Retardation factors and breakthrough times of organic micropollutants in groundwater recharged with effluents

Abstract

In the Dan Region Reclamation Center (DRRC) in Israel, secondary effluents, after a mechanical - biological treatment and polishing ponds, undergo a Soil-Aquifer Treatment (SAT), in the course of which these are recharged into an isolated aquifer, and the repumped water is used for various agricultural purposes. In the present study a simple model has been developed in order to predict retardation factors and breakthrough times of various micropollutants in the SAT system. The model is based on the linear free energy relationship between adsorbtivity of organic compounds and their hydrophobicity as expressed by their octanol - water partition coefficients. A very good correlation was found between the predicted values calculated by the model, and experimental laboratory results of adsorption isotherms and breakthrough curves.