Studies on the performance of reactive barriers: mass transport

Abstract

Groundwater is the unique source of drink water for many people in the world, especially in rural zones. ln Brazil, its exploration has increased in the last decades. It is estimated that 35% of the Brazilian population use this resource for their domestic demand. Therefore, the groundwater contamination must be one of the largest environmental protection agencies concern, because it can cause public health problems and limit the economic development in some regions. The most used technology to control and remediate groundwater is the so called pump and treat, which has several chemical and physical restrictions, limiting its efficiency Among the emerging technologies alternatives to that of pump and treat, one of the most promising is the in situ treatment of the contaminants through reactive and porous materials (reactors), which are placed in the aquifer to intercept and degrade the contaminant plume. This paper presents the results of a parametric study aiming to evaluating the mass transport in the reactive barrier as function of its parameters (degradation rate, f1ow velocity, retardation factor and reactor thickness). Toe paper also presents a simplified model, which can be applied to the design of the reactors, as well as its analytical solution.