the movement of water in soil and the transport of contaminants in the vadose zone.

Particle transport in unsaturated fractured chalk under arid conditions

A series of field and laboratory experiments were conducted to study the mechanisms of particle detachment and transport from fractures in vadose chalk. Experiments of intermittent flow events along fracture surfaces were carried out in the laboratory. In the field, water was percolated from land surface via a discrete fracture into a compartmental sampler installed inside a horizontal corehole located I m below the surface. The mass, size distribution, and composition of the particles drained from the fracture voids were examined along with flow rates and salt dissolution. Two boreholes penetrating the underlying saturated zone were sampled and analyzed for colloidal concentration and composition. Most of the particle and solute release at the drained effluents occurred during the first several hours of flow, but erratic pulses of particles were still observed after long periods of time. Most of the detached particles had a mean diameter of >2 microm, while the mobile colloidal phase in the groundwater had a mean diameter of approximately 1 microm. Mineralogical composition of the groundwater colloids and the particles detached from the upper vadose fracture were similar. Laboratory observations demonstrated the importance of the existence of a coating layer, made of weathered particles and salts, on particle detachment. The results of this study suggest that: (1) particle detachment causes flow-rate variability in the unsaturated fracture; (2) the mechanisms of particle detachment and salt dissolution within the fracture are linked: and (3) although most of the detached particles are large and likely to accumulate inside fractures, some colloidal particles also eroded from the fracture void and are likely to be transported to the groundwater.

Accumulation of oil and grease in soils irrigated with greywater and their potential role in soil water repellency.

The potential impact of oil and grease (O and G) to soils irrigated with greywater (GW) was investigated. Greywater streams were sampled and analyzed for O and G content, along with corresponding GW-irrigated soils. Untreated kitchen GW averaged 200 mg L(-1) O and G, over an order of magnitude more than other GW streams. GW-irrigated soils showed O and G accumulation of up to 200 mg kg(-l) within the first 20-cm of depth. To determine the potential effects of such O and G accumulation on water movement in soil, capillary rise and water drop penetration time (WDPT) experiments were conducted. The results showed up to 60% decrease in capillary rise when sand containing 250 mg kg(-1) O and G was used. Interestingly, no additional reduction in capillary rise was observed at concentrations above 250 mg kg(-1). WDPT was observed to increase linearly with increased O and G content, up to 1000 mg kg(-1). This work demonstrated that O and G in GW used for irrigation can accumulate in soil and may lead to a significant reduction in the soils ability to transmit water.

Relationships Between Gas-Liquid Interfacial Surface Area, Liquid Saturation, and Light Transmission in Variably Saturated Porous Media

[1] Liquid saturation and gas-liquid interfacial area are important parameters for evaluating the transport and fate of contaminants in unsaturated subsurface environments. Recent findings indicate that interfacial surface area controls the relative degree of transmitted light in laboratory systems containing translucent porous media. Equations are derived to estimate the specific gas-liquid interfacial area from the area under the primarydrainage branch of the Seff-h characteristic curve as parameterized using common water retention functions. The total area under the curve provides the maximum available specific gas-liquid interfacial area available at residual saturation, which can be incorporated into the relationship to determine the gas-liquid interfacial area at intermediate degrees of saturation via light transmission. Experimental results, and analysis of external data sets, support these findings. Closed-form relationships are presented as enhancements to a recent method for determination of liquid saturations above residual using light transmission. A physically based model is developed and tested for the quantification of liquid contents below residual saturation. INDEX TERMS: 1829 Hydrology: Groundwater hydrology; 1866 Hydrology: Soil moisture; 1875 Hydrology: Unsaturated zone; 1894 Hydrology: Instruments and techniques; KEYWORDS: light transmission, gas-liquid interfacial surface area, liquid saturation, residual saturation, unsaturated porous media, characteristic curve

A review of colloid transport in fractured rocks

Recent recognition of colloid and colloida-ssociated transport of strongly sorbing contaminants in fractured rocks highlights the importance of exploring the transport behavior of colloids under conditions prevailing in the field. The rapid transport of colloids through fractured rocks-as affected by the hydraulic properties of the flow system, the properties of fracture surface and the geochemical conditions-has not been sufficiently elucidated, and predictions of colloid transport through fractures have encountered difficulties, particularly at the field scale. This article reviews the current understanding of the mechanisms and modeling of colloid transport and retention in fractured rocks. Commonly used experimental techniques and approaches for conducting colloid transport experiments at different scales, ranging from the laboratory to the field scale, are summarized and commented upon. The importance of various interactions (e.g., dissolution, colloid deposition, generation, mobilization and deposition of filling materials within fractures) between the flowing solution and the fracture walls (in many cases, with skin or coating on the host rock at the liquid — solid interface) has been stressed. Colloid transport through fractures of high heterogeneity has not yet been well understood and modeled at the field scale. Here, we summarize the current knowledge and understanding accumulated in the last two decades in regard to colloid and colloid-associated transport through fractures. Future research needs are also discussed.

Impact of intermittent rainwater and wastewater flow on coated and uncoated fractures in chalk

Two coated and two uncoated slices from the fracture surface of an unsaturated chalk were exposed to short flow events (24, 8, and 9 hours) of industrial wastewater and/or synthetic rainwater, followed by long drying periods (weeks). The topography of the fracture surface was shown to be unstable due to the detachment of colloidal and large-sized particles during the first 3-7 hours of flow. Following rainwater flow, erosion was more pronounced on the coated than on the uncoated surface (mean erosion of 0.313 and 0.134 mm, respectively). Interaction with industrial wastewater generated a skin of organic matter and gypsum that collapsed following contact with rainwater, leading to a deeper erosion of the uncoated surface (1.238 mm) than of the coated one (0.549 mm). Erosion was measured using a laser-scanning system and was calculated from high-resolution topographical maps (elevation z # 6 0.01 mm) generated by Geographic Information System (GIS, ARCInfo) prior to and following the flow experiments. The mean thickness of the erosion was found to be strongly correlated with the thickness of a layer calculated from the total accumulated mass of particles and soluble salts released from the fracture surface. This relationship can be used to evaluate fracture surface erosion in large field and laboratory experiments.

Sequential biodegradation of TNT, RDX and HMX in a mixture

We describe TNTs inhibition of RDX and HMX anaerobic degradation in contaminated soil containing indigenous microbial populations. Biodegradation of RDX or HMX alone was markedly faster than their degradation in a mixture with TNT, implying biodegradation inhibition by the latter. The delay caused by the presence of TNT continued even after its disappearance and was linked to the presence of its intermediate, tetranitroazoxytoluene. PCR-DGGE analysis of cultures derived from the soil indicated a clear reduction in microbial biomass and diversity with increasing TNT concentration. At high-TNT concentrations (30 and 90 mg/L), only a single band, related to Clostridium nitrophenolicum, was observed after 3 days of incubation. We propose that the mechanism of TNT inhibition involves a cytotoxic effect on the RDX- and HMX-degrading microbial population. TNT inhibition in the top active soil can therefore initiate rapid transport of RDX and HMX to the less active subsurface and groundwater.

On the variability of fracture surfaces in unsaturated chalk

The topographical variations in a fractured chalk surface were studied by laser scanning in laboratory experiments after cycles of immersion in tap water and air drying. The surfaces were found to erode by up to 0.295 and 0.352 mm following wetting for 10 min and 14 hours, respectively. Topographical changes were related to the nonuniform release of particles from the surface under no-shear flow conditions. The total amount of particles released decreased exponentially with time during a 96-hour experiment, from 11 mg/L following a wetting period of 10 min (at the beginning of the experiment) to 1 mg/L following a wetting period of 48 hours (at the end of the experiment). These preliminary results suggest that under conditions of variable water content (highly significant in arid and semiarid regions), the aperture, roughness, and flow channels of fractures in soft rocks are transient properties. In the field site, fracture apertures are >1 order of magnitude smaller than expected from the laboratory observations. This discrepancy is related among other possible reasons, to partial wetting and drying cycles and to the development of flow channels within the filling materials rather than along the fracture surfaces.

Colloid-facilitated transport of lead in natural discrete fractures.

Colloid-facilitated transport of lead (Pb) was explored in a natural chalk fracture with an average equivalent hydraulic aperture of 139 microm. Tracer solution was prepared by adding montmorillonite (100 mg L(-1)) and/or humic acid (HA) (10 mg L(-1)) to modified artificial rainwater containing dissolved Pb (21.4 mg Pb L(-1)), naturally precipitated PbCO(3) particles (16.4 mg Pb L(-1)) and LiBr (39.0 mg L(-1)). We found that Pb is only mobile when associated with colloids. PbCO(3) particles were not mobile in the fracture. The addition of HA to the montmorillonite suspension increased the suspensions mobility and therefore promoted the colloid-facilitated transport of Pb. The increases in pH and sodium absorption ratio induced by the chalk-tracer solution interactions appeared to increase the dispersion and mobilization of colloids entering the fracture. The dominant colloid-facilitated transport of Pb reported in this study has significant implications for risk assessment of Pb mobility in fractured rocks.

Carbon and Chlorine Isotope Ratios of Chlorinated Ethenes Migrating through a Thick Unsaturated Zone of a Sandy Aquifer

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) can potentially be used to relate vapor phase contamination by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to their subsurface sources. This field and modeling study investigated how isotope ratios evolve during migration of gaseous chlorinated ethenes across a 18 m thick unsaturated zone of a sandy coastal plain aquifer. At the site, high concentrations of tetrachloroethene (PCE up to 380 μg/L), trichloroethene (TCE up to 31,600 μg/L), and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE up to 680 μg/L) were detected in groundwater. Chlorinated ethene concentrations were highest at the water table and steadily decreased upward toward the land surface and downward below the water table. Although isotopologues have different diffusion coefficients, constant carbon and chlorine isotope ratios were observed throughout the unsaturated zone, which corresponded to the isotope ratios measured at the water table. In the saturated zone, TCE became increasingly depleted along a concentration gradient, possibly due to isotope fractionation associated with aqueous phase diffusion. These results indicate that carbon and chlorine isotopes can be used to link vapor phase contamination to their source even if extensive migration of the vapors occurs. However, the numerical model revealed that constant isotope ratios are only expected for systems close to steady state.