ISSN:
1745-6584
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
,
Geosciences
Notes:
Because of increasingly stringent laws governing discharge of fluid wastes to surface waters, the alternative of discharge to the subsurface has become attractive. The physical-chemical processes that prevail in the subsurface are not well understood, but they are clearly not identical to processes of purification in surface waters. For example, in the subsurface the process of oxidation may be of little value in significantly reducing the concentration of discharged contaminants; in contrast, oxidation plays an important role in purifying surface waters. Eleven physical-chemical processes can be identified as having potential value for purifying wastes discharged to the subsurface, as follow: dilution, buffering of pH, precipitation by reaction, hydrolysis, oxidation or reduction, filtration, volatilization, biological assimilation, radioactive decay, membrane filtration, and sorption.Discharge to the vadose zone may be a safe means of disposal of wastes in arid regions. But it is necessary to carefully test the suitability of a particular site for a particular waste. Processes of purification in the vadose zone can be incorporated into a workable plan of discharge if adequate studies and safeguards are employed. Regulations governing subsurface discharge should take into account the physical-chemical processes that may act to purify the waste fluids. In one set of experiments, a soil from Sulfur Springs, New Mexico was capable of removing large quantities of dissolved molybdenum and copper from a synthetic mill water, and the soil was able to quantitatively retain the copper during subsequent leaching by fresh and metal-free mill waters. Such studies permit rational plans of discharge to be developed.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.1976.tb03131.x
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