Nonlinear Sorption and Transport of Perchloroethylene in Low Organic Content Sandy Aquifer

A previous study using the batch method showed that sorption behavior of Perchloroethylene (PCE) in low organic content (0.080~0.090 % f_oc) aquifer sand was nonlinear and fitted the amended dual-mode model (DMM). This study aimed to investigate the transport of PCE in same media using finite duration and continuous input of solute in laboratory column tests. The experiments showed that the transport of PCE was significantly retarded and the retardation effect varied with solute concentration. The simulated transport of PCE provided good agreement with the observed. It was demonstrated that the adsorption parameters obtained from batch tests could be used to simulate PCE breakthrough curves (BTCs). The results suggest that the transport and fate of PCE can be successfully described and predicted in low organic content sandy aquifer.