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Article Dans Une Revue ACS ES&T Water Année : 2023

Particle Transport in Saturated Fractured Media: Effect of Flow Velocity and Fracture Aperture

Résumé

Transport of micron-sized particles in fractured rocks can potentially contaminate groundwater and may have important implications for environmental and human health. This study aimed to understand the transport of kaolinite particles and the fluorescein tracer through fractured chalk, particularly at high flow velocities and using various fracture apertures. Laboratory experiments were conducted and results were fitted to a model based on the advection–dispersion equation. The dispersion, attachment, and detachment parameters were evaluated and correlated with the flow velocity and fracture aperture. The results revealed the influence of hydrodynamic forces. Kaolinite particles traveled faster than fluorescein due to the size exclusion effect and higher dispersion of fluorescein. The size exclusion effect globally decreased with flow velocity, while dispersion of kaolinite and fluorescein increased. Kaolinite and fluorescein dispersed more in the narrower fracture. The attachment coefficient increased with flow velocity, and it is fracture aperture independent. The detachment coefficient increased with flow velocity and was higher in the narrower fracture due to higher shear stress. The study findings highlight the importance of considering high flow velocities and fracture aperture effect in understanding micron-sized particle transport mechanisms in chalk fractures, which is essential for assessing risks to groundwater resources and improving environmental protection.

Domaines

Génie civil
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Dates et versions

hal-04183536 , version 1 (19-08-2023)

Identifiants

Citer

Hanan Hawi, Nasre-Dine Ahfir, Tariq Ouahbi, Abdellah Alem, Huaqing Wang. Particle Transport in Saturated Fractured Media: Effect of Flow Velocity and Fracture Aperture. ACS ES&T Water, 2023, ⟨10.1021/acsestwater.3c00284⟩. ⟨hal-04183536⟩
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