Oxygen Diffusion Coefficient of Soils at High Degrees of Saturation
Shelp ML, Yanful EK
(Received 23 November 1998; accepted 27 September 1999)

Abstract
The oxygen diffusion coefficient is an essential parameter for design of soil covers over mine waste. This study presents a method for measuring the oxygen diffusion coefficient of soils at high degrees of saturation. The method eliminates measurement errors caused by soil microbial activity, high humidity, and stagnant air in laboratory diffusion cells. Results show that microbial activity is an important factor that causes errors in O₂ measurements. Sterilization of soil, utilization of a silica gel-membrane system with oxygen sensors, and minimal stirring in the cell headspace greatly reduce the variability in O₂ diffusion coefficient measurements. The variations in estimated O₂ diffusion coefficients for the same soil at the same degree of saturation were ±31% about the mean for clayey soil samples and ±10% about the mean for silty soil samples.

Keywords:
acid rock drainiage, autoclaving, galvanic oxygen electrode, geotechnical, Microbial O2 consumption, moisture effect, oxygen diffusion coefficient

Paper ID: GTJ23104

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Author Shelp ML, Yanful EK Title Oxygen Diffusion Coefficient of Soils at High Degrees of Saturation Symposium , Committee on