Investigating the effect of superabsorbent hydrogel on hydraulic characteristics of desert soil

• Published in: Arid land research and management Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 348 - 369
• Main Authors: Saha, Abhisekh, Drishti, Jain, Prerna, Nancy, Kumari
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 03.07.2025
• Subjects: Hydraulic conductivity; hydrus 1D; soil-water retention; superabsorbent hydrogel; water flow modeling
• ISSN: 1532-4982; 1532-4990
• DOI: 10.1080/15324982.2024.2441726

Superabsorbent hydrogels (SAH) have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their potential implications for various applications in civil engineering, agriculture, and environmental management. However, the potential application of SAH for improving soil-water retention behavior and restricting water percolation into deeper layers in arid soils is rarely explored. The present study investigates the interactive effect of SAH and desert soil on saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil-water retention curve (SWRC), unsaturated hydraulic conductivity function (UHCF), and water percolation characteristics. The desert soil was collected adjacent to Thar desert, and different concentrations of SAH were added to evaluate its impact on hydraulic characteristics. Efforts were made to understand the effect of SAH on SWRC parameters, UHCF, and water percolation through 1D soil column. The experimental results showed exponential decrease in saturated hydraulic conductivity (k sat ) of desert soil with increasing SAH concentrations. At the SAH concentrations of 0.8%, the k sat value was decreased by 187 times, and field capacity was increased by 48% as compared to soil with 0% Gel. The water flow simulation indicated an increased moisture retention at the surface layer with reduction of basal percolation by 2 times, 65 times, and 710 times in 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.8% SAH amended soils, respectively.