Virus transport in transient flow condition through unsaturated zone using HYDRUS-1D

A one dimensional numerical model is developed to study the vertical movement of the water and virus transport through homogeneous unsaturated porous media. The flow through a variably saturated zone is complicated and it is difficult to describe it quantitatively. As there is often changes in the state and content of soil water during flow so the flow through this zone is considered to be a highly nonlinear problem. In this study finite element scheme computer coded software, HYDRUS-1D is used to simulate the one dimensional flow equation and virus transport equation. This study is mainly carried for all type of unsaturated soil. The study uses a transient flow condition of water flow that is coupled with the convective- dispersive equation for subsurface solute transport. For simulating the partial differential equation of virus transport equilibrium solute transport model is selected with Crank-Nicholson as time weight scheme and Galerkin finite elements as space weight scheme. The viruses that is been employed in this study were the male specific RNA coliphage MS2, and the Salmonella typhimurium phage, PRD1. The result from the simulation indicates that the presence of water content has influence the transport of virus through the unsaturated zone.