Retention of conservative and sorptive solutes in streams--simultaneous tracer experiments

The effective transport velocity of solutes in rivers and streams is governed by transient storage in hyporheic zones in which the longitudinal advection velocity is small relative to the main stream flow velocity. Results from a simultaneous tracer experiment using a non-reactive (tritium, 3H2O) and a sorptive tracer [chromium, 51Cr(III)] have formed the basis of a more accurate interpretation of the retention characteristics of solutes in streams than previously has been possible. By using a simultaneous injection of these two tracers, it was possible to distinguish between their different behaviours. Based on estimations of fluxes, the retained mass of chromium in the storage zones along the 30-km-long study-reach was 76% after 150 h. Independent observations in the bed sediment indicated that the loss of chromium observed in the water was mainly a result of uptake into the bed sediment. To describe the transport in the stream, a model concept including solute sorption kinetics in the bed sediment was proposed. Evaluation of parameters in the model, indicated that the uptake of chromium in the bed sediment is controlled by sorption kinetics.