Articles | Volume 29, issue 23
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6999-2025
© Author(s) 2025. 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-29-6999-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Continuum modeling of bioclogging of soil aquifer treatment systems segregating active and inactive biomass
Edwin Y. Saavedra Cifuentes
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
Alex Furman
Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
Ravid Rosenzweig
Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel
Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Aaron I. Packman
Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
Related authors
No articles found.
Meirav Cohen, Nimrod Schwartz, and Ravid Rosenzweig
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 1585–1604, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1585-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1585-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Contamination from fuel constituents poses a major threat to groundwater. However, studies devoted to identification of the driving parameters for fuel derivative transport in soils are scarce, and none have dealt with heterogeneous layered media. Here, we performed global sensitivity analysis (GSA) on a model of benzene transport to groundwater. The results identified the parameters controlling benzene transport in soils and showed that GSA is as an important tool for transport model analysis.
Ido Arad, Aviya Ziner, Shany Ben Moshe, Noam Weisbrod, and Alex Furman
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2509–2522, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2509-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2509-2023, 2023
Short summary
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.
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
Short summary
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
Short summary
Short summary
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
Short summary
Short summary
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.
Cited articles
Abel, C. D., Sharma, S. K., Mersha, S. A., and Kennedy, M. D.: Influence of intermittent infiltration of primary effluent on removal of suspended solids, bulk organic matter, nitrogen and pathogens indicators in a simulated managed aquifer recharge system, Ecological Engineering, 64, 100–107, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2013.12.045, 2014. a
Arad, I., Ziner, A., Ben Moshe, S., Weisbrod, N., and Furman, A.: Improving soil aquifer treatment efficiency using air injection into the subsurface, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2509–2522, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2509-2023, 2023. a
Bae, W. and Rittmann, B. E.: A structured model of dual-limitation kinetics, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 49, 683–689, https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-0290(19960320)49:6<683::AID-BIT10>3.0.CO;2-7, 2000. a
Bear, J. and Cheng, A. H.-D.: Modeling Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport, Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, ISBN 978-1-4020-6681-8 978-1-4020-6682-5, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6682-5, 2010. a
Ben Moshe, S., Weisbrod, N., Barquero, F., Sallwey, J., Orgad, O., and Furman, A.: On the role of operational dynamics in biogeochemical efficiency of a soil aquifer treatment system, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 417–426, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-417-2020, 2020. a
Ben Moshe, S., Weisbrod, N., and Furman, A.: Optimization of soil aquifer treatment (SAT) operation using a reactive transport model, Vadose Zone Journal, 20, e20095, https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20095, 2021. a, b, c, d
Berlin, M., Suresh Kumar, G., and Nambi, I. M.: Numerical modeling of biological clogging on transport of nitrate in an unsaturated porous media, Environmental Earth Sciences, 73, 3285–3298, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3612-z, 2015. a, b, c
Bouwer, H.: Ground Water Recharge with Sewage Effluent, Water Science and Technology, 23, 2099–2108, https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.1991.0666, 1991. a
Bradford, S. A., Morales, V. L., Zhang, W., Harvey, R. W., Packman, A. I., Mohanram, A., and Welty, C.: Transport and Fate of Microbial Pathogens in Agricultural Settings, Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 43, 775–893, https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2012.710449, 2013. a
Brangarí, A. C., Fernàndez-Garcia, D., Sanchez-Vila, X., and Manzoni, S.: Ecological and soil hydraulic implications of microbial responses to stress – A modeling analysis, Advances in Water Resources, 116, 178–194, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2017.11.005, 2018. a, b
Brovelli, A., Malaguerra, F., and Barry, D.: Bioclogging in porous media: Model development and sensitivity to initial conditions, Environmental Modelling & Software, 24, 611–626, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2008.10.001, 2009. a, b, c, d
Caruso, A., Boano, F., Ridolfi, L., Chopp, D. L., and Packman, A.: Biofilm‐induced bioclogging produces sharp interfaces in hyporheic flow, redox conditions, and microbial community structure, Geophysical Research Letters, 44, 4917–4925, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073651, 2017. a
Clement, T. P., Hooker, B. S., and Skeen, R. S.: Macroscopic Models for Predicting Changes in Saturated Porous Media Properties Caused by Microbial Growth, Groundwater, 34, 934–942, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1996.tb02088.x, 1996. a, b
Colica, G., Li, H., Rossi, F., Li, D., Liu, Y., and De Philippis, R.: Microbial secreted exopolysaccharides affect the hydrological behavior of induced biological soil crusts in desert sandy soils, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 68, 62–70, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.09.017, 2014. a
Costa, O. Y. A., Raaijmakers, J. M., and Kuramae, E. E.: Microbial Extracellular Polymeric Substances: Ecological Function and Impact on Soil Aggregation, Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, 1636, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01636, 2018. a
Dane, J. H. and Clarke Topp, G., eds.: Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 4 Physical Methods, SSSA Book Series, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, USA, ISBN 978-0-89118-893-3 978-0-89118-841-4, https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser5.4, 2002. a
Dillon, P.: Future management of aquifer recharge, Hydrogeology Journal, 13, 313–316, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-004-0413-6, 2005. a
Dillon, P., Stuyfzand, P., Grischek, T., Lluria, M., Pyne, R. D. G., Jain, R. C., Bear, J., Schwarz, J., Wang, W., Fernandez, E., Stefan, C., Pettenati, M., Van Der Gun, J., Sprenger, C., Massmann, G., Scanlon, B. R., Xanke, J., Jokela, P., Zheng, Y., Rossetto, R., Shamrukh, M., Pavelic, P., Murray, E., Ross, A., Bonilla Valverde, J. P., Palma Nava, A., Ansems, N., Posavec, K., Ha, K., Martin, R., and Sapiano, M.: Sixty years of global progress in managed aquifer recharge, Hydrogeology Journal, 27, 1–30, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-018-1841-z, 2019. a
Dillon, P., Fernández Escalante, E., Megdal, S. B., and Massmann, G.: Managed Aquifer Recharge for Water Resilience, Water, 12, 1846, https://doi.org/10.3390/w12071846, 2020. a
Electric Power Research Institute Inc.: Electricity Use and Management in the Municipal Water Supply and Wastewater Industries, Final Report 3002001433, Electric Power Research Institute, https://www.waterrf.org/research/projects/electricity-use-and-management-municipal-water-supply-and-wastewater-industries, last access: 9 January 2024, 2013. a
Elkayam, R., Sopliniak, A., Gasser, G., Pankratov, I., and Lev, O.: Oxidizer Demand in the Unsaturated Zone of a Surface‐Spreading Soil Aquifer Treatment System, Vadose Zone Journal, 14, 1–10, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2015.03.0047, 2015. a
Flemming, H.-C. and Wingender, J.: The biofilm matrix, Nature Reviews Microbiology, 8, 623–633, https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2415, 2010. a, b
Fox, P., Narayanaswamy, K., Genz, A., and Drewes, J. E.: Water quality transformations during soil aquifer treatment at the Mesa Northwest Water Reclamation Plant, USA, Water Science and Technology, 43, 343–350, https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2001.0658, 2001. a
Gharoon, N. and Pagilla, K. R.: Critical review of effluent dissolved organic nitrogen removal by soil/aquifer-based treatment systems, Chemosphere, 269, 129 406, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129406, 2021. a
Goren, O., Burg, A., Gavrieli, I., Negev, I., Guttman, J., Kraitzer, T., Kloppmann, W., and Lazar, B.: Biogeochemical processes in infiltration basins and their impact on the recharging effluent, the soil aquifer treatment (SAT) system of the Shafdan plant, Israel, Applied Geochemistry, 48, 58–69, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2014.06.017, 2014. a, b
Grinshpan, M., Furman, A., Dahlke, H. E., Raveh, E., and Weisbrod, N.: From managed aquifer recharge to soil aquifer treatment on agricultural soils: Concepts and challenges, Agricultural Water Management, 255, 106 991, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2021.106991, 2021. a
Hassannayebi, N., Jammernegg, B., Schritter, J., Arnold, P., Enzmann, F., Kersten, M., Loibner, A. P., Fernø, M., and Ott, H.: Relationship Between Microbial Growth and Hydraulic Properties at the Sub-Pore Scale, Transport in Porous Media, 139, 579–593, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-021-01680-5, 2021. a
Hommel, J., Coltman, E., and Class, H.: Porosity–Permeability Relations for Evolving Pore Space: A Review with a Focus on (Bio-)geochemically Altered Porous Media, Transport in Porous Media, 124, 589–629, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-018-1086-2, 2018. a, b
Idelovitch, E. and Michail, M.: Soil-Aquifer Treatment: A New Approach to an Old Method of Wastewater Reuse, Journal (Water Pollution Control Federation), 56, 936–943, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25042398 (last access: 15 October 2021), 1984. a
Idelovitch, E., Icekson-Tal, N., Avraham, O., and Michail, M.: The long-term performance of Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) for effluent reuse, Water Supply, 3, 239–246, https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2003.0068, 2003. a
Kildsgaard, J. and Engesgaard, P.: Numerical analysis of biological clogging in two-dimensional sand box experiments, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 50, 261–285, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-7722(01)00109-7, 2001. a, b, c, d
Laspidou, C. S. and Rittmann, B. E.: A unified theory for extracellular polymeric substances, soluble microbial products, and active and inert biomass, Water Research, 36, 2711–2720, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(01)00413-4, 2002. a
Malamis, S. and Andreadakis, A.: Fractionation of proteins and carbohydrates of extracellular polymeric substances in a membrane bioreactor system, Bioresource Technology, 100, 3350–3357, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2009.01.053, 2009. a
Mannina, G., Ni, B.-J., Makinia, J., Harmand, J., Alliet, M., Brepols, C., Ruano, M. V., Robles, A., Heran, M., Gulhan, H., Rodriguez-Roda, I., and Comas, J.: Biological processes modelling for MBR systems: A review of the state-of-the-art focusing on SMP and EPS, Water Research, 242, 120275, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.120275, 2023. a
Mienis, O. and Arye, G.: Long-term nitrogen behavior under treated wastewater infiltration basins in a soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) system, Water Research, 134, 192–199, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.01.069, 2018. a
Mohanadhas, B. and Kumar, G. S.: Numerical Experiments on Fate and Transport of Benzene with Biological Clogging in Vadoze Zone, Environmental Processes, 6, 841–858, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-019-00402-w, 2019. a
Mostafa, M. and Van Geel, P.: Validation of a Relative Permeability Model for Bioclogging in Unsaturated Soils, Vadose Zone Journal, 11, vzj2011.0044, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2011.0044, 2012. a, b, c
Mualem, Y.: A new model for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated porous media, Water Resources Research, 12, 513–522, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR012i003p00513, 1976. a
Negev, I., Shechter, T., Shtrasler, L., Rozenbach, H., and Livne, A.: The Effect of Soil Tillage Equipment on the Recharge Capacity of Infiltration Ponds, Water, 12, 541, https://doi.org/10.3390/w12020541, 2020. a
Ni, B.-J., Rittmann, B. E., and Yu, H.-Q.: Soluble microbial products and their implications in mixed culture biotechnology, Trends in Biotechnology, 29, 454–463, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2011.04.006, 2011. a, b, c
Or, D., Phutane, S., and Dechesne, A.: Extracellular Polymeric Substances Affecting Pore‐Scale Hydrologic Conditions for Bacterial Activity in Unsaturated Soils, Vadose Zone Journal, 6, 298–305, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2006.0080, 2007. a
Orgogozo, L.: RichardsFoam3: A new version of RichardsFoam for continental surfaces hydrogeology modelling, Computer Physics Communications, 270, 108182, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2021.108182, 2022. a
Orgogozo, L., Renon, N., Soulaine, C., Hénon, F., Tomer, S., Labat, D., Pokrovsky, O., Sekhar, M., Ababou, R., and Quintard, M.: An open source massively parallel solver for Richards equation: Mechanistic modelling of water fluxes at the watershed scale, Computer Physics Communications, 185, 3358–3371, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2014.08.004, 2014. a
Palleroni, N. J.: Pseudomonas, in: Bergey's Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria, edited by: Whitman, W. B., 1 edn., Wiley, ISBN 978-1-118-96060-8, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118960608.gbm01210, 2015. a
Philippot, L., Chenu, C., Kappler, A., Rillig, M. C., and Fierer, N.: The interplay between microbial communities and soil properties, Nature Reviews Microbiology, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-023-00980-5, 2023. a
Pintelon, T. R., Picioreanu, C., Van Loosdrecht, M. C., and Johns, M. L.: The effect of biofilm permeability on bio‐clogging of porous media, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 109, 1031–1042, https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.24381, 2012. a
Rauch, T. and Drewes, J. E.: Quantifying Biological Organic Carbon Removal in Groundwater Recharge Systems, Journal of Environmental Engineering, 131, 909–923, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9372(2005)131:6(909), 2005. a
Roberson, E. B. and Firestone, M. K.: Relationship between Desiccation and Exopolysaccharide Production in a Soil Pseudomonas sp, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 58, 1284–1291, https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.58.4.1284-1291.1992, 1992. a
Rosenzweig, R.: The effect of biofilms on the hydraulic properties of unsaturated soils, PhD thesis, Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel, https://technion.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/972TEC_INST/ggfjq9/alma990023277510203971 (last access: 22 September 2022), 2011. a, b, c, d, e
Rosenzweig, R., Shavit, U., and Furman, A.: Water Retention Curves of Biofilm‐Affected Soils using Xanthan as an Analogue, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 76, 61–69, https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2011.0155, 2012. a, b
Saavedra Cifuentes, E.: Supplementary code to the research article HESS-2024-251: Continuum modeling of bioclogging of soil aquifer treatment systems segregating active and inactive biomass, Zenodo [code and data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13259190, 2024. a
Saavedra Cifuentes, E., Teitelbaum, Y., Arnon, S., Dallmann, J., Phillips, C. B., and Packman, A. I.: Turbulence‐Driven Clogging of Hyporheic Zones by Fine Particle Filtration, Geophysical Research Letters, 50, e2023GL105002, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL105002, 2023. a
Soleimani, S., Van Geel, P. J., Isgor, O. B., and Mostafa, M. B.: Modeling of biological clogging in unsaturated porous media, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 106, 39–50, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2008.12.007, 2009. a, b
Srivastava, R. and Jim Yeh, T.-C.: A three-dimensional numerical model for water flow and transport of chemically reactive solute through porous media under variably saturated conditions, Advances in Water Resources, 15, 275–287, https://doi.org/10.1016/0309-1708(92)90014-S, 1992. a
Taylor, S. W. and Jaffé, P. R.: Biofilm growth and the related changes in the physical properties of a porous medium: 1. Experimental investigation, Water Resources Research, 26, 2153–2159, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR026i009p02153, 1990a. a
Taylor, S. W. and Jaffé, P. R.: Substrate and biomass transport in a porous medium, Water Resources Research, 26, 2181–2194, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR026i009p02181, 1990b. a, b
Thullner, M., Schroth, M. H., Zeyer, J., and Kinzelbach, W.: Modeling of a microbial growth experiment with bioclogging in a two-dimensional saturated porous media flow field, Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 70, 37–62, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2003.08.008, iSBN: 1607255782, 2004. a, b
Tronnolone, H., Tam, A., Szenczi, Z., Green, J. E. F., Balasuriya, S., Tek, E. L., Gardner, J. M., Sundstrom, J. F., Jiranek, V., Oliver, S. G., and Binder, B. J.: Diffusion-Limited Growth of Microbial Colonies, Scientific Reports, 8, 5992, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23649-z, 2018. a, b
van Genuchten, M. T.: A Closed‐form Equation for Predicting the Hydraulic Conductivity of Unsaturated Soils, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 44, 892–898, https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1980.03615995004400050002x, 1980. a
Volk, E., Iden, S. C., Furman, A., Durner, W., and Rosenzweig, R.: Biofilm effect on soil hydraulic properties: Experimental investigation using soil‐grown real biofilm, Water Resources Research, 52, 5813–5828, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016WR018866, 2016. a, b
Weller, H. G., Tabor, G., Jasak, H., and Fureby, C.: A tensorial approach to computational continuum mechanics using object-oriented techniques, Computers in Physics, 12, 620–631, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.168744, 1998. a
Short summary
Our research addresses the challenge that bioclogging poses to the operation of Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) systems. A conceptual model that considers the dynamic interactions between microbial activity, water flow, and soil clogging is presented and studied to optimize SAT operation. Simulations show that tweaking wet and dry periods enhance water infiltration and SAT performance. Additionally, a link between the biomass spatial distribution and the wet and dry cycles was discovered.
Our research addresses the challenge that bioclogging poses to the operation of Soil Aquifer...