Nitrate Electromigration in Sandy Soil in the Presence of Hydraulic Flow

Abstract

Chemicals applied to agricultural lands inevitably move below the plant root zone and may contaminate the underlying ground-water reservoirs. Laboratory open system soil column experiments were conducted to evaluate electromigration as a process for concentrating and retaining the nitrates close to the anode in soil subjected to hydraulic flow. Electromigration was found to be an effective means for concentrating and retaining nitrate close to the anode in saturated sandy soil at low flow rates. However, for a given electrical input, the effect was reduced as the hydraulic flow rate increased, being indiscernible for higher flow rates.