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McKay, Donald. "Front matter" Multimedia Environmental Models ...

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Conversely, if the contact time is short, we can expect to use 4B/pt . If we measure<br />

the transfer rates at several temperatures, and thus different diffusivities, or measure<br />

the transfer rate of different chemicals of different B, then plot kM versus B on loglog<br />

paper, the slope of the line will be 1.0 if steady-state applies, and 0.5 if unsteadystate<br />

applies. In practice, an intermediate power of about 2/3 often applies, suggesting<br />

that we have mostly penetration diffusion followed by a period of near-steady-state<br />

diffusion.<br />

©2001 CRC Press LLC<br />

7.6 DIFFUSION IN POROUS MEDIA<br />

When a solute is diffusing in air or water, its movement is restricted only by<br />

collisions with other molecules. If solid particles or phases are also present, the solid<br />

surfaces will also block diffusion and slow the net velocity. <strong>Environmental</strong>ly, this<br />

is important in sediments in which a solute may have been deposited at some time<br />

in the past, and from which it is now diffusing back to the overlying water. It is also<br />

important in soils from which pesticides may be volatilizing. It is therefore essential<br />

to address the question, “By how much does the presence of the solid phase retard<br />

diffusion?” We assume that the solid particles are in contact, but there remains a<br />

tortuous path for diffusion (otherwise, there is no access route, and the diffusivity<br />

would be zero).<br />

The process of diffusion is shown schematically in Figure 7.5, in which it is<br />

apparent that the solute experiences two difficulties. First, it must take a more<br />

tortuous path, which can be defined by a tortuosity factor, F Y, the ratio of tortuous<br />

distance to direct distance. Second, it does not have available the full area for<br />

diffusion, i.e., it is forced to move through a smaller area, which can be defined<br />

using an area factor, F A. This area factor F A, is equal to the void fraction, i.e., the<br />

Figure 7.5 Diffusion in a porous medium in which only part of the area is accessible, and the<br />

diffusing molecule must take a longer, tortuous path.

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