Estimation of representative elementary volume for DNAPL saturation and DNAPL-water interfacial areas in 2D heterogeneous porous media

Abstract Representative elementary volume (REV) is important to determine properties of porous media and those involved in migration of contaminants especially dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) in subsurface environment. In this study, an experiment of long-term migration of the commonly used DNAPL, perchloroethylene (PCE), is performed in a two dimensional (2D) sandbox where several system variables including porosity, PCE saturation ( S oil ) and PCE-water interfacial area ( A OW ) are accurately quantified by light transmission techniques over the entire PCE migration process. Moreover, the REVs for these system variables are estimated by a criterion of relative gradient error ( e g i ) and results indicate that the frequency of minimum porosity-REV size closely follows a Gaussian distribution in the range of 2.0 mm and 8.0 mm. As experiment proceeds in PCE infiltration process, the frequency and cumulative frequency of both minimum S oil -REV and minimum A OW -REV sizes change their shapes from the irregular and random to the regular and smooth. When experiment comes into redistribution process, the cumulative frequency of minimum S oil -REV size reveals a linear positive correlation, while frequency of minimum A OW -REV size tends to a Gaussian distribution in the range of 2.0 mm–7.0 mm and appears a peak value in 13.0 mm–14.0 mm. Undoubtedly, this study will facilitate the quantification of REVs for materials and fluid properties in a rapid, handy and economical manner, which helps enhance our understanding of porous media and DNAPL properties at micro scale, as well as the accuracy of DNAPL contamination modeling at field-scale.