Transport of bacteria in unsaturated porous media

Abstract

Bacterial mobility in unsaturated soils plays an important role in bioremediation, biofacilitated transport of pollutants, and dispersal of pathogenic microorganisms. A sand column equipped with ports for measuring water pressure and water saturation has been used to study bacterial transport under well-defined unsaturated flow conditions. Bacterial breakthrough curves at various water saturations were obtained for two soil bacteria. Retention of hydrophobic Rhodococcus sp. C125 and mesohydrophilic Pseudomonas putida mt2 was markedly increased at lower water saturation. A mechanistic model for bacterial transport under unsaturated conditions is proposed. The model attributes stronger bacterial retention under unsaturated conditions to the accumulation of bacteria at the air–water interface. Moreover, the model takes into account changes in the available surface areas of both the solid surface and the air–water interface due to coverage by bacteria and changes in the water flow. Application of the model to our own data and data from the literature showed that short-term breakthrough experiments can be simulated, but that the model deviates from experimental observation in long-term experiments. Reasons for this deviation are discussed, and suggestions for a further model extension are made. All investigated colloidal particles had a higher affinity to the air–water interface than to the solid surface. Therefore, trapping of bacteria by air–water interfaces is an important process possibly controlling bacterial transport in unsaturated soils.