TY - JOUR
T1 - Biomat Development in Soil Treatment Units for On-site Wastewater Treatment
AU - Winstanley, H. F.
AU - Fowler, A. C.
PY - 2013/10
Y1 - 2013/10
N2 - We provide a simple mathematical model of the bioremediation of contaminated wastewater leaching into the subsoil below a septic tank percolation system. The model comprises a description of the percolation system's flows, together with equations describing the growth of biomass and the uptake of an organic contaminant concentration. By first rendering the model dimensionless, it can be partially solved, to provide simple insights into the processes which control the efficacy of the system. In particular, we provide quantitative insight into the effect of a near surface biomat on subsoil permeability; this can lead to trench ponding, and thus propagation of effluent further down the trench. Using the computed vadose zone flow field, the model can be simply extended to include reactive transport of other contaminants of interest.
AB - We provide a simple mathematical model of the bioremediation of contaminated wastewater leaching into the subsoil below a septic tank percolation system. The model comprises a description of the percolation system's flows, together with equations describing the growth of biomass and the uptake of an organic contaminant concentration. By first rendering the model dimensionless, it can be partially solved, to provide simple insights into the processes which control the efficacy of the system. In particular, we provide quantitative insight into the effect of a near surface biomat on subsoil permeability; this can lead to trench ponding, and thus propagation of effluent further down the trench. Using the computed vadose zone flow field, the model can be simply extended to include reactive transport of other contaminants of interest.
KW - On-site wastewater
KW - Pore clogging
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84885042091&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11538-013-9881-y
DO - 10.1007/s11538-013-9881-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 23934163
AN - SCOPUS:84885042091
SN - 0092-8240
VL - 75
SP - 1985
EP - 2001
JO - Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
JF - Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
IS - 10
ER -