Water quality dependence on the depth of the vadose zone in SAT-simulated soil columns

Abstract

Three soil aquifer treatment (SAT) columns were operated for five months to investigate the dependence of the treated water quality upon the depth of unsaturated vadose zone in terms of its organics, nitrogen and phosphorus contents. It was found that DOC removal was independent of the unsaturated vadose zone depth except during the initial flooding period when the effluent was injected into each column. From tests to study the nitrate profile, it was found that the pattern of nitrification was dependent on the depth of the unsaturated zone during the initial periods of SAT flooding. However, no further nitrification occurred at the end of the flooding since the injection of the effluent continued to provide a high loading concentration to the SAT columns. The lack of phosphate removal in this study indicates that its removal is more dependent upon the soils and aquifer characteristics than on the depth of unsaturated zone.