Modeling of Groundwater Contaminant Fate and Transport
Groundwater can become contaminated from a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic activities. Using Visual MODFLOW, and a combination of MODFLOW and MT3DMS, or RT3D, or PHT3D, you can simulate the movement of contaminants in the groundwater.
MT3D models dissolved solutes in groundwater including the following common problems:
- dissolved plumes
- simple reactive transport
- injection wells
- waste lagoon, landfills, contaminant spills
- non-point source pollution

Simulating contaminant transport requires an understanding of three concepts:
- Principles of natural attenuation: the physical processes within the hydrogeologic environment that affect solute concentration along flowpaths through the system
- Principles of modeling solute transport: how MT3D and RT3D implement each of these principles
- Solution techniques for the transport equation: techniques for solving the mathematical equation that is defined within MT3D/RT3D; for example, UFD, MOC, TVD, …
Once you have simulated the historical movement of contaminants to present-day, you may be interested in evaluating various remediation alternatives. Learn more about how Visual MODFLOW can be used for assessing a wide variety of groundwater remediation techniques.
Online References using Visual MODFLOW for Contaminant Fate and Transport
Title | Region |
A Case Study in the Use of 3-Dimensional Ground Water Modeling and Solute Transport Engines as a Tool in Site Assessment Keywords: contaminants from industrial site, underground tanks, BTEX, heavy metals (Cd and Cr), Published in: Environment and Pollution | USA |
Human risk assessment of benzene after a gasoline station fuel leak, Basilia, Brazil. | Brazil |
Impact of the Urban and Industrial Waste Water on Surface and Groundwater, in the Region of Annaba, (Algeria) Keywords: Stream, industrial contaminants, Chromium Published in: Energy Procedia – Technologies and Materials for Renewable Energy, Environment and Sustainability | Algeria |
Estimation of Groundwater Recharge of Sewage Effluent Using a Coupled Water- Solute Transport Model Published In: ISMAR7 Proceedings | |
Modelling of chemical migration under the overlapping impact of multiple and diverse pollution sources in the area of the “Zachem” Chemical Plant (Bydgoszcz, northern Poland)Keywords: organic and inorganic contamination Published in: Bulletin of Geography. Physical Geography Series | Poland |
Responsible Groundwater Management in Kuwait’s Oil Fields Keywords: oilfield water resource, brine storage | Kuwait |
Application of Visual MODFLOW to simulation of migration in Cr6+ contaminated site Keywords: Chromium, heavy metals Published in: Journal of Groundwater Science and Engineering | China |
Impact of Hydro Remediation In Dilution of Contaminant In Groundwater System in Ambur, Sub Basin, Tamil Nadu, India Published in: Journal of Industrial Pollution Control | India |
Simulation of the transfer of organochlorine pollutants in an alluvial aquifer in an alpine valley: the case of tetrachloroethene Keywords: PCE, industrial contaminants | Switzerland |
Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution Using Modflow Published in: The Asian Review of Civil Engineering Keywords: TDS, textile industrial effluent | India |
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Note: Waterloo Hydrogeologic does not imply endorsement of software from the authors of these publications/reports.
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