Author(s): Mohamed Bey Zekkoub; Pablo Tassi; Norinda Chhim
Linked Author(s): Pablo TASSI
Keywords: Modeling Polymers Rivers Sediment Advection Diffusion Adsorption openTELEMAC
Abstract: Sodium polyacrylate is a widely used polymer across many industries. Given the level of its use, it is important to consider its environmental fate after being released in a water body. This study investigates its behavior in a 7.4 km reach of the Seine River using a combination of laboratory experiments, analytical solutions and numerical modeling. Laboratory tests were conducted to estimate the input parameters for the numerical model, focusing on the adsorption of sodium polyacrylate onto suspended sediments. One-dimensional analytical solutions, derived under simplifying assumptions, provided a good approximation of the complete model. The comparison showed excellent agreement between the numerical and analytical solutions in a simplified flume-like configuration. In a river reach, good agreement is observed near the discharge point when comparing with the analytical solution, though transport became strongly two-dimensional further downstream. The long-term accumulation of sodium polyacrylate in the riverbed is also explored, underscoring the role of sediment dynamics in its transport.
Year: 2025