Assessment of Bio-Geochemical Clogging in Permeable Reactive Barriers in Acid Sulphate Soil

Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) can successfully treat acidic groundwater generated in acid sulphate soil terrains, but the bio-geochemical clogging of reactive granular assembly hinders their effectiveness. The chemical clogging of the porous media has been analysed extensively in previous studies, but they did not include the component of biological clogging. This doctoral study offers comprehensive research into the coupled chemical and biological clogging of a PRB. Laboratory experiments, field investigations, a novel mathematical model and a numerical model were used to simulate the combined effect of geochemistry, microbiology, and geo-hydraulics in PRBs installed in acidic terrains.