Iron clogging mechanism around injection wells during groundwater recharge in shallow iron-rich aquifer: insight from spatiotemporal evolution

IF 11.4 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Water Research Pub Date : 2025-05-06 DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2025.123778

Min Shi, Yuesuo Yang, Dianlong Wang, Yuhui Wu, Xi Zhang, Ying Lu

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Abstract

Iron deposits in the filters and porous media around injection wells could induce severe clogging, thereby limiting the sustainability of groundwater heat pump (GWHP) systems. During the water injection in shallow iron-rich aquifers, iron clogging exhibits both spatial and temporal evolution in terms of its composition and formation processes. This study employed a two-dimensional sand tank experiment with continuous multicomponent groundwater to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of clogging around the injection well. The results suggested that upper-layer clogging was dominated by high-crystallinity iron oxides, goethite, and lepidocrocite, primarily caused by oxidation corrosion of filter. The evolution of lower-layer clogging occurred in stages with distinct material-mechanism-impact relationships. The initial phase (0–15 days): clogging comprised of calcium carbonate and low-crystallinity iron oxides induced by oxygen enrichment and CO₂ depletion during the early injection period, causing a 10% hydraulic head difference to increase. Mid-stage (15–35 days): microbial aggregates, SiO₂, and lower-crystallinity iron oxides dominated as hydrodynamic shifts elevated pH and redox potential, accelerating microbial growth and iron oxide deposition, amplifying hydraulic head difference to 60%. Stabilization phase (after 35 days): biofilms and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secretion by microbial communities consolidated pore occlusion, sustaining stable hydraulic resistance. Each stage transitioned from abiotic mineral precipitation to biologically reinforced clogging, progressively restricting permeability through synergistic physicochemical and microbial processes. This study highlighted a novel understanding of the evolution of iron clogging within an injection well located in a shallow iron-rich aquifer, and proposed region- and stage-specific strategies for clogging mitigation and control.

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浅层富铁含水层地下水补给过程中注水井周围铁堵塞机制：来自时空演化的洞察

注水井周围过滤器和多孔介质中的铁沉积物可能导致严重堵塞，从而限制地下水热泵系统的可持续性。在浅层富铁含水层注水过程中，铁堵塞的组成和形成过程具有时空演化特征。采用二维连续多组分地下水砂槽试验，探讨注水井周围堵塞的时空演化规律。结果表明，上层堵塞主要由高结晶度氧化铁、针铁矿和绢云母构成，主要由过滤器氧化腐蚀引起。下层淤塞的演化是分阶段进行的，具有明显的物质-机制-冲击关系。初始阶段（0-15天）：注入初期富氧和CO₂耗散引起碳酸钙和低结晶度氧化铁堵塞，水头差增大10%。中期（15-35天）：随着水动力变化，pH值和氧化还原电位升高，微生物聚集物、二氧化硅和低结晶度氧化铁占主导地位，加速微生物生长和氧化铁沉积，水头差扩大到60%。稳定期（35天后）：微生物群落分泌的生物膜和胞外聚合物（EPS）巩固了孔闭塞，维持稳定的水力阻力。每个阶段都从非生物矿物沉淀过渡到生物强化堵塞，通过协同的物理化学和微生物过程逐渐限制渗透率。该研究强调了对位于富铁浅层含水层的注入井中铁堵塞演变的新认识，并提出了针对特定区域和阶段的堵塞缓解和控制策略。

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来源期刊

Water Research 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

20.80

自引率

9.40%

发文量

1307

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Water Research, along with its open access companion journal Water Research X, serves as a platform for publishing original research papers covering various aspects of the science and technology related to the anthropogenic water cycle, water quality, and its management worldwide. The audience targeted by the journal comprises biologists, chemical engineers, chemists, civil engineers, environmental engineers, limnologists, and microbiologists. The scope of the journal include: •Treatment processes for water and wastewaters (municipal, agricultural, industrial, and on-site treatment), including resource recovery and residuals management; •Urban hydrology including sewer systems, stormwater management, and green infrastructure; •Drinking water treatment and distribution; •Potable and non-potable water reuse; •Sanitation, public health, and risk assessment; •Anaerobic digestion, solid and hazardous waste management, including source characterization and the effects and control of leachates and gaseous emissions; •Contaminants (chemical, microbial, anthropogenic particles such as nanoparticles or microplastics) and related water quality sensing, monitoring, fate, and assessment; •Anthropogenic impacts on inland, tidal, coastal and urban waters, focusing on surface and ground waters, and point and non-point sources of pollution; •Environmental restoration, linked to surface water, groundwater and groundwater remediation; •Analysis of the interfaces between sediments and water, and between water and atmosphere, focusing specifically on anthropogenic impacts; •Mathematical modelling, systems analysis, machine learning, and beneficial use of big data related to the anthropogenic water cycle; •Socio-economic, policy, and regulations studies.