VARIATIONS OF CONTAMINANT RETARDATION FACTOR IN THE PRESENCE OF TWO MOBILE COLLOIDS

Contaminant retardation factor is derived from the colloidal and contaminant transport equations for a four-phase porous medium: an aqueous phase, two mobile colloidal phases, and a solid matrix. It is assumed that the contaminant sorption to solid matrix and colloidal particles and the colloidal deposition on solid matrix follow the linear isotherms. The behavior of the contaminant retardation factor in response to the change of model parameters is examined employing the experimental data of Magee et al. (1991) and Jenkins and Lion (1993). In the four-phase system, the contaminant retardation factor is determined by both the contaminant association with solid matrix and colloidal particles and the colloidal deposition on solid matrix. The contaminant mobility is enhanced when the affinity of contaminants to mobile colloids increases. In addition, as the affinity of colloids to solid matrix decreases, the contaminant mobility increases.