Remediation of DNAPL-contaminated heterogeneous aquifers using colloidal biliquid aphron: Multiscale experiments and pore-scale simulations

Abstract

The heterogeneity of the aquifer seriously affects the remediation efficiency of dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) due to the low contact efficiency for remediation reagents and DNAPL at macro scale and the restricted moving of DNAPL droplets by capillary forces in pore at micro scale. In this work, colloidal biliquid aphron (CBLA) as a remediation reagent was proposed, it has the rheological properties of shear thinning and the ultra-low interfacial tension between DNAPL. This work investigated the mechanisms and efficiencies of remediation DNAPL-contaminated heterogeneous aquifers using CBLA by sandbox and micromodel scale. The results indicated that CBLA could improve the mass transfer efficiency by both increasing the sweeping and extraction efficiency. The remediation efficiency of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in aquifers with different permeability was above 99 % in sandbox, with the highest effluent concentration of 1.89 × 105 mg/L. Furthermore, at micromodel scale, CBLA could raise the remediation efficiency by improving the mobility and emulsification of PCE droplets. There was no PCE residue in the fine pore throats, and the remediation efficiency was 99.49 % in micromodel experiment and simulation. This work provided a promising remediation reagent for removing DNAPL from heterogeneous aquifers and laid a theoretical foundation for its practical application.