Iranian Journal of Science & Technology, Transaction B, Vol. 28, No.

B5 Printed in The Islamic Republic of Iran, 2004 Shiraz University

ADVECTIVE-DIFFUSIVE AND HYDRAULIC TRAP MODELING * IN TWO AND THREE LAYER SOIL SYSTEMS K. BADV** AND A. A. MAHOOTI
Dept. of Civil Engineering, Urmia University, I. R. of Iran Email: k.badv@mail.urmia.ac.ir Abstract Downward and upward (hydraulic trap) advective-diffusive transport of chloride was modeled in two and three layer soil laboratory systems with Darcy velocities ranging from 310-9 m/s to 5.710-8 m/s. Two layer soil models simulated a compacted clayey layer over a sandy layer, underlying a landfill. Three layer soil models simulated an unsaturated secondary leachate collection system in a landfill with overlying and underlying saturated compacted silty liners. The effect of the hydarulic trap in minimizing diffusive downward chloride movement was investigated in both models. The agreement between the experimental results and theoretical predictions suggests that existing solute transport theory can adequately predict chloride migration through two saturated layers of clay over sand and also three layer soil systems consisting of two saturated silt layers with an unsaturated sand drainage layer in between. The comparison of the downward and upward advective-diffusive transport in two and three layer soil models, having two different Darcy velocities and soil density, showed that the upward flow (hydraulic trap) could reduce the concentrations in the underlying receptor reservoirs in both models. The rate of the Darcy velocity (or soil density) played a controlling role in chloride movement in both systems. Keywords Laboratory models, two and three layer soil, hydraulic trap, advection, diffusion

1. INTRODUCTION The majority of laboratory studies on contaminant migration through soil have focused on the transport behavior of migrating species in a single soil layer of either fine-grained soil such as clay or silt [1-9] or granular soil such as sand [10, 8, 11]. The results of laboratory modeling on advective-diffusive transport through two layer saturated/unsaturated soil systems have also been reported [8, 11-13]. In some practical applications involving soil liners at waste disposal sites, there is a clayey layer underlain by a saturated or nearly saturated granular material. Depending on the potensiometric surface in the underlying aquifer, there may be downward flow (advection and diffusion at the same direction) or upward flow (the natural hydraulic trap, upward advection against downward diffusion) through the soil layers [3]. Some modern landfills are built using multilayered barrier systems consisting of primary and secondary clayey liners with a secondary leachate collection and removal system (SLCS) in between. This layer is expected to remain unsaturated. Contaminants migrating through the overlying liner would pass through this unsaturated coarse-grained layer. If the potensiometric surface in the underlying aquifer is lower than the leachate mound in the SLCS, there may be downward advective-diffusive transport from the contaminant source through the primary liner, the unsaturated SLCS, the secondary liner, and into the aquifer. On the contrary, if the potensiometric surface in the underlying aquifer is higher than the leachate mound in the SLCS, there will be downward advective-diffusive transport from the contaminant source through the primary liner and into the unsaturated SLCS, but there will be upward advection (natural hydraulic trap) and downward diffusion through the secondary liner. This might have an effect in reducing the contaminant migration from the SLCS into the underlying aquifer.

Received by the editors July 27, 2003 and in final revised form May 24, 2004 Corresponding author

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The objectives of this investigation were twofold. (1) The effect of a natural hydraulic trap on reducing chloride migration through two layer soil (clay over sand) was examined. Two different soil density and Darcy velocities were used in the tests to observe the effect of flow rate. By comparing the predicted and observed concentration profiles, an assessment was made of how well existing theory predicted chloride migration through two-layered soil systems with downward and upward flow. The downward and upward Darcy velocities examined in these tests were from 0.117 m/yr to 1.825 m/yr, and thus exceed Darcy velocities commonly encountered through compacted clay soil liners in engineered landfill sites [14, 15]. This range of Darcy velocity may occur in un-engineered landfill sites with underlying low density natural soil deposits. (2) The effect of a natural hydraulic trap on reducing chloride migration through a three layer soil system (silt over un-saturated coarse sand, over silt) was examined by downward and upward flow tests. During the downward flow test, there was flow from the source through the primary silt layer, unsaturated coarse sand (as SLCS), and secondary silt layer into the receptor. During the upward flow test, there was downward flow from the source through the primary silt layer into the unsaturated coarse sand, and there was upward flow from the receptor through the secondary silt layer into the unsaturated coarse sand (the hydraulic trap configuration from the receptor up to the SLCS). The silt sample was used instead of clay to accelerate flow through the system. In modeling multilayered systems, all conventional techniques (e.g., finite element, finite layer, etc.; see [16]) assume that the migration can be simulated by adopting appropriate layer properties and invoking continuity conditions at the layer boundaries. This has been verified by laboratory modeling on two layer saturated/unsaturated soils [8, 11-13]. The theoretical model used to analyze the results [17] was selected because of its ability to easily simulate the conditions of the conducted tests. 2. SOIL PROPERTIES AND PREPARATION Four soil types were used in the experiments. The clay and silt samples were obtained from the Urmia City landfill site. The soil mechanical tests were conducted and the samples were identified as clay with low plasticity (CL) and silt with low plasticity (ML). The samples were air dried, pulverized, and passed through a No. 4 sieve (<4.7 mm). The clay sample was used as a compacted clayey layer on top of a sand layer in two layer soil experiments. The silt sample was used as compacted silty layers above and below a coarse grained drainage layer in three layer soil experiments (all will be described later). A uniformly graded medium sand was used as a granular layer below the compacted clay layer in two layer soil experiments. A uniformly graded coarse sand was used as a drainage layer in between the compacted silt layers in three layer soil experiments. The medium and coarse sand samples were washed with distilled water and air dried before use. Table 1 shows physical characteristics of the soil samples described above. The effective diffusion coefficients of chloride ion in the saturated coarse sand, medium sand, silt, and clay soils used in the experiments were already determined by diffusion tests conducted on the single isolated layers of identical soils, as shown in Tables 2 and 3 [11, 18, 19].
Table 1. Physical characteristics of soils used in the experiments Properties Liquid limit (%) Plastic limit (%) Specific gravity Range of maximum dry density (g/cm3) Range of particle size (mm)
*

Clay 22 8 2.70 1.68-1.92 0.001-4.6

Silt 22 14 2.73 1.81* 0.002-4.6

Medium sand 2.65 1.65-1.67 0.08-0.40

Coarse sand 2.72 1.61* 2.4-4.75

This soil type was used with identical density in the experiments

3. EXPERIMENTAL MODELS AND TEST METHODS a) Two-layer soil models The two layer soil model consists of (1) two Teflon tubes with heights of 14 cm and 10.4 cm and an inner diameter of 8.9 cm. (2) a Teflon receptor reservoir with an inside diameter of 8.9 cm and a height of 5 cm,
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with inlet and outlet valves and a septum sampling port, (3) the bottom and top aluminum plates, (4) four stainless steel rods, (5) a pipette and its discharge tube attached to the receptor reservoir (downward flow tests), or (6) a constant head water column attached to the receptor reservoir (upward flow tests), and (7) a magnetic stirrer. The upper Teflon tube contained the compacted clay soil (first soil layer) at the bottom, and the remaining upper space contained the source reservoir and a free space above the reservoir. The lower Teflon tube contained the medium sand (second soil layer). The boundary between two tubes and between the lower Teflon tube and the receptor reservoir were sealed by O rings. A magnetic bar was located inside the receptor reservoir and stirred the solution by means of a magnetic stirrer. The upper source reservoir was stirred manually during the tests. A glass cap was placed on top of the upper aluminum plate to prevent evaporation of the solution. I. Advective-diffusive downward flow tests: Figure 1 shows the schematic of the test equipment for twolayer soil tests with the advective-diffusive downward flow (advection and diffusion at the same downward direction). The air dried clay sample was mixed with tap water to a 2-4 weight percent wet of optimum water content to obtain a minimum hydraulic conductivity after standard compaction [19]. The wet sample was then compacted inside the tube using the standard proctor method [20] to the height of about 7-cm. Some wet samples were saved for chloride background concentration measurements.

Fig. 1. Schematic of the test equipment in two-layer soil downward flow tests

The Teflon receptor reservoir was placed on top of the magnetic stirrer, a magnetic bar was placed inside the reservoir, a stainless steel porous disk was placed in the chamber inside the reservoir, and the lower Teflon tube was placed on top of the reservoir (on top of the porous disk). Dry medium sand was placed and compacted inside the tube to a height of about 10-cm. The pipette and its discharging tube was attached to the outlet valve in the reservoir. The level of the pipette was adjusted to the bottom level of the sand. The sand sample was saturated by attaching a distilled water tank to the inlet valve in the bottom reservoir and allowing water to flow upward through the sample for about 24 hours. During saturation, a temporary fine mesh and a steel perforated plate was placed on top of the sand and a small load was applied to prevent any sand particle movement during the saturation process. At the termination of the saturation process, the outlet valve attached to the pipette was opened and water was allowed to flow through the pipette to fill the pipette and to wash any air bubbles out of the pipette. The discharging tube attached to the pipette was also filled with distilled water. The inlet and outlet valves were then closed. The upper Teflon tube containing the compacted clay sample was placed on top of the lower Teflon tube. Care was taken to ensure a good contact between the lower saturated sand and the upper clay samples. The top aluminum plate and the steel rods were placed and the test cell was tightened. A sodium chloride solution with a known chloride concentration was poured on top of the clay sample inside the free space above the clay sample (the source reservoir), to a height of about 4.8-cm. A sodium chloride sample solution was taken from the source reservoir and the extracted solution was replaced with the same volume of distilled water to keep the solution height constant inside the source reservoir. This first extracted sodium chloride solution was then analyzed for chloride concentration to determine the source solution concentration (Co) at the beginning of
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the test. A solution sample was also extracted from the receptor reservoir through the septum port. During sampling, the outlet valve was opened to allow distilled water inside the pipette to flow inside the reservoir and to replace the extracted solution. This configuration is essential to prevent movement of the sand pore water during sampling from the receptor reservoir. During the test, samples from the source and receptor reservoirs were taken regularly and were then analyzed for chloride concentration to plot the observed chloride concentration versus time graphs for the source and receptor reservoirs. At the test termination, final solution samples from the source and receptor reservoirs were taken. The source reservoir solution was drained and the test cell was disassembled. The clay soil sample from the upper Teflon tube was extruded from the tube and sliced into 5 sublayers of approximately equal thickness. A pneumatic soil pore water squeeze apparatus was used to obtain contaminated pore water from the sliced soil samples and the chloride concentrations were measured. The medium sand sample was extruded from the Teflon tube, sliced for equal thickness, weighed for water content determination, and placed in the oven. The chloride concentrations of the sliced samples were then determined using the wash method [8]. Three tests were performed with different densities of clay samples and different test Darcy velocities, but equal downward hydraulic gradients of 1.34. These tests will be referred to as Tests DAD1, DAD2, and DAD3 with test durations of 5, 23, and 20.8 days, respectively. Table 2 shows the tests geometrical, physical, and chemical data along with the data for upward flow tests to be described later. All tests were performed at 23 2 oC.
Table 2. Two-layer soil tests geometrical, physical, and chemical properties, a) properties of the clay layers, b) properties of the medium sand layers, c) tests other characteristics (a) Properties Soil depth (cm) Average water content (%) Average volumetric water content (cm3/cm3) Dry density (gr/cm3) [Cl-] Background concentration (mg/l) [Cl-] Effective diffusion coefficient (De1010 m2/s) (b) Soil depth (cm) Average water content (%) Average volumetric water content (cm3/cm3) Dry Density (gr/cm3) [Cl-] Background concentration (mg/l) [Cl-] Effective diffusion coefficient (De1010 m2/s) (c) Source solution height (cm) Source solution concentration (mg/l) Test hydraulic gradient Test Darcy velocity (va109 m/s) Test duration (days)
*

Test DAD1 7 16.3 0.32 1.85 180 11.3 10 21.8 0.37 1.67 15 13.6 4.8 3150 1.34 +3.7* 23

Test DAD2 7 14.5 0.29 1.92 180 9.77 10 22 0.37 1.65 15 13.9 4.8 3300 1.34 +7.4* 20.8

Test DAD3 7 22.2 0.38 1.68 180 13.42 10 22 0.37 1.65 15 13.9 4.8 2000 1.34 +57* 5

Test UAD1 7 14.5 0.29 1.92 180 9.77 10 22 0.37 1.65 15 13.9 4.8 3010 1.34 -5.2* 21

Test UAD2 7 18.5 0.34 1.79 180 12.04 10 22 0.37 1.65 15 13.9 4.8 2050 1.34 -74* 5

Positive sign implies downward flow and negative sign implies upward flow

II. Advective-diffusive upward flow tests: Figure 2 shows the schematic of the test equipment for twolayer soil tests with the advective-diffusive upward flow (upward advection against downward diffusion-the hydraulic trap configuration). The test setup is similar to what is described above for the downward flow tests except that an upward flow was applied. To creat upward flow, instead of pipette and its discharging tube as used for the downward flow tests, a constant head water column was attached to the outlet valve in the receptor reservoir, as shown in Fig. 2. The water level in the column was maintained constant and higher than the level of the sodium chloride solution in the source reservoir during the tests. This configuration
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created an upward flow from the receptor reservoir through the soil layers and into the source reservoir (the hydraulic trap configuration). To maintain a constant head in the source reservoir, excess infiltrated water to the reservoir was regularly drained. This configuration created a constant upward hydraulic gradient during the tests. Two tests were performed which will be referred to as Tests UAD1 and UAD2 with equal upward hydraulic gradients of 1.34 and with test durations of 21 and 5 days, respectively. The methodology at the test termination and observed data collection were as described for downward flow tests. Tests for geometrical, physical, and chemical data are listed in Table 2. These tests were performed at 23 2 oC.

Fig. 2. Schematic of the test equipment in two-layer soil upward flow tests (the hydraulic trap configuration)

b) Three-layer soil models Figures 3 and 4 show the schematic of the test equipment for three-layer soil tests with the advectivediffusive downward and upward flow, respectively. By comparing Fig.1 with Fig. 3, and Fig. 2 with Fig. 4, it could be verified that the three layer downward and upward flow models are very much similar to two layer downward and upward flow models, respectively, except that there is a coarse sand drainage layer in between the upper and lower silt layers (as described earlier, silt was used instead of clay to accelerate flow in these experiments). A plexiglass ring with an 8.9 cm inside diameter and an 3.8 cm height was used to create a compartment for the drainage layer. Two ports in opposite directions were installed in the tube. The left port was installed 0.8 cm from the top of the tube and was used as air-inlet port to maintain atmospheric pressure inside the upper unsaturated portion of the coarse sand drainage layer. The right port was installed 1-cm from the bottom of the tube and was used as a septum port for sampling from the lower saturated portion of the coarse sand drainage layer during the tests.

Fig. 3. Schematic of the test equipment in three-layer soil downward flow tests
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Fig. 4. Schematic of the test equipment in three-layer soil upward flow tests (the hydraulic trap configuration through the lower silt layer)

Installation of the silt and coarse sand samples in the apparatus for the upward and downward flow tests was identical. The silt samples were compacted inside the lower and upper Teflon tubes the same way as described earlier for the clay samples in two layer soil tests. After installation of the lower Teflon tube containing the compacted lower silt layer, a thin geotextile sheet was placed on top of the silt and the Plexiglas ring was installed. The coarse sand layer was placed and compacted inside the ring. Another thin geotextile sheet was placed on top of the coarse sand and the upper Teflon tube containing the upper compacted silt layer was placed on top of the Plexiglas ring. There were O rings in both sides of the Plexiglas ring to prevent any leakage at the interfaces between the ring and the upper and lower Teflon tubes. The upper aluminum plate and the rods were installed and the test cell was tightened. To create a small hydraulic gradient across the lower silt layer, distilled water was injected inside the coarse sand layer. This was done through the septum port until about 1 cm of the coarse sand layer became saturated and the flow was initiated through the lower silt. The source sodium chloride solution was poured on top of the upper silt layer and the test was started. I. Advective-diffusive downward flow test: The conducted test will be referred to as Test D3LAD with a test duration of 30 days. A pipette and its discharging tube was attached to the outlet valve in the source reservoir to replace extracted sodium chloride solution by the same volume of distilled water during the test. When the test started, sodium and chloride ions migrated downward through the upper silt layer by advection and diffusion. The infiltrated solution through the upper silt layer passed the upper unsaturated coarse sand layer and was collected at the bottom saturated portion of the coarse sand layer. The solution mound in this layer, on top of the lower silt layer, created a hydraulic gradient through the lower silt layer and caused downward advective-diffusive migration through this layer and into the receptor reservoir. The infiltrated solution into the receptor reservoir was then exfiltrated through the pipette and was collected in a container as shown in Fig. 3. The infiltrated and also sampled solutions from the source reservoir was regularly replaced by the same volume of distilled water during the test. The Darcy velocity through the upper silt layer was calculated based on the volume of solution infiltrated through this layer. To maintain a constant solution mound inside the coarse sand drainage layer, extra solution was extracted by a syringe through the septum port above the lower silt layer. The collected solutions were then analyzed for chloride concentration to plot the observed concentration change with time in the drainage layer. The Darcy velocity through the lower silt layer was calculated based on the infiltrated solution through the pipette. The collected solutions infiltrating from the pipette were also analyzed for chloride concentrations to plot the observed chloride concentration change with time in the receptor reservoir. The sampled solutions from the source reservoir were also analyzed for chloride concentrations to plot the observed chloride concentration change with time in the source reservoir. During the test, the sum of the volumes of the extracted solution from the
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coarse sand drainage layer and the exfiltrated solution from the pipette, was equal to the volume of the infiltrated solution from the source reservoir (without taking into account the volume of solutions extracted from the source reservoir and the drainage layer for concentration measurement). The procedure for chloride concentration measurement versus depth in the silt layers at the end of the test was as described for the clay layer in the two layer soil tests. For the coarse sand drainage layer, the upper unsaturated portion of the layer inside the ring was collected by a spoon, and its chloride concentration measured using the wash method described earlier for the medium sand layer in two layer tests. For the lower saturated portion of the layer, enough pore water was extracted by a syringe and analyzed for chloride concentration. The observed chloride concentrations in the upper silt layer, upper unsaturated portion and lower saturated portion of the coarse sand layer and lower silt layer, were plotted against soils depth which will be discussed later. Geometrical, physical, and chemical test data are listed in Table 3. The test was performed at 23 2 oC.
Table 3. Three-layer soil tests D3LAD and U3LAD geometrical, physical, and chemical properties Properties Upper and lower silt 7 18.8 0.34 1.81 90 6.38 Test D3LAD Unsaturated Saturated coarse sand coarse sand 1.5 5.3 0.084 1.61 20 2.3 5 1950 1.7 1.2 +7.4* +3.0* 30 2.3 26 0.42 1.61 20 11.6 Upper and lower silt 7 18.8 0.34 1.81 90 6.38 Test U3LAD Unsaturated Saturated coarse sand coarse sand 1.5 5.3 0.084 1.61 20 2.3 5 2000 1.7 1.2 +5.6* -3.0* 26 2.3 26 0.42 1.61 20 11.6

Soil depth (cm) Average water content (%) Average volumetric water content (cm3/cm3) Dry density (gr/cm3) [Cl-] Background concentration (mg/l) [Cl-] Effective diffusion coefficient (1010 m2/s) Source solution height (cm) Source solution concentration (mg/l) Upper silt hydraulic gradient Lower silt hydraulic gradient Upper silt Darcy velocity ( 109 m/s) Lower silt Darcy velocity (109 m/s) Test duration (days)
*

Positive sign implies downward flow and negative sign implies upward flow

II. Advective-diffusive upward flow test: The conducted test will be referred to as Test U3LAD with the test duration of 26 days. As shown in Fig. 4, the test setup is similar to what has been described above for Test D3LAD except that a constant head water column was attached to the outlet valve in the receptor reservoir to create an upward hydraulic gradient through the lower silt layer (the hydraulic trap configuration from the receptor reservoir up to the coarse sand drainage layer). There was a downward flow through the upper silt layer as described for Test D3LAD. The infiltrated solutions through the upper and lower silt layers were collected in the coarse sand drainage layer and regularly drained through the septum port to maintain a constant solution mound on top of the lower silt layer. Selected samples from the drained solutions were analyzed for chloride concentration to plot the observed concentration change with time in the drainage layer. The source and receptor reservoir solutions were also monitored for chloride concentration change with time as described for Test D3LAD. The methodology at test termination and chloride concentration measurement at soil depth were as described for Test D3LAD. Geometrical, physical, and chemical test data are listed in Table 3. The test was performed at 23 2 oC.
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4. THEORETICAL MODELING The transport of contaminants through saturated soils can be described by the advection-diffusion equation [2, 8, 15, 21-23], which can be written for a one dimensional condition as:

( + K d )

c c 2c = D 2 - v t z z

(1)

where c is the contaminant concentration at a depth z at time t; is the soil volumetric water content (=n, the soil porosity for saturated soil); v is the average linearized ground water velocity (seepage velocity); is the dry bulk density of the soil, Kd is the distribution coefficient, nv=va is the Darcy velocity, and D is referred to as the coefficient of hydrodynamic dispersion. The coefficient of hydrodynamic dispersion D is commonly defined as the sum of the coefficient of mechanical dispersion, Dmd, and effective diffusion coefficient in the porous medium, De, viz

D = Dmd + De

(2)

It is known that the effective diffusion coefficient, De, varies with the volumetric water content [6, 7]. Many researchers attribute the decrease in the rate of diffusion as the water content decreases, to the increased tortuosity of the pathway for diffusion. It has been reported that there is a linear (or approximately linear) relationship between the effective diffusion coefficient De, and the volumetric water content of the soil, [8, 11]. The relationship reads as follows:

De =

De(ref) ref

(3)

where De is the effective diffusion coefficient in the soil at a volumetric water content , ref is the volumetric water content at full saturation (i.e. total porosity), and De(ref) is the effective diffusion coefficient in soil at full saturation. For modeling the multilayered system (such as two or three layer systems used in this study), and for onedimensional steady flow conditions, the Darcy velocity must satisfy continuity of flow [12] and this implies that:

v a (i ) = (i ) v (i ) = v a (i +1) = (i +1) v (i +1)

(4)

for any layer pair i, i+1. Furthermore, conservation of mass and continuity of concentration require that for any layer boundary at some depth, zi, the mass flux and concentration are continuous, hence
(v a c D c c ) i| z = zi = (v a c D ) i +1| z = zi z z

(5) (6)

and

ci ( z = z i ) = ci +1 ( z = z i )

The analysis of the tests involves solving these equations, which are subject to appropriate boundary conditions. The boundary condition imposed by the source reservoir whose concentration cs(t) reduces with time due to the movement of chloride into the soil and also sampling, [16, 24] can be modelled by:

c s(t) = co -

q t 1 t f s d - c c s( )d 0 Hf0 Hf

(7)

where co is the initial concentration in the reservoir, Hf is the height of fluid in the source reservoir, qc is the volume of fluid per unit area per unit time removed from the reservoir for chemical analysis during the test and replaced by distilled water, and fs is the contaminant flux into the soil and is given by

f s = vc - D
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c z

(8)
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where all the terms are as previously described. When upward flow is concerned (hydraulic trap), a negative sign is used for the Darcy velocity in Eq. (8) c (i.e., f s = vc - D ). z For the advection-diffusion tests with a fluid receptor, the concentration in the receptor at time t can be described by

c R (t) = o [

q t f R( ) ]d - b o c R ( )d h h

(9)

c where fR() is the flux entering the receptor at time and is given by Eq. (8) (i.e., f R ( ) = vc - D ), h is the z thickness of the receptor, and qb is the volume of fluid per unit cross sectional area of the soil per unit time removed from the receptor for chemical analysis during the test. When upward advection is against downward diffusion (hydraulic trap) between the receptor and the coarse sand drainage layer, a negative sign is used for the c Darcy velocity in the equation (i.e., f R ( ) = vc - D ). z For modeling the multilayered system where there were different volumetric water contents for any sublayer within a given layer (such as unsaturated coarse sand sublayer above the saturated coarse sand sublayer, in Tests D3LAD and U3LAD), Eq. (1) was used for each sublayer, together with the appropriate value of and D (or De, since no dispersion was observed in the experiments). Continuity between sublayers is defined by Eqs. (4-6). The initial concentration distribution in the soil layers was explicitly modeled. A solution to Eq. (1) has been given by Rowe and Booker [24, 17] and has been implemented in a computer program POLLUTE (Rowe and Booker [25, 17]). This program is used in this study to predict the observed data from the laboratory models discussed earlier.
5. EXPERIMENTAL AND MODELING RESULTS

The effective diffusion coefficient of chloride in the upper unsaturated portion of the coarse sand drainage layer was estimated based on the volumetric water content of the unsaturated portion using Eq. (3). The chloride concentrations in the pore water of clay, medium sand, silt, saturated and unsaturated coarse sand, were normalized relative to the initial source solution concentrations in each test and plotted against soil depths. Also the chloride concentrations in the source and receptor reservoirs and drainage layer (three layer tests) were normalized relative to the initial source solution concentrations in each test and plotted against the elapsed time.
a) Results for two-layer soil models

The results obtained from advective-diffusive downward flow Tests DAD1, DAD2, and DAD3 are summarized in Table 2 and the observed and predicted (theoretical modeling) results in the source and receptor reservoirs, and in the soils depth are plotted in Figs. 5a, 5c, and 5b, respectively. Similarly, the results for upward flow Tests UAD1 and UAD2 are summarized in Table 2 and plotted in Figs. 6a, 6c, and 6b. The water content distribution in the clay and medium sand layers were measured at the end of the tests and were almost uniform in both the clay and medium sand layers in all tests. The water content and the volumetric water content of the clay and medium sand sublayers were calculated and averaged for the entire soil profiles as summarized in Table 2 for all tests. It is evident from the results that the effective diffusion coefficients obtained from the diffusion tests on single isolated layers, along with the tests observed from geometrical, physical, and chemical data which were used in the theoretical model, POLLUTE, could reasonably predict the observed behavior of the experimental models. Due to a uniform water content profile in the soils, a single value of the volumetric water content and effective diffusion coefficients were used for clay and medium sand layers in modeling with POLLUTE. These data, along with the other data, resulted in theoretical curves, which reasonably fit the observed data.
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Relative [Cl- ] Concentration in Source Reservoir (C/Co)

Elapsed Time (days)

1.0 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24

0.5

(a)
0.0

Relative [Cl- ]Concentration (C/Co)

0.0 0 2 4 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

Background Concentration

Soil Depth (cm)

6 8 10 12 14 16
________________

Clay Medium Sand

Observed Data Test DAD1 Test DAD2 Test DAD3 Theory

(b)

Relative [Cl-] Concentration in Receptor Rservoir (C/Co)

Elapsed Time (days)

0.03 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24

0.02

0.01

(c)
0.00

Fig. 5. Observed and modeled profiles of two-layer soil Tests DAD1, DAD2, and DAD3 with downward flow: a) Relative chloride concentrations in source reservoirs versus time, b) Relative chloride concentrations versus soil depths, and c) Relative chloride concentrations in receptor reservoirs versus time

The Darcy velocities in downward flow Tests DAD1, DAD2, and DAD3 were in the increasing order, respectively (Table 2). As shown in Fig. 5b, the higher Darcy velocity caused faster downward movement of the chloride ion by advection, in Test DAD3 compared to Test DAD2, and in turns, compared to Test DAD1. This effect could also be verified by comparing the relative chloride concentrations in the source reservoirs of the tests (Fig. 5c). In Test DAD3 with a Darcy velocity 15.6 times greater than that in Test DAD1, and much shorter test duration (5 days in Test DAD3 compared to 23 days in Test DAD1), the final observed relative chloride concentration in the source reservoir was about 0.4, compared to about 0.65 in Test DAD1 at the end of the tests. The effect of the upward flow (advection against diffusionthe hydraulic trap) in reducing the downward chloride movement could be verified from the relative chloride concentrations in the receptor reservoirs. As shown in Fig. 6c, in both tests UAD1 and UAD2, no increase in the chloride concentrations in the receptor reservoirs was observed during the tests, and modeling results also confirm this. It could be concluded that for the governing test conditions and Darcy velocities, upward advection (hydraulic trap) has played a good role as a hydraulic barrier against downward diffusion of chloride ion. The decrease in the chloride concentration in Test UAD2 was due to dilution from the background contamination (about 20 mg/l) in the receptor reservoir. Tests DAD1 against UAD1, and DAD3 against UAD2 could also be compared for the effect of the hydraulic trap.
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Relative [Cl- ] Concentration in Source Reservoir (C/Co)

Elapsed Time (days)

1.0 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24

0.5

(a)
0.0

Relative [Cl- ]Concentration (C/Co)

0.0 0 2 4 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

Background Conc.

(b) Clay Medium Sand

Soil Depth (cm)

6 8 10 12 14 16

________________

Observed

______________________

Theory

Test UAD1 Test UAD2

Upward Flow (UAD1 & UAD2) Downward Flow (UAD1)

Relative [Cl-] Concentration in Receptor Rservoir (C/Co)

Elapsed Time (days)

0.03 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24

0.02

(c)

0.01

0.00

Fig. 6. Observed and modeled profiles of two-layer soil Tests UAD1 and UAD2 with upward flow: a) Relative chloride concentrations in source reservoirs versus elapsed time, b) Relative chlorideconcentrations versus soil depth, and c) Relative chloride concentrations in receptor reservoirs versus elapsed time

For more verification of the effect of the hydraulic trap in Test UAD1 (va = - 510-9 m/s) compared to the same test configuration but in the absence of the hydraulic trap, the POLLUTE analysis was repeated using the same input data as used in the analysis of Test UAD1, but with the positive value for Darcy velocity (i.e., downward Darcy velocity through the soil layers, va= + 510-9 m/s). The results are plotted in Fig. 6 (a, b, and c) as dotted lines. As shown in Figs. 6a and 6c, when the hydraulic trap is not functioning, the rate of the chloride concentration drop in the source reservoir and increase in the receptor reservoir, with time, is higher. There is also a significant difference in the soils predicted chloride concentration profile when the flow is downward. This implies that the hydraulic trap could minimize downward migration of chloride by diffusion through a two-layer soil system.
b) Results for three-layer soil models

The results obtained from three-layer soil models (Tests D3LAD and U3LAD) are summarized in Table 3 and the observed and predicted results in the source and receptor reservoirs, as well as in the soils depth, are plotted in Figs. 7a, 7c, and 7b, respectively. The observed and predicted results in the coarse sand drainage layers are plotted in Fig. 8. As shown in the figures, there is a good agreement between the observed and predicted data in both tests considering only advective-diffusive transport. This implies that mechanical dispersion was negligible. There is a pronounced drop in the observed and predicted chloride concentration profiles in the upper unsaturated portion of the coarse sand drainage layer in both tests, as shown in Fig. 7b. This is due to slow diffusion and increased tortuosity through the unsaturated coarse sand
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K. Badv / A. A. Mahooti

[11]. The chloride concentration in the receptor reservoir of downward flow test D3LAD increased gradually during the test, while in Test U3LAD with the operating hydraulic trap through the lower silt layer, the concentration remained almost constant for almost comparable test duration.
Relative [Cl- ] Concentration in Source Reservoir (C/Co) Elapsed Time (days)
1.0 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32

(a)
0.5

0.0

Relative [Cl- ]Concentration (C/Co)

0.0 0 3 6 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

Background Concentration

(b) Silt Coarse Sand Drain Silt

Soil Depth (cm)

9 12 15 18 21

Observed ________________ Test D3LAD Test U3LAD

Theory ______________________ Tests D3LAD & U3LAD Downward Flow (Test U3LAD)

Relative [Cl-] Concentration in Receptor Rservoir (C/Co)

Elapsed Time (days)

0.050 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32

(c)
0.025

0.000

Fig. 7. Observed and modeled profiles of three-layer soil Tests D3LAD and U3LAD with downward and upward flow in lower silt layers: a) Relative chloride concentrations in source reservoirs versus elapsed time, b) Relative chloride concentrations versus soil depths, and c) Relative chloride concentrations in receptor reservoirs versus elapsed time
Elapsed Time (days) Relative [Cl- ] Concentration in Coarse Sand Drain (C/Co)
1.0 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32

Theory _______________ Tests D3LAD & U3LAD

0.5

Observed ______________ Test D3LAD Test U3LAD

Test U3LAD (Downward Flow)

0.0

Fig. 8. Observed and modeled relative chloride concentrations versus elapsed time in coarse sand drain layers in Tests D3LAD and U3LAD

For more verification of the effect of the hydraulic trap through the lower silt layer in Test U3LAD (va =-310-9 m/s) compared to the same test configuration but in the absence of the hydraulic trap, the POLLUTE analysis was repeated using the same input data as used in the analysis of Test U3LAD, but with positive value for Darcy velocity (i.e., va = + 310-9 m/s, downward Darcy velocity through the lower silt layer). The results are plotted in Figs. 7b, 7c, and Fig. 8 as dotted lines. As shown in Fig. 7c, the theory
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predicts a gradual increase of chloride concentration in the receptor reservoir with time, in the absence of the hydraulic trap, but almost constant chloride concentration with time, with the operating hydraulic trap. This implies that for the range of the Darcy velocities and tests boundary conditions, the hydraulic trap had an effect in minimizing downward chloride movement from the drainage layer (simulating a SLCS in a landfill) to the underlying receptor reservoir (simulating an aquifer).
6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The laboratory experiments were performed on two and three layer soil systems to model the advectivediffusive migration of chloride with and without the hydraulic trap effect. Two-layer soil models simulated a compacted clay layer over a medium sand layer, underlying a landfill. Three-layer soil models simulated compacted primary and secondary silty liners with a secondary leachate collection system in between. The following general conclusions could be made for all experiments conducted: (1) one-dimensional advectivediffusive theory Eq. (1) implemented in the computer model POLLUTE could reasonably predict the experimental observations in all models with downward and upward (the hydraulic trap) flow, (2) the chloride diffusion coefficients already determined in the same single isolated soils, along with the tests geometrical, physical and chemical test data, could reasonably predict the observed concentration data in all tests. The following test-specific conclusions could be made:
a)Two-layer soil tests

(1) The 15.6 times higher Darcy velocity in downward flow Test DAD3 compared to Test DAD1 caused a faster downward movement of chloride by advection, so that the final observed relative chloride concentration in the source reservoir of Test DAD3 (5 days test duration) was about 0.4 compared to about 0.65 in Test DAD1 (23 days test duration). Diffusion was partly responsible for chloride downward migration in these tests, (2) the chloride concentrations in the underlying receptor reservoirs of upward flow Tests UAD1 and UAD2 (with the operating hydraulic trap) did not increase during the tests. It could be concluded that for the governing test conditions and Darcy velocities, upward advection (hydraulic trap) played a good role as a hydraulic barrier against downward diffusion of chloride ion through clay and medium sand layers. The hydraulic trap effect was also theoretically verified in Test UAD1 by repeating the analysis with positive value for Darcy velocity (reversed flow).
b) Three-layer soil test

(1) Slow diffusion and increased tortuosity through the unsaturated coarse sand drainage layer in Tests D3LAD and U3LAD caused a pronounced drop of the chloride concentration in this layer. This was in agreement with the results of previous studies on similar soil, (2) for the 25 days of elapsed time, and the test conditions being identical except for the direction of flow in the lower silt layer, the chloride concentration in the receptor reservoir of Test D3LAD (downward flow) increased gradually, while in Test U3LAD (upward flow) remained almost constant. Theory also confirmed the increase of chloride concentration in the receptor reservoir of Test U3LAD in the absence of the hydraulic trap through the lower silt layer compared to when the hydraulic trap was in operation (i.e., no change in the concentration).
Acknowledgments- This paper forms part of a research program in laboratory modeling in contaminant transport through soils being conducted at the Geo-Environmental Research Laboratory at the Department of Civil Engineering in Urmia University, Iran. The funding for this research was made possible by the award of research grant No. 21825 to K. Badv from the Management and Programming Organization of Iran. REFERENCES
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