Optimizing the experimental design of soil columns in saturated and unsaturated transport experiments

Soil column experiments in both the saturated and unsaturated regimes are widely used for applied and theoretical studies in such diverse fields as transport model evaluation, fate and transport of pesticides, explosives, microbes, heavy metals and non aqueous phase liquids, and for evapotranspiration studies. The apparent simplicity of constructing soil columns conceals a number of technical issues which can seriously affect the outcome of an experiment, such as the presence or absence of macropores, artificial preferential flow paths, non-ideal infiltrate injection and unrealistic moisture regimes. This review examines the literature to provide an analysis of the state of the art for constructing both saturated and unsaturated soil columns. Common design challenges are discussed and best practices for potential solutions are presented. This article discusses both basic principles and the practical advantages and disadvantages of various experimental approaches. Both repacked and monolith-type columns are discussed. The information in this review will assist soil scientists, hydrogeologists and environmental professionals in optimizing the construction and operation of soil column experiments in order to achieve their objectives, while avoiding serious design flaws which can compromise the integrity of their results.