Natural transport of volatile organic compounds due to annual variation of soil temperature

Abstract EN

A theoretical investigation of factors affecting gas phase transport of volatile organic compounds in unsaturated zone is presented.

Studying annual soil temperature variation with time and depth declares that there is a considerable temperature variation in the upper few meters that may affect the overall natural mass transport of volatile organic compounds.

A one-dimensional mathematical model is used to study the effect of soil temperature variation on diffusive mass transport.

From the analytical solution, it is clear that there is a significant net mass transport upward direction and a stimulated spatial oscillation of contaminant concentration in soil.

The magnitude of these two modes of mass transport is higher as the contaminant is more volatile.