| Abstract
| - Although geotextiles are increasingly employed instormwater infiltration basins, their influence on the flowand transfer of contaminants, such as heavy metals, has notbeen fully investigated. Leaching column experimentswere conducted to characterize the flow and transfer ofthree heavy metals (zinc, lead, and cadmium) in a calcareoussoil with and without geotextiles under steady-state flowand close to saturation for the soil. The influence of geotextileswas characterized for two types of geotextiles (needlepunched and thermosealed) and for two different initialsaturation degrees for the needlepunched geotextile.The main results showed that, when placed wet, theneedlepunched geotextile had no influence. When placeddry, it homogenized the flow in its surroundings andthus allowed better contact between heavy metals andthe reactive soil, resulting in an increase of their retention.The thermosealed geotextile, placed dry, homogenizedthe flow and increased retention over a larger area, resultingin optimal global retention. In conclusion, geotextilescould be used in infiltration basins, provided that theireffect on both flow and heavy metal retention is optimizedby appropriate designchoice of geotextilesandappropriate monitoringcontrol of hydric conditions.
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