Abstract
A two-dimensional finite element model was developed to simulate species of selenium transport in two dimensions in both saturated and unsaturated soil zones. The model considers water, selenate, selenite, and selenomethionine uptake by plants. It also considers adsorption and desorption, oxidation and reduction, volatilization, and chemical and biological transformations of selenate, selenite, and selenomethionine. In addition to simulating water flow, selenate, selenite, and selenomethionine transport, the model also simulates organic and gaseous selenium transport. The developed model was applied to simulate two different observed field data. The simulation of the observed data was satisfactory, with mean absolute error of 48.5 μg/l and mean relative error of 8.9%.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adriano, D. C. (1986). Trace element in terrestrial environment (Chapter 12). New York: Springer.
Ahlrichs, J. S., & Hossner, L. R. (1987). Selenate and selenite mobility in overburden by saturated flow. Journal of Environmental Quality, 16, 95–98.
Alemi, M. H., Goldhamer, D. A., & Nielson, D. R. (1988). Selenate transport in steady-state water saturated soil columns. Journal of Environmental Quality, 17, 608–613.
Alemi, M. H., Goldhamer, D. A., & Nielson, D. R. (1991). Modeling selenium transport in steady-state, unsaturated soil columns. Journal of Environmental Quality, 20, 89–95.
Alloway, B. J. (1995). Heavy metals in soils (2nd ed.). Glasgow: Blackie Academic.
Balistrieri, L. S., & Chao, T. T. (1987). Selenium adsorption by goethite. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 51, 1145–1151.
Biggar, J. W., & Jayaweera (1990). Soil–water vegetation management studies of selenium in Kesterson Restoration and Contaminant Project, December 1990.
Bujdos, M., Mulova, A., Kubova, J., & Medved, J. (2005). Selenium fractionation and speciation in rocks, soils, waters and plants in polluted surface mine environment. Environmental Geology, 47, 353–360.
Carter, D. L., Robbins, C. W., & Brown, M. J. (1972). Effect of phosphorous fertilization on the selenium concentration in alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Soil Science Society American Proceedings, 36, 624–628.
Cary, E. E., & Allaway, W. H. (1969). The solubility of different forms of selenium applied to low selenium soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 33, 571–574.
Cervinka, V. (1987). Agroforestry systems for the management of drain water in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Presented at the ASAE Pacific Region Meeting, Tucson, AZ, p. 6.
Cooke, T. D., & Bruland, K. W. (1987). Aquatic chemistry of selenium: Evidence of biomethylation. Environmental Science (Technical), 21, 1214–1219.
Deveral, S. J., & Fujii, R. (1988). Processes affecting the distribution of selenium in shallow ground water of agricultural areas, Western San Joaquin Valley, California. Water Resources Research, 24, 516–524.
Deverel, S. J., Gilliom, R. J., Fujii, R., Izbickii, J. A., & Fields, J. C. (1984). A real distribution of selenium and other inorganic constituents in shallow ground water of the San Luis Drain Service Area, San Joaquin Valley, California: A preliminary study. In Water Research Investigation Report 84, 4319 (p. 67). Reston: US Geological Survey.
Deveral, S. J., & Milliard, S. P. (1988). Distribution and mobility of selenium and their trace elements in shallow ground water of Western San Joaquin Valley. Environmental Science & Technology, 22, 697–702.
Dungan, R. S., & Frankenberger, Jr., W. T. (1999). Microbial transformations of selenium and the bioremediation of seleniferous environments. Bioremediation Journal, 3, 171–188.
Fio, J. L., & Fujii, R. (1990). Selenium speciation methods and application to soil saturation extracts from San Joaquin Valley, California. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 54, 363–369.
Fio, J. L., Fujii, R., & Deveral, S. J. (1990). Evaluation of selenium mobility in soil using sorption experiments and a numerical model, Western San Joaquin Valley, California. USGS Open File Report 90–135, p. 38. Sacramento, CA.
Frankenberger, W. T., & Benson, S. (1994). Selenium in environment. New York: Marcel Dekker.
Frankenberger, W. T., & Engberg, R. A. (1998). Environmental chemistry of selenium. New York: Marcel Dekker.
Fujii, R., Deveral, S. J., & Hayfield, D. B. (1988). Distribution of selenium in soils of agricultural fields, Western San Joaquin Valley, California. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 52, 1274–1283.
Girling, C. A. (1984). Selenium in agriculture and the environment. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 11, 37–65.
Gissler-Nielson, G. (1973). Uptake and distribution of added selenite and selenate by barley and red clover as influenced by sulfur. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 24, 749–755.
Gissler-Nielson, G. (1976). Selenium in soils and plants. In Proc. sympos. On selenium and telluvium in environment, Notre Dane, Indiana, USA.
Goldschmit, V. M. (1954). Geochemistry. NJ: Oxford University Press.
Hamdy, A. A., & Gissel-Nielson, G. (1977). Fixation of selenium by clay minerals and iron oxides. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenernährung und Bodenkunde, 140, 63–70.
Hutson, J. L., & Wagenet, R. J. (1989). Leaching estimation and chemistry model, a process-based model of water and solute movement, transformations, plant uptake and chemical reactions in the unsaturated zone (p. 148). Ithaca: Cornell University.
Johnson, C. M., Asher, C. J., & Broyer, T. C. (1967). In O. J. Muth (Ed.), Selenium in biomedicine. Westport: AVI.
Karajeh, F. F., Tanji, K. K., & King, I. P. (1994). Agroforestry drainage management model. I: Theory and validation. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, ASCE, 120(2), 363–381.
Karlson, U., & Frankenberger, W. T. (1989). Accelerated rates of selenium volatilization from California soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 53, 749–753.
Lemly, A. D., Finger, S. E., & Nelson, M. K. (1993). Sources and impacts of contaminants in arid wetlands. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 12, 2265.
May, T. W., Fairchild, J. F., Petty, J. D., Walther, M. J., Lucero, J., Delvaux, M., et al. (2008). An evaluation of selenium concentrations in water, sediment, invertebrates, and fish from the Solomon River Basin. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 137, 213–232.
May, T. W., Walther, M. J., Petty, J. D., Fairchild, J. F., Lucero, J., Delvaux, M., et al. (2001). An evaluation of selenium concentrations in water, sediment, invertebrates, and fish from the Republican River Basin: 1997–1999. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 72, 179–206.
Mirbagheri, S. A., Tanji, K. K., & Rajaee, T. (2008). Selenium transport and transformation modelling in soil columns and ground water contamination prediction. Hydrological Processes, 22, 2475–2483.
Mushak, P. (1985). Potential impact of acid precipitation on arsenic and selenium. Environmental Health Perspectives, 63, 105–113.
NAS-NRC (1976). Selenium, assembly of life sciences. Washington D.C.: National Academy of Science, National Research Council.
NRC (1989). Irrigation-induced water quality problems. What can be learned from the San Joaquin Valley experience. In National Research Council (NRC) Committee on Irrigation-Induced Water Quality Problems (p. 157). Washington. D.C.: National Academy Press.
Neal, R. H., & Sposito, G. (1989). Selenite adsorption on alluvial soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 53, 70–74.
Neal, R. H., Sposito, G., Holtzclaw, K. M., & Traina, S. J. (1987). Selenite sorption on alluvial soils, II. Solution composition effects. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 51, 1165–1169.
Neuman, S. P. (1973). Saturated-unsaturated seepage by finite elements. Journal of the Hydraulics Division, ASCE, 99(12), 2233–2250.
Nour el-Din, M. M., King, I. P., & Tanji, K. K. (1987). Salinity management model: I. Development. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, ASCE, 113(4), 440–453.
Peters, G. M., Maher, W., Barford, J. P., & Gomes, V. (1997). Selenium associations in estuarine sediments: Redox effects. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 99, 275–282.
Sager, M. (1994a). Selenium, occurrence and ecology. In M. Vernet (Ed.), Environmental contamination. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Sager, M. (1994b). Spurenanalytik des Selens, Analytiker Taschenbuch Band 12 (pp. 257–312). Berlin: Springer.
Shifang, F. (1991). Selenite adsorption/desorption in the California soils. Ph.D. Dissertation, Soil Science, Univ. of Calif. at Davis, p. 191.
SJVDP (1990). A management plan for agricultural surface drainage and related problems on the Westside San Joaquin Valley. Final report (p. 183). Sacramento, CA: San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program, USDI and CA Resources Agency.
Sposito, G., de Wit, C. M., & Neal, R. H. (1988). Selenite adsorption on alluvial soils, III: Chemical modeling. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 52, 947–950.
Statman, T. (1974). Selenium uptake by plant. Science, 183, 915–922.
Tanji, K. K., Lauchli, A., & Meyer, J. (1986). Selenium in the San Joaquin valley. Environment, 28, 6–39.
Tanji, K. K., Ong, C. G. H., Dahlgren, R. A., & Herbel, M. J. (1992). Salt deposits in evaporation ponds: An environmental hazard? California Agriculture, 46, 18–21.
Thompson-Eagle, E. T., & Frankenberger, W. T. (1990). Volatilization of selenium from agricultural evaporation pond water. Journal of Environmental Quality, 19, 125–131.
Westernman, D. T., & Robbins, C. W. (1974). Effects of \({\rm{SO}}_{4}^{2-}\) fertilization on Se concentration of alfalfa. Agronomy Journal, 66, 207–218.
Zhang, Y., Pan, G., Chen, J., & Hu, O. (2003). Uptake and transport of selenite and selenate by soybean seedlings of two genotypes. Plant and Soil, 253, 437–443.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tayfur, G., Tanji, K.K. & Baba, A. Two-dimensional finite elements model for selenium transport in saturated and unsaturated zones. Environ Monit Assess 169, 509–518 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-1193-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-1193-1