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    Volume 51 Issue 6
    Jun.  2026
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    Article Contents
    Yuan Yuan, Zhu Qiaohui, Tong Man, Li Hang, Zheng Xianzhong, Liu Jie, Yuan Songhu, 2026. Influence of Porous Aquifer Heterogeneity on Contaminant Transport, Transformation and Remediation. Earth Science, 51(6): 2336-2346. doi: 10.3799/dqkx.2026.130
    Citation: Yuan Yuan, Zhu Qiaohui, Tong Man, Li Hang, Zheng Xianzhong, Liu Jie, Yuan Songhu, 2026. Influence of Porous Aquifer Heterogeneity on Contaminant Transport, Transformation and Remediation. Earth Science, 51(6): 2336-2346. doi: 10.3799/dqkx.2026.130

    Influence of Porous Aquifer Heterogeneity on Contaminant Transport, Transformation and Remediation

    doi: 10.3799/dqkx.2026.130
    • Received Date: 2026-04-10
    • Publish Date: 2026-06-25
    • Porous aquifer heterogeneity is a fundamental factor constraining the efficiency of groundwater remediation at contaminated sites. This study clarified the concepts of structural heterogeneity and redox heterogeneity, and systematically analyzed the mechanisms of heterogeneity governing the transport and transformation of contaminants and remediation reagents.Structural heterogeneity primarily controls contaminant transport and the delivery and dispersion of remediation reagents. Permeability difference within aquifers commonly results in remediation blind zones in low-permeability regions as amendment penetration is limited. This may lead to contaminant rebound during the later stage of remediation due to back diffusion. Redox heterogeneity, characterized by spatial variations in redox capacity, mainly influenced contaminant transformation and remediation reagent consumption through its involvement in electron transfer processes. Consequently, the effects of redox capacity must be explicitly considered in the selection of remediation technologies and the design of operational parameters. Finally, key challenges associated with the remediation of heterogeneous aquifers are identified, and future research directions are proposed based on a synthesis of existing mitigation strategies.

       

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