Abstract
Contaminant transport in soil has drawn attention of many researchers around the world. Al-Mishraq sulfur deposit is located approximately 45 km south of Mosul, north of Iraq. This study aims to investigate the effect and movement of the possible leakage of heated water carrying dissolved sulfate and other contaminants toward the Tigris river near the extraction area. Studies on the area have indicated that Al-Mishraq sulfur deposit negatively affected the environmental situation of the region. A numerical simulation of the extent and movement of dissolved sulfate through the soil in Al-Mishraq deposit as a result of injecting heated water was conducted using Geo-Studio software. The soil water characteristic curve of the site soil was predicted. The hydraulic conductivity function was established. The contaminant movement and diffusion through each soil layer was studied. The results indicate that the state of soil as being saturated/unsaturated as well as the amount of injected water significantly affected the extent and concentration of the dissolved sulfate through the soil toward the river. The results also show that the permeability of soil and the amount of dissolved sulfate have appreciable effects on the rate of movement of dissolved sulfate.