Chromium Transport Modeling in Tannery Effluent from a Surface Water Body to Groundwater Regime: Case Study in Kodaganar Basin
This article has a reply.
VIEW THE REPLYThis article has a reply.
VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 25, Issue 2
Abstract
Groundwater is the main source of water supply to the public in the upper Kodaganar basin in the state of Tamilnadu in India. Wastewater from the tannery industries of the basin is discharged into Sengulam Lake. For this study, a model was developed to simulate the magnitude and direction of groundwater flow in the aquifer. This model was extended as a chromium-transport model that demonstrated the transport of hexavalent chromium from the lake to the aquifer. The chromium concentration in the lake was found to be 4 mg/L. The chromium concentration in the groundwater of the nearby aquifer ranged from 0 to 2 mg/L. The migration behavior of the chromium was analyzed by the developed contaminant-transport model. The spatial extent of the damage caused in the aquifer by chromium contamination was demarcated by modeling the velocity vectors. It was estimated that the groundwater in an area of about 10 km2 was polluted by chromium. The average velocity of groundwater was estimated to be 1.9 m/day. The time taken for the chromium particles to reach the Kodaganar River was estimated to be 12 years.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors are pleased to acknowledge Public Works Department, Tamilnadu, for providing data support. Work reported in this paper was substantially performed using the computing resources of Anna University, Tamil Nadu, India.
References
Anon, D. 2000. Visual MODFLOW V.2.8.2 User’s manual for professional applications in three-dimensional groundwater flow and contaminant transport modeling. Waterloo, ON, Canada: Waterloo Hydrogeologic Inc.
APHA, AWWA, WEF (American Public Health Association, Ammerical Water Works Association, World Environment Federation). 2012. Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 1–5. 23rd ed. Washington, DC: APHA, AWWA, WEF.
Banks, M. K., A. P. Schwab, and C. Henderson. 2006. “Leaching and reduction of chromium in soil as affected by soil organic content and plants.” Chemosphere 62 (2): 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.05.020.
Bernard, J., and P. Valla. 1991. “Groundwater exploration in fissured media with electrical and VLF methods.” Geoexploration 27 (1–2): 81–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7142(91)90016-6.
Cassiani, G., and M. A. Medina. 1997. “Incorporating auxiliary geophysical data into ground-water flow parameter estimation.” Ground Water 35 (1): 79–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1997.tb00063.x.
Colins Johnny, J., M. C. Sashikkumar, M. Kirubakaran, and L. Madhu Mathi. 2018. “GIS-based assessment of groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigation purpose in a hard rock terrain: A case study in the upper kodaganar basin, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, India.” Desalin. Water Treat. 102: 49–60. https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2018.21774.
Ezzy, T. R., M. E. Cox, A. J. O’Rourke, and G. J. Huftile. 2006. “Groundwater flow modelling within a coastal alluvial plain setting using a high-resolution hydrofacies approach; Bells Creek plain, Australia.” Hydrogeol. J. 14 (5): 675–688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-005-0470-5.
Fonseca, B., A. Teixeira, H. Figueiredo, and T. Tavares. 2009. “Modelling of the Cr(VI) transport in typical soils of the North of Portugal.” J. Hazard. Mater. 167 (1–3): 756–762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.01.049.
Foo, K. Y., and B. H. Hameed. 2010. “Insights into the modeling of adsorption isotherm systems.” Chem. Eng. J. 156 (1): 2–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2009.09.013.
Fredrick, K. C., M. W. Becker, L. S. Matott, A. Daw, K. Bandilla, and D. M. Flewelling. 2007. “Development of a numerical groundwater flow model using SRTM elevations.” Hydrogeol. J. 15 (1): 171–181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-006-0115-3.
Gustafsson, J. P., I. Persson, A. G. Oromieh, J. W. J. van Schaik, C. Sjöstedt, and D. B. Kleja. 2014. “Chromium(III) complexation to natural organic matter: Mechanisms and modeling.” Environ. Sci. Technol. 48 (3): 1753–1761. https://doi.org/10.1021/es404557e.
Hariharan, V., and M. Uma Shankar. 2017. “A review of visual modflow applications in groundwater modelling.” IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 263 (3): 032025. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/263/3/032025.
Hellerich, L. A., and N. P. Nikolaidis. 2005a. “Studies of hexavalent chromium attenuation in redox variable soils obtained from a sandy to sub-wetland groundwater environment.” Water Res. 39 (13): 2851–2868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2005.05.003.
Hellerich, L. A., and N. P. Nikolaidis. 2005b. “Sorption studies of mixed chromium and chlorinated ethenes at the field and laboratory scales.” J. Environ. Manage. 75 (1): 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2004.11.010.
Hellerich, L. A., N. P. Nikolaidis, and G. M. Dobbs. 2008. “Evaluation of the potential for the natural attenuation of hexavalent chromium within a sub-wetland ground water.” J. Environ. Manage. 88 (4): 1513–1524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.07.032.
Hwang, I., B. Batchelor, M. A. Schlautman, and R. Wang. 2002. “Effects of ferrous iron and molecular oxygen on chromium(VI) redox kinetics in the presence of aquifer solids.” J. Hazard. Mater. 92 (2): 143–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3894(02)00006-7.
Jesudhas, C. J., S. M. Chidambaram, and K. Muniraj. 2017. “Isolation of wells contaminated by tannery industries using principal component analysis.” Arabian J. Geosci. 10: 304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3092-z.
Khan, A. A., M. Muthukrishnan, and B. K. Guha. 2010. “Sorption and transport modeling of hexavalent chromium on soil media.” J. Hazard. Mater. 174 (1–3): 444–454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.09.073.
Kirubakaran, M., J. C. Johnny, and S. Samson. 2018. “MODFLOW based groundwater budgeting using GIS: A case study from Tirunelveli taluk, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India.” J. Indian Soc. Remote Sens. 46 (5): 783–792. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-018-0761-7.
Kotaś, J., and Z. Stasicka. 2000. “Chromium occurrence in the environment and methods of its speciation.” Environ. Pollut. 107 (3): 263–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(99)00168-2.
Kotra, K. K., I. Yedluri, S. Prasad, and S. Pasupureddi. 2016. “Integrated geophysical and geochemical assessment for the comprehensive study of the groundwater.” Water Air Soil Pollut. 227: 211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-016-2902-3.
Krishnamurthy, N. S., D. Kumar, V. Ananda Rao, S. C. Jain, and S. Ahmed. 2003. “Comparison of surface and sub-surface geophysical investigations in delineating fracture zones.” Curr. Sci. 84 (9): 1242–1246.
Mahimairaja, S., S. Shenbagavalli, and R. Naidu. 2011. “Remediation of chromium-contaminated soil due to tannery waste disposal : Potential for phyto- and bioremediation.” Jpn. Soc. Pedol. 54 (3): 175–181.
Mattuck, R., and N. P. Nikolaidis. 1996. “Chromium mobility in freshwater wetlands.” J. Contam. Hydrol. 23 (3): 213–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-7722(95)00097-6.
Mills, C. T., J. M. Morrison, M. B. Goldhaber, and K. J. Ellefsen. 2011. “Chromium(VI) generation in vadose zone soils and alluvial sediments of the southwestern Sacramento Valley, California: A potential source of geogenic Cr(VI) to groundwater.” Appl. Geochem. 26 (8): 1488–1501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2011.05.023.
Mondal, N. C., V. K. Saxena, and V. S. Singh. 2005a. “Assessment of groundwater pollution due to tannery industries in and around Dindigul, Tamilnadu, India.” Environ. Geol. 48 (2): 149–157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-005-1244-z.
Mondal, N. C., V. K. Saxena, and V. S. Singh. 2005b. “Impact of pollution due to tanneries on groundwater regime.” Curr. Sci. 88 (12): 1988–1994.
Mondal, N. C., and V. P. Singh. 2010. “Need of groundwater management in tannery belt : A scenario about Dindigul Town, Tamil Nadu.” J. Geol. Soc. India 76 (9): 303–309.
Mondal, N. C., and V. P. Singh. 2011. “Hydrochemical analysis of salinization for a tannery belt in Southern India.” J. Hydrol. 405 (3–4): 235–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.05.058.
Mondal, N. C., and V. S. Singh. 2005. “Modelling for pollutant migration in the tannery belt, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India.” Curr. Sci. 89 (9): 1600–1606.
Murali, S. R., and M. R. Rajan. 2012. “Bioremediation of chloride from Tannery Effluent (Senkulam Lake in the Dindigul-Batlagundu highway) with Halobacterium species and Bacteria isolated from tannery effluent.” Int. J. Environ. Biol. 2 (1): 23–30.
Porsani, J. L., V. R. Elis, and F. Y. Hiodo. 2005. “Geophysical investigations for the characterization of fractured rock aquifers in Itu, SE Brazil.” J. Appl. Geophys. 57 (2): 119–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jappgeo.2004.10.005.
Qafoku, N. P., P. Evan Dresel, E. Ilton, J. P. McKinley, and C. T. Resch. 2010. “Chromium transport in an acidic waste contaminated subsurface medium: The role of reduction.” Chemosphere 81 (11): 1492–1500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.08.043.
Ramesh, A., B. N. Nagendra Prakash, and P. V. Sivapullaiaih. 2013. “Identification of source of heavy metal contamination in a site—A case study.” Int. J. Environ. Pollut. 51 (1–2): 91–105. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJEP.2013.053183.
Ramesh, K., and K. Seetha. 2013. “Hydrochemical analysis of surface water and groundwater in tannery belt in and around Ranipet, Vellore district, TamilNadu, India.” Int. J. Res. Chem. Environ. 3 (3): 36–47.
Rana, R., R. Ganguly, and A. K. Gupta. 2018. “Indexing method for assessment of pollution potential of leachate from non-engineered landfill sites and its effect on ground water quality.” Environ. Monit. Assess. 190: 46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6417-1.
Rao, G. T., V. V. S. Gurunadha Rao, and K. Ranganathan. 2013. “Hydrogeochemistry and groundwater quality assessment of Ranipet industrial area, Tamil Nadu, India.” J. Earth Syst. Sci. 122 (3): 855–867. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-013-0295-x.
Robles-Camacho, J., and M. A. Armienta. 2000. “Natural chromium contamination of groundwater at Leon Valley, Mexico.” J. Geochem. Explor. 68 (3): 167–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0375-6742(99)00083-7.
Sashikkumar, M. C., S. Selvam, V. L. Kalyanasundaram, and J. C. Johnny. 2017. “GIS based groundwater modeling study to assess the effect of artificial recharge: A case study from Kodaganar river basin, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu.” J. Geol. Soc. India 89 (1): 57–64. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-017-0558-2.
Scanlon, B. R., R. E. Mace, M. E. Barrett, and B. Smith. 2003. “Can we simulate regional groundwater flow in a karst system using equivalent porous media models? Case study, Barton Springs Edwards aquifer, USA.” J. Hydrol. 276 (1–4): 137–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(03)00064-7.
Schoups, G., C. L. Addams, and S. M. Gorelick. 2005. “Multi-objective calibration of a surface water-groundwater flow model in an irrigated agricultural region: Yaqui Valley, Sonora, Mexico.” Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 9 (5): 549–568. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-9-549-2005.
Sharma, A., R. Ganguly, and A. Kumar Gupta. 2020. “Impact assessment of leachate pollution potential on groundwater: An indexing method.” J. Environ. Eng. 146 (3): 05019007. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001647.
Sharma, S. P., and V. C. Baranwal. 2005. “Delineation of groundwater-bearing fracture zones in a hard rock area integrating very low frequency electromagnetic and resistivity data.” J. Appl. Geophys. 57 (2): 155–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jappgeo.2004.10.003.
Sundararajan, N., and S. Sankaran. 2020. “Groundwater modeling of Musi basin Hyderabad, India: A case study.” Appl. Water Sci. 10 (1): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-019-1048-z.
Surinaidu, L., V. V. S. G. Rao, and G. Ramesh. 2013. “Assessment of groundwater inflows into Kuteshwar Limestone Mines through flow modeling study, Madhya Pradesh, India.” Arabian J. Geosci. 6 (4): 1153–1161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-011-0421-5.
Takounjou, A. F., V. V. G. S. Rao, J. N. Ngoupayou, L. S. Nkamdjou, and G. E. Ekodeck. 2009. “Groundwater flow modelling in the upper Anga’a river watershed, Yaounde, Cameroon.” Afr. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 3 (10): 341–352.
Wang, S., and J. H. Choi. 2013. “Simulating fate and transport of chromium in saturated sediments.” Appl. Math. Modell. 37 (1–2): 102–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2012.02.009.
Yolcubal, I., and N. H. Akyol. 2007. “Retention and transport of hexavalent chromium in calcareous karst soils.” Turk. J. Earth Sci. 16 (3): 363–379.
Zhou, Y., and W. Li. 2011. “A review of regional groundwater flow modeling.” Geosci. Front. 2 (2): 205–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2011.03.003.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 25 • Issue 2 • April 2021
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 3, 2020
Accepted: Aug 27, 2020
Published online: Nov 19, 2020
Published in print: Apr 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Apr 19, 2021
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.