A new method to trace colloid transport pathways in macroporous soils using X‐ray computed tomography and fluorescence macrophotography

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Soto-Gomez, D., Perez‐Rodriguez, P., Vazquez Juiz, L., Lopez‐Periago, J. E. and Paradelo, M. 2018. A new method to trace colloid transport pathways in macroporous soils using X‐ray computed tomography and fluorescence macrophotography. European Journal of Soil Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12783

AuthorsSoto-Gomez, D., Perez‐Rodriguez, P., Vazquez Juiz, L., Lopez‐Periago, J. E. and Paradelo, M.
Abstract

The fast and deep percolation of particles through soil is attributed to preferential flow pathways, and their extent can be critical in the filtering of particulate pollutants in soil. Particle deposition on the pore walls and transport between the pores and matrix modulate the preferential flow of particulate pollutants. In the present research, we developed a novel method of combining fluorescence macrophotography and X‐ray computed tomography (CT) to track preferential pathways of colloidal fluorescent microspheres (MS) in breakthrough experiments. We located accumulations of MS by fluorescence imaging and used them to delimit the deposition structures along the preferential colloid pathways by superimposing these images on the 3‐D pore network obtained from CT. Advection–diffusion with transport parameters from the dual‐porosity equation correlated with preferential pathway features across different soil management techniques. However, management did not influence the morphology of the MS preferential pathways. Preferential flow occurred in only a small fraction of the total pore network and was controlled by pores connected to the soil surface and by matrix density.

KeywordsParticulate tracer; Pore descriptors ; Tillage; Pore connectivity; Preferential pathwys
Year of Publication2018
JournalEuropean Journal of Soil Science
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12783
Open accessPublished as bronze (free) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funder project or codeS2N - Soil to Nutrition - Work package 1 (WP1) - Optimising nutrient flows and pools in the soil-plant-biota system
Publisher's version
Accepted author manuscript
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online22 Dec 2018
Publication process dates
Accepted12 Nov 2018
Copyright licensePublisher copyright
PublisherWiley
ISSN1351-0754

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