Theoretical relationships between reactivity and permeability for monomineralic porous media

The release of contaminants to the subsurface has lead to potential or actual contamination of groundwater resources. The remediation of these plumes requires improved capability for the prediction of contaminant fate and transport. Key to improving predictive capabilities is an increased understanding of natural chemical (or reactive) heterogeneity in subsurface media and how chemical and physical heterogeneity are related. Although the effects of physical heterogeneity on transport has received significant attention, similar investigations of chemical heterogeneity, and the correlation of chemical and physical heterogeneity are in their infancy. Theoretical considerations for unconsolidated porous media composed of sand-sized grains of a single reactive phase suggest that chemical reactivity and permeability are inversely related. This correlation is consistent with measured permeability, porosity, and surface area data for unconsolidated sands. The correlation arises because both reactivity and permeability are functions of the surface area of the porous media. This relationship suggests that for a heterogeneous porous media, significant contaminant transport will occur in zones of minimal reactivity