2. Introduction to Contaminant Transport in Sediments

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is diffusion?

   Hint

   Think about how scent spreads in a room.

2. 2.

   What does a semi-infinite system imply?

   Hint

   What happens at the bottom of a deep body of water?

3. 3.

   What is the primary driving force for contaminant transport in sediments?

   • Convection
   • Diffusion
   • Capillary Action

   Hint

   Think about how smells travel in air.

4. 4.

   True or False: At large depths in a semi-infinite system, concentration remains constant.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   What happens as you go deeper into the ocean?

5. 5.

   Given a sediment layer with an initial contaminant concentration of 500 mg/kg and a mass transfer coefficient of 2.3 m/yr, calculate the expected flux at the sediment-water interface after 30 days using derived equations.

   Hint

   Refer back to the relationship between initial concentration and boundary conditions.

6. 6.

   Discuss how the dynamics of resuspension would change in an environment with varying rainfall patterns, and what implications this has for contaminant levels downstream.

   Hint

   Consider seasonal changes and impacts on water flow.