Reactive transport modeling of dissolved organic matter and iron in the Bengal Basin and Mahomet Bedrock Valley aquifers
Abstract
Despite their different geography, geology and hydrology, Bengal Basin (BB) and Mahomet Bedrock Valley (MBV) aquifers have some key processes in common that mobilize arsenic (As) into groundwater. Groundwater flow, transport of sedimentary labile carbon and dissolved organic matter (DOM) through a multi-layer aquifer system, and microbial interactions together play an important role in the discontinuous As distribution. This study characterized and compared the DOM in high and low As groundwaters in BB and MBV aquifers and developed refined hydrogeological flow models for each of the aquifers. Fluorescence indices suggested substantially more humified and decomposed DOM character in high As (>50 ppb) zones than in low As (<50 ppb) zones in both aquifers. Modeling results indicate North-West to South-East flow with velocity of 7.2 cm/day for the BB aquifer and South-East to North-West with velocity of 35 cm/day for the MBV aquifer. A transport model including advection, dispersion, sorption and reaction was developed to understand the distribution of dissolved iron (Fe) in domains. A modified Monod rate law was used to simulate acetotrophic Fe reduction influenced by the presence of humic-like DOM, based on experimental data. The model produced a Fe2+ distribution, which was similar to that observed in high and low As sites in the BB aquifer. Meanwhile, in the MBV aquifer model, the dispersion of Fe2+ was found to be lower due to higher hydraulic gradient. Model results further indicated that in 30 years these processes would mobilize Fe2+ up to 1.4 km and 5 km in BB and MBV aquifers, respectively. While the quality of DOM in the two aquifers showed similarities, diverse flow and transport conditions may result in more localized and widespread distributions of Fe2+ and As in the BB and MBV aquifers respectively.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFM.B11A0421M
- Keywords:
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- 0409 Bioavailability: chemical speciation and complexation;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 0461 Metals;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 0489 Trace element cycling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCESDE: 0496 Water quality;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES