Reaction front formation in contaminant plumes

Laura B. Cribbin; Henry F. Winstanley; Sarah L. Mitchell; Andrew C. Fowler; Graham C. Sander

doi:10.1016/j.jconhyd.2014.10.006

Reaction front formation in contaminant plumes

Laura B. Cribbin, Henry F. Winstanley, Sarah L. Mitchell, Andrew C. Fowler, Graham C. Sander

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The formation of successive fronts in contaminated groundwater plumes by subsoil bacterial action is a commonly accepted feature of their propagation, but it is not obviously clear from a mathematical standpoint quite how such fronts are formed or propagate. In this paper we show that these can be explained by combining classical reaction-diffusion theory involving just two reactants (oxidant and reductant), and a secondary reaction in which a reactant on one side of such a front is (re-)formed on the other side of the front via diffusion of its product across the front. We give approximate asymptotic solutions for the reactant profiles, and the propagation rate of the front.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	12-21
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
Volume	171
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2014.10.006
Publication status	Published - 15 Dec 2014

Keywords

Bioremediation
Mathematical model
Reaction front
Reactive transport
Redox zonation
Terminal electron acceptors

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.jconhyd.2014.10.006

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title = "Reaction front formation in contaminant plumes",

abstract = "The formation of successive fronts in contaminated groundwater plumes by subsoil bacterial action is a commonly accepted feature of their propagation, but it is not obviously clear from a mathematical standpoint quite how such fronts are formed or propagate. In this paper we show that these can be explained by combining classical reaction-diffusion theory involving just two reactants (oxidant and reductant), and a secondary reaction in which a reactant on one side of such a front is (re-)formed on the other side of the front via diffusion of its product across the front. We give approximate asymptotic solutions for the reactant profiles, and the propagation rate of the front.",

keywords = "Bioremediation, Mathematical model, Reaction front, Reactive transport, Redox zonation, Terminal electron acceptors",

author = "Cribbin, {Laura B.} and Winstanley, {Henry F.} and Mitchell, {Sarah L.} and Fowler, {Andrew C.} and Sander, {Graham C.}",

year = "2014",

month = dec,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.jconhyd.2014.10.006",

language = "English",

volume = "171",

pages = "12--21",

journal = "Journal of Contaminant Hydrology",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Reaction front formation in contaminant plumes

AU - Cribbin, Laura B.

AU - Winstanley, Henry F.

AU - Mitchell, Sarah L.

AU - Fowler, Andrew C.

AU - Sander, Graham C.

PY - 2014/12/15

Y1 - 2014/12/15

N2 - The formation of successive fronts in contaminated groundwater plumes by subsoil bacterial action is a commonly accepted feature of their propagation, but it is not obviously clear from a mathematical standpoint quite how such fronts are formed or propagate. In this paper we show that these can be explained by combining classical reaction-diffusion theory involving just two reactants (oxidant and reductant), and a secondary reaction in which a reactant on one side of such a front is (re-)formed on the other side of the front via diffusion of its product across the front. We give approximate asymptotic solutions for the reactant profiles, and the propagation rate of the front.

AB - The formation of successive fronts in contaminated groundwater plumes by subsoil bacterial action is a commonly accepted feature of their propagation, but it is not obviously clear from a mathematical standpoint quite how such fronts are formed or propagate. In this paper we show that these can be explained by combining classical reaction-diffusion theory involving just two reactants (oxidant and reductant), and a secondary reaction in which a reactant on one side of such a front is (re-)formed on the other side of the front via diffusion of its product across the front. We give approximate asymptotic solutions for the reactant profiles, and the propagation rate of the front.

KW - Bioremediation

KW - Mathematical model

KW - Reaction front

KW - Reactive transport

KW - Redox zonation

KW - Terminal electron acceptors

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DO - 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2014.10.006

M3 - Article

C2 - 25461883

AN - SCOPUS:84908439756

SN - 0169-7722

VL - 171

SP - 12

EP - 21

JO - Journal of Contaminant Hydrology

JF - Journal of Contaminant Hydrology

ER -

Reaction front formation in contaminant plumes

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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