A multimedia fate model to evaluate the fate of PAHs in Songhua River, China

Environ Pollut. 2012 May:164:81-8. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2012.01.025. Epub 2012 Feb 16.

Abstract

A multimedia fate model coupling dynamic water flow with a level IV fugacity model has been developed and applied to simulate the temporal and spatial fate of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Songhua River, China. The model has two components: in the first, the one-dimensional network kinematic wave equation is used to calculate varying water flow and depth. In the second, Fugacity IV equations are implemented to predict contaminant distributions in four environmental media. The estimated concentrations of eight PAHs in Songhua River are obtained, and all simulated results are in acceptable agreement with monitoring data, as verified with the Theil's inequality coefficient test. The sensitivity of PAH concentration in each environmental phase to input parameters are also evaluated. Our results show the model predicts reasonably accurate contaminant concentrations in natural rivers, and that it can be used to supply necessary information for control and management of water pollution.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Environmental Monitoring / methods*
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Chemical*
  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis*
  • Rivers / chemistry*
  • Water Movements
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*
  • Water Pollution, Chemical / statistics & numerical data

Substances

  • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical