Water Contamination Modeling—A Review of the State of the Science

Abstract

This paper reports on the current state of surface water and ocean contamination models-based on the needs of US Government agencies, their Information Technology (IT) systems, and business processes. In addition, down-selection and evaluation criteria were applied in a two-step process. In Step 1, sixty five surface water and ocean models were identified and researched. In Step 2, the following criteria were explored for each model: 1) model environment (river, lake estuary, coastal ocean and watershed); 2) degree of analysis (screening model intermediate model, advanced model); 3) availability (public domain, proprietary); 4) temporal variability (steady state or time variable/dynamic); 5) spatial resolution (one, two or three dimensional); 6) processes (flow, transport, both flow and transport in an integrated system); 7) water quality (chemical, biological, radionuclides, sediment); and 8) support (user support/training available, user manuals/documents available).

Experimenting biochemical oxygen demand decay rates of Malaysian river water in a laboratory flume

“…Depuration comprises different mechanisms such as dilution, sedimentation, reaeration, adsorption, absorption, and chemical and biological reactions, and can be evaluated by the same mathematical model (Bahadur et al, 2013, González et al, 2014. Water quality models are essential tools for the development of planning and management measures for water resources in river basins (Panagopoulos et al, 2012).…”

“…The Streeter-Phelps model has resulted in the subsequent development of numerous numerical models used in computer applications, such as: QUAL-I, II and E (Fischer, 1995), QUAL-2K (Chapra et al, 2006), among others (Bahadur et al, 2013). These models, derived from classical Streeter-Phelps equations, have been widely used not only in to assess water quality, but also to predict damage resulting from the implementation of water resources management measures.…”

Ecological and human risk assessment of long-term produced water discharge to the ocean at the Sonda de Campeche, Gulf of México

“…(Bahadur et al 2013). The discharges were modeled as 262,000 m 3 day -1 of PW from pipes located 13 m below the sea surface.…”

Deoxygenation rate, reaeration and potential for self-purification of small tropical urban stream

“…Water self-purification is a complex process involving physical, chemical and biological processes that occur simultaneously, allowing a river can recover its natural state over a certain distance (Vagnetti et al, 2003;Demars and Manson, 2013). Depuration comprises different mechanisms such as dilution, sedimentation, reaeration, adsorption, absorption, and chemical and biological reactions, and can be evaluated by the same mathematical model (Bahadur et al, 2013, González et al, 2014. Water quality models are essential tools for the development of planning and management measures for water resources in river basins (Panagopoulos et al, 2012).…”

“…The precursor of more contemporary water quality models was proposed by Streeter and Phelps (1925), and was applied in a study on the Ohio River to increase the efficiency of actions to control pollution. The Streeter-Phelps model has resulted in the subsequent development of numerous numerical models used in computer applications, such as: QUAL-I, II and E (Fischer, 1995), QUAL-2K (Chapra et al, 2006), among others (Bahadur et al, 2013). These models, derived from classical Streeter-Phelps equations, have been widely used not only in to assess water quality, but also to predict damage resulting from the implementation of water resources management measures.…”