Abstract
This study compares numerical modeling results of contaminant transport using a multi-component coupled reactive mass transport model and a distribution coefficient ( K d)-based transport model. The study site is a contaminated groundwater aquifer underneath a uranium mill tailings pond in the western USA. Advective–dispersive–reactive transport is simulated for a 5-year period of intrusion of tailings fluid into the shallow aquifer, followed by flushing with uncontaminated upgradient groundwater for 1600 years. The coupled model shows that groundwater–sediment interactions result in multiple concentration waves, strong interactions among solutes, and chemical heterogeneity in both space and time. As a result, calculated K d values vary spatially and temporarily. None of these characteristics can be simulated with a K d-based model. These results illustrate the shortcomings of the K d approach, the usage of which is prevalent in the regulatory environment.
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