Solute Uptake in Aquatic Sediments due to Current-Obstacle Interactions
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 124, Issue 5
Abstract
Laboratory experiments are used to examine solute exchange between sediments and the water column induced by the interaction of a current and a half-buried spherical obstruction. The sphere is a model of a stone half buried in the bed of a stream or coastal sea. The interaction results in pressure perturbations on the sediment surface, which in turn drive flows through the sediment. This interaction can significantly enhance solute exchange. Using an experimentally derived surface pressure field and a numerical transport model, the measured mass of effused solutes is accurately predicted, providing quantitative validity of the exchange mechanism. To assess the biochemical significance of this exchange process, the behavior of a relative solute was simulated. An example of a reactive solute of major significance to water quality in rivers is oxygen, which is consumed within sediments by oxidizing organic matter. Depending on the water flow velocity, specific solute consumption rate, and properties of the sediment, the total interstitial solute consumption caused by the presence of the stone can be significantly enhanced compared with the consumption if transport occurred only by molecular diffusion. It is suggested that the induced flow across the sediment surface can be an effective mechanism for filtering suspended particulate matter out of the water column.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 124 • Issue 5 • May 1998
Pages: 419 - 426
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: May 1, 1998
Published in print: May 1998
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