Mechanisms of Retention of Biological and Non-biological Colloids in Porous Media

Abstract

This chapter reviews recent findings that have revolutionized our understanding of the processes governing the retention of microbes and non-biological colloids in porous media under environmentally relevant conditions. The recent shift in our understanding of colloid retention in porous media is driven both by experimental findings and mechanistic simulations. The experimental data indicate previously unaccounted for influences of fluid drag and pore domain geometry on retention of biological and non-biological colloids in porous media. The mechanistic simulations are able to capture these processes when the pore domain geometry is altered to reflect the presence of grain-to-grain contacts and zones of flow stagnation in the porous media. These findings lay the foundation for improved theory to predict the retention of biological and non-biological colloids in porous media under environmentally-relevant conditions.