Urban Wastewater Effects on Water Flow and Solute Transport in Soils

This article aims mainly to verify the consequences of urban wastewater reuse in irrigation practices on hydrological behavior of soils. Herein the effects on both the hydraulic and dispersive properties of characteristic soils in South Sardinia are illustrated. The study was carried out at the Ente...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental science and health. Part A, Toxic/hazardous substances & environmental engineering Toxic/hazardous substances & environmental engineering, 2003-08, Vol.38 (8), p.1469-1478
Main Authors: Coppola, Antonio, Santini, Alessandro, Botti, Paolo, Vacca, Sergio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Conservation of Natural Resources
Environmental Monitoring
Fluid flow
Hydraulics
Hydrology
Porosity
Reuse
Soil
Soil hydrological properties
Soil water and solute transport modeling
Soils
Toxic
Waste Disposal, Fluid
Waste water
Wastewater
Water flow
Water Movements
Water Supply
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Summary:This article aims mainly to verify the consequences of urban wastewater reuse in irrigation practices on hydrological behavior of soils. Herein the effects on both the hydraulic and dispersive properties of characteristic soils in South Sardinia are illustrated. The study was carried out at the Ente Autonomo del Flumendosa (EAF) laboratory. Ten undisturbed soil monoliths, 120 cm height and 40 cm diameter, were collected from plots, the locations of which were preliminarily individuated through a prior pedological study. An experimental facility was set up and sensors for monitoring both soil water and solute concentrations were inserted horizontally in each column at different depths. A disturbed layer at the soil surface, which expands in depth with time, was observed, characterized by reduced soil porosity, translation of pore size distribution towards narrower pores and consequent drastic decrease of permeability. It will be shown that these changes occurring in the disturbed soil layer, although local by nature, affect the mean hydrological behavior of the whole soil profile.
ISSN:1093-4529
1532-4117
DOI:10.1081/ESE-120021472