The goal of this project was to identify the chemical and physical factors that control the transport of colloids in fractured materials, and develop a generalized capability to predict colloid attachment and detachment based on hydraulic factors (head, flow rate), physical processes and structure (fracture aperture, matrix porosity), and chemical properties (surface properties of colloids, solution chemistry, and mineralogy of fracture surfaces). Both aqueous chemistry and physical structure of geologic formations influenced transport. Results of studies at all spatial scales reached consensus on the importance of several key controlling variables: (1) colloid retention is dominated by chemical conditions favoring colloid-wall interactions; (2) even in the presence of conditions favorable to colloid collection, deposited colloids are remobilized over long times and this process contributes substantially to the overall extent of transport; (3) diffusive exchange between water-conducting fractures and finer fractures and pores acts to ''buffer'' the effects of the major fracture network structure, and reduces predictive uncertainties. Predictive tools were developed that account for fundamental mechanisms of colloid dynamics in fracture geometry, and linked to larger-scale processes in networks of fractures. The results of our study highlight the key role of physical and hydrologic factors, and processes of colloid remobilization that are potentially of even greater importance to colloid transport in the vadose zone than in saturated conditions. We propose that this work be extended to focus on understanding vadose zone transport processes so that they can eventually be linked to the understanding and tools developed in our previous project on transport in saturated groundwater systems.

Colloids having the same surface charge sign as the bulk of the geologic media in a groundwater system may be able to travel through the system faster than soluble species because they will follow fluid streamlines more closely and they should have less tendency to diffuse into pores or dead spaces in the media than soluble species. Synthetic colloids with uniform, controlled properties may be ideal for serving as {open_quotes}worst-case{close_quotes} tracers that provide lower-bound estimates of contaminant travel times in hydrologic systems. This report discusses a review of the literature pertaining to colloid transport in single saturated natural fractures. After a brief background discussion to put the literature review in perspective, the phenomenon of colloid transport in saturated fractures is divided into three major topics, each of which is reviewed in detail: (1) saturated fluid flow through fractures; (2) colloid transport by convection, diffusion, and force fields; and (3) colloid interactions with surfaces. It is suggested that these phenomena be accounted for in colloid transport models by using (1) lubrication theory to describe water flow through fractures, (2) particle tracking methods to describe colloid transport in fractures, and (3) a kinetic boundary layer approximation to describe colloid interactions with fracture walls. These methods offer better computational efficiency and better experimental accessibility to model parameters than rigorously solving the complete governing equations.

We analyze the interactive migration of radioactive colloids and solute in fractured rock. Two possible interactions between radionuclides as colloids and as solute are considered: solute sorption on nonradioactive colloids to form pseudocolloids, and dissolution of radioactive colloids. Previous studies have discussed the formation and transport of colloids in porous media, including removal of colloids by filtration and sedimentation. Colloids can migrate faster than solute because of weaker sorption on stationary solids and because of hydrochromatography of colloid particles in flow channels. However, the migration of colloids and pseudocolloids can be retarded by the interaction of colloids with solute, and the migration of solute in local equilibrium with colloids can be more rapid than if colloids were not present. Here we present a new quantative analysis to predict the interactive migration of colloids and solute in porous and fractured media. 4 figs.