Soil biological clogging

Soil hydraulics and biogeochemistry are largely influenced by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. While attention has earlier focussed on the chemistry and biochemistry, only little effort has been devoted to understand pore clogging. Biological clogging of a soil column is caused by the production of exopolymeric substances (EPS) by microorganisms that immobilize water and reduce the hydraulic conductivity. We used BRTSim to simulate biological clogging and its effect on water infiltration in a vertical soil column for applications in bioremediation strategies such as biobarriers to contaminants or biological systems that integrate barriers with biodegradation. The animation below shows how the growth of microorganisms that produce EPS located between 1 and 1.2 m depth affect water flow in a dynamic way, up to the extreme situation of nearly entirely blocking the water vertical flow. Full details can be found in PUBLICATIONS.