Relation of reactive solute-transport parameters to basic soil properties

Abstract

Solute-transport parameters are needed to assess the pollution risks of soil andgroundwater resources. A reliable estimate of these parameters from easily measurablesoil properties is therefore important. So, the correlations of the transport parameters forone metalloid compound (NaAsO2), six heavy metal compounds (Cd(NO3)2, Pb(NO3)2,Ni(NO3)2, ZnCl2, CuSO4 and Co(NO3)2), two pesticides (cartap and carbendazim) and oneinert salt (CaCl2) with some basic properties of eight agricultural soils of Bangladesh wereinvestigated. The purpose of this study was to generate information for development ofnon-parametric pedo-transfer functions for reactive solute transport through soils. Thetransport experiments with the solutes were done in repacked soil columns underunsaturated steady-state water flow conditions. The major solute-transport parameters –velocity of transport (V), dispersion coefficient (D), dispersivity (), retardation factor (R)and Peclet number (P) – were determined by analysing solute breakthrough curves(BTCs). The basic soil properties pertinent to solute transport: clay content, median graindiameter (D50), pore-size distribution index (n), bulk density (), organic carbon content(C) and pH were determined. The associations of the solute-transport parameters withthese soil properties were investigated and evaluated. Both the solute dispersivity andretardation factor increased significantly (p