This study investigates contaminant transport and accumulation in sandy arid soils, focusing on a severe pollution event in 2017 in the Ashalim Basin, Israel. It employs long-term field monitoring, lab experiments, and numerical models to understand pollutant transport dynamics. Findings reveal that contaminants persist near the surface and circulate vertically. The surface evaporation capacitor concept proves to be useful in predicting contaminant fate along the soil profile.