Breakthrough curve

related fields
The breakthrough curve is relevant to the transport of materials in various natural systems such as aquifer, sediments, and soils as well as engineered systems such as sand filters. It is of interest to a broad range of practitioners and researchers concerned with monitoring and delineation of the fate and transport of hazardous environmental pollutants, e.g. radionuclide and pathogens, and emerging contaminants e.g. engineered nanoparticles and nano-/micro-plastics which are released into the environment through waste streams. This is also of interest to those working on soil and groundwater remediation where agents, like engineered nanoparticles or bacteria, are intentionally injected into the subsurface environment and the plumes of both pollutants and the newly added remediation agents have to be tracked.

Suggested reading
  • Babakhani P, Bridge J, Doong R-a, Phenrat T. Continuum-based models and concepts for the transport of nanoparticles in saturated porous media: A state-of-the-science review. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science 2017; 246: 75-104.
  • Phenrat T., Babakhani P., Bridge J., Doong R.A., and Lowry G. V., “Mechanistic, Mechanistic-Based Empirical, and Continuum-Based Concepts and Models for the Transport of Polyelectrolyte-Modified Nanoscale Zerovalent Iron (NZVI) in Saturated Porous Media”, In Nanoscale Zerovalent Iron Particles for Environmental Restoration, Phenrat T. and Lowry G. V. Springer: New York, NY 10013-1578, USA, 201-233, 2019.


 

Useful tools

Experimentally, breakthrough curves are obtained using bench-scale packed chambers. There is also a broad range of modelling tools available to solve the advection-dispersion equation which can be used to describe various aspects of breakthrough curves. Commonly used tools to solve the advection-dispersion equation in one-, two-, and three-dimensional domains and to determine the model parameters by fitting the model to experimental data are MODFLOW (MT3D-USGS), PHREEQC, HYDRUS, CXTFIT, and PEST codes.  


 

References
  • Babakhani P. The impact of nanoparticle aggregation on their size exclusion during transport in porous media: One-and three-dimensional modelling investigations. Scientific Reports 2019; 9: 1-12.
  • Babakhani P, Bridge J, Doong R-a, Phenrat T. Continuum-based models and concepts for the transport of nanoparticles in saturated porous media: A state-of-the-science review. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science 2017; 246: 75-104.
  • Babakhani P, Fagerlund F, Shamsai A, Lowry GV, Phenrat T. Modified MODFLOW-based model for simulating the agglomeration and transport of polymer-modified Fe nanoparticles in saturated porous media. Environ Sci Pollut Res, 1-20, doi:10.1007/s11356-015-5193-0 2018.
  • Mahmoudi D, Rezaei M, Ashjari J, Salehghamari E, Jazaei F, Babakhani P. Impacts of stratigraphic heterogeneity and release pathway on the transport of bacterial cells in porous media. Science of The Total Environment 2020; 729: 138804.
  • Phenrat T, Cihan A, Kim H-J, Mital M, Illangasekare T, Lowry GV. Transport and deposition of polymer-modified Fe0 nanoparticles in 2-D heterogeneous porous media: Effects of particle concentration, Fe0 content, and coatings. Environmental Science & Technology 2010; 44: 9086-9093.
  • Phenrat T, Kim H-J, Fagerlund F, Illangasekare T, Tilton RD, Lowry GV. Particle size distribution, concentration, and magnetic attraction affect transport of polymer-modified Fe0 nanoparticles in sand columns. Environmental science & technology 2009; 43: 5079-5085.
  • Torkzaban S, Kim HN, Simunek J, Bradford SA. Hysteresis of colloid retention and release in saturated porous media during transients in solution chemistry. Environmental science & technology 2010; 44: 1662-1669.
  • Van Genuchten MT. Non-equilibrium transport parameters from miscible displacement experiments.  1981.