Reducing Water Seepage with Anionic Polyacrylamide: Application Methods and Turbidity Effects
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 135, Issue 1
Abstract
Researchers used column and flume experiments with uniform silica sand with and without suspended solids to examine the extent and longevity of hydraulic conductivity reduction (HCR) resulting from three anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) application methods, liquid injection, slurry surface, and granular surface application. Low turbidity (0.4 NTU) liquid injection column tests showed 20–65% HCR, likely caused by an extensional viscosity mechanism. HCR increased as turbidity increased, especially at low PAM concentrations. High turbidity (100 NTU) liquid injection column tests showed 66–77% HCR, likely through surficial PAM–clay aggregate filtration. Column and adsorption tests strongly suggest PAM–sand adsorption does not cause substantial HCR. In low turbidity flume tests, PAM slurry application to the sand surface produced up to 100% HCR, likely through a viscosity mechanism, and granular application to the media surface produced up to 100% HCR, likely through fixed surficial polymer gel formation. Hydraulic conductivity returned to control-adjusted pretreatment levels following PAM application in all tests except granular surface application at high mass loads or with high turbidity.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to thank the Wyoming Water Development Commission for funding this study.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 135 • Issue 1 • February 2009
Pages: 87 - 95
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 9, 2007
Accepted: Jul 7, 2008
Published online: Feb 1, 2009
Published in print: Feb 2009
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