Contaminants Transfers Through Composite Liners Exhibiting Aged GCLs: A Numerical Prediction

Abstract

AbstractThis study presents numerical simulations of contaminants transport through a composite geomembrane geosynthetic clay liner (GMB-GCL) linings system. Organic contaminants have been studied (TCE, P-cresol). GCLs properties are considered after cation exchange and wet-dry cycles to take into account the alteration of the GCL by their environment. Results are compared with contaminant transfers through composite liners involving virgin GCLs to study the durability of these aged GCLs. Typical published values for the diffusion coefficient for both virgin and aged GCL used in this study are shown to give good predictions of contaminants migration and effluent concentration with time. Indeed, obtained relative concentrations evolutions with time agree well with the theoretical break-through curve. Indeed, Simulated contaminant concentrations through GCLs showed that alteration by the environment of GCLs seems not to affect significantly the diffusion of organic contaminant examined in this study.KeywordsGeosyntheticsComposite linersDiffusionHydro-geosphere