Modeling the release and spreading of permanganate from aerated slow-release oxidants in a laboratory flow tank

Aerated, slow-release oxidants are a relatively new technology for treating contaminated aquifers. A critical need for advancing this technology is developing a reliable method for predicting the radius of influence (ROI) around each drive point. In this work, we report a series of laboratory flow tank experiments and numerical modeling efforts designed to predict the release and spreading of permanganate from aerated oxidant candles (oxidant-wax composites). To mimic the design of the oxidant delivery system used in the field, a double screen was used in a series of flow tank experiments where the oxidant was placed inside the inner screen and air was bubbled upward in the gap between the screens. This airflow pattern creates an airlift pump that causes water and oxidant to be dispersed from the top of the outer screen and drawn in at the bottom. Using this design, we observed that permanganate spreading and ROI increased with aeration and decreased with advection. A coupled bubble flow and transport model was able to successfully reproduce observed results by mimicking the upward shape and spreading of permanganate under various aeration and advection rates.