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1
Technical University Iasi, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, 71
Mangeron Blvd.700050 Iasi, Romania
2
Technical University Iasi, Faculty of Automatic Control and Computer Engineering, Department of Computer Engineering, 53
Mangeron Blvd.700050 Iasi, Romania
Abstract
Heavy metals can be transported by rivers which flow through areas with industrial pollution, both as metal in solution and metal
adsorbed to suspended solids. They can settle in lakes and accumulate in the sediment, exhibiting significant effects on wildlife
and humans if they enter into the food chain.
In this work, heavy metals transport and sedimentation is simulated based on an analytical model proposed in literature,
considering the material balance and complementary equations, under dynamic conditions. The model was validated previously,
while the simulation was performed at various inflow water flow rates and inflow metal concentrations.
The simulation can be used as a tool for fast evaluation of metal transport in water and sediments, because it requires a minimal
number of measurements.
1. Fate of heavy metals in aquatic environment source pollution can be traced to a specific area. Point
sources include municipal sewage treatment plants,
Transport of the metals may result in overflows from combined sanitary and storm sewers,
increased contents of heavy metals in the ground stormwater discharges from municipal and industrial
water or surface water, so that contamination of the facilities, and waste discharges from industry. No
environment by heavy metals poses a serious point sources include stormwater runoff from
environmental and health risk (Gavrilescu, 2004; hazardous and solid-waste sites, runoff from
Gavrilescu, 2006; He et al., 2004; Kelderman et al., croplands, livestock pens, mining and manufacturing
2005; Prokop et al, 2003; Purves, 1985). operations, and storage sites. Atmospheric deposition
Human activity promotes the accumulation is another source of nonpoint pollution.
of contaminated sediments in water courses. These Upon entry into surface waters, heavy metals
activities sometimes indirectly increase the amounts deposition occurs on the bottom of aquatic areas
of heavy metals released into the environment by (streams, sediments, lakes, estuaries). The
natural processes. Heavy metal inputs included those concentrations of various heavy metals (cadmium,
from commercial fertilizers, liming materials and chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel,
agrochemicals, sewage sludges and other wastes used zinc) in water and bed sediments have been studied
as soil amendments, irrigation waters, and and monitored over several years (Moss and
atmospheric deposition (Prokop et al., 2003; Senesi et Constanza, 1998; Singh et al., 2005a, b; Snape et al.,
al., 1999). The origins of sediment contamination can 1995, van de Vrie E.M., 1987). Also, the relationships
be divided into point and nonpoint sources of between water flow, sediment distribution and metal
pollution. Point source pollution comes from a chemistry have been well studied for rivers and lakes
specific, identifiable source such as a pipe. Nonpoint and karst systems (Avila-Perez et al., 1999; Vesper
∗
Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed: mgav@ch.tuiasi.ro
Pintilie et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 6 (2007), 2, 153-161
and White, 2004). The fate of heavy metal particles in for a lake with inflow and outflow water streams,
the environment is important because they tend to be based on an analytical model developed in literature
reactive, mobile, and highly toxic. Heavy metals are by van den Vrie (1987) and discussed by Snape et al.
contained in four reservoirs in an aquatic (1995). The model was built considering the material
environment, namely, the surface water, the pore balance of both dissolved and adsorbed to solid
waters, the suspended sediment, and the bottom particle forms of the heavy metal in the water column
sediment. During transport, sediment-bound metals and the top sediment layer, together with
are removed from the water column and stored in complementary equations: rate of sedimentation of
alluvial deposits for years before they are suspended particles settling with a certain velocity,
reintroduced into the aquatic environment. diffusion between the top layer of sediment and the
The behavior and fate of metals are water column. The simulation considers different
governed by a range of different physical and values for water inflow rates and various metal
chemical processes, which dictate their availability concentrations. The results of simulation are
and mobility in the soil or sediment system. In the presented as dynamic profiles of heavy metal
water phase, the chemical form of a metal determines concentration.
the biological availability and chemical reactivity
(sorption/ desorption, precipitation/ dissolution) 3. Modelling and simulation of heavy metal
towards other components of the system. Also, the behavior in waters and sediments
mobility and bioavailability of metals bound to
sediments depend on multiple factors, with sediment 3.1. Background
characteristics and the physical–chemical form of the
metal being the key factors (Prokop et al., 2003). Rivers passing through industrial and mining
All heavy metals exist in surface waters in areas transport metals, partly as metal in solution and
colloidal, particulate, and dissolved phases, although partly as metal adsorbed to suspended material. This
dissolved concentrations are generally low (Kennish, suspended material settles to the bottom of lakes and
1992). The colloidal and particulate metal may be estuaries and accumulates in the sediment. Aquatic
found in 1) hydroxides, oxides, silicates, or sulfides; organisms may be adversely affected by heavy metals
or 2) adsorbed by clay, silica, or organic matter. The in the environment. The toxicity is largely a function
soluble forms are generally ions or unionized of the water chemistry and sediment composition in
organometallic chelates or complexes. The solubility the surface water system.
of trace metals in surface waters is predominately Metals may enter the aquatic organisms via three
controlled by the water pH, the type and main pathways (Branza et al., 2005a, b; Connell et al.,
concentration of ligands on which the metal could 1984):
adsorb, and the oxidation state of the mineral 1. Free metal ions that are absorbed through
components and the redox environment of the system respiratory surface (e.g., gills) are readily
(Connell et al., 1984). diffused into the blood stream.
Living organisms require trace amounts of 2. Free metal ions that are adsorbed onto body
some heavy metals, including cobalt, copper, iron, surfaces are passively diffused into the blood
manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, strontium, and stream.
zinc. Excessive levels of essential metals, however, 3. Metals that are sorbed onto food and
can be detrimental to the organism. Non-essential particulates may be ingested, as well as free
heavy metals of particular concern to surface water ions ingested with water.
systems are cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead, In order to be able to assess the water-quality
arsenic, and antimony (Kennish, 1992). impacts of sediments on receiving water bodies,
Heavy metals at or near the soil surface can predictions on variations of metal concentration and
be transformed to overland flow in solution form by contaminant movement are needed under specific
the mixing of rainwater with soil solution, dissolution hydrodynamic conditions.
of the heavy metal partly present in solid form, There are few published modeling studies on
desorption of an adsorbed or absorbed chemical from sediment and metal transport in rivers that simulate
the soil and residues in place, and desorption of the storm events and use comprehensive data sets for
chemical from eroded sediment. model input and model calibration. The overall goal
The behavior of metals in natural waters is to obtain a tool for fast evaluation of metal
depends on substrate sediment composition, transport and accumulation in water and sediments
suspended sediment composition, and water through simulation, which requires a minimal number
chemistry. Sediments composed of fine sand and silt of measured physical and chemical parameters
will generally have higher levels of adsorbed metal (Gavrilescu et al., 2005; Snape et al., 2005).
than quartz, feldspar, and detrital carbonate-rich This approach may be useful during storm
sediment. Metals also have a high affinity for humic events or dredging activities. These heavy-metal
acids, organo-clays, and oxides coated with organic contaminants are often absorbed to clay particles in
matter (Connell et al., 1984). fine, cohesive sediments where they tend to
In this paper, the simulation of heavy metals accumulate without degradation. Heavy metals tend
transport in water column and sediments is carried out to be associated with clay particles comprising
154
Modelling and simulation of heavy metals transport
cohesive sediments because of the high specific CD2 = fD2 CT2 (4)
surface area and reactivity of these particles. Once
mobilized in the water column, the adsorbent CA1 = (1-fD1) CT1 (5)
contaminants are exposed to a different chemical
environmental and increased interaction times that CA2 = (1-fD2) CT2 (6)
may result in desorption and/or dissolution with an
accompanying change in water quality. The dissolved fraction, fD, is given by the
distribution coefficient, KD (Eqs. 7-9):
3.2. Model presentation
1
The model was elaborated based on the fD = (7)
1 + mK D
balance and complementary equations and can be
applied to analyze the accumulation of heavy metals
in lake waters and sediments, under dynamic 1
f D1 = (8)
conditions in connection with simulation tools. 1 + mK D1
Js = vs A CA = vs A (l – fD) CT (10)
155
Pintilie et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 6 (2007), 2, 153-161
156
Modelling and simulation of heavy metals transport
3.3.3. Influence of influent water flow rate on reach a total maximum metal concentration will only
dynamic behavior of metals in water column and be 30% from the maximum found at Q = 1 m3/day
sediment (Fig. 3a). Therefore, the hydrodynamic aspects play
An increase of the influent water flow rate to an important role in metal transport in the water
Q = 10 m3/day will change the behavior of the column. After this duration (between 30-40 days),
system, when the three levels of inflow heavy metal any decrease in inflow rate will result in constant CT1
concentrations are considered. For an inflow metal and CD1 values.
concentration Cin = 0.001 g/m3, the time necessary to
a) b)
c) d)
e) f)
Fig. 2. The dynamic profiles of heavy metal concentrations in sediments and water column for an influent water flow rate,
Q=1 m3 day-1
A similar situation can be observed for the column (D1 and A1) and sediment layer (A2, D2),
dissolved and adsorbed metal concentrations in water respectively (Fig. 3b).
157
Pintilie et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 6 (2007), 2, 153-161
a) b)
c) d)
e) f)
Fig. 3. The dynamic profiles of heavy metal concentrations in sediments and water column
for an influent water flow rate, Q=10 m3 day-1
For a higher value of metal concentration, x10-3 g/m3 and CD1 = 4.5x10-3 g/m3, which are greater
Cin = 0.01 g/m3, the system behaves as previously, than those for Cin = 10-3 g/m3 (Fig. 3c). The same
excepting for the steady – state values of CT1 ≈ 9.5 profile of the concentrations of metals was found for
158
Modelling and simulation of heavy metals transport
adsorbed metal concentrations, in sediment and of water inflow rate at Q = 100 m3/day (for example,
dispersed solid particles, A2, D2, D1 (Fig. 3d). If the during rainfall) leads to steady – state almost
metal inflow concentration becomes higher, Cin = 10-1 instantaneously, with the maximum values of
g/m3, the maximum value of adsorbed and dissolved concentration depending on the inflow concentration
metal concentration increases, compared to that values (Fig. 4, a-f).
observed for Cin = 10-2 g/m3 (Figs. 3e, f). The increase
b)
a)
d)
c)
e) f)
Fig.4. The dynamic profiles of heavy metal concentrations in sediments and water column
for an influent water flow rate, Q=100 m3 day-1
159
Pintilie et al./Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 6 (2007), 2, 153-161
Nomenclature
A Area of water-sediment interface in each element m2
C Concentration of metal g m-3
fD Fraction of metal that is dissolved -
H1 Height of water column m
H2 Depth of top sediment layer m
J Fluxes of metals g m-2 day-1
KD Distribution coefficient g-1
KL Diffusion exchange coefficient m day-1
m Concentration of suspended particles g m-3
Q Volumetric flow rate of water into water column m3 day-1
T Time days
V1 Volume of water column m3
V2 Volume of top sediment layer m3
vs Sedimentation velocity m day-1
Subscripts
1 Water column
2 Top sediment layer
A Adsorbed
D Dissolved
s Settling
T Total
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