GOVERNING EQUATION

Groundwater flow is normally considered to our in a parallel direction to the length of the aquifer and the
governing equation in a saturated aquifer zone can be guided by the equation of continuity

Fig: schematic presentation of contaminant flow in a saturated aquifer zone.

The present equation will a 2-dimensinal flow equation with constant water content, hydrodynamic dispersion
coefficient, velocity which are useful conditions for the effective depth-dependent reactions; initial and
boundary conditions on the transport behavior of contaminants. The transverse flow of the contaminant will
be considered, since the head gradient is consider to be zero; that is, there is no longitude velocity of flow.

This section will attempt to develop governing equations base on the dissolution of benzene from it source
zone t undergo ascorbic biodegrading and sorption.

𝜕𝑢
Continuity equation: =0 1
𝜕𝑥

i.e u = c

Dissolution Equation: dissolution process is a mass-transfer limited reaction which can be

controlled by factors like saturations, distribution of benzene, heterogeneity and geochemical
properties of aquifer, fluid flows.

Mathematically, dissolution can be seen as;

Dissolution = solubility – aqueous solutions 2

Since, it involves mass-=transfer reaction, it mass- balance equation is thus;

Mass mass mass external

Accumulation = concentration _ concentration + force on the
In out system
 Therefore, the dissolution equation will be the form;

𝜕𝑦 𝜕 2𝐶 𝜕 2𝐶 𝑈 𝜕𝑐
𝑅 = 𝐷𝐿 2 + 𝐷𝑇 2
− + 𝛼𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑠 (𝐶𝑠 − 𝐶) + 𝛼𝑏𝑖𝑜 𝐶 − 𝜇𝐶 4
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜃𝑠1 𝜕𝑥

Where Cs – aqueous concentration of Benzene solubility limit (M/L3)

C = Aqueous concentration of dissolved benzene (M/L3)
Y = Longitude direction of flow (L)
U = Transverse direction of flow (L)
R = Retardation faction

ө = Porosity of the soil

S1 = Water Saturation
U = Average pore water velocity (LT -1)
μ = Depth – dependent degradation (T -1)

αdiss = Dissolution mass transfer coefficient (T-1)

αbio = Biodegradation transfer coefficient (T -1)

DL = Hydrodynamic longitudinal depression coefficient (L2 T-1)
DT = Hydrodynamic transverse depression coefficient (L2 T-1)

Frind et al (1999) formulated an equation for mass transfer limitation by inputting the volumetric fraction,
since dissolution mass transfer coefficient (αdiss) is time dependent due to the variation of hydrocarbon
composition and area;

𝑆ℎ 𝐷 𝑓𝑆𝑛 𝛽𝑚
𝛼𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑠 = = ( ) 5
(𝑑0.5 )2 𝑆0

Where:
Sh = Sherwood number
D = Diffusion coefficient (L2T-1)
f = Volumetric fraction
d0.5 = Average grain dimmiater in mm (L)
Sn = Benzene saturation
So = Initial Benzene satuation
βm = Exponent
Renu and Suresh (2017), use Result’s law for an ideal solution of multi-component mixture to compute the
effective solubility as thus;
𝐶𝑠 = 𝐶𝑜 𝑋𝑛 6

Co = Aqueous solubility of the pure substance (ML-3)

Xn = Mole fraction of the substance
The boundary conditions are as thus;
𝐶 (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑜) = 0, 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝐿; 𝑂 ≤ 𝐿 7

𝐶 (𝑂, 𝑂, 𝑡) = 𝐶𝑜 , 0 < 𝑡 < 𝑥 ∞ 8

𝜕𝐶
𝜕𝑥
∫(𝑂, 𝐿) = 𝑂; 0 < 𝑡 < 𝑥 ∞ 9

BIODEGRADATION EQUATION
This present metal, consider the aerobic biodegrading of benzene with dissolved oxygen, which is limited by
the concentration of benzene (election donor) as well as the concentration of oxygen (election acceptor), and
also control by the concentration of aerobic microorganism.
These microbial concentration within the aquifer zone are considered to be immobile for the flow conditions
and temporally change in microbial concentration due to biodegradation one recently observed.
Therefore, mathematically, biodegradation can be presented as:
Bacterial - Decay rate of Bacterial 10
Biodegradation = X
Concentration bacterial population Concentration

Hence, the model is as below;

𝜕𝑋 𝜕 2𝑋 𝜕 2𝑋 𝜕𝑋
𝑅 = 𝐷𝐿 2 + 𝐷𝑇 2
−𝑈 + 𝛼𝑏𝑖𝑜 𝑋 − 𝜇(𝑋 − 𝑋0 ) 11
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥
Where:
X = Biomass concentration (ML-3)
μ = Depth – Dependent degradation rate (T-1)
X0 = Initial biomass concentration (ML-3)
Renu and Suresh (2017) use a double monoel kinetic model to complete the biodegradation rate of benzene
as follows;
𝑉𝑋 𝐶𝑜
𝛼𝑏𝑖𝑜 = , 12
𝐶 + 𝐾𝑠 𝐶𝑜 + 𝐾0
Where:
V = Maximum substrate utilization rate (T-1)
X = Biomass concentration (ML-3)
Ks = Half saturation constants (ML-3)
Ko = Half saturation constant of dissolved oxygen (ML-3)
Co = Pure aqueous phase solubility (ML -3)
C = Aqueous concentration of dissolved benzene (ML-3)
And the boundary conditions are
𝑋 (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑜) = 0, 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝐿; 𝑂 ≤ 𝐿 13

𝑋 (𝑂, 𝑂, 𝑡) = 𝑋𝑜 , 0 < 𝑡 < 𝑥 ∞ 14

𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝑥
∫(𝑂, 𝐿) = 𝑂; 0 < 𝑡 < 𝑥 ∞ 15

SORPTION EQUATION
High groundwater flow velocity is consider by partitioning of dissolved contaminant between solid and
liquid phases.
The rate limited process as a result of sorption kinetics can be observed as a first order mass transfer
containing concentration gradient, which can b mathematically state as thus;
aqueous sorbed concentration
sorption = − 16
Concentration Partition coefficient

so that, the equation belowes;

𝜕𝑆 𝑃𝑏 𝐾𝑑 𝜕𝑆 𝜕 2𝑆 𝜕 2𝑆 𝜕𝑆 𝑆
+ = 𝐷𝑦 2 + 𝐷𝑥 − 𝑈 + ⋋ (𝐶 − ) 17
𝜕𝑡 𝜃 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑥 𝐾𝑑

𝜕𝑆 𝜕 2𝑆 𝜕 2𝑆 𝜕𝑆 𝑆
𝑖. 𝑒 𝑅 + 𝐷𝑦 2 + 𝐷𝑥 2
−𝑈 + ⋋ (𝐶 − ) 18
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝐾𝑑

This model only consider a linear sorption is other of which

𝑆 = 𝐾𝑑 𝐶 19

𝑃 𝑏 𝐾𝑑
And 𝑅 = 𝑙 + 20
𝜃
Where
S= Sorbed concentration (mm -1)
Kd = Linear partition distribution coefficient (L3M-1)
Dy = Effective diffusion coefficient in y- direction (L2T-1)
Dx = Effective diffusion coefficient in x- direction (L2T-1)
Pb = Bulk density of aquifer materials (ML-3)
⋋ = Sorption mass transfer rate (T-1)
Boundary conditions are;
𝑆 (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑜) = 0; 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 𝐿; 𝑂 ≤ 𝐿 21
𝜕𝑠
∫(𝑂, 𝐿) = 𝑂; 0 < 𝑡 < ∞ 22
𝜕𝑥