 Breakthrough curve

The time dependence of an effluent concentration as retention capacity is approached or exhausted. Its early tail matters when a minimum retention time is required.

A **breakthrough curve** is a graphical representation commonly used in fields such as environmental engineering, hydrology, and chemical engineering to illustrate the behavior of a solute or contaminant as it moves through a medium, often in the context of filtration, adsorption, or transport processes. ### Key Components of a Breakthrough Curve 1. **Time or Volume of Effluent**: The x-axis usually represents time or the cumulative volume of effluent that has passed through the system.