Application of Particle Tracking Model in Sulphur Dioxide Transport through a Porous Medium
Sheilla J. Kiprotich *
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The transport of pollutants in porous media is a hydrodynamic dispersion phenomena has been a research subject for more than four decades. Factory activities and uncontrolled use of pesticides in agriculture cause serious damage to the environment in the area and affected groundwater. The transport of contaminants emanating from localised sources such as factories and agricultural farms in porous media is of hydro dispersion phenomena has been the major subject for more than four decades. Because of industrial and agricultural activities, inorganic wastes, mainly biodegradable and non-biodegradable substance example sulphur dioxide, oil spills, human wastes, fertilisers, among others, percolate through porous media and eventually find their way to water bodies like streams, rivers and boreholes. This research study aims to describe a particle tracking model of sulphur dioxide in flow-through porous media from Chemelil milling wastes (molasses) and agricultural inputs, example fertilizers, fungicides, and herbicides, with respect to concentration between two points, concentration along the contour field and velocity and the effects of decay and sorption in three dimensions. The governing equation of three-dimensional concentration distribution in fluid flow through porous media will be determined in terms of a three-dimensional non-linear advection-dispersion equation. The finite difference method will be used to solve the MATLAB software will be used to validate the results using data from Chemelil factory as the source point. The velocity vectors of toxic substances obey the diffusion law that diffusion of a contaminant occurs due to the presence of a diffusion gradient between the two regions. The diffusion gradient is the driving force which determines the direction of the flow of toxic substances. Therefore, the lives of the inhabitants and animals will be at high risk because most of these chemicals are hazardous if they are consumed by people and animals’ water with sulphur dioxide and other toxic chemicals.
Keywords: Particle tracking model, sulphur dioxide, porous medium, inorganic wastes