Fate and Transport of Acrylamide in Soil and Groundwater Systems: Sorption, Retardation and Numerical Simulations

Acrylamide (AMD) is a known animal and suspected human carcinogen and is used to produce polyacrylamide (PAM), which has been proposed as a technology for seepage control in unlined water delivery canals. The fate and transport of AMD in groundwater systems is not well known, and previous studies have not quantified the sorption coefficient (Kd), sorption isotherms, or estimated AMD breakthrough and transport parameters in soil and water systems. In this study, batch experiments and repacked soil column tests were conducted on three soils (a control sand, and field collected sand and loam soils) to determine the Kd, retardation factor and the form of the sorption isotherm. A numerical model (HYDRUS 2D) was used to simulate a canal environment using the fate and transport parameters of AMD obtained in the laboratory. Microbial degradation rates, obtained from a companion study (Labahn et al. 2007) were used in the model. Photodegradation rates for AMD were also considered. Results from batch studies indicate a Freundlich-type sorption isotherm for AMD in the loam soil. Sorption in the sands was not significant. The preliminary results for the soil column tests show that AMD is conservative in all three types of soil tested with retardation (R) values ranging from 0.985-1.072, with most column studies showing 0.99<R<1.03. AMD recovery rates ranged from 81-105%, with most rates found between 93-100%. The numerical simulation of AMD transport from the canal to underlying groundwater showed significant impact of canal sealing and biodegradation, but little impact from the modest retardation rates and sorption obtained from the laboratory studies.