Articles | Volume 27, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2509-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2509-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Improving soil aquifer treatment efficiency using air injection into the subsurface
Ido Arad
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
Aviya Ziner
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
Shany Ben Moshe
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
Noam Weisbrod
The Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein
Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel
Alex Furman
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
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Edwin Saavedra Cifuentes, Alex Furman, Ravid Rosenzweig, and Aaron I. Packman
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-251, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-251, 2024
Revised manuscript under review for HESS
Short summary
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Our research addresses the operational challenge of SAT systems that clog with biomass. A model to optimize their operation is proposed and considers the dynamic interactions between microbial activity, water flow, and soil clogging. Simulations showed the duration of wet and dry periods that enhance water infiltration. A link between the biomass spatial distribution and the wet and dry cycles was discovered. These findings can provide practical insights for real-world SAT systems.
Tuvia Turkeltaub, Alex Furman, Ron Mannheim, and Noam Weisbrod
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 1565–1578, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1565-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1565-2022, 2022
Short summary
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The quality control and optimization of soil aquifer treatment (SAT) performance is challenging due to the multiple factors and costs involved. We installed in situ subsurface monitoring sensors that provided continuous high-resolution monitoring of the biochemical and physical conditions of an active SAT system. Data analysis facilitated the determination of the optimal drying and wetting stages, which are critical for suitable SAT management.
Xin Liu, Zengyu Zhang, and Alex Furman
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-31, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-31, 2022
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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This paper built a systematic model to simulate geophysical signals in response to soil physico-bio-chemical dynamics based on the subsurface natural environment. The results show that geophysical signals can better reflect the typical contamination (i.e., C and N) concentration and degradation. Additionally, the signals are also sensitive to water content and flux. Thus, the research can guide the detection of typical contamination and water leakage in the subsurface.
Shany Ben Moshe, Pauline Kessouri, Dana Erlich, and Alex Furman
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 3041–3052, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3041-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3041-2021, 2021
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A non-invasive geophysical method (spectral induced polarization, SIP) was used to characterize and predict solute transport patterns in soil columns. Our results show that SIP-based breakthrough curve (BTC) analysis is superior over conventional outflow-based analysis as it can characterize system heterogeneity and is superior over electrical-conductivity-based analysis as it is capable of distinguishing between the adsorption end-members without the need for sampling.
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Short summary
In a series of long-column experiments, subsurface air injection in soil aquifer treatment (Air-SAT) was tested as an alternative to conventional flooding–drying operation (FDO) in tertiary wastewater (WW) treatment. Our results show that Air-SAT allows for the treatment of increased WW volumes and results in similar or better effluent quality compared with FDO. These results highlight the possibility of using air injection to treat more effluent and alleviate the pressure on existing SAT sites.
In a series of long-column experiments, subsurface air injection in soil aquifer treatment...