Mathematical Transport Modeling for Determination of Effectiveness of Kepone Clean Up Activities in the James River Estuary

摘要

During the period of 1966-1975, a highly chlorinated pesticide, Kepone, was discharged to the environment around Hopewell, Virginia. Much of the Kepone that reached the James River estuary was adsorbed by river sediment, becoming a long-term source of pollution. In order to identify an optimal location to remove Kepone from the river bed and to assess the effectiveness of the clean up activities to reduce the Kepone level in the river, the mathematical simulation of sediment and Kepone transport in the James River estuary was performed by applying the sediment-containment transport model, FETRA, to an 86-km river reach between Bailey and Burwell Bays. The FETRA code is an unsteady, two-dimensional, finite element interactions. The submodels are: (1) a sediment transport submodel, (2) a dissolved contaminant transport submodel, and (3) a particulate contaminant (contaminant adsorbed by sediment) transport submodel. FETRA also predicts changes in river bed conditions of sediment and contaminant. The value of applying models to dredging activity goes beyond this specific example. Through the sensitivity analysis, one can employ models to predict the most cost effective strategy for dredging. Properly constructed strategies will take advantage of river and coastal water dynamics to reduce the total volume of sediments to be dredged. Results of the simulation can also be used to predict subsequent environmental impacts. (ERA citation 06:005314)