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- Title
Numerical Modeling of Transport and Transformation of Synthetic Wastewater in Irrigated Soils using HYDRUS-1D.
- Authors
Erfani Agah, A.; Wyseure, G.
- Abstract
Irrigation with wastewater poses risks to deterioration of the hydraulic soil properties and contamination of groundwater. In order to study these concerns, synthetic wastewater was poured on one-dimensional aerobic sand columns and the results were analyzed. A randomized complete block design under unsaturated, steady-state flux conditions (1 cm h-1) was performed with soil columns treated with synthetic wastewater. Glucose, NH4Cl and phosphate were provided as the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus source, respectively. Four irrigation treatments with different levels of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) were applied. Soil water content, electrical conductivity, water potential and hydraulic conductivities were monitored. A numerical model, Hydrus-1D, was used to inversely estimate water and solute transport parameters such as water content, dispersivity and degradation constant. In all treatments the hydraulic transport properties remained constant. Conversely, the first-order kinetics degradation constant decreased in an identical way for all COD-treatments. With the time the efficiency of the degradation of synthetic wastewater dropped, shown as decreasing degradation kinetic constant. It is also concluded that if a primary treatment removes the solids from wastewater, which is essential for drip irrigation, domestic wastewater, similar to our synthetic water and without toxic or pathogen elements, poses little risks to contaminate groundwater.
- Subjects
IRRIGATION; MICROBIAL contamination; SEWAGE; PHOSPHORUS in soils; CHEMICAL oxygen demand; HYDRAULIC conveying
- Publication
International Journal of Agriculture & Biology, 2013, Vol 15, Issue 3, p541
- ISSN
1560-8530
- Publication type
Article